Forest of Twilight

“So, then Faun, the explanations if you will,” I asked.

“Alright, alright, we will start with a simple explanation of the types of dungeon cores. First up there are a total of 5 different core types Bond, High, Prime, Remote, and Soul Cores. Bond Cores are cores that have a sapient form a pact with it. Resulting in the core becoming subservient to its new master. Unfortunately, this bonding has a chance to make the core mentally unstable. This happens because a core is designed to feel nothing for those who enter its depts. The sapient aspect changes them and some can’t handle these new emotions and morals. Next, we have High Cores these make up the majority of all dungeons. They pop up from the core seeds that my father randomly spreads over planets. They absorb the energy around them and in time awaken as a High Core. The third type is actually the first type of dungeon my father created so many years ago the Prime Core. Now, these cores can do it all create, destroy, the whole nine yards. These cores don’t have to wait and develop a personality over thousands of years, like High Cores do, and don’t need training like the others. For them, it’s all there the moment they are created.” As Faun Sway finished that sentence, she grew quiet.

I answered first. “Faun are you all right, you just stopped?”

She looked up at me and said “Oh I’m fine just got a little thirsty is all, ah would anyone else like a refreshing beverage before we continue!” Faun Sway waited and once we had all nodded our acceptance, she cast her gaze on the trees to my left and snapped her fingers. Seconds later a Dark Fey entered the clearing.

He strode towards the thrones with smug confidence. He appeared to be an elven male but the elegant horns protruding from his head and glossy indigo skin said otherwise. Hair as dark as the night sky framed his face and yellow cats' eyes stared out at us. He wore a rich purple jacket over a white dress shirt, scarlet red dress pants tied at the waist with a dark blue leather belt with gold buckle and shiny pink shoes. He carried in his left hand a silver tray with four drinks resting on it and his right hand behind his back and a whip at his side. I think he’s a Far Dorocha or Dark Man.

He quickly approached and delivered the drinks on his tray, starting at Faun and working his way around. Once his work was done, he returned to his starting position at the clearing entrance and stared at Faun expectantly with a wry smile on his face. She took a deep sip from her cup before she answered. “Everfree, you always know just what I want, and for that I thank you.”

“It is my pleasure mistress I live only to serve you.” The Far Dorocha now known as Everfree replied in a soft baritone, and with those words, he turned summoned a horse of pure shadows, and rode off.

“Now then back to Prime Cores. I’m sure you have heard all kinds of horror stories about them from other gods during your training, Langston. Hahaha well most of them are true. So, before you ask for confirmation yes, a dungeon core did absorb an entire universe and everything in it. But they kind of had it coming. Prime Cores were designed to provide what the world needed, not what they wanted, and of course when someone gets gold or whatever rare resource a world has from one everyone thinks they can too. This leads to the royalty trying to gain a monopoly on them believing they can get richer, only for them to get harsh lessons on life or some other intangible object. They get upset and since they believe themselves above others, they threaten the dungeon and the dungeon defends itself. This cycle repeats itself until the world's gods get involved and since my father made them, they are stronger than most gods and they kill and absorb them too. Eventually the Prime Cores decide that the only way they can be safe is if everything else is part of them, so they expand and slowly kill and absorb, getting bigger and bigger until they are the universe, they were placed in.” Faun Sway explained to me as the others didn’t react to this information at all.

“So that's why everyone seems to be afraid of Prime Cores?” I asked her.

“Yes, that is the reason most gods fear Prime Cores.” Faun Sway answered.

She stayed quite a few seconds before she continued her explanation on dungeon types.

“Alright next are the Remote Cores. There's not a lot to know about them, they're not true cores. They serve as a way for Prime Cores to continue to interact with the material Omniverse from the confines of the Infinite Void. If you aren’t following thousands of Remote Cores can be connected to and controlled by a single Prime Core. They grow the slowest out of all cores because it takes time for them to receive instructions from the Prime Core they are connected to. Now last are Soul Cores, they are similar to High Cores but they don’t require the growth and development time they do. Soul Cores are made as the name implies from a mortal soul that has been played in an inactive core gem. They come from all over the Omniverse and not all of them used to be human. They are also the only type of core my father allows other gods to create.” Faun Sway took a deep breath as she finished.

“So, I’m guessing these Soul Cores are the reason some of the deceased don’t end up in the afterlife. Because some other god or Lord Anarchy decides to take them and turn them into a dungeon core?” I asked, not sounding very convinced.

“Pretty much it isss asss you say Langston. Although ssssometime a world ssssimply needssss a hero or villain not of the world to change thingsss. Dungeons are the eassiessst way to do it at timesss and the sssoul isss only taken if they accept the invitation.” Anolis interjected.

“So, you mean to tell me we can pull souls from other worlds here to help us? Why didn’t we use this during the God War?” I asked.

Feltza stopped enjoying her little friend long enough to speak. “Because we didn’t have access to that ability then, matter of fact we still don’t. The right to reincarnate a soul or to isekai them as some would say can only be done if all members of a pantheon have three or more domains. Since only Lyrox and Faun Sway have three domains we don’t qualify yet.” Her voice was so silky and tantalizing I almost didn’t pay attention to her words.

“So, a pantheon's power can restrict what we can and can’t do. Interesting, but this is not the explanation I need right now. We can discuss this further during the next full pantheon meeting.” I stated with finality. If they knew secrets that would strengthen the pantheon they would have to share.

They all nodded their agreements to my statement and as we prepared to continue the explanations we were interrupted by the clopping hooves and a horse’s neighing. Out of the gloom of the forest that Far Dorocha, Everfree I think was his name galloped into the clearing, and he was not alone on that shadow steed of his. His passenger was another male dressed in merchant attire accented with several gold chains and various rings on each of his fingers, and held a bejewelled cane in his clawed right hand. The blank expression on his face did not reveal any of his intentions. As they stepped down from the horse it disappeared into Everfree’s shadow. They then took three steps in sync and kneeled.

“Pardon the interruption my Lady, but Sin’Victa returns to us with troubling news.” Everfree spoke.

“Pardon me a second guys this shouldn't take long. What troubling news do you have to report in Sin'Victa. You should know it had better be important to interrupt my meeting, I can always find another Fear Smith to replace you if its not.” Faun practically growled that last sentence.

To give him credit this Sin’Victa didn’t flinch or hesitate with his response. No, what he did reminded me why you can’t judge fey based on first sight. He reached for his face and pulled it off,wait not his face a well-made mask. Underneath it what would have been a face was wrinkled yellowed skin. Then he opened his mouth and his face split. His entire head was dominated by a gaping maw of serrated teeth, it looked like a lampreys mouth, with a single pinkish eye staring back from within.

“My lady it troubles me to trouble you during a meeting but this matter I can assure you is of the utmost importance. As I was doing my rounds making sure the light fey, we captured were receiving the pinnacle of care from the servants, a quickling rushed up and informed me the easternmost point of the forest was experiencing a heat wave. Now at first I didn’t care and proceeded to eviscerate the little nuisance to think he would dare to bother me with a complaint about the heat.” Sin’Victa spoke with a soothing tenor before Faun Sway interrupted him.

“Get to the fucking point! You’re starting to test my patience.” Faun growled.

Sin’Victa swallowed hard and continued. “Yes mistress, as I said I didn’t care at first but then more started to report the same thing. The event that actually got me to look into it was when several Orphans of Black complained to me, and they never complained, too busy trying to trick other kids into getting lost in the woods to complain, so I investigated. What I saw terrified me, a Fear Smith, to the core. A portal to the Feywilds was open and guardsmen of the Summer Queen were holding it.”

“WHAT!! WHO DOES THAT BITCH THINK SHE IS OPENING A PORTAL TO MY DOMAIN! Everfree go and gather Matron Helena, her sisters and call up my Lunarians at once. Sin’Victa, I want you to rile up the redcaps and gremlins. I’ll show her what happens to light fey who overstep their bounds.” I had never seen Faun Sway this mad before even when people cursed her name and defiled her temples, but this level of pure hate was different.

Everfree and Sin’Victa stood, gave a crisp salute and ran off.

“Faun is everything alright?” I hesitantly asked.

“No, everything is not alright. I’m sorry to say but we must cut this meeting short. I will personally send you all the information once I deal with that arrogant bitch. For now, all of you leave.” Faun Sway said in a tired voice, yet the undertones of unrestrained anger filtered through.

“Ah, you don’t need to send your guests away on my account.” A voice like honey sang out from the forest. We all looked around for the source, except for Faun who seemed to get angrier by the second. “I recognize Anolis but the other two are a mystery to me. Wouldn’t you be a dear and introduce me to your friends.” This time the voice revealed its source. A tan elven woman dressed in a flowing yellow dress strode out of the forest. Her piercing green eyes glowed with power and a mane of fiery red hair billowed behind her.

She was surrounded on all sides by knights in gleaming silver armor, and an aura of heat wafted off of her.

Faun Sway’s eye screamed murder and if she ever looked at me like that I would run away as fast as possible but this woman simply gave a kind smiled, spread her arms and said “It's been a while why don’t you give me a hug, after all we haven’t spoken to or seen each other since you freed the imprisoned dark fey and left home. It wasn’t very nice of you to undo all our hard work after all why do you hate your family so much, baby sister.”