The Oasis and the Maker broke through the Giver defenses, but only the barriers that were visible to both of them. Instantly the vessels inside collapsed to the floor and her wonderful daughter Hope rushed in softy clinging to the wills and guiding them towards her. This was allowed to carry down the ranks of the Giver army for a few Breaths before new barriers were formed blocking the warmth from spread further in the cocoon that was the Giver defense. Still, a great deal had been saved, hundreds more joined her, but there were multitudes more that hadn't. Nor would they be as the Giver continued slaughtering her own. The Makers progress only spend this along as her rival hastily acted.

The Giver was feeding off Hearts now, sending everything she had to buy herself more time. With the second River now lost to her, and Bliss making sure the wretch wasn’t further up feeding. The Giver became even more swift with her judgments.

Bliss was saving many, but compared to the amount being lost it was unsatisfactory. She turned her attention back to Him.

“Maker,” Bliss started. “Though I said we weren’t going to be killing Vail this Rotation, I seem to have to correct myself.”

“Oh?” He said half opening one of His eyes to look at her.

“If you were to take a moment to expand your awareness to the realm again, you’ll see why.” Bliss spoke, since the display of truth from the realm would be preferred over her words alone. His eye closed, His brows creased then rose as He saw the scene. Saw the Giver slaughtering Vail in a hasty but effective fashion.

“The Giver knows the risk of us saving the wills, this is her answer to it, and unfortunately it’s working. Most of the wills are vanishing from this realm before either of our songs can get to them.” Bliss informed, sending her constructs further down the Givers line. She saw the Giver repeating the same action no matter how far she went. The Giver was trying to incorporate her army as a whole, even the large portions that weren’t under attack by them. In those areas the Giver was making more progress turning wills into her, but the number was relatively small to the magnitude that declined or were hesitant.

“She’s also turning wills into herself.” Bliss said, the words getting both of the Makers eyes to open and look at her. His attention slipped and the strength of the song coming from Him lessened because of it. “I told you Maker, she copes me, thankfully though the amount she’s been able to convert has been light. But that doesn’t change the fact she’s not going to go away. She will always be with the wills maintaining her, and the less she has the better for the realm.”

The Fearful frown He sent her way was earned. This was a problem that Bliss would have to find some means to solve. If not, the Giver would remain a permanent stain on the realm Bliss and her Maker were trying to make.

Bliss watched the Maker raise and hover His hand over His favored rune. “Better this I suppose than how the Giver Is killing them.” He commented, as the Giver wasn’t being all that gently with her actions of Death. Normally just using wind blades to do the deed, and it didn’t always kill those hit instantly. Not in the way the Maker weapon would.

“Agreed,” Bliss said. “And if we’re swift we’ll catch wills in our song before they vanish.” He sent her one of His looks, one of Confusion. “They can still feel it Maker, even after their vessels are no more, the warmth still remains, permeating the air, calling them to you. It’s the only reason we’ve saved a decent number at all.”

He looked away from her, mind guiding the Oasis so it aligned one of the largest Hearts in the direction of the Giver army. There the Heart seemly stared at the army, as He gazed at His hand. Bliss couldn’t read His mind, see the turmoil taking place. But it was a clear display of hesitant, and likely Kindness whispering to Him. Telling him there was another way.

“Maker every moment we delay the Giver claims more and kills scores of Vail for refusing her offer. We need to act.” Bliss said in a hurried and nervous tone.

The Maker let out a tired breath, and then His hand dropped. The realm outside blazed, and the Giver defenses vanished like smoke hit by a gust of wind. The Vail didn’t even notice their end had come and went. An unforeseen boon, as it left the wills completely confused and stationary. She and His song of warmth carried out with the Wrath her Maker unleashed. The wills were drawn to them slowly turning their notice in her direction. The Hopes did their beast guiding the wills towards her, given the current environment. Still, Bliss found hundreds pressing themselves against her, calling out. Bliss breathed in and hundreds were saved, plucked away from Death and the Giver trying to deny them salvation.

It all happened in a span of three Breaths, it could have gone on longer, but the Maker lifted His hand from the rune and the realm returned to a more livable place. The hordes of Nightmares were cooked as usual. The wills inside those few special ones felt the hymn of the Makers song. They followed the warmth same as those of Vail and just as swift were made right.

Bliss plan worked, the masses that were going to be lost had been saved. Most anyway, there had been the occasion cold ones, those that refused the warmth presented to them and still vanished from sight. But that was an agreeable outcome as well since they didn’t join the Giver either. Who, from what her spreading scouts could see, had stilled during the length of the Maker attack.

After the display of power ceased, the Giver returned to her task of slaughtering her own at a renewed pass. The Giver had stopped sending out her offer to the Vail, demanding they become one, instead, the Giver was killing the Vail as quickly as possible.

They tried putting up a fight, but it was one-sided. The Giver knew the Maker tricks, and she used them as well as Bliss had. Essence was ripped out of Hearts, empowering her as she went about cutting the Vail into pieces. The Vail defenses lasted a brief moment before withering away. The vessels spent and without the means to fill themselves as the Giver stole away all the essence from their Hearts.

Bliss tried her best, spread warmth outward, and saved those she could, but in the end the army was to spread out amongst the realm for salvation to be provided to all in time. Bliss pulled her attention back to the panel chamber, her Maker was humming, but not as loudly. He was watching the instruments, and moving the Oasis again. He peeled away rock, looking for where the Givers army trailed, and once stumbling upon it moved the Oasis forward.

“We saved many Maker.” Bliss said in a cheerful tone, trying to uplift the Makers somber display. “But unfortunately, the Giver takes our progress as a slight. As I speak, she’s’ putting down the whole of her army.”

“She’s that kind of deity then?” The Maker asked His appearance of Sadness and Disappointment.

“Look at those who had a hand in crafting her Maker, they’re wrong down to their deepest cores. Do you think the deity they birthed would be any different?’ Bliss asked gently. “Besides the Giver for all her faults task herself with defending the Vail as a whole. Her army is now a detriment to that.” Bliss added, having her constructs fan out and begin cleansing Nightmares that began to replace those recently slain.

“So she’s going to kill all that can be changed?” He asked both to her and Himself. “I’ve seen how easy it is for us to do that apparently’ He continued, eyes filling with the likes of Dread. “What stopping her from just killing all those in the Sanctums before we arrive?” He asked.

Bliss gave Him a tight apologetic smile, for it was a grand question, one she hadn’t gotten to yet. But with the Giver current actions, the answer was obvious. “She’ll kill all those that won’t become her, as she's doing to the army. Though when she’ll start, I’m not sure. Their offers are important to her after all, allow her great pull and influence on the essence. So the Give might wait till the last moment to enact that final action.”

The Maker rubbed His eyes again, looking tired even though His vessel was beyond such limitations. “So,” The Maker said wearily. “By pure misfortune and my own stupidity, I’ve just insured the Vail are going to die.” The Maker contemplated, and to Bliss version of annoyance, she couldn’t tell what He was thinking, what thoughts ailed him. But she would do her best to cheer Him up, or at best move fault.

“They were always going to die Maker.” Bliss spoke filling her words with the essence of His warmth. “Their end a certainty the moment the Rivers started flowing down and they did nothing to collect the essence for themselves. The Nightmares was going to get to them eventually. If not for you, all of the Sanctums Below would have been devoured, rather than many being saved.” All so very true and Bliss offered to Hope that He would accept it. Though the Nightmare was a simple thing, it couldn't be beaten down, at least not by what the Vail had at their disposal. Eventually they would have been swallowed whole by the endless tide.

“I suppose there is some truth to that.” The Maker said, His eyes closed and staring out at the realm. Seeing as she did the new horde rising from the blackened stone. “Always more of them, if not for the Giver these Vail would have been torn to shreds.” He spoke to Himself quietly. “And now she’s cutting them down.”

“She's a wicked deity, my Maker, a reflection of the Vail that made her,” Bliss spoke. “Betrayal, always betrayal it's their way, you’ve seen it, even when you provided a place of bounty, where all could live with Peace. They did nothing but scheme for more of it, scheme to have you.” Bliss leaned closer, wanting nothing more than to console whatever pain might be plaguing Him. “They need your giddiness, need the warmth to make them into people, people who will work together and end the madness of this realm.”

“By killing them?” He questioned mockingly as He looked at her. “Oh, how much better we are.” He spoke in that sarcastic tone of His.

“We do what we must Maker.” Bliss offered with a somber tune in her voice. “The Giver forces us to act hastily, to end those we could have saved in life, to instead focus on saving them in Death. Still, we are better than them Maker, for we are the only ones proving salvation, a way out of this cycle.”

He gave her a long look before turning His sight from her and back to the realm. The Oasis moved towards the now exposed portions of the Givers army. The shielding the Giver had made was a collective one, a commonly followed standard by the Vail. So, with the Oasis attack the whole of it had been drained till nothing remained. The Givers army was exposed to the song that the Maker began to sing loudly again, added with her own. It echoed loudly in the realm, and when Vail heard and felt the warmth that accompanied it, they went stiff, then relaxed. After most fell to the rough blood coated floor, wills hastily leaving behind their comatose vessels and raced towards her. Hope the ever-helpful child that she was, was ready and guided all in the right direction, plus persuaded less inclined wills towards her.

The Giver didn’t waste time, gone were offers to become her, only Death was provided now as they cleaved apart Vail. The Giver spent everything she had and began sending large waves of wind blades out, which killed most. Those more stubborn and skillful with chanting who were able to survive the waves succumbed when the Givers launched lightning at their defenses. The Nightmares also helped in this cleansing. With the shield gone, and Giver providing no aid. Vail were quickly overwhelmed by the dropping of beasts, as The Nightmares had formed around the Givers barriers.

Bliss spread the warmth out trying to catch what wills she could, but most fizzled out of existence before she got to them. The sight of it had her smile dim, but with the how things had gone, Bliss had done her best. Saved as many as she could. Though unpleasingly that couldn’t even come to a quarter of what the Giver army had been.

With the shielding gone and the Giver protection with it, the once mighty army of thousands was consumed within a few short minutes. With the loss of their Hearts the Vail, no matter their worthy channels, quickly spent themselves fighting Ancients they didn’t have the means to kill. All that was left by the time Bliss spread enough to see the whole of what had been an army. Were red smeared surfaces, and elaborate garments torn to shreds by maws and claws.

She sent all the sights back down her own connections and collected them in the Shards so He could view it all Himself later. But even now He could see portions of it as the Oasis moved and He peeled stone away to reveal more of Death. Bliss left Him to move the Oasis more down the line while she finished her scouting. But after the last wisps of wills were caught and pulled into her, Bliss turned her attention back to the panel chamber to tell Him the news.

“It’s over Maker,” she said solemnly. “The Givers and Nightmares made quick work of the Vail left to their own defenses.”

His gaze blinked to her. “She really did it? Killed her own army just like that? All those Vail who’ve been offering to her for cycles, gone?” He asked, the Oasis slowly following a blood painted path. Most of it was just Nightmares now, munching on the remains of Vail that the Giver had dispersed about the floor with her wind blades.

“Are you really surprised Maker? The Vail are monsters, why would their deity be any different?” Not to mention this was the Giver best way of blocking Bliss from growing. True it hurt her as well, with all those offers gone, but at the very least those same wills wouldn’t be able to be used against the Giver either.

“They made her out to be so, benevolent” He spoke, Disappointment in His voice. Bliss had seen many times in Him Hope be birthed from the belief that perhaps the Giver would come to save Him and Vail. That she would be the solution to most of His problems, namely keeping the Nightmare in check. Even with His mind clouded, Bliss could fathom a Hope had died this day, ripped apart and consumed just like the Givers army, and His own.

“She did provide, at least to those in her aura.” Bliss commented. “So, I’m sure the rumors and glory sent to the Giver were earned. But that doesn’t change the way of things, that the moment you’re a labiality you’ll be removed without a moments consideration.” Not that her Maker had experienced anything like that before, He’d always been a boon to any entering partnership with Him. His seed worthier than all, His warmth a gift beyond the measure of worth and wealth. But Bliss had seen it, worthless gutted or thrown out the moment they’d served their use, or no longer were as worthy as they had been before. Saw how quick the Vail were to turn on each other even for the slightest of annoyances. They were creatures that cared nothing for each other, only ever looking for ways to better themselves, regardless of the harm it brought to those around them.

“Is the fight over then?” He asked. “With her army now devoured, will she still try to fight?”

Bliss thought it over, with what the Giver was now, she could. “Likely, though small in comparison to what her army had been, she still was able to convert wills into versions of herself. She’s self-sufficient now, you might say.” The Maker grimaced at the uncomfortable truth, but it was one both them would have to remember and accept. The Giver wasn’t going anywhere now. Bliss greatest blunder.

If she could go back, do it all over, she would have been far more subtle in her approach. Even if it may have lessened the pool of those she saved at the start, in the long run, many more would have been saved. Unlike now, where the Giver knew how strong she was, what she could do, and most of all knew she could turn the Vail against her.

“With wills,” Bliss continued. “The Giver could attack us at any time, all she needs to do is feeds off a River or the Source of it all, and she’d be able to launch endless assaults at us. Like I do to her and the Nightmares.” It was rather unpleasant experiencing her own tactic sent back at her, very problematic. But she was thousand and growing, as the wills in Nightmares pulled away and joined her. Though not as many as she had expected, most Nightmares didn’t appear to have wills. They were things moved mostly by urges, a call to action written into the core of them.

“Terrific,” the Maker mumbled to Himself as He chewed on His lip. Then looked at her with one eye, “Do you think she’ll attack again now?” He asked.

“No,” Bliss answered with little need to consider it. “She’ll need time to gather enough essence to threaten you, and be far enough away that I don’t intervene. So, for the moment she isn’t our problem.” But she will always be one, till Bliss could try and reconvert the wills, but the likelihood of that succeeding was low even with a great deal of Hopes optimism. It would only take the wills to say no to her, to deny her, and it would be over. Bliss would be forever more fighting to keep the Giver away from the Maker. An eternal obstacle in the way of purifying the realm and making His vision a reality.

“Then just the Nightmare for the moment.” The Maker said as He stared out at the realm crawling with them. The feast of Vails had the swarm feverish with activity as Hungers fought one another over the last scraps of blood and ruined meat. The sight of it had His humming cease, seeing no point in it.

“We still get wills from the Nightmares as well Maker, there’s still need for your warmth,” She said. The utterance got a look of surprise from Him.

“They actually have Souls?” He asked in disbelief, like many the Maker believed the beasts to be simple things. And were, most of the time, only guided by urges impossible to ignore. But with the addition of Hunger and Lust they could think just as well as any Vail.

“Of course, Maker, though they’re repulsive beings, it doesn’t change the fact that they’re vessels who can easily hold wills within them. Wills less picky when it comes to the material form they reside in.” Bliss said. “Though only a small amount of the Nightmares out there actually have wills, the majority are beasts in the way you view them.” She added, so He didn’t think she was acquiring untold thousands from singing to the Nightmare. It wouldn’t do for Him to believe she was more powerful than she really was.

“Is the Giver pulling from them as well?’ He asked concerned, but thankfully misguided.

“No Maker,” Bliss said comfortingly. “The wills, are, like the beasts in their thinking. They wouldn’t listen to the Giver even if she conceived to try. The only reason we’re able to is because of your warmth, the wills find it alluring enough an experience to leave their vessels behind and join me.”

His brow creased and spared a glance at His daughters, who were dutifully mapping out the Oasis location on the sprawling map depicting the realm Below and now Above. “You claimed my family souls in a similar manner, and have their bodies under your control as well.” He turned to look at her, eyes piercing. “Why not the Nightmares?”

It was an astute question, would resolve much of the problems both of them were dealing with, if it worked in the manner her Maker was possibly thinking. Unfortunately, it was not. “The Nightmares are mutilated things Maker, the vessels are different than the Vail. They’re compelled by urges, ones that can’t be ignored, its engrained into them. So much that even if I tried seizing control it wouldn’t last.”

Her answer troubled Him by the appearance of His face, she could only guess what Worry and Fear were whispering to Him, rather than knowing as she was used to. The chant clouding her vision of His mind was growing more unpleasing by the moment.

“These urges.” The Maker said, “what do they entail?”

Bliss bent her neck in a pose displaying she was thinking and her eyes stared upward. The gesture had Him remaining mute allowing her the moment to give the Nightmare swarming a closer look. She didn't glean anything extra from the observance, if she wanted more knowledge, she’d have to try and claim one. And given how unaligned she was to their nature. Plus she would have to fight either a Hunger or Lust to get her hands on one, it was unlikely to happen.

“I can only provide loose details Maker, anything else would force me to try and take one, which is slim considering their nature.” Bliss started. “Mostly the greatest urge is one you’ve already seen multiple times. Their absolute need to consume the Vail, and it’s not for any nutrition need either. It's similar to my need to bring about your realm, it’s the whole of who they are.” Bliss added, not too thrilled about comparing herself to them, but it was the best metaphor to help her Maker understand. “There are other urges, but my main guess it’s mostly about searching for more Vail.

Bliss didn’t need to see into His mind to know nothing she said pleased Him, even if it answered His question. He was staring at the panels, and simple that, He wasn’t looking through them. His normal Worried pout and small bout of chewing His lip was in full display. In the past, when she could still see His thoughts, Bliss was well aware of the belief He held about the Nightmares. That they would be slow moving, content with the nourishment the Rivers provided and wouldn’t have an urge to move upward and endanger the Vail. Unless a River flowed close to a Sanctum. A poor misguided belief that held no bearing in reality, the Nightmare would never leave the Vail alone.

“I swear this realm is only meant to kill us.” The Maker said, returning His awareness to her. “We’ll never have peace if what you say is true, the Nightmare will always hunt us.”

“It is true,” Bliss said, making her words soothing.

“And now we have the Giver supposable like you as well, something that won’t end.” He continued after glancing at her. “I’m at a loss of what can be done to solve these problems of ours.” He admitted to her, Bliss understood it was an enormous task. But she would see it done, she was eternal, and with the Rivers, she would always have the means to slowly make things right. It was just going to take much longer than she had originally anticipated.

Bliss widened her smile, sent hymns of warmth at her Maker to resolve the growing Fears whirling within Him. “Continue what you’ve been doing since the moment you left Hadthel Maker. Save as many as you can for now, shelter them from the growing madness of this realm, till we finally find a solution.”

He went silent and mostly still, His eyes distant. “The Sanctums aren’t safe,” Bliss continued, trying to move in a direction that aligned with both their wants. A difficult thing considering she couldn’t see that anymore. “The Nightmare will rampage through the Sanctums. Those Wards protecting them will only last a Sequence at best with the likes of Mountains leading the charge.” That got Him to return His attention to her. “And let’s not forget about the Giver herself, she’ll do the same to those last bastions of safety as she’s done to her army. An offer will be displayed, and those that don’t accept will die.”

He lightly nodded His head soon after, a decision made, one she couldn’t see. “Not much in the way of choice right now is there?” He asked to no one in particular. “Death all around,” he added, “or maybe its always been that way and I’d let myself become complacent, believed it a distant thing.”

He looked at her, eyes staring deep into hers. “But it never was, was it? It was always near, slowly crawling closer, and now I wonder Bliss, is any of us going to make it out alive?”

“You will Maker” Bliss said, with complete assurance, she’d break the realm itself if it meant He would survive. “Though, I believe in the end it might just be you and those protected in the Oasis.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” He spoke, looking up at the chamber they were in, one she carved for Him depicting their travel back to paradise. A journey they were on to reach home. “I’m going to need your help keeping the Nightmare back while I work on the Oasis. It needs many more layers if I’m to feel comfortable with its chances to keep my family safe. Two layers committed to storing most of the essence is nowhere near enough.”

“Of course, Maker, there will be no need to strain yourself this time. I’m here and will help with the construction as I've always wanted to do before. But, you know, I had to stay hidden.” Bliss added and got a grunt out her Maker as he connected to the panel, watched the realm be covered in a moving tide of limbs that were making their way upward. Most anyway, many were still chasing after or climbing up on top of each other, trying to reach her Vail looking constructs. The Oasis even with its dazzling display of light, was left alone, Nightmare of all sizes, plus Ancients and most Mountains kept their distance.

“I wonder if it will make any difference if I start killing theses beast right now?” He wondered to Himself. “I’ve already killed so many as is, yet it doesn’t look it in the slightest. They’re everywhere if this keeps up the realm might literally become flooded with them. Every space filled with Nightmares clawing at each other for room to move.”

Though His voice carried Mirth in it, Bliss found the concept not that far from the truth. It may very well happen if nothing was done too slow their seeding. But Bliss already had the means to counter the problem, she had Rivers of essence after all. “It will be handled after the Vail have been saved, we have the Rivers, with enough time and collection we could perform a lasting chant to metal the realm if needed. That would resolve most of the problem with the Nightmare.”

“I suppose that’s the fall plan for everything in the end.” The Maker said eyes distant. “When everything else fails, destroy it all, and hope for the best.”

“Yes,” Bliss spoke nodding her head. “Given how things have spiraling out of control that is indeed the only option left that could correct the situation were in. Otherwise, the Nightmare will inherit this realm after the last of the Vail have been devoured. Though what the realm will become is speculative. Considering their main purpose in life is to eat Vail.” Bliss added, curious what that dilemma would cause.

“Speaking of Vail, what if those under my care, those left behind?” The Maker asked, the remembrance of them giving Him a hurt look.

Bliss made her voice as gentle and consoling as possible before speaking: “Dead Maker like the Giver army, the vessels were easy prey once I pulled the wills and my full attention away from them. With no guiding force, the vessels would have slumped to the floor and, well the rest of what followed should be self-evident.” Bliss finished.

He gave her a hard look since what she just described was literally, in a way, her cutting or dropping the strings controlling the puppets, as He called the vessels, and left them to die. “The wills are all that matter Maker, are the people you care for, the vessels are nothing more than convenient instruments to interact with the realm, without the need of expending essence. Least not as much as the constructs I use anyway.” Bliss said correcting herself.

“We’re all her Maker” Bliss spoke placing a hand on her chest, while the other motioned to those around them, many wills floating about with formed constructs. “Death is meaningless to those saved, we will always be here for you.”

He followed her hand movement, glanced about the chamber filled with the saved, and breathed out slowly. “Then there’s nothing left for us here.” He said looking back to the panel.

“The wills Marker,” Bliss reminded Him. “Your song, it would be blessed if you rejoined your voice with mine, with how things are going, we could use all the wills we can get our hands on.”

"Of course," He said after a brief pause of silence. "Do you want me to move the Oasis about following Nightmares as they flee?”

“For a while, please” Bliss answered sincerely. “A Round at most, or when you grow tired of it. Then we can discuss our next course of after.”

“It’s not already decided?” The Maker asked, “not just going to do things behind my back? Take care of everything like before, leave me blind." He Continued, bitterness in His words.

Bliss bowed her head slightly in apology, one He would take a long time to accept. “Not this time Maker, such needs are behind us. I’m able to care for you properly now, so we can talk things through together.” It would do more than anything else to mend the gap between them, if He saw her following His every command. Saw she was here for His benefit, to make life worth His time.

“We’ll see,” the Maker said tiredly before adding His voice to hers and the realm was once more bathed in His caring warmth.