Chapter 39: Meeting Of Gods

From beneath the cloudy bottom, wood busted forth like a fountain. Growing at a speed that was reminiscent of Scitus’s world. This, however, was not his doing, but instead was the creation of every god in attendance.

Scitus let out a small sigh as he saw the supposed Great gods fight over the creation of a table. The white knight fought wanted it to be made of stone, the panther wanted it to be made of wood and the gluttonous man wanted to have a black tablecloth over it. "They are acting like children" Scitus thought to himself. He would have berated them if it didn’t mean them deciding to antagonize him.

The other gods in attendance were not much different. They followed the example of the greater gods and fought amongst themselves over the size, color, shape, and material of the table.

“Let's begin.” The first to speak was the man without an Aura. He continued

“I am here today, to warn Iseok" his eyes turned to the man who was full of lust and wrath. "that if he attempts to go nearby territory again, I will declare war, I'm sure you will assist me in this war Miar? ” He turned to face the white knight; she gave a simple nod and then said, “I will destroy every evil god in the Feren Territory” Miar was a woman who hated evil and would assist anyone who declared war against an evil god, though she herself very rarely fought alone. Scitus noted that he would have to be wary of her, she was women with a mission and anything in the way of her mission would be annihilated. The worst type of person you want to be in a war with is the type that thinks they are just. Scitus had seen people like her, people who blindly follow a single path without ever turning to look around them, see an alternative, another way to do the same thing.

“Now Krek, I only encroached on your land, with my army, to protect my merchants who have been constantly attacked by Miar, if anything you and I should join forces and kill Miar over there.” Iseok looked at Miar, he wore a small smile; he couldn’t hide the maliciousness behind his eyes. “I mean look at her, do you think she’ll let you live for being neutral? She’s crazy, just a decade ago she annihilated the Drow population from her country.” At the mention of the Drow incident, Miar flinched. She didn’t want to remember that when in a meeting. She rose her fist and smashed the table. Iseok’s smile disappeared, he gulped and watched Miar with cautious eyes. The other gods remained silent, it wasn’t there fight. “I may have my flaws, Iseok,” her eyes burned passionately, searing Iseoks resolve, “ but I am no monster”

Her memories had come rushing, and along with a sense of frustration with herself; disappointment that she wasn’t as great a leader she wished to be. It all happened a decade ago, but started far before that. Twenty years, she had trusted that person. He told her that Drows were corrupted elves and in fact monsters. At first, she didn’t believe it, but little by little, that cunning traitor showed her glimpses of criminal Drows acting like savage beasts. When she looked back on it, she felt she should have noticed his tendrils reaching in her mind sooner that she had; but she didn’t realize his treachery until to late. She sent out raid squads to kill every Drow in the kingdom; for an entire year their after, their would be massacre after massacre. The Drows begged for forgiveness, but their prayers went unheard, the traitor made sure of that.

She executed the traitor and threaten every member of her cabinet that treachery will not be tolerated. From that day forth, she would be known as the Benevolent Tyrant.

Her reputation had been damaged, nearly beyond repair in the eyes of the non-human species. She begged her people for forgiveness and as an act of true regret. She revived every Drow she could, weakening her country in the process. By the end of it, she only had just enough magic power to sustain the country.

It took a year for the massacre to end, she executed her advisor and warned against further lies. It damaged her reputation and from then on she was known as the benevolent tyrant. Her kingdom would have fallen if not for…

“If I recall correctly, Siion is the one who sent that spy.” The Greater god Ansil protected her during that time of weakness.

“if she wasn’t so fanatical about her philosophy it wouldn’t have mattered. ” Siion said, He smiled widely as if to ridicule the naïve Miar.

The meeting continued thereafter and after a few more back and forths between Iseok and Krek, it was Miar's turn speak.

Scitus watched her every movement, he wasn’t well versed in body language and micro-expressions like Mentalists were, but he knew enough to know moods. Miar had an air of confidence, she saw herself as the strongest in attendance, as shown by her way of fighting over the table and the way she kept her head high. Though, Scitus noted, the other greater gods were not too different in attitude.

“As always, I plan to kill all evil gods, if you do not wish to be destroyed please cease any an all evil activity or forfeit your land to me.” She spoke clearly and with authority, the great evil gods chuckled amongst themselves, but the lesser malevolent gods quaked in their boots.

“Aside from the standard speech, I also have an important announcement to make.” The gods perked their ears, Scitus didn’t look at her. He had his eyes fixated on the table but made sure to focus on her next words. “From this day forth, Gin will be my seventh vassal ” The table went quiet, the only one smiling was Ansil. With Gin as her vassal, her land had increased and so had her power and military force.

The lesser benevolent gods Feared to have their land taken and the Malevolent gods feared they would be executed. Miar was already powerful, powerful enough that the lesser gods of Feren considered her to be the fifth emperor, Gin was her taking another step closer towards that reality.

Laughter erupted from one side of the table, it was Ansil. "Well, I got what I came forth, see you guys next time" With that Ansil disappeared from the god realm. The table changed and contorted and after a few seconds, Ansil's side of the table disappeared, only to be replaced by the table of the lesser gods who fought over the large section of the table. As they fought, some Looked at Scitus with an unusual look, they were wondering why he wasn’t fighting for the table, the amount of table they had was an extension of their power. Scitus may have been the lowest rank but it didn’t mean that there weren’t other low-ranking gods in attendance, in those cases the fight was determined by the amount of actual land owned.

Scitus had no knowledge of such customs and Sia didn’t know of the inner workings and customs of gods. Regardless, without him intending too, he made the other gods think he was submissive and weak.

"Hey where's your land located?" Scitus ignored the man, the other god's conversations consumed every ounce of his attention. Scitus understood, there were 30 great gods in the Feren territory. Most of them didn’t come to the quarterly meeting of gods. In one case it was because of a civil war going on. There were more than 500 lesser gods who didn’t come to the meeting. Scitus noted that the meeting was only for making announcements and certain special occasions, such as conquering a new land or killing a god.

One by one the gods announced their surrender or their peace treaty. The great gods were surprisingly still there and listing intently. It the meeting was hours long and most of it simply announcements of surrender or victory. The two greater gods that remained didn’t speak, they simply were there to listen, sometimes Scitus would notice their ears perk up, other times he would see their lips try to hide their disappointment. Then finally on the seventh hour, it was Merns turn to speak.

“Yes, I am Mern and my lord is Siion” Mern’s part of the table glowed red, an indication of his easy to anger personality. He looked at Scitus who sat across from him, some of the gods began to snicker knowing where things were going. Scitus stared at him with furrowed brows the mimicked anger. Mern felt his blood boil at the audacity of a new god not quaking in their boots before him.

“I’ve come here today to Declare war on Scitus!!” He felt the air pressure Mern emitted, he had done it to scare Scitus, but it only scared Scitus’s neighbors. Scitus’s was unfazed by the pressure, he hadn’t even noticed it because of his higher rank.

“Just a little under a month ago, I was” He isn’t actually going to reveal his plans, is he? Scitus thought as his lips allowed air to escape, he felt genuine surprise.

“I was doing the typical reconnaissance for my lord Siion in the holy land.” That was a lie, Scitus knew that Mern was doing more than just reconnaissance. Mern had been building an army of corrupted monsters.

"And one of my subjects found Scitus,” His eyes began to glow red at the thought, “he was in the holy land and dared take a piece of it for himself!!!” The other gods began to murmur amongst themselves wondering if it was true. Taking a piece of the oasis was no simple feat.

"There is no way any god could take a piece of the holy land themselves!!!” Miran shouted. Merns legs trembled, not out of fear but wrath. Miran, the black sheep of Feren, dared speak to him in such a tone. His inability to prove that Scitus truly lived in Oasis angered him all the more.

“But what if he was summoned?” A Voice from the center of the table spoke, for the first time in the whole meeting the greedy and glory hungry man spoke, his name was Onias. “then…” Miar looked at Onias, “it might be possible” The two had a long history, it wasn’t mutual respect that kept them in line, but rather their mutual hatred for one another. They understood each in a fundamental way, that the other greater gods didn’t.

“You think the Godless summoned a god?” some gods began to speak of the godless, mostly ex-military from the surrounding gods. “Tell Selene hello for me.” One god in the far back said to Scitus. Scitus raised a brow. “A hello from her old friend Wesil.” The malevolent god chuckled as he appeared to recall something comedic.

“no, it wasn't the Godless who summoned him." Scitus stood silent, trying to find a way to hide the truth of his subjects, it would be a problem if Miar found out his subjects were mostly made up of monsters.

“He was summoned by ”

“wait…” Scitus tried to interrupt, “Shut up!!!” with Miars thunderous roar the table grew quiet, Scitus decided to stay quiet too, he would anger her either way and if she thought he was hiding something, it would have the same effect as her finding out. Scitus could only hope. Scitus composed himself and sat down, he stared before and she back at him. Regardless of her opinion, he knew she wouldn’t be able to attack him rashly.

“He was summoned by The red witch” The murmurs sprouted forth from the quiet. Scitus’s neighbors began to extend the length of the table between him and them, leaving two ends of the table longer than the other.

“Not only that but he is using monsters as his slaves!!!” He misunderstood that aspect of Scitus, they weren’t his slaves or his followers out of fear, but his loyal subjects. His assumption was a projection of his own way of thinking.

Miar was quiet. And after a few seconds, she spoke. "Is that true." Her gaze changed from a soft calmness to a soft wrath. she was no longer pleased with him, Scitus knew it would be inevitable.

"Yes, it's true.”Scitus didn’t deny it, his expression was cold and emotionless, his furrowed brows gave off the impression of anger. The gods beside him stretched their tables away from him. “Is he really looking at Miar like that!!!” the gods beside him thought as they felt Miars encroaching aura consume them.

"You do understand who the Blood-witch is correct, you do understand that using monsters is an act of evil correct?" Scitus turned to Miar, he couldn't simply back down; if he did he would have to destroy his kingdom.

"Monsters are not as terrible as you make them out to be, and the Red-witch isn't at all what you think of her. She may be greedy but from what I understand you didn't exactly accommodate her when she was in your country." Scitus spoke calmly, he knew what he wanted to tell her. He would aim for her weakness.

“what are you trying to say.” It was a low growl and that was enough to silence most of the table, the great gods looked entertained, even the neutral god looked like he was curious of the situation.

"I have been told that you hold yourself responsible for your mistakes; that you cry for those you've hurt unjustly." She stares daggers into Scitus as if to shout for his silence, “I am saying that you’ve made a mistake in judging Sia, and monsters.”

“Sia?” some gods whispered, “was that her name?” others murmured.

“I am afraid I have to disagree, it may take some time, but I will destroy your country, I hope you understand that.”

Scitus’s expression suddenly turned violently angry. His anger was no longer false but true wrath. It sent chills down the people near him, and for a moment they felt an aura far larger and more imposing than Miar’s. One god fell to the floor, Miar raised her head in surprise and his neighbors further extend the distance between him, making the two ends of the table very obviously lopsided.

“and I hope you look at every mother, father, son, and daughter, in the eyes before you order their execution. And if you still think you are right by the end of that, I promise you… I will kill myself at your feet because the mere thought of your existence will disgust me. Death would become preferable to knowing you.”

The gods finally realized that the god known as Scitus wasn’t submissive, he was the opposite, he was the worst kind of guy to fight a war with, he was the type to fight till his dying breath. He would never surrender even if the person he was up against was many times stronger than him. He was the type to take them out with him, the type of god that even if destroyed, his actions would forever haunt the god who killed him.

“when the time comes, I hope you keep your word” Miar spoke softly, it wasn't malice in her voice but pity, pity that someone like Scitus had such a distorted sense of good.

“I will.” Miar's heart faltered for a single moment; before Scitus, she had never met anyone with a conviction as strong as hers.

“Not that it will matter,” Mern interjected. “I am going to kill you myself after all.”

“Sia tells me, she alone is enough to deal with you.” Mern doesn’t say anything, he knows its true, but Sia was a special exception the world, she was the daughter of a particular demon, Alma the demon the Queen. “Doesn’t matter if she doesn’t do it though.” Mern knew that Sia wouldn't just go and kill him, Sia was the type to find it too troublesome and it wasn't like there was absolutely no risk to her life. If he played his cards right he may even have Sia as a pawn, surely, she was only using Scitus for her own gain. Mern smiled to himself, he thought Scitus was a fool who didn’t know anything, he had been tricked by the red witch and was being used and he didn’t even realize it.

“Siion,” Scitus ignored Mern and turned to his lord. “Mern wasn’t doing reconnaissance, if I didn’t know any better I’d say he was trying to make an army” Mern Trembled, half out of anger another out fear.

“well, as long as he doesn’t point his wooden spoon at me, I don’t care.” Siion was the definition of the sin of sloth, he only ever moved when he felt threatened.

Damn you Siion, after I kill this new god, you and Wesil are next!!! He thought.

The meeting continued, and Scitus closely listened to every conversation, every little twitch he saw a god make and reordered it into his memory. Then, on the tenth hour, the meeting the ended. When he returned to his kingdom, only 10 minutes had passed.