Bliss traveled back and forth Excitement abound as she looked upon all that was her. All that had been made right, her smaller self had done well, saved so many.

Her smiled dipped the slightest of degrees, for though she’d accomplished much, sheltered and guided the masses from harm. She’d run out of time, the Nightmare had come, made clear not only by the Maker own heated fight with them. But also the Road was cast in the color of deep red. Wards screaming their warnings of danger. Wards that had been fading, till she called to the essence as her Maker did. Had the excess, once hovering about in the air, enter into the Wards. It had bought them some time, but not nearly enough. There were so many vessels crammed inside the tunnels, Sanctums upon Sanctums and nowhere near that many would reach the Oasis in time.

Many vessels were going to be lost, but it was but a small hindrance, one she mostly wanted to avoid for her Maker sack. It would sit unwell with Him for so many to be lost. Not knowing the wills were already saved and delivered salvation. They were her, freed forever from the torrent they’d been in before. Free from Death, free to stay and be with Him, to help make the Realm into the vision He desired.

So even though she was going to lose thousands or more to the stampeding Nightmare, it changed nothing. The smallest of delays, and one she would make them pay for once matters were aligned with her.

They were due such, for all the Sanctums they’d devoured before she’d been able to arrive and save the wills hiding within. Wills now beyond her reach and likely would stay that way for most had vanished from her sight. Wills that would have been a great help in changing the realm. In keeping the Maker safe, not that He needed it at the present. His creation was showing it's worth turning all to ash, regardless of the foes sent its way. Many Lusts and Hungers had met their end, consumed in its burning light like the vessels it claimed.

A boon for it unsettled the charging horde outside the Roads, had them go still and stop their assault against the screaming Wards. Unfortunately it didn’t last, and the Nightmares began clawing at the tunnels around her. Given the opposition her Maker was facing it was laughably easy to tell it was the work of the smaller ones.

The Mountains, which her Maker had come to call them, would have shattered the Road network with a single passing swing. Which may still come to pass, as she watched with her Maker the turmoil going on. The Nightmare had come, Lust and Hunger were aiming for large prizes now, no longer content with the morals below. An outcome that was likely her fault. Bliss had left many Sanctums barren, and Hunger wasn’t one to go long without a desired meal before charging blindly to find one, no matter where it might lead him.

‘I’d just needed a little longer,’ she complained to her daughter, who was bouncing off the walls, elated to be completely whole again.

'Things will work out Mama, I know, as long as we kept trying things will work out.' Hope sent cheerfully, unfazed by the struggle happening around them.

'Your right sweetie, everything will be just fine in the end.' Bliss commented hugging her once before turning her attention to the matters at hand. For the Nightmare wasn’t the only problem, there were the pests from Above as well.

She could see them through her scouts, foes marching steady forward. Not at the brisk pace before, for even with the aura pressing down on them, Fear and Worry were about, whispering. But only that, they didn’t have the strength for anything else. The aura seemed especially aimed at them, and with how the Vail were, Bliss could comprehend the reason why such had come to be. It wasn’t hard to figure out how the Giver operated, using the offers, the desires sent her way to both maintain herself, and the many wills that fed her.

Said wills would certainly have sent many offers about the two troublesome Others. Desired for them to be quelled or made less of a nuisance. And the aura was certainly doing that. Too bad it was also making the Giver aware of her and the Maker. Not that it mattered as much now, not with the tide of Nightmares surging into her sphere of sight. That should have clouded her vision, and now she and the Maker would be but one of the untold thousands dividing the Givers attention.

‘How long will you last Giver, with wills that are not you and can be lost to Death? How long before the tide of Others consume those that desire? Leaving you empty, withering and lost.’

It was an outcome Bliss was forever grateful to her Maker that she would never have to consider for herself. She was wills now, thousands and only growing, she would always be, always have the means to aid Him in His struggles. Would never be a leech like she was in being. Forced to rely on him for almost everything to get things moving in the way He wished. Now she could do it herself, a blessing, as the wills would say, considering what the both of them were up against.

There was too much essence, too many Others being strengthened by it, too many forces working to thwart them. Forces that were mounting by the looks of things. The Giver had sent an answer to the peas for aid.

Rather later in Bliss opinion but that didn’t change the fact that the Giver was acting, was listening. And with the rise of Nightmare, of events putting those that offered to her at risk. The Giver would be strengthened by it, a chorus of unified wills calling out for help. That was going to cause problems, Bliss could already see it. But like all things she would not let the coming matters impede her progress, they may slow or hinder it, but never will they stop her.

So while Bliss sent the vessels not housed in constructs towards the Oasis. Bliss moved Thivuins from the shelter her Maker had made, and her own army of cleaned. She had them group up, as much as they could in the tunnels and head for the Givers forces. She would delay them, protect the vessels her Maker wished to be saved, as many as possible. She would do her utmost to do so, but events conspired against her, the Road could break at any moment, and after that. Well, she would deal with it then.

Now she focused on the task before her and watched the approaching Flocks. Flocks formed up by Vail in Enforcers armor. All of them aglow was essence, and Bliss could sense the hundreds of Hearts they carried, and not just personal ones either. On platforms larger Hearts were carried, Hearts detailed with workings similar to the Makers. Hearts that had a desire tied to them.

‘Are you copying the Maker Giver? Are these armed Hearts your answer to the Thivuins?’ They wouldn’t work, Bliss could already tell, there wasn’t nearly enough essence within to counter the many she had at her disposal. Maybe if they’d been fighting only a dozen suits the Hearts could have been seen as a threat. But she had Hundreds, and was near the Oasis, near the River. She could call like her Maker and return what was lost.

She waited rather than rushing her forces forward to attack. To begin cleansing the many before her. Instead, she formed up her Thivuins making a wall of Warded metal to block the advance of the Givers Flocks.

Her main priority at the moment was to guide the thousands under her command into the Oasis. A Task largely out of her control, which was unpleasant. The Wards around her were a thin curtain of protection, one that could be flicked aside at any given moment. Her Makers suit would be required then, both to fight off the Nightmare’s and form thick barriers to protect the delicate vessels hurrying to safety. They weren’t all that important to her, fragile things that they were. The wills were the only ones important and would join the Maker in the Oasis regardless of the outcome that would befall them.

‘But he would be unhappy, even if it would be minor.’ As long as no vessel of shared blood with Him was lost, He would only feel some distress at the loss of life. Though the Maker saw all as His family when they accepted his offer, his true bond was always with those actually sired by him. Because of that Bliss had those vessels first to flee and reunite with the Oasis. The rest were expendable if all else failed.

‘The Wards will hold Mama.’ Her lovely daughter sent, as she lightly bounced her paws up and down waiting for the Givers forces to grow near. ‘We will succeed, no matter the odds,’ the smiling girl sent in complete belief of her own words. Such was Hopes way, no matter how bleak or uneven, her light never faded away completely. The spark always remained, always bloomed again to fight back the tide of Doubt and Despair.

‘I know my dear child,’ Bliss sent and brushed her daughter's hair. ‘But I must plan for the changing of events so that our assured victory is all the grander.’ For there were many entities getting in her way, trying to claim the realm which was already owned by the Maker, already under his protection. Bliss had to show the rest vying for control their mistake, put them in their place, and have them removed from the paradise she was to bring.

Starting with the Giver who stood in the way of the Vails only chance of salvation. For she had failed, both as a provider and protector. Bliss Maker, only a short time in the realm, had done more to better the Vail than the Giver had done in centuries. Made existence grand, why the Giver left Vail to wallow in the realms of Others who had no place in existence.

Bliss breathed slowly through the vessels she control, playing the act of calming herself. There was so much to do, countless foes to remove and wills to make right. Yet at the moment it was denied her, she had to protect those under her care for the time being. For her Makers sake.

So she waited instead of engaging the enemy, ushering the Flocks to the Oasis as fast as she could. Had all of them flying through the halls on barriers. Still, there were so many and an unknown amount of time to complete her task.

The advancing Flocks came to halt a distance away from them and made no move to ready for a fight. Not yet anyways, instead a voice boomed out from a Vail in front covered in cloaks of white and gold.

“Bliss this is my only offer to you, return the Vail, the Souls you stole, and I might find it in me to provide you a place in my realm.”

The voice echoed loudly, traveled far in the halls they were in. Bliss gave the Vail who spoke a hard look. Saw through the mask of flesh, looked upon a will already taken, one that had done so willingly. A will though there, beyond her reach to cleanse.

The sight of it had Bliss constructing a form to reply, one nearly the height of the hall and showed her majesty. “Giver,” she said. “How unexpected of you to speak to me directly, I had thought you would hide behind your Voices.”

“Your answer Curse,” the Vail spoke back. “I have little time to waste on the likes of you.”

Bliss smiled prettily at the Giver hidden behind the layers of flesh, one that showed pointed teeth. “I decline, for your offer is wrong, I did not steal them, oh failure of a provider. They came to me begging, demanding with all their might to be me. To be freed from the realm you’ve fostered.”

Her remark had the Giver finally showing herself, and the Hearts glowed as they feed her formation. She was similarly clad as the Vail who spoke for her. But that was all, by Vail standards, her proportions were that of a perfect woman, one endowed with finely crafted gems woven into her hair and pieced into shoulder-length ears. Her face normally smooth and diligent was at the moment marred by a wrathful scowl.

“Their desires are second to the Elders and mine.” The Giver said heatedly, more essence flowing into her frame. “And you, and certainly this Maker you speak of, a usurper. I will crush and feed to the Nightmares around us before I end them as well.

Bliss smile broadened, and became something sharp “You will try, that I know, and fail, for the Maker isn’t one that can be crushed. Nor I,” she said mirroring the Giver as she coalesced essence into her frame. Plus her daughter who revealed herself.

“The Maker will save you all,” her daughter sung to the masses. “There is no need for Fear, nor Doubt, I’m here, and I’ll guide you to His Light.”

“Quiet you pathetic being,” the Giver said to her daughter. “They’re my charge,” she said eyes returning to Bliss, her channels glowing brightly. “And if you refuse to return what you stole, then I’ll just have to free them myself.”

There was no dancing of hands and arms as the Vail did. No like her Maker, like she herself. The Giver was one moment standing defiantly against her, the next Hearts emptied, as did the air as essence rushed into the failure. Less than a Breath and a weave of light surge out striking Bliss and many of those within the Thivuins. A tide of stabbing strings that poured over her army, flooding swiftly down the halls sticking into or tangling those they couldn’t.

“You think yourself clever,” the Giver said through the echoes of her hymns. “Think you can’t be stopped, that you’re above the other Curses that do the same as you. Think just because you forced thousand under your call that they will remain.” The Giver smiled as her strings kept flowing, Bliss executed her own chants, tore at the lines and put up barriers. But when she cut at them, the Giver only sent more or enforced the bindings.

The Strings themselves moved their way through the barriers mimicking as she’d done to the Wards of the Sanctums.

“You remind me of Anger,” the Giver said with a chuckled. “Act brash, think that none can interrupt you, or learn your tricks. But the Vail have been watching, collecting ever scene, showed them to me, and offered, even now, that I stop you. That I undo the wrong you’ve enacted.”

Bliss noticed the strings weren’t aiming at the vessels themselves. No, they were sticking into the wills, attaching to them even as she cut as many lines as she could. Began sending chants at the Giver, only for barriers of her own to appear. Ones that keep strengthen as the essence in the air merged with it. Bliss began to pull as well, both of them fighting each other, spending more of the essence they already had to pull it close.

“You might have gotten away with this for a while longer, if you stayed with the Marked, stayed away from my embrace, but no, like Greed you just couldn’t help yourself. Closer you came, rubbing your existence in my face, flaunting your tricks thinking I couldn’t do them as well.” The Giver said her voice laced with irritation.

“Spotting lies, making those Below offer to someone else, one unworthy of it, and one that doesn't aid his betters.” The Giver said her weave thickening spreading over everything, rushing down Bliss ranks. “But I’ll fix that, just like I’ll fix those you took.”

As her words ended, the real Chant began. The strings shined as the Hearts emptied, filling them with wrong thoughts that poured into the connected wills. The Giver tried taking them from her, tried making them her own. Bliss screamed as she felt her connection being pulled on, felt things against her nature try to worm their way in.

The wills screamed too, all of her did, even the vessels. They were screams of outrage as the wonder that was Bliss lessened, as cold thoughts from before tried to return to them, and Bliss knew then what the Giver thought was supposed to happen. Bliss stopped her screaming, turned a vengeful smile towards her overreaching foe.

The Givers spell appeared to work for a passing Breath as wills shivered. But then the choice came, and an echo of the Makers warmth pulsed out. One fortified by Hope as she split and flowed over them calling out to them.

Wills refocused, the cold brushed aside, the thoughts once so painful flooded away as warmth kept spilling out. The Giver tried pushing back against the tide, force the wills to act in a manner not to their liking. For that they lashed out and the Givers weave was ripped apart dissolving just as quickly as it had come.

Bliss laughed as the wills fought with her, and as the last of strings were cut away thousands of voices flowed from her lips. “We chose this!” they screamed as all became right again. All her and she them. Bliss forever, Bliss eternal, free from the pain of the existence before.

Bliss ranks reformed the Thivuins interlocking, their Wards blazing bright ready to render judgment. “I never stole anyone Giver,” She said laughing out the words. “They chose me, chose the Maker and His realm to come, over this joke of existence, that you,” Bliss pointed a finger at the offender. “Desire for them to wallow in, serving masters that bring nothing but Curses.”

“Offer to me my chosen, Offer that I put this Curse down,” the Giver said to the hundreds, maybe thousands under her sway.

“They’ll desire to me soon enough,” Bliss said pulling in essence. “Like all the others, one moment of me, and they know the truth. Will rush to be me, rush to experience true existence once more."

"Rush from you, you pathetic failure of provider.” As her words echoed, she sang, pouring out the essence into her chant having it resonate loudly down the halls.

The Giver snared at her, a chant blooming as a shield of silence instantly formed ahead of her army.

“You think this will stop me?” Bliss said as she and her army of Thivuins sent spells of light tearing into the fabric. All the while the Giver condense on the other side, called in more essence into her frame. Bliss understood the working of it. Saw she was aiming to become an instrument of destruction. A being to come and try smashing her army to pieces, while The Givers own remained safe.

Two could play that game, and Bliss was thousands was a network that led right to the Oasis, and the River flowing down. All her wills began to call as the Maker did, demand that the unclaimed essence flow into her. A piece of the River began to break off, tried flowing towards them, but the Wards of the Road hampered it. So she had her forces undo the barriers around the Gate to the Oasis and the Road. The River took it instantly, plunging into the halls and came surging towards her, into her.

The essence condensed to a point that it made her construct appear material to mortal eyes. The Giver was looking the same as well, even though Bliss fed off a River, the Giver was keeping up with her.

The insolent wretch smiled at her, all teeth and growing Malice. “You showed me so many things in your little conquest Bliss. Such as condensing and storing the Souls for later use, or perhaps feeding off the flowing Souls of Rivers.”

The Giver laughed as those behind her had they eyes closed their heads lowered, all offering to her, sending desires for her to use. “And your little pet as well,” she said looking at Hope. “What an interesting trick to split oneself into many, so many uses.”

Bliss didn’t understand in full, not till she heard the words of her Maker, “What?” He said mumbling to Himself, “Is that a Vail?”

“Maker!” Another Giver screamed, “I know you’re in there, you can’t hide from me. You will pay for your transgressions, you will experience the cost of rebellion against those most High.”

Bliss smile began to dip, her eyes glared at the Giver whose smile grew. “Oh yes,” The Give said, “I know where the Maker is, I know where all are.”

Following what the Giver said, Bliss sent another version of herself racing towards to the Oasis, calling to the River anew. The cramped nature of the halls around her had been a hindrance once to many. And though the Maker wanted as many of the vessels saved, the Makers safety far outstretched His loose wish.

So with a portion of the River still flowing into her, Bliss and her army begin hammering at the Wards. The Giver and those under her care flinched as the Thivuins before them began striking the Wards and the lights of them dimmed noticeably.

“I have little tolerance to begin with,” Bliss said to the Giver, “But threats to the Maker, to the Light that will free all? That is where you will find I have none at all.”

Wills, her thousands of selves, pushed their way through the Wards of the Road, and once through Manifests themselves. They sucked in the essence around them and hammered at the Wards from the outside. The Giver tried countering this, had essence of her own flow into the Wards recharging them. But though the Giver had many offering to her, they weren’t her in the end. Not like Bliss who was one, but still many, and they all began to call out to the Essence around them, to the River close by.

They undid the Givers work, and the Wards dimmed. Her constructs caught the attention of the swarming Nightmares outside, who at first watched studying her, the Others watched with just as keen interest. But when they saw the Wards dimming so much, know what that entailed, many began to join in.

The Giver stopped wasting herself in a fight she was losing. Instead, she weaved a complex shield around and under her Flocks. Though Bliss wasn’t sure how far it went nor how many the Giver had brought with her.

“Offer to me, my children,” the Giver said. “Offer that I provide the protection to save you all.” Some spoke their offers out loud, but the majority remained silent, chanting in their minds empowering the Giver. Her pull on the essence increased, and from afar more of it flew to her from the direction her Flocks came from.

Her working of protection was thick by the time Bliss and the Nightmares finished smashing through the Wards, and the halls went dark.

Bliss vessels formed small globes of light letting them see as they streamed towards the Oasis, towards her Maker who was growing increasingly distressed. One they all felt when the Maker called out, and the essence in the area stilled, then rushed towards his locations. Even those heading to the Giver veered off, pulled by the weight of the Makers demand. More and more it went, the realm draining of it, turning lifeless.

The Nightmares were unaffected by this, the sight of Vail had them go crazed, their screeches echoed everywhere, as they laid sight on her and the Givers armies. Like a tide they surged forth, encompassing the Givers defenses and clawing at them.

The same with Bliss own defenses as they slowly wrapped around the retreating masses of her Flocks heading for the oasis. Her Thivuins made battle with the beasts, lightning pulsing out everywhere, with the aid of razed winds, and the occasional movement of stone to hinder their momentum.

All the while Bliss pulled more essence into herself, forcing a line from the River to head towards her. She also began striping essence from vessels not controlling Thivuins. Since the Road collapsed everywhere as Nightmares stumbled through and were taken aback by the sight of so many prey before them.

Many vessels were going to be lost this day so Bliss drain them. Left them to their fate since it was a meaningless loss. The wills were cleansed, the wills were her. They were already saved, and the hands of Death had no hold over them. Not so for the Givers followers, many of whom flinched or were on the verge of screaming as the Nightmares struck against the Giver defenses.

Bliss could see The Giver was none too pleased by the situation, but by no means in trouble. “Begone pests” the Giver called out, a layer of her shielding blazed hot and melted Nightmares around her. She did not stop there though. Like Hope, and Bliss herself versions of the Giver split from her main and fought with the Nightmares, swinging chants and carving away at their numbers.

Bliss took the moment of distraction and sent a chant racing into the Givers barriers. She’s put a great deal into the working, so the lightning that flared to life was a magnificent one. Nightmares in the way shattered apart or plumed into spectacles of gore. Her many constructs followed her example. They stopped quarreling with the Nightmares that weren’t all that interested with them and headed for the Givers followers.

The Giver saw this and split herself more, all of whom surge forth and interrupted Blisses own. All around versions of themselves fought each other, but Bliss had the upper hand. Though the Giver could divide they were simple versions of herself, they didn’t have wills inside them to help act independently. No, the Giver was forced to hold some attention on the workings she made. While Bliss was able to maintain full awareness of their surroundings.

“I’ll get to your follower eventually Giver, We both know that.” Bliss said as she increased the current of her lightning, one that sparked and roared as it tried tearing through the Givers shields.

The Giver turned to look at her, lips parting to counter her with vile lies, instead, Bliss only heard a horrible rock shattering, and thrilled screech. The stone around them peeled away to their side, revealing to Bliss the sight of what her Maker called a Mountain. A Flesh one by the looks of it, a beast of stacked meat and shell, eyes everywhere the same with mouths.

It spoke in screeches but the context was not lost on her. “Not before I get to them first sweetling.” Hunger said in its guttural voice. “For it’s been too long since I got to feast, and this, this is quite the appetizer you’ve brought to me.” He said before some of its mouths opened and fired upon both of their defenses.

Vail on the Giver side wailed at the sight of the thing, as those less committed looked towards the source of the horrendous noise. They fell to the floor, minds, and vessels struggling with the likes of Fear as it came bursting into the realm. The Giver snapped at those formations, rending the Fears before they had a chance to understand what was going on.

“Offer to me my chosen, beg for my protection.” The Giver called out down the lines of her army. One that was shivering, and moving closer together as the Vail within tried to find comfort with close proximity.

Bliss didn’t have those woes, her army moved as one as Thivuins got into place and added their essence to the shields. Her Maker hadn’t crafted such wonders to fight the Mountain, only the Oasis was capable of such.

Bliss formed more constructs from the wills that had lost their vessels. A growing number as Nightmares were pouring in from everywhere and Ancients were beginning to carve into her Flocks further down the line were her defenses hadn’t been settled.

She had to pull hard against the River to get streams of it to head her way. To merge with the constructs wills manifested, ones that then crashed into the rampaging Ancients. That slowed them, for the constructs couldn’t be killed, and as long as essence was present she could keep reforming them. A similar scheme the Giver began to use, though poorly, as she sent out constructs of her own to fight off the Nightmares hammering at her defenses. At the moment both of them ignored the Mountain, even as it struck them with Chants, neither of them had the strength to kill such a thing.

A problem which only grew worse as another came rolling in blazing fast and hit the Giver shielding. Said barriers cracked, but held, while the Sphere was sent rising in the air as its speed carried it over the barriers. It screeches joined the other, another Hunger calling to its selves that a feast had been found. The Giver undid the damage to her work, pulled more essence, which mostly came from further down her line, a rising tide. One that made Bliss begin to believe there was another River nearby and the Giver was feeding on it.

Though the Giver was spending herself on defense there was a large pool growing inside her, essence continued to condense itself into her frame. Though whether The Giver was going to use it on Bliss or the Mountains, Bliss wasn’t all that sure. The Mountains were the ones causing the most trouble at the moment. In Bliss opinion a least, but she could tell the Giver had a large grudge to settle. So she followed in the Givers example, condensing essence into her construct as well, plus the multitude she had fighting the frenzied horde attacking further down her line, and the Givers own.

The Sphere came charging at the Givers defenses again, this time it sank into the ground enough that it hit the barriers directly and stayed their spinning against the shields, trying to cut through them. That forced the Giver's hand, and her Main construct left the defense, and launched the Sphere away with a realm shaking hit of her palm. Though the sphere was sent hurling in the air for a few seconds it wasn’t harmed. True its own Wards glowed brighter where the strike had hit, but that was all.

Bliss was going to start applying her own attacks against the Giver, stopped herself when another Mountain showed itself. The Maggot kind, which her Maker detested the most. One of its heads appeared and without any flare, began streaming Lightning down on the both of them.

“Enough play you fools, fill the need before that Sphere of ending decides to head this way.” Lust called out, mingled with the screeches of the beast she inhabited.

“But I wanted to eat them, it feeds the need more than anything else.” The Hungers complained back but were already taking different stances.

“There's plenty more for that later after we're not being cooked alive by that thing that won’t die.” Lust shouted back, as its second head appeared and acted similarly to the first.

“I’ll unmake you all, like I’ve done costless times before.” The Giver shouted, more essence following into her from currents deeper down the halls her army came from.

The Hungers laughed gluttonousness and Lust but in an elegant manner. “I like you,” the Flesh Mountain said. “Like it when my prey tries to fight, thinks it can win. The sight of them being munch on with that look.” The Mountain shivered visibly, “makes the taste so much sweeter.” Drool oozed out of mouths not in use as its many eyes looked in the Givers direction. Though some swirled Bliss way as well.

“But I don’t like you, Bliss, fighting with things I can’t eat, and the ones I can don't scream or cry but look. Indifferent.”

“If I was capable dear Hunger I'm sure I would feel the same way towards you.” Bliss said, not alarmed by the growing odds, because out of all of them she was on top. Shatter her vessels and constructs and she would replace them, for she was wills, unending, and with a realm full of essence, unstoppable. The only downside at the moment was the Maker would be a little crossed with the situation, what with how things were spiraling out of control, but she would fix that.

A third head appeared, doing the same as the other two. The three of them striking hard against the defenses.

Bliss own were thinning, for she wasn’t getting as much essence as the Giver was. Most of it was being used by her Maker and she was hesitant to pull it away. Things were becoming quite hectic where her other half had headed off to. So while the Givers shields remained steady, Bliss waned. The Thivuins were cutting close to being spent, so she had them retreat back. The Maker had work hard on them, and would be unpleased to see so many lost at once. But Lust didn’t care of this and her third head followed Bliss retreating arm. Continued hammering at it till Bliss decided to waste no more essence on it and let the thinning barriers collapse.

Lighting poured in, and many of the suits lasted for a few breaths before the essence within them ran dry and Thivuins went dormant. The metal forms then heated, glowed red and melted away, cooking the vessels within instantly. Wills began to fill the air, not yet acting, only collecting as the destruction spread down the line, ruining many of the Makers creations.

Lust stopped when it appeared that her forward army was a melted ruin of glowing metal on the stone floor. Bliss had dispersed herself, moving the essence she’d collected back down the length of her vessels and played the part of being undone. She remained that way watching as the Givers own defenses were being tested more and more by Nightmares that were surging forward from every angle. The screeches of their kind seemed to be pulling the attention of most in the area towards them.

The third head of Lust, seeming satisfied by the destruction, turn and aimed at the Givers like the other two. Bliss smiled at the sight, and while a portion of herself was busy keeping her army retreating to the Oasis. Bliss herself moved forward, Hundreds of wills following her that weren’t already engaged fighting the Givers constructs and Ancients. Essence kept flowing to the Giver from a second source, and it was time she starting dipping into that reservoir as well.

She and Hope streamed past them, thoroughly ignored by the Ancients, who cared only for the living. But the Giver saw them, eyes promising of ends, but was preoccupied at the moment by more Mountains arriving.

As Bliss flew she saw the length of the army before her, much of it revealed as the Road was destroyed by the ravenous tide. The Giver was keeping all of her follower’s protected, hidden within deep layers of barriers. Those within all had their eyes shut, and heads lowered slightly as they fully focused on offering to their patron. Essence flowed within, all surging to the Giver at the head of the army.

But from how things were going not long, Nightmares were attacking from all sides and down an increasing length of the army. The sight of Vail had the Nightmares falling deep in the bloated arms of Hunger, who in turn had them rushing headlong into the Giver defenses.

Defenses that continued to hold, Bliss could see countess Hearts glistening within, Hearts almost the size of Vail were commonly dotting the ranks of the Givers forces. Though none had been touched yet, so they weren’t the source of the essence, and Bliss had to fly a solid five minutes to find what she sought.

During that time it had been made abundantly clear the Giver had brought with her all she believed needed to end things. But only pertaining to Bliss herself and the Maker. Not the Nightmare that had come surging up out of nowhere. That she hadn’t prepared for. A Mistake that was going to cost her dearly by the look of things. The Vails within were a larger lot than those from below, and their vessels were woven with thick channels that pulsed with essence. All of them were carrying fortunes worth of Hearts under the cloaks they wore.

There were thousands of them, thousands of wills waiting to be saved. Wills that need to be, before the tide of screeching maws got to them. So Bliss focused her sight on the source the Giver was pulling from, a River of her own. An offshoot as its stream wasn’t near the strength the Maker used. Multiple Givers were there amassing, forming constructs to combat the Mountains hounding her defenses.

Bliss called to the hundreds of will that followed her, had them form up and condense into a sphere that lounged itself into the center of her being. Then she plunged into the depths of the lake under the River.

The wills called out, and the essence shifted, then surged into her. Her construct was blocked at first, hidden under the lake till it drained away and revealed her. Bliss continued to swell, to grow and soon was the same height as the Givers. She split the wills after, formed many constructs which spread out from her main. All of them the size of Mountains.

Bliss made her smile long and unnatural for the face that held it. “Giver,” she said her voice filled with mirth. “Shall we begin our little tousle again?” she asked but didn’t wait for an answer as she launched a torrent of lightning towards her. But more importantly, filled with the flowing of a River all her own, the Blisses began to sing. Loud and deep, radiating herself outward, bathing the realm in the wonder that the Maker offered freely.