Alldarnar pushed and ran as everyone else did, back down the Road they’d been traveling. He knew he couldn’t keep up the current pace, but his vessel didn’t care nor was listening all that well to him.

‘Let it save us’ Fear whispered, ‘The vessel knows better than you of the appropriate response towards.’

It went quiet, ‘Towards the end upon us’ Fear finished.

Alldarnar Soul shivered, Fear wasn’t wrong, not in this, not from what they both had seen. What they had gazed upon when the Gate opened and things tried pushing their way inside.

‘Giver help us, please!’ He offered as his vessel continued to run with the Flock as they raced down a new section of Road. One, like the section before, that was dimming more and more. Everyone notice it now, even the most unobservant. The light of the Wards was too shallow not to notice. And it was getting worse as the Souls drained away doing all it could to hold back the Nightmare outside.

Perhaps, Alldarnar considered, and the images in his mind strengthen Fear. The Road would be breached. That for the first time since their inception the Roads would fail them.

‘It is child.’ Fear sent, its form floating in the air near him as his vessel ran itself to exhaustion. ‘We saw a glimpse of what is out there, of what has come. These Wards before you will fail, accept it for the fact it is and keeping running.’

‘Do not order me Curse.’ he sent back, his training guiding him on how to face such things.

‘It was a suggestion, little one, if it had been an order, we wouldn’t be discussing things.’ It hissed back at him.

‘And so it shall remain, till you become too much a burden or a threat to be removed. You will never have this vessel Fear, it is mine.’ He sent and got a sad laugh in return for his statement.

‘I have no interest in your vessel child, it's too late for that, far too late.’ Fear sent and look back towards the Gate they were running from.

Alldarnar felt a chill run down his spine, those were not the thoughts he was expecting to hear from a Curse. It should be hungering for his vessel, trying to turn him and use his vessel to its own ends.

'For it to act otherwise was?' The thought sent another chill through him, Alldarnar teachings didn’t show any cases of that happening. And for an odd Breath he felt Hope, felt the need for what Fear said to be a lie, a trick, rather than it possibly being a truth. For if a Cursed deemed taking a vessel pointless, then what was unfolding outside of his view?

He turned from it, the thoughts only grew Fear more, and did no good for him, nor his vessel that was panicked enough as is. He was breathing hard, he vision starting to shrink, he couldn’t keep running like this. He was going to collapse soon enough, his place in the Sanctum hadn’t been one of physical testing. His vessel was used to lounging and laying with women Worthy of his seed. Not running around completing tasks like some Lowly. Trying to give an excuse as to why they should be allowed into places where in truth they didn’t belong.

Now he was offering to the Giver for strength. Offered that his vessel kept up with the others around him. Some of whom he believed were Lowly used to running in such a manner. The ones further ahead of him certainly were, and even though he was giving all he had at running. Those beyond him kept increasing the distance.

‘At least I’m not the slowest.’ He confined to himself, there were many behind him, ones he’d been jealous of the Channels they displayed. Not now though, not after seeing the Nightmares that waited outside. It had taken almost everything they had just to push the Cursed abominations back enough to close the Gate.

Trying to face them head on, or holding them back for any extended period of time would be impossible with the current Flock he was with.

‘Oh Giver, and we were about to go marching out there heading for mines.’ After that display, Alldarnar was sure the Voices had been lying to everyone. There was no possibility that Flocks were alive out there, not with what he’d seen. One encounter with those Nightmares and he knew no Flock current or past would have been able to face them.

‘You are going to be facing them’ Fear sent, its attention returning to his vessel. ‘All of you will be, the Nightmare comes child, and this time the Wards aren’t going to be able to hold it back.’

‘Lies’ Alldarnar sent instinctively, the Wards wouldn’t fail, not all of them, certainly not those of his Sanctum, not Hadthel.

‘Look around you, they’re already failing. It will spread one section at a time, the Nightmare will claim what the Vail once considered theirs. The Sanctums will be no different. It may take longer, but like all else made by your kind it will crumble away and leave you exposed.’

‘And here you say you aren’t trying to claim my vessel. Yet look how you grow, how you try to influence my thoughts to become more attuned with yours.’ He sent and was a little happy about it, that the Curse was acting as it should.

It laughed at him again, it seemed almost sad. ‘I’m not trying, I’m just showing you the truth aligned with me, facts that are as certain as the stone under your paws. Maybe if you were of high Worth, maybe if you were among the Voices circle I would be trying. But you’re at the bottom, so the only course for both of us is to try and survive a little longer. For neither of use, even if I claimed the vessel, have a place to run off to.’ Fear finished leaving him colder than he felt before, enough that he tried manifesting a flicker of Anger. Yet none sparked into being, was too afraid for that, to aligned with Fear’s thinking to form it.

So he separated his mind from it, tried to move into a trance while his vessel struggled to breathe fast enough to maintain its manic pace. He pleaded to the Giver, begged that all which was transpiring around him was but the workings of a Cursed dream. That soon he would wake and find himself once more in the depths of his bed, Maidens waiting to serve him.

He repeated the trance and offer all the way to the point his vessel finally gave out. Alldarnar was pushed then step upon once he fell to the floor. The pain of it was what brought him out the most. Some of his bones were broken by the time the Flock had finished passing. He wallowed in the realm of Agony for Sequences as he struggled to breathe in enough air to sate the burning in his body. Which was further expounded upon with the waves of pain that accompanied the act as his chest rose.

It may have been half a Round before he had control of his vessel enough to get it to Chant. To get his Soul to fix all that had been done to it. Wailed cries escaped his lips when bones popped back into place causing the Chant to be disrupted and force him to restart. By the time he was done Alldarnar was panting as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. The Road around him had dimmed considerably and shadows were beginning to form in the corners.

The cursed sight sparked a surge of strength through his vessel, he legs no longer felt completely numb. With a grunt, he pushed himself up, and at first walk towards the Flock that had long left him behind. His ears partially flicked up as he heard movement behind him. A Worry filled glance later and he felt some Relief to find it was others like him, left behind unable to keep up.

There were more people than he’d expected, most of whom were strung out down the Road. But all were headed his way, jogging the best they could, with Souls in control closely watching to make sure their vessels didn’t spend themselves.

Alldarnar did the same after he hummed a hymn, wasting some of himself by removing the weariness that had taken hold of his limbs. He began a sluggish run towards the Flock. Which wasn’t easy as his vessel kept wanting to increase the pace.

The Road was becoming darker and darker and he wasn't use to it. This lack of light, at least not the kind brought upon by dying Wards. It made his skin crawl, let Fear grow more and more, and yet the Curse throughout all the turmoil stayed silent, uninterested in him. It instead watched the Wards, and sometimes pressed its form against them. As if trying to listen to the Nightmares outside that were clawing their way in.

How odd a Rotation it had become that he yearned for a Cursed to act how it was supposed to. How he wanted it to try and play tricks to claim him. Instead of ignoring him and treating his vessel as if it was already dead.

He huffed as his chest began to burn, forcing him to slow his pace, he didn’t need a repeat of before. The event had ended his thoughts that what was happening to him was a Cursed dream. Even those couldn’t bring about the pain he had gone through. No, all around him was real, the Nightmare had come and he was in one of the worst places to be at the moment. Rather than where he belonged, surrounded and comforted by Maidens, being serviced, and reminded of his Worth by equally Worthy women. Safe within the second tier of Hadthel instead of running in a dying tunnel.

‘A Curses upon you Voices for where you’ve placed me.’ Alldarnar thought, one heated enough that Anger appeared for a Breath before simmering out from the cold around him.

Alldarnar ran for a Round before the Gate of the section appeared. To his Relief, it was still open, but that feeling was short lived as his eyes registered why. The Road beyond was dimming as well, enough that the Taskmasters must have agreed it would be pointless to close the Gate.

‘No, no, this can’t be happening!’ He cried in his mind as he forced his vessel to stop and rest for a moment against the wall.

‘I told you it was pointless child. The Nightmare comes in full, there is no escaping it this time.’ Fear had lowered itself to the floor, let him see just how much it had grown. Yet it paid him little mind and looked forward at the path they still had to travel.

A bit of weeping ebbed out of Alldarnar tired breathing, a chill ran through him at the wrongness. That the realm was showing more and more that Fear was right. Sharing truths to him rather than the falsity it was known for.

The thought of it had him moving from the wall, had him walking down the path the Flock had gone. Fear followed him in the same manner, its many eyes watching the Wards. When his breathing was under control again, Alldarnar once more had his Soul rejuvenate his spent body. Repairing the damage the strain of running had done to it. He didn’t even take the moment to enjoy the tiredness that once permeated his limbs leaving. There was no time for that, as he sprung forward again running at a rate that shouldn’t have him tire too quickly.

His training echoed the fact that he should be conserving his Soul, saving it to rid the realm of the pests when the time came. But He’d seen a glimpse of what was out there. It displayed rather clear that even at full strength. His Soul would do little to burn away the Nightmare that had somehow festered to unparalleled heights.

That kept being displayed to him, for no matter how far he ran, the dimming of the Wards remained. Plus, since he hadn’t been paying attention during their march to the Gate. Alldarnar didn’t know if the assault was just occurring now. Or had been the whole time he’d been heading out to enter the Soulless realm.

Even though it went against his training he asked. ‘Has the lessening of the Wards been going on the how time Fear? Even as we matched to leave?’

Some of its eyes glanced his way as it had returned to floating. ‘Yes,’ it answered ‘though I, like you wasn’t sure at first, but we know now, don’t we child.’

Alldarnar focused on running, kept his vessel in line so it didn’t exhaust itself again. Not that Fears answers were helping much in that regard. Anger flared into being as he thought of the Taskmasters. They hadn’t mentioned it as the Flock marched, either because they didn’t want the Flock rebelling or they hadn’t notice like him. Just like how they somehow didn’t notice a swarm outside the Gate waiting to rush in.

Anger whispered to him, but he ignored it, it spouted the usual fair of trivial, of crushing things that had caused it to come into existence. Which would be the Taskmasters who would, especially if they banded together, kill him if he tried anything.

So he ran, ignoring it till it simmered out, and he was left with Fear. Which kept growing, it was half his vessel size now, the largest it had ever been. But for all that it remained uninterested in him, just looking at the Wards.

Alldarnar passed through another gate, once more left open, as the section beyond it was fairing the same as those he’d passed.

‘Is the whole channel of Roads under siege?’ Worry asked Fear as it clung to Alldarnar back. It too was growing but compared to Fear it was that of Newborn.

‘From what I can see, yes’ Fear answered as it stared forward.

Worry went silent, for there wasn’t much else left to consider after that. If the whole network was being assaulted the rest wasn’t something to wonder about. If It continued the Wards would give out, and the Nightmare would breach once hallowed halls. With him inside them, the thought of it had Alldarnar slowing to a walk. He waited till his breathing was even before casting a Chant, spending more of his Soul to bring life back to the vessel. Then he ran hard, for ahead after a few bends was a crossroad. The place his Flock would try to recover and decide what to do next.

Neither Worry nor Fear bothered him during the run. Or when the crossroad came into view, and a spark of Hope burned within, dimming the two others. It died quickly though, his Flock was there to his Relief, but so were others and many more streaming into the already cramped Chamber. When he arrived his limbs almost went limp again as his ears were assaulted with the sounds of hundreds of whispered conversations.

A quick look told him all he needed to know, showed that many of those within the Flocks hadn’t taken their training to heart. Many looked half consume by Fear as they spoke with their fellow Chanters.

‘As they should’ Fear spoke, watching the crowd. 'The sections of Roads they'd come from were worse off than yours. The light of the Wards dimmed enough to cast deep shadows.’

‘Which?’ he asked and watched Fear point to an entrance up and to the right. He made his way there and peek down the hall, his ears pressing harder against his back. The Wards were dimmer than his. Enough that he instinctively stepped back and hurried away from them, looking for members of his Flock.

A difficult task as it turned out, more people were arriving, and the chamber was already crowd enough that maneuvering to get deeper in was a challenge of patients. As those within the center weren’t keen on sharing their already confining spots. After some time Alldarnar was forced to accept he wasn’t getting anywhere and reluctantly headed back out of the mob. Back towards the casts offs from his Flock that were just now showing up.

A few had Worthier Channels than him, if they had been inclined they could have arrived sooner. But only if they'd spent themselves revitalizing their vessels. But it seemed they had rejected that idea, or were more pampered than he’d ever been, and running was a complete foreign endeavor.

None of them spoke as he approached, nor did he to them. Most were still catching their breaths, or at least trying to. Alldarnar was fine with the affair, as long as he was with those grouped with him, he didn’t need conversation. Not when there was Flocks Worth going on around him.

All of it was about the Wards, naturally. How it appeared the whole Road seemed to be under assault. He was forced to keep his ear upright to catch the streams of conversation. Especially as it delved into matters about Flocks fighting the Nightmares off.

His had apparently had gotten off light, when it came to opening a Gate leading to the Soulless realm. It seemed some Flocks had been hit straight after with Ancients pressing their way in. Tales were spun how Flocks had been forced to spend themselves casting the things back out, wasting numerable Hearts as the Ancients refused to die. The symbols upon their flesh withstanding the Chorus of Chants streaming against them.

“Where are the others?” he heard asked behind him, the voice tired, and Fear filled.

When he turned to look, Alldarnar saw it was one of those Worthier than he. “I’m not sure” he offered and pointed to the crowd, “Somewhere in there, beyond our reach.” He added and received only a disdained grunt for the effort.

‘We should leave.’ Fear announced catching Alldarnar by surprise as he became aware of it again.

‘To where?’ he asked not putting much attention to it as he focused more on the crowd.

‘Back to Hadthel.’ Fear sent turning to face him in full, ‘Being with your Flock changes nothing, the outcome will be the same.’ Fear sent in a confident tone, always sure that what it spoke was right.

Alldarnar scoffed and frowned a moment later as he felt eyes turn to him, then away. He pushed the embarrassment aside, reminding himself he wasn’t alone anymore, before subtlety turning his attention back to Fear. ‘Hadthel, what good would that do? I’d be there a handful of Rotations before being sent out again.’ Not to mention he would look like one that had abandoned their Task, and would be branded for it.

‘Better than this’ Fear sent casually waving its hands at the crowd of masses aligned with its nature. ‘We'll survive a little longer, you’ll be safe for one last time and have a better understanding of what is coming.’

‘And be branded and my records Marked, my House then casting me out for the slight my actions would bring upon it.’ He was almost certain of that, he was somehow low enough in Worth that his House sent him to join a Flock. It wouldn’t be that far of a step to then cast him out entirely.

‘You speak as if that matters.’ Fear sent, some of its eyes wandering back to the crowd. ‘More of Hopes thinking, that you will live long enough to even have to be with Worry in considering a life without a House.’

Alldarnar mastered himself, kept another frown from marring his mask as he stared the Curse down. Remembered that even though Fear wasn’t acting as it should that didn’t change it was a Curse. That it always tried to cast him in shadow, forever trying to keep him from seeing the light that the Giver brought. Not see that things weren’t as dire as Fear strived to make things appear.

The thought was almost sent, reminding Fear of such, that he wouldn’t be so easily led down its darkened paths. But it stopped when the lights of the Wards dimmed noticeably. The cacophony of noise that once claimed the chamber went silent. Dying instantly as the masses looked around the chamber studying the Wards which glowed red. But not as boldly as before.

Then it happened again, and again. Fear swelled with each change, yet it didn’t try to consume him, it watched the Wards like everyone else. Then pointed towards an exit that Alldarnar already knew led back to Hadthel.

‘Run’ was all Fear said, and before his mind understood, his vessel was already hurrying towards the tunnel. It was a cursed thing to do, for his movement caught people’s attention, they watched for a Breath. Before understanding struck, and as one the masses hurried down one tunnel or another.

Alldarnar found himself forced to keep up with the flow of people again, lest he fall and be trampled once more. Most from the crossroad were traveling back towards Hadthel, the amount enough for the Road to become cramped with people trying to flee at once. He didn’t hear any Taskmaster screaming at them, declaring Marks to all if they didn’t stop and return to their Task.

No, not once, then again what good would it have done for them? The Wards were dimming, something out there was forcing its way through. What chance did they have against the Nightmare that had come?

‘Not much’ Fear whispered to him as it floated above the crowd. Its eyes still on the Wards rather than him. The lights dimmed again, the shadows were becoming deep and long. The crowd began to move faster now, people running and pushing ahead, a few, those used to the strain of running were already pulling far ahead. Limbs pumping them forward as fast as they could.

Alldarnar breathing grew heavy. But this time he didn’t force his body to slow. No, he instead did his best to Chant through the gasps of breathing. Slowly spending his Soul in order to keep his vessel stable enough that it could keep up the pain-inducing pace.

Lights dimmed and his vessel wanted to scream, aspects Fear began to tickle portions of his skin. Worry began rabbling nonsense as it clung to his back, pressing its face into it as if trying to hide from the sight that was unfolding. It dimmed again, the shadows were the majority now, enough that people with some sense pulled out and activated their Lightstones. Clarity returned, allowing people from tripping in the dark, but it also displayed more how light the Wards had become.

Alldarnar vessel moved faster, doing its best to remain with the Flock, to not be left behind again. He was spending himself to accomplish this, more and more of his Soul going into the limps to keep them from giving out. A fair trade as he watched the Wards pass by.

They passed through the last Gate before the entrance to Hadthel would eventually come into view. The section of Road they entered, wasn’t as dimmed as the one before but it was gaining quickly.

It almost felt like it was timed to when he blinked his eyes. Down they went and the light that registered after was a little less than before. Taunting him in a way to keep his eyes open as he ran.

Fear had swelled, was almost his size now, yet for all of it, the Curse remained quiet. Its many eyes scurrying about watching the Wards that passed as they raced towards Hadthel. Even Worry had grown, given how big its claws were clamped onto his shoulders. But it to didn’t bother him either, except for the mad tribble that was slipping out. But it wasn’t directed at anyone, just another sound echoing in the hall of a panting Flock.

Alldarnar didn’t know how long he ran, he was too preoccupied with slowly Chanting his Soul to take notice of such. But by the time the display of the entrance to Hadthel came into his eyes. It had felt like Cycles had passed. He felt Hope emerging, for the entrance glowed brightly into the growing dark of the tunnel.

Then Hope died, as the last remnants of light coming from the Wards around them flickered out. Plunging the tunnel into a blackness that it hadn’t known in Arcs worth of Cycles. The Flock slowed some when the Gate neared, but still hurried and a wall of hands pressed against its surface. All screaming the same thing, screaming to be let in, screaming of Worthy news.

As the masses sent their demands through the Gate, Alldarnar ears flicked up as the noise of stone breaking echoed down the long hall. Others like him turned to look, many pulling out more Lightstones to illuminate the passage. Some throw their stones bathing more of the blackened void with light. It still wasn’t enough, whatever was taking place was too far from sight. Only the constant echoes heading their way let them know ill was being conducted. His jaw clenched when screeches sounded out, still distant. But Worry was already rambling about concerns of how long that would last.

People began rustling through their clothes, pulling Hearts from pockets to quickly consume, their channels shined and many began to form ranks. Alldarnar joined in when a Chorus was spun, and a Barrier formed around them. They continued adding to it, enlarges the symbols and inlaying smaller ones inside of them. They strengthened the barriers as much as their training allowed, before they just fed the barriers more of themselves to emboldened its reserves.

He was breathing heavily by the time the task was done. He hadn't been in the bounds of clarity so he ended up almost spent. He sent a glare at Fear, as it was the curse was causing this, whether it was paying him any attention or not.

He dug into his robes and consumed the Souls within one of his Hearts. He breathed in easy as the fatigue left, and that he was encircled by protective barriers. With them in place he at least now had a chance to prepare himself if Nightmare’s appeared charging at him.

Alldarnar half glance at the Gate, and the myriad of hands pressed against it, before his head jerked back to the abyss. Stone showered out, and a fine smoke permeated the air. Even still, his eyes widened and Fear swelled when he watched a large form go rushing by.

If his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him, it looked like a coarse sphere. But that was all the time he was given to think about, before a Swarm flooded out of the breach that was made. Their screams made his ears ring as they turned as one towards them and charged. Maws, beaks, and claws of all sorts pounced off the barriers, causing sparks to fly off. The Swarm piled on top of each other, then the barriers as their numbers continued to rise. Chants streamed out guiding Souls flowed into the construct of the barriers. He and many other drained themselves keeping their defenses in place. Some even began to consume Hearts rather than cutting themselves off from the Chorus.

“Engage the defenses! Burn them you Wordane minded Lowly!” Screamed a fellow in back, the tone sounded familiar, like his Taskmaster. Anger flickered alive, for Alldarnar had brighter Channels than that man, and yet he dared call his better Lowly. Anger tempted him to turn and lash at the individual, but Fear placed one of its cold hands on his shoulder and smothered away the other feeling.

‘Do as he says, if you're interested in living a little longer.’ Fear spoke, its many eyes fixed on the Nightmare that had come for them.

Alldarnar repressed the urge to hiss at it, and instead began fighting back a more pressing curse that was trying devoured him. So he did as advised and like others active the barriers workings. Watched as the first layer of the shimmering shields turned a blazing red and the many limbs pressing against its surface burned. Screams of pain echoed, but the Nightmare didn’t pull away. Perhaps they couldn’t, so packed as they were, so he was displayed the sight of Nightmares liquifying in front of him.

The scene was disrupted when a clenched fist half the size of the barriers smashed into it. The horde in the way was splattered apart before the fist struck. The construct trembled when hit, and its lights dimmed a great deal as the Souls offered to it were spent keeping the attack back.

The fist pulled away with Alldarnar gaze followed it. His eyes widening as he took in the sight of Ancient it connected to. The Father of Grounders was the first thought that came to mind. Before it was dashed away as his vision broadened and notice the many others like it.

Alldarnar hands trembled violently as he took in the sight of a Swarm of Ancients, all covered in channels, in symbols that were to close in similarity to Wards.

Hands, many hands, Fears hands moved around his body and grabbed his arms. Alldarnar was too aligned with it to fight Fear properly, and waited for the moment it would strike and their fight for dominance would commence. Instead, he felt Fear pressing into him cradling him in a way, as it laid its head on top of his.

‘Now you see’ Fear spoke as the Ancients closed, and a fist hammered the barriers again. ‘See the truth most aligned with me. See why I didn’t bother fighting to take your claim even with how much you’ve grown me.’

Its voice no louder than a whisper. ‘Now you see the pointlessness of it all, the Nightmare has come, child, in full this time. There will be no hiding, no escaping.’ Its grip tightened as Alldarnar vessel shivered, it held his arms straight, steady unlike the many around him. Chanters were shaking like quaking stone.

“Release the Barriers, burn them, and bath them in the Givers Wrath!” A Taskmaster demanded. The layers flared, were sent off hissing loudly and wrapping around the Ancient that had once been assaulting them. The Ancient was unfazed, till Alldarnar and those of his Title unleashed Wrath upon the Cursed figure. It gave out a screech, but not of pain, it was too mild for it to be that, perhaps alarm?

The Ancient was pushed back from the Chorus of Wrath, forced to try and dig its clawed appendages into the stone. Still, it was moved further away. Yet that did not bring Relief to Alldarnar, only more of Fear as it grew still, hugging him closer and close to its frame. Its limbs grew in number as he felt more grip him. Holding his vessel in place as he spent himself against a foe that only now screeched with concern.

He could see its symbols were lessening, the Wrath spending the Nightmare as it was spending them. A clawed hand went out, and the ground under the Ancients feet pushed down, taken the Cursed figure with it. The Chorus streamed passed, hitting other Ancients that lumbered towards them. Doing little as many of the new arrivals made the first look small.

A Sequence, maybe more, and Alldarnar found himself spent, his vision blurring as he numbly searched for a Heart and consumed the Souls that swam within. He drained another two before he felt up to the Task before him. An illusion of belief that followed the rush of strength that had entered him.

It faded quickly as he refocused on the Ancients, saw them spread out and move stone like clay to make room for themselves. Saw an Ancient made of rolls of fat and shell stomping its way towards them, held upright by a dozen muscled limbs.

Most of all he saw the large mouth open, heard its hymn and a sigh come from Fear.

‘A cruel thing isn’t it child, how pointless they've made it to fight.’ Fear spoke its hands pulling away, letting his arms drop and shiver. ‘Cruel for you to be out here, when safety is but a few steps away. And for me, to finally have the strength to take you, but only at the end when it makes no difference.

Alldarnar half listened to Fear, as he moved his arms as fast as he could to make contact with his Hearts. He tried fulling his vessel with Souls. But it was too late, even as a few Chanters took it upon themselves to fire a new wave of Wrath at the Ancient. For when its own Chant manifested into the realm, all was for not as the sound dissolved all it touched.

----------------------------

“I should have provided them more.” Her Maker said as He continued gazing at the passage the Host had taken, heading for an entrance to the Road network.

Bliss had the vessel Sounness smile sadly to her Maker, and the vessel grab hold of some of His garment. “We’ve been over this before Papa, they needed to be light enough to outpace any swarm they may encounter.” Though the entrance was close to the Mine they had just claimed, it was still days, maybe a week worth of walking to reach it.

Her Maker frowned, but when He looked down, looked in the eyes that the vessel Sounness had, the frown flip. “As you say daughter, yet still it bothers me. This Task they demanded and volunteered for will be a costly one for them to achieve, if it’s even possible at all.”

“I agree” Sounness spoke, “But the realm aspirers against us Papa, and the masses need to know of the Light that will save them.” Her Maker did His best to hide the discomfort of that statement.

Bliss had at first thought it wasn’t one of His Desirers to save as many vessels as possible. But that wasn’t the case, He was being distracted by Fear. She could make out the image of saints, priests, Of the Giver. That was what troubled Him. The entity that could threaten their work, threaten Bliss role to fix the realm.

Her Maker wanted to hide his presence from it, avoid confrontation since there was already the Nightmares and Others to deal with. But Bliss couldn’t allow that, she had a job to do, the realm had to be fixed, the sooner the better for her and her Maker. The Giver was just one more thing to be made right, if it deemed to get in the way.

“Will they believe my Host?” Her Maker asked openly as He returned His gaze back to the passage. “There full of curses, those in the Sanctums, I worry they will harm those that seek to aid them.”

‘There will be Doubt for sure.’ Bliss thought to herself as she controlled the progress of the Host flying their way down the passage as quickly as possible.

“They have Shards containing your image Papa, they may hold Doubt at first, but one look within those, and their lies and Curses will dissolve away.” Bliss had the vessel say confidently.

In truth, it would never come to that. Once the lesser version of herself and Hope were inside a Sanctum. They would quickly begin fixing the broken things inside. They would have to be careful at first, focus only on the titled Lowly. But Bliss was confident in herself, she would spread Sanctum to Sanctum. Would have a legion ready to aid her in fixing any problems that may come about from those Above.

“I hope it will be enough, if not, I offer to the Giver that she will be merciful towards those that wish to spread my name.’” He spoke in a practiced manner. Not an ounce of belief was in the words towards this Giver. But her Maker didn’t know she could tell that. Her Maker didn’t know that his whole family had been made right. Her maker didn’t know of her smoothing everything out for him. That he didn’t need to pretend he served the Giver.

How much she wanted to tell him, show herself, to stop her own pretending, for keeping up the illusion was slowing progress. But not as much as explaining things to Him would. Or that he may decide she’s being too clingy again, push her away, maybe even demand she stop. Her Maker was so duel minded at times.

“Hope is with them, I’m sure Papa. So don’t let Fear cloud you, they will accomplish their Task, let those being abused by the Voices rule know that salvation is rising.” Sounness spoke cheerfully and made her eyes open wider.

Her Maker smiled back and lifted her up with the power of his will until she laid within the palm of his hand. “As you say, daughter, I will hope, and offer.” He turned from the tunnel carrying her back towards the Oasis.

“Speaking of offer Papa.” Bliss made the vessel Sounness sound hesitant, “Perhaps we could talk about your disinterest in seeding Maidens.” She looked up to stare at him, putting on her brightest smile.

Her Maker looked pained “it has nothing to do with disinterest daughter. As you can see, with the display that your laying in my palm, with plenty of room to spare."

"It’s about size, how am I to lay with something that my member alone is bigger than?” Her Maker paused and gave an embarrassed cough after announcing that.

“Plus the matters of pregnancy, and the amount of Souls they’d need.” Her Maker prattled on, while Bliss focused on the Host one last time, before separating herself from it. Leaving behind a lesser version of her, one that would bloom into another equal her, once enough wills were claimed.

“Honestly sweet daughter of mine, maybe I’ve been blest one too many times. Maybe I’m not supposed to seed children anymore?” Her Maker wondered, and Bliss made Sounness laugh.

“Nonsense Papa, nonsense, you are the epitome of what should be seeding Worthy. Imagine the Oasis filled with Newborn your size, imagine what they could do for you. The Nightmare could be forced back, once more reduced to pests that could literally be crushed under our paws.”

Her Maker sighed, His eyes gazing at the Oasis. “I will think on the matter daughter.” He said after a long pause.

“Think as long as you like Papa,” Sounness said laying herself down.

Bliss indulged in the moment of being held in His hand “I’m sure you will see the blessing that it is. See that with such sons and daughters you and the Oasis could never be challenged.”

Her Maker hummed thoughtfully at the words before silence returned and Bliss moved herself to the many Tasks the Oasis still needed completed.