It felt like it had been an age since he’d been outside the Warded walls, the instant lack of constant low chatter was jarring. Even though he pushed the Wards words from his mind, and remained unaffected by them, it didn’t mean they went away.

Dailin breathed, savoring the stillness of the tunnels he was in, the emptiness of it. Normally he’d be fidgeting at every noise, watching for a hidden threat to appear and stab him from behind, but with Rune skin? Such worries fell on deaf ears as he walked a brisk pace down the passage. It was a nice change of scenery, even with Tower interior covered in breathing taking art, and woven fabrics, nature was still more pleasing to his eyes, especially with how long he’d been away from it. The gardens didn’t really fill the void all that much, nice that it was there, but not enough.

With his fears in check, and his ability to slaughter anything that appeared, he was able to enjoy the journey out into Nightmare infested lands. A place of ever-changing plants with different hues, and glowing flowers and blobs. A tapestry of color that wasn’t marred by the harrowing appearances of Nightmares. The supposed infested lands, were barren, again. Every path they went down was devoid of any moving creature, the realm outside completely claimed by the plant life growing in abundances around him. The Vines hung low with fruits, fat from never being picked, a realm of food where people could easily live carefree lives if it wasn’t for the roaming Nightmares.

Dailin breathed in deep noticing an increase in the amount of Mana in the air, which continued to rise with each step. They were getting close, a week of walking within the labyrinth of tunnels was finally going to pay off. He could tell this was where the Host had found the River, not only because of the air. But also he could see the mess they had left in their wake. The plant life had been cut aside, a process that would have to be done again. As the vines had grown back in full. Though it didn’t match the thickness of the others that hung on the walls. Guards were beginning to move forwards to trim the path, but he decided to do it himself.

He stopped walking and with half a thought the stone under his feet rose, raising him high enough he could fire off chants without running the risk of harming anyone. Then with the slight push of his will, the Mana within him acted, and howling wind of razor-sharp blades surged forth. The vines looked as if they’d disintegrated, but in truth had merely been cut apart by a myriad of seethrough blades. He hadn’t been careful when it came to the distance of the spell. So his winds continued forward cutting everything in their path for a long ways. Enough that his chant struck stone and began slicing the rock into a fine mist. He stopped the flow then, the work mostly done.

The Guards were frozen in place, his chant catching them unaware. They were people used to Chanters who needed time to cast their spells, their echoing voices giving those below them time to prepare or get out of the way. Not his, it had been a long time since his spells hadn’t been instant in their casting.

“A glories display Divine.” One of his Rune sons said behind him.

“Thank you” Dailin commented, not wanting to embarrass his son in telling it was a simple wind spell, just better made because Mana weaved it. His stone platform sunk back into the ground with a thought, and he turned to the Host of Rune child. It was quite the sight to look upon them. Even if all of them, including himself, were covered head to toe in flowing clothing. His Maidens had been adamant, his Light, even from his children was too great a thing for Lowly to see.

Dailin eager to get to the River hadn’t argued, a mild inconvenience was nothing compared to freeing himself from his overbearing instinct, even if it was for a short time. He didn’t mind having his mask back though, made life more pleasant when he didn’t have to focus on hiding his feelings, save from coming from his voice, but that was easier to mask in his opinion.

He was surprised that his children weren't complaining about such things through. Since for all of their lives they’ve had only worn very loose fitting clothing. Yet not once had they complained, at least not in his presence, no they had been well behaved. Even when they left the Wards for the first time, he had expected some confusion and alarm. Instead of silence and not a change in their demeanor, as if they had never even noticed the Wards had left them.

He had asked how they felt, of course, thinking his children were putting up a strong act for his sake. But their answers constricted his thinking, claiming they felt relieved to be away from the Wards constant lying. Thankfully no Guards or another sort not part of his House hadn’t been around to hear that. He had warned them not to mention that out loud again, not when there were others who would take offense to it.

Even if it was the truth, and the Vail were better off as a whole knowing it. But such sense came with harsh revelations of their predicament, how much danger the lot of them were actually in. His children had told him they’d be more careful in the future with the sharing of his wisdom. Remembering it was for the Worthy to know, not those near the depths of Soulless.

Which wasn’t true, but he decided not to contradict his kids, better they held wrong beliefs rather than speaking about things people didn’t want to hear and might get violent, if enough of them got upset. Dailin saw the Guards get over the display of his spellcraft and began marching forward again, ears rigid listening for threats. Even though none could be heard, at least not by Dailin, even when he increased the scale he could pick up with the help of Mana. The realm around them was dead, devoid of all other moving life. The Nightmares had migrated elsewhere, to his knowing fear the beasts were gorging themselves on found Rivers. Fatting, growing and strengthening to new levels, that he was sure would make the Vail go into shock. He felt sympathy for the many Flocks that had been recently loosed out into the tunnels. The quality of those involved was well above the first Flocks, still, it was going to be a slaughter, thousands more killed in total, for no gain.

“Do you think we’ll stumble onto any Nightmares soon Divine?” one of his sons asked, actual eagerness held within the words.

“Eventually” Dailin answered, glad for the mask that hid his surprise of children wanting to find beasts. “The Host before mentioned Nightmares had found the River we seek as well, so we’ll find them soon enough. Will have to remove the beasts and claim the River for ourselves.” Dailin glanced back at the Hundred Rune children following him, all voluntaries to his absolute shock. “Have any of you been shown what a Nightmare looks like?”

“Yes, Divine.” They said in a combined clamor. One closer to him spoke, “Our Mentors showed us the foe we face, down from the Carvers and in some visions up to Ancients.” Dailin wasn’t too happy to hear that, sure it was beneficial for them to know their enemy, but the Vail were a fragile lot. Such sights couldn’t have been pleasant for his children to be forced to witness.

“I didn’t expect them to show you Ancients.” He informed them “Not without me by your side helping you all cope with the visions.”

“All is well,” another child said. “You guided us every Rotation, bathed us in your Light. It was more than enough to help us deal with the sights shown.”

Dailin nodded as he looked fully forward again, he had, every day since they’d been born. A bonding moment for all of them as they curled around him as he sang. It was a happy memory, one he had placed within the rooms of his Dream, a sight to look at and warm his heart. They were so cute and innocent looking when they were young. A pity they couldn’t stay that way forever.

Dailin and his Host walked in silence for the most part for several more hours. The plant life growing larger with each step, it became a common occurrence for either him or one of his children to clear the path ahead. It was still an odd sight for him to be able to watch the destroyed plant life start growing back quick enough it was noticeable by the naked eye. Dailin could see the plants were using the Mana in the air just like the Nightmares. Using it to grow quick and beyond what it should have been capable of. Rather blind of him to only notice it now. The Gardens within the Sanctums did the same thing, not as fast but beyond what a plant should be able to do.

It was an annoyance now as they had to constantly trim the plants around them as it grew outward trying to block the paths forward again. ‘It will be a good marker though.’ Dailin thought, something to tell the Hosts to look out for, a clear sign to let them know they were close to a River or something else with a heavy dose of Mana in it.

Some of his children moved ahead of him, joining the ranks of Guard’s as they used themselves to clear the paths ahead as the growth speed of the plants continued to rise. ‘It must have been a real irritation for the Hosts to push through this with Spears alone the first time.’ He considered as the plant life moved around them, desperate to spread and reclaim the lost ground. As the Minutes passed one of his children from the front moved back and rejoined him.

“The Lowly claim we’re almost at the River, they recall this sort of event before with great clarity.” His son said to him, eagerness in his voice.

“Then ready yourselves,” Dailin said loudly to those around him. “The Nightmares won’t be pleased to see us, they will mass and charge when we come into view and head for what they hold dear.”

“They will be cleaned” his children chanted around him, not a hint of fear in their words, something so very odd compared to what he was used to. But they did have Rune skin, couldn’t be harmed as long as Mana ran through their veins. They did have the luxury of not being worried, at least for now.

His children cleared the path ahead of them one last time as they moved around a bend. Dailin didn’t need to see the River, he could feel it, the air alive with Mana begging to be used. So when his eyes actually did gaze upon the River it was breathing taking to behold. So much, all flowing down as a rushing font heading further and further down the stone depths of this realm. And it was all for the taking or would have been if it wasn’t for the army of Nightmares in the way.

The things were fighting each other, in the way an animal fought to claim a mother’s tit. They pushed and tacked, the larger ones with hands throw their opposition out of the way. The largest, the Ancients that had their maws open wide, gulping the substance down, they were the only ones left undisturbed. But not for long, Dailin couldn’t let this continue, he hands balled into fists as he watched Nightmares grow in a horrifying rate. Flesh and shell bulging, their forms struggling to keep up with the unnatural growth rate the Mana was causing.

Dailin made a platform for himself, had the stone raise him higher in the air so had a clear shot at the beasts. His children did the same, staggering themselves so all had a clear shot. The Guards retreated behind them, they had no place here.

“Children” Dailin voiced while raising his hands towards the swarm. “Bring down the Givers Wrath, cleanse this Chamber of their filth.” He didn’t wait for a reply as the Mana come to life within him, lightning surging out, quickly joined by a multitude of others as his children aided him in the assault. The speed of their chanting, for his children were all lesser versions of him now, happened so quick the Nightmares never had time to register what was happening. The lightning bored through them, cascading about affecting all. Most were reduced to ashes, shells doing nothing to slow the process as lightning tore through the lines of beasts. They didn’t even get time to cry out in pain or panic. The Ancients did through, the Runes upon their shells saved them from being killed outright. But it didn’t save them for long as he and his children increased the flow of their spell. One by one, the Ancients that didn’t have time to run or had been pinned down by the force of the lightning died. The Mana in them spent as their Runes tried in vain to save them.

It was a mess afterward. Mounds of flesh bubbled up and splattering everywhere as their spell cooked the Ancients alive. Their wailing echoed loud, enough to shake the stone around them. Then the bodies began to burst coating half the chasm in pools of gore. Dailin and his children kept the spell going long enough to make sure everything was dead, and most of the blood and been cooked away. Then the realm descended back into darkness, at least to his eyes at first. It only took a second for them to readjust to the lesser light from the stones their carried and the glow of the plant life around them.

The Chamber was a charred mess, the air filled with the scent of cooked insect that was pleasant to breathe in. It had his mouth watering, to his disgust, even if they might taste like Bork or other forms of meat. He would never partake, he refused to eat insects, unless he was about to starve. Then he would have no choice. Dailin had the Mana in him make the illusion that the room smelled of flowers, and began walking forward. His children followed, and without pause, many rushed ahead of him searching for any survivors.

Dailin didn’t look that closely, there wasn’t anything the beasts could do to harm him, he instead gestured with a hand, and cleansed the path forward of the fifth their spells had made. One that led all the way to the River, it pulled to him and had most of his attention when the realm began to quake. His children went still, their ears rigid as they looked back and forth. Dailin did the same, heard stone break from his left and pointed a hand in that direction. He didn’t wait to look, instead hummed and bathed the realm in light again. There was loud shriek that came after. An Ancient shaped Maggot had smashed through the wall and was about to crash into them. His spell intervened, shredding the charging mass that continued down the length of the Ancient. Its Runes had done little to slow his spell, he hadn’t been conservative. Why would he? They had chests of Hearts with them, but also he had a River of Mana in front of him, there was no need to be frugal.

His children joined in with his assault shredding the Maggot Ancient down to its base where it connected to the wall. They didn’t stop, Dailin had seen this type plenty of times from the Shards. So he kept the flow going, his spell burning through rock with ease. Stone melted and turned into magma from the heat of the lightning. Dailin ears twitched, as the realm shook more, the stone around them shifting all over. Swiveling his other hand in place he performed another spell heading towards a breach that had formed. Nightmares larger than he had ever seen poured out, and instantly dissolved under the weight his blast. More breaches open up around them, even above their heads. His children got to work launching spells at the beasts that poured into the chamber. Beasts called by the death throes of the Ancients they had killed. Dailin stopped his original two spells, the Ancient that had tried to charge them was beyond dead same for the wave of Nightmares that had appeared out of the first breach. He started sending out waves of wind blades. Even large as they were, the beasts were only Nightmares, none had the signature mark of Runes upon their flesh, he didn’t need to call on lightning to end them.

He noticed as he scanned the room, launching attacks where needed, that he kids were having, fun. Smiles on the lot of them as they went about blasting the enemies before them with little care about the amount of Mana they were using.

“If you start to feel tired or spent, don’t hesitate to use the Hearts provide to all of you, or to take from the chests if needed.” He called out using Mana so his voice carried over the ruckus the chants were making. His children echoed as one, acknowledging his words as they went about swatting Nightmares. Such an odd thing to see, he’d expected them to be at least a little afraid, the beasts weren’t exactly pleasant to look at. Even with how he was, the sight of them made his skin crawl most of the time. Yet his children showed no signs of unease.

A loud series of screeches echoed around them, and the surviving Nightmares, what few that remained long enough for him to see, retreated, running back as fast as they had come. Dailin had his hands up, waiting for something to come Charging at him. His eyes widened for a moment when he felt the floor underneath him gave way. They fell, the unlucky Guards screamed as they did, knowing they didn’t have a chance surviving the fall, while Dailin as he children paid it no mind. They had Runes, falling from a great distance wouldn’t harm them in the slightest as long as they had the reserves.

Dailin notice movement on the sides of the chasm they were falling down. The River was joining them as it flowed down the new path thanks to the many Maggot Ancients encircling the outer rim of the bowl they had made. Ancients snaked their frames out, opening their maws wide to snatch up his children midair. A wave of panic went through him when he saw one of his sons get munched on. Encased in the Ancient colossal mouth. The Beast stop the moment after, then its head exploded sending waves of gore everywhere. His son reappeared falling with the mess that was the Ancients head. The boy wasn’t smiling anymore, no a clear frown marred him now. He was after all covered in drool and other fluids. Not that it lasted, his boy cleaned himself with the flick of a wrist, the moister flying off him.

The display of death his child had performed had the rest of the Ancients that had been surging forward to stop mid-flight. Their worm-shaped bodies quickly pulled them back into the layers of stone they hid within. Dailin laughed as he readied to launch an attack of his own. But then he was made aware of the floor as he crashed into it, and formed a small crater. He only felt a slight discomfort at first before the Runes on his skin acted in full. Then nothing, not an ounce of pain announced itself. The stone acted and felt like a soft bed conforming to his body when he jumped on it. The difference was the stone didn’t return to its original shape as his bed would have.

Dailin worked his way out of the hole he made, his children doing the same before they returned to the task of raining lightning down upon the Maggot Ancients. The smart ones fled instantly back into their holes, or maybe the fastest of the bunch, those that didn’t were rendered into steaming chunks of meat as spells shredded and cooked their bodies. It was a relief to Dailin, seeing the Ancients Runes were indeed inferior, or the Ancients had much less stored up Mana in them than he thought. The Beasts wasting it on growing themselves to unnecessary proportions. As his children had their fun, Dailin searched around, looking for the chests of Hearts. The entire upper floor they had been in had all caved in, so the chests had to be somewhere down in the bowel shaped chasm with them. While he searched Nightmares started to crawl their way down to their level, streaks of lightning dissolving the beast’s ranks.

“Use Wind for those” Dailin called out as he headed towards a chest. “Save the Givers Wrath for the ones Worthy of it.” His children answered with varying phases of “By your Will.” And began cutting the Nightmares apart with wind blades.

Dailin reached one of the chests, at least what was left of it. The Hearts were laying everywhere thrown about when the chest crashed into the ground. Humming he formed a new simple shape chest and willed the Hearts to pile within it. His ears flicked up when he heard a hum coming from above, it was a rougher pitch than the ones he was used to, but it did bring back a memory of his first experience when running into an Ancient. Dailin looked up, and saw at the top of the ring, Ancients shaped like flesh Hills aiming giant mouths at them. The Throats within vibrating wildly.

Dailin arms flashed upwards, searing light erupting from them, as the Ancients let out their own chant. Dailin spell took time to burn through the Ancients defenses, the ones attacking held far more reserve of Mana within themselves. Dailin attack forced the beasts to focus on him rather than his children, and he was knocked to his knees when a multitude of morphed chants struck him. His Runes glowed vividly, and he noticed the Mana within him pouring into the Runes keeping them charged. Dailin didn’t feel a thing as everything around him dissolved, stone simmering away like smoke. The wrath of the Ancients spell lessened more and more as he heard his children act. Launching their own torrent of Chants at the beasts that were attacking him. The weight holding him down stopped, and Dailin pushed himself up and looked. His children had turned the upper bowel into a ring of Magma, little remained of the Ancients who’d been assaulting him.

There was silence for a moment, the Nightmares momentum stopped as it collided with a foe it couldn’t crush effortlessly. Then the realm began to shake again. The outer perimeter all around them opened up, the stone peeling away rather than been smashed aside. Ancients walked out. A lot of Ancients, many shaped similar to regular Nightmares, but most were a combination of them. Dailin heart sped up, then slowed as he turned from them to the River raging down. He smiled at it then the beasts before him. He closed his eyes, and called to his Mana, commanded it to bring more of itself to him. To bring the River.

There was a pause, then he felt a shift in the air, he breathed in deep, his eyes opening wide when all the Mana in the area flooded toward, and into him. He screamed when the River joined into the collection, and rush into him. It was a scream of joy, the glow of his Runes and veins became blinding. The Mana sang to him, begged to be used, and he was all too happy to oblige. Hands raised to those in front of him, he unleashed his spell, the realm going white. The thunder from his lightning was deafening, the stone around them rumbled, piece flaking off. As for Ancients in front of him, well, things just vanished, render to dust in the blink of an eye. His spell continued forward dissolving stone instantly, the rimming of the rock glowed a deep red. He slowly moved his arms outward in a circle. None of the Ancients in his field of view got a chance to flee, lightning wasn’t something anyone could outrun.

His children rallied behind him, always staying out of his way as his spell melted every threat in sight. Ancients cried out their screeching reaching new heights as the things fled back into the stone surrounding them. Dailin heard more calls from above, Ancients had begun to amass ontop them again. But his children dealt with them, striking any threat that came into view over the lip. Even as Dailin ended his chant, the Ancients continued to cry out, instinct pressed on him, and he felt a cold shiver go down his spine. That was more than enough of an excuse for him to close his eyes, and call on all the Mana around him. He heard the tides of liquid nectar rush towards and into him. His own scream echoed out as his body become over saturated, Mana having nowhere to go began to seep back out. So he voiced his Mantra, guided the Mana to become part of him, to improve him.

He gasp as he felt and hurried his body pop, begin to stretch. Mana Veins became ever thicker cords, his Runes began to shift as he focused the Mana on them. Become more detailed and vivid. He was in utter bliss.

His eyes snapped open as he heard the shocked alarms of his children. His head turned to his side, and before him was something. It was no Ancient as he gazed upon it, it was a mountain, but its movements made no sounds, the stone around it morphed to its desires. It was the size of a tower in height, a mountain of flesh and shell held aloft by a multitude of limps.

‘To me’ Dailin thought towards the Mana within him, ‘bring it all to me!’ he screamed in his mind, Mana surged to life, and Dailin felt the air pop at the violent pull of Mana that rushed towards him. The very River itself stopped flowing down and hanged midair before head towards him. Everything began to vibrate as the Things multitude of eyes focused on him, then mouths began to open, accompanied by an enormous one aimed at him.

Dailin voice rang out, but he didn’t summon lightning, no instead he focused on the mouth locked on him, and envisioned a barrier, one that wouldn’t break. It appeared in the things maw, spreading out quickly and tried to slide into the Beast flesh but found no purchase. Instead, he forced it to lock into place to hold onto any surface available. The Barrier glowed, as he poured more into it, an endless complex of Runes shimmering on its surface. The Beast didn’t care, as it finally screamed out its own spell. It exited out of every mouth it had save for the one he blocked. The thing began to spin itself, to his dismay. The many flows of pressurized air it formed traveled out hitting everything. Dissolving everything. Dailin as he was struck, manifested another series of barriers around the area he was at. Shielding his children more than himself. Mana continued to flood into him, a part of himself still screaming for the Mana to come.

When he formed the shield to a strength he thought suitable, he pushed himself through the barriers, weaving them out of his way as he exited out into the violent whirlwind of slicing air that was trying to shred him. His Runes answered the winds glowing brightly as the Mana work in full to keep them charged. He couldn’t fill the pull, there was too much of the substance entering him to notice. He lifted an arm held it straight with the other and aimed at the thing that was making a mountain-sized carven from the destruction it was causing.

The realm with white once more, as he the converted the flow of Mana entering him into a torrent of lightning. The air became hot, but was only mildly warm, the stone under his feet began to glow then melt, pooling around him, yet he felt none of it. The lighting, that of a storm struck the Thing that danced in front of him. His first barrier still holding on, as it blocked the torrent of aired wrath from spilling out of the Beast main mouth. The moment his own chant struck the Beast it lost its balance and stubbed back in the opposite direction it had been struck. It screeched, but it wasn’t a hymn, nor pain, it was one of rage. The Things slowly righted itself as his lightning danced uppon its surface. The Beast own Runes alive with activity as he watched the glowing mountain rise and turn its many eyes back at him.

Dailin strode forward increasing the distance between him and his children. The Thing tracked his every move as it itself pushed against the assault of his spell. Moving its mountainous bulk towards him. Its main maw was trained on him, and he could see even though the intensity of the lightning surging from his hands. That his barrier was thinning. The Beast roared, the realm shook as it increased the strength its own morphed spell, finally pushing through the barrier, shattering it. The full fury of what the beast wrought struck around him. His own spell cut through the attack, keeping him from being hit directly. Still, his Runes were glowing hot, he could feel the pull the Runes were causing inside him now, sucking up all the Mana in reach to maintain themselves. Dailin kept his trance going, screaming in his mind for the Mana to keep pulling in the substance around him.

The Thing kept lumbering forward, slowly, as his spell wormed around its frame. Grunting, Dailin increase the flow of Mana increased the turret of lightning he was letting out. His mind split as it was between two trances, he wasn’t putting much thought into keeping the attack uniform. Lightning danced about in front of him, hitting the beast and much of the surroundings. The area around the Beast, like his own, was becoming filled with molten stone, the air sizzling with heat. The Thing struggled as more lightning pushed against it, in retaliation the Thing strength its own spell again. Even with most being held off, Dailin was forced to sink his feet deep into the molten stone, the harshness of the wind enough that he feared he would be sent flying into the wall.

Minutes went by, the two of them not once lessening their chants, it terrified Dailin, the minutes felt like an eternity, and he began to wonder if the Thing could even be killed before he finally noticed the light of its Runes fading. ‘Thank the gods’ he thought in his restless mind. The Beast had different thoughts about its predicament, as it screamed out, and stopped struggling against the ferocity of his attack. Let itself be pushed back away from him as it slid through the now lake of molten magma. It began to sink, and only then did Dailin realize the Thing was trying to escape. In his haste he cut off his lighting, returning the realm back to its dark hue. He weaved the Mana a new tendrils of barriers shaped like chains wrapped around the Beast. Each of which spread out connecting to the walls and the high up ceiling.

Then Dailin willed the barrier chains to pull, to bring the Beast to him. The chains struggled, so he forced more into his creation, commanding loudly to the Mana it was made up of. The Beast rose, screaming in rage, and Dailin hoped fright. From its many mouths, it tried hitting the chains and where they connected to. Most missed, but for those that struck true, Dailin didn’t waste any time fixing them, and moving them in new locations the Beast couldn't strike. After Dailin went back to work pulling the Mountain up, only stopping once its monstrous form was hanging slightly above the pool of magma. The Many limbs of the Think squirming about, the Beast screeching in frustration.

Disconnecting from his Chains, Dailin magnified the flow of Mana into himself, built it up then pushed it all out, Lightning was born, its creation causing the air pressure to change and pop as thunder echoed loudly through the air shaking stone. The Beast wailed when his spell returned to assault its frame. This time it did nothing to retaliate, instead, Dailin could see stone begin to shift, then rise up towards the monster. Stone like claws formed and wrapped around its frame began pulling at it. Dailin aimed a portion of his attack at them, shattering the stone constructs into pieces that fell back into the pool of liquid stone, only to rise again. It mattered little, he had the advantage, the only one that counted for anything. He had the River, he had an endless supply of Mana at his call and Dailin didn’t hesitate to increase the magnitude of his chant. No longer did he have to hold back so his Runes stayed strong. No, now he could attack in full. More lighting formed spreading out and struke every surface of the Beast he could see.

It screamed so loud, its pitch near the volume of the thunder he’d made moments ago. It continued to cry out as Dailin smiled, as he watched its Runes grow dimmer and dimmer. Then they were gone, and the Mountain of Fresh bubbled, charred, and exploded. The Beast stopped screaming, its many limbs going limp, but Dailin didn’t let up, he wouldn’t till every last chunk of the abomination was a smoldering ruin.

It was a sickening thing to watch, and Dailin hoped his children had the sense to turn their eyes away from the scene. Dailin wished he could, but he forced his eyes forward, made sure the Beast stayed dead, even as he wanted to hag, forced to see fluids of various kind pour out of it, as the lake of Magma mixed with a lake of gore. The lightning and how it was charring everything wasn’t helping much, caking the mountain-sized chasm with a thick aroma of cooked meat, and a metallic scent.

Dailin chant stopped and his arms fell to his sides as the last of the deed was done. Even though he wasn’t tired nor his body feeling fatigued, Dailin till breathed in heavily, as his heart pounded loudly in his chest. He rubbed his face and eyes that burned from starting at such bright lights for so long, and hesitantly turned towards his children.

He relaxed as he found the barriers he’d made still held, still glowed brightly as his children stared at him in awe. He looked around, surveyed the mess his battle had made and found no Nightmare or Ancient in sight. The beasts fleeing after witnessing their champion defeated. Dailin looked towards the River of Mana, watched it still seeping down into the stone, and decide that couldn’t be allowed. A push of will and the raise of a hand and the River surged towards him, flooding him with power, with endless possibilities. At once Dailin turned his will to the ground around them. Hardened it as the heated stone formed into thick interlocking plates. Then he cooled it, leaving a smooth floor that stretched the entire length of the chasm. He began molding it more, making deep pools where the River would flow into once his chant was disconnected. After Dailin turned his thoughts on to himself. The battle had revealed how weak he was, if he had been caught away from the River, the Mountain would have crushed him.

He needed to be more, and the Mana acted, strengthen him, weaving or thickening cords of Mana through his body, made the Runes on his flesh more complicated. Dailin focused on making his body a far better container for the substance that was the key to everything. And was the source of all the problems that were befalling him.

Dailin wasn’t sure how long he was in his trance shaping himself, but when he came to, he was surrounded by his children. All of them just gazing at him eye wide, looking him up and down. Dailin stopped his chant as he flowed their gazes and only then notice he was completely naked. ‘Of course’ Dailin thought as his ears began to burn and he instinctively hid his member behind his hands. Closing his eyes he spent a moment trying to push the embarrassment he was feeling away, before finally giving up and began thinking of ways to cover himself.

He hummed a thin layer of the stone around his hips and had it spread down in a form of a towel. It didn’t work so well, not at first before he envisioned it to be more cloth-like in nature. It was better then, moved and felt like he pictured. Only then did he turn his gaze back to his children. None voicing a word about what he just did, only kept looking at him with eyes of wonder.

“Are you all alright?” he asked studying them, there were some whose Runes were visibly dim, a clear sign of how much they'd spent themselves. His words got them to come back to themselves, as the host of children around him stirred awake.

“Blessed Divine” answered one of his sons, the rest joining in example. “Apologies for our poor manners, we were taking in by the sight of the Giver Blessing you.” His son continued and bowed, as did the rest.

“Were family,” Dailin said, “As long as you behave, I call little for manners, and call me Father, or Papa, whichever you wish.” Dailin went about counting heads, making sure all were accounted for.

“We’re all here Father,” his son said, “We made sure the moment the battle came to an end, the Guards, however, were lost, their Lowly forms unable to handle the events.”

Dailin breathed a sigh of relief, happy he had put his foot down on talks about his older children coming. He had known the fighting was going to be ferrous. That it was best for all involved to have Runes, still, Dailin turned his head in the direction the mountain had been and felt the faintness of chill. ‘Doomed’ instinct said it wasn’t near the weight it had been before. Both it and dread lessened thanks to the River. But it was still there and the message remained the same. ‘Doomed indeed’ Dailin thought, all the Vail were doomed.

“An epic to be told” he son spoke following his gaze “The Advisors and the Prime Maiden will be thrilled to hear the tale once you’re back in Hadthel. The Tower will sing of your Light.” His son added with vigor, many echoing calls of his greatness, his divinity. Dailin didn’t feel all that divine, he felt scared, for himself, his children, but most all for the future.

“I’m not going back” Dailin voice to the crowd, which brought about silence the moment his words carried to their ears. ‘Is it really that much of a surprise?’ He thought, as he stared out where the mountain used to be. He had improved himself greatly, yet he still would never want to be caught fighting that Thing alone, without a River at his back. Not to mention if more than one showed up, there was an untold amount of Rivers flowing down, he knew. ‘How many more beasts like that one are out there waiting? Growing?’

‘But Div- Father, Hadthel, the Tower, your House, you can’t stay away. We need your guiding Light or all will be led astray again.” He son said with urgency, others mirroring his words.

“My House will come here,” Dailin said, still thinking things through. He knew one thing he couldn’t, wouldn’t be away from the River. It was the key to everything, the key to his survival.

He turned to his son, the boy staring at him confused, worried before it vanished. Dailin neared him, loomed over his children now, Dailin notice he’d grown, he was heads taller than what he had been before. Dailin was about to place his hands on his son's shoulders but stop himself, thought better of it. “Hadthel, the Tower, they mean nothing son, neither have a future.” Sweeping his hand to where the Beast had died. “You saw yourself what I faced, do you think the Sanctum Wards will hold off such a creature?” Dailin asked gently.

His boy eyes went distant, then returned gazing at him anew. “No,” the boy said.

Dailin nodded his head, unable to stop himself as he brushed his boy hair. “My House, my family is no longer safe there. The Wards will fail, we need a new home, one that I will build.” Dailin said his voice rising, Mana spilling into them, magnifying them. He looked at the River which was pooling now, his work enough to keep it contained for the moment. “With the River, I will make a home in which all of us will be safe.”

‘And if the River dries, I’ll just follow it upwards and find a new source.’ Dailin thought as his children around called out “For your will.”