Divine Apostasy Book 11 - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

“Give me a few seconds,” Ruin told Zylkin.

“Of course.”

Ruin activated Last Breath and appeared on the platform in his mind. Overlord, Uruziel, and Sivart appeared a moment later.

“Thanks, Overlord,” Ruin said. “I got a little wrapped around the anchor as Lylan would say.”

“A little? You turned psycho.”

“I know. These upcoming dungeons will give me plenty of opportunities to learn some control while in this body.”

“Engaging with anything on that other Destruction Realm was unwise,” Uruziel said.

“I know.” Ruin paused for a few seconds before continuing. “Did you sense the power I had?”

“Yeah, some of it,” Overlord responded. He pointed at Uruziel. “She noticed the difference as soon as you took your consciousness down that connection.”

Ruin considered that. “It felt like leaving my body allowed my mind to expand. I can tell I only have a fraction of the power right now that I did before. Did you notice anything different Sivart?”

“No, and I apologize for putting you in danger.”

“To Uruziel’s point, I did that to myself. Seeing the other Destruction Realm and my experience there actually lowered my stress level. Deryssa got in my head a little about how everyone out there wants to kill me, but I feel like my Mental abilities will let me hold my own. I countered their Destruction Emperor. Well, Mentally anyway. I’ll admit I’m more than a little behind on physical power.”

“Why do you think that was the Emperor?” Uruziel asked. “Did you get a popup?”

“No, but who else could it be. That figure was hundreds of feet tall and exited what I’m sure was the Emperor’s palace.”

“Maybe,” Uruziel replied with a worried face.

After an awkward five second silence Ruin sighed. “You might be right. I know how to confirm it one way or the other. Do you all think it’s safe to bring Deryssa Val’dor here?”

“This place has become too big for a single person do affect anything,” Overlord said.

“And we have multiple layers of security,” Sivart added.

Uruziel looked conflicted.

“What?” Ruin asked.

“I’m worried my response is too biased by my own desires to answer objectively,” Uruziel finally answered.

“The fact you have those feelings is normal,” Ruin said. “Why I trust you so much is one, you recognize your bias, and two, you told me about it before answering. So, tell me about your desires.”

“Knowledge,” Uruziel said simply. “Her entire experience in the Outerverse is valuable to us. Remaining ignorant when the opportunity exists for learning is always a poor choice.”

Ruin stared down at his human body. Here inside his mind he still projected his true form. He turned his attention to his bare right upper arm. The silver circlet appeared, and he focused on it, creating a mental bridge to the real artifact that wrapped his Saraph arm in the real world.

“Deryssa, can you hear me?” Ruin asked. “I’ve created a path out of the vault to place that’s a little bigger, and even has others for company.”

Ruin had asked Deryssa this way instead of taking the time to enter the vault because he wanted to know how much she trusted him. If he’d gone to the vault she would have asked a million questions to become comfortable with the idea. Now, if she came, it would require faith.

Even more importantly, it proved Deryssa’s loyalty. She had carved out a personal space in the vault or the circlet, but entering Ruin’s mind would give him complete control over her existence. That would be a difficult decision for someone with her background even considering how desperate her situation had become.

Ten seconds passed before Ruin felt the tentative touch on the other side of his mental bridge. He remained silent, letting this situation play out without any interference.

Deryssa slowly entered the far side of the mental connection as if placing a foot lightly on a frozen pond—unsure if the surface would hold her weight.

It took five seconds for Deryssa to fully enter the far side. She paused then, likely trying to decide if she should step forward or turn back for the safety of the vault.

Another five seconds passed and then Deryssa moved.

Next to Ruin a swirling chaotic cloud appeared.

“Visualize yourself,” Sivart said gently to the cloud. “The power you require surrounds you. Tap its magic and wield it.”

The roiling in the cloud slowed and then, in an instant, it disappeared and Deryssa stood next to Ruin.

Overlord’s eyes widened but when Uruziel glared at him he found something very interesting to study somewhere far above the platform.

“Perhaps some clothes as well,” Sivart said, also turning his head away.

Ruin glanced at Deryssa standing next to him as armor covered her body. She wasn’t human, but the Val’dor queen likely exemplified female Saraph perfection, and her beauty traversed species.

Deryssa met Ruin’s gaze, literally looking down at him. “Why are you in that inferior form?”

“Hey, easy,” Ruin said. “This is the real me. That Saraph body is temporary.”

“Spire help me, I pray your change is permanent. For both our sakes. You’ll never survive with that pathetic human body.”

Deryssa didn’t say the words meanly or to upset Ruin. She only stated the facts as she saw them. And truthfully, the Saraph body probably was a lot better in many ways. Maybe in all the ways, he admitted.

“Well, I like it, and I’m attached to it.”

Deryssa shook her head as if frustrated with a child. She glanced up at the towering statue that disappeared into the darkness of space above. “What is this place?” Deryssa asked, before looking around. She paused when she found the three others.

“Deryssa meet Overlord, Uruziel, and Sivart. They’re my friends and they run things around here.”

Deryssa curtsied elegantly, her movements graceful and perfect. She obviously had spent time around royalty. Wait, she was royalty, he remembered.

Uruziel returned the graceful curtsy with one of her own and Overlord and Sivart gave short bows.

“What is this place?” Deryssa asked. “Some type of pocket world?”

“What’s a pocket world?” Ruin asked. “Wait, don’t answer that right now. We wanted to ask your opinion on something before I get distracted.”

Deryssa stopped looking around and focused her gaze on Ruin.

“What does the Destruction Emperor look like? The Outerverse one, that is.”

“Why in the void would you need to know that?” Deryssa asked.

Ruin realized he didn’t have a good way to answer that without explaining everything.

“I was on my way to get a Dark rune for my Meridian when the Tower ‘tested my worthiness’ or something. Anyway, it couldn’t overcome my Will, so it cheated and then cheated again.”

“Define cheated,” Deryssa said.

“The Dark Tower linked the other four towers and when that didn’t work it went and cried to its bigger siblings.”

Deryssa stepped closer and Ruin fought the urge to add eighteen inches to his height. “What bigger siblings? Did you see the tower roots?”

“Oh yeah, I saw those roots. They’re the foundation for the Destruction Realm.”

Deryssa closed her eyes briefly, relief on her face. She smiled at Ruin. “You are truly a Val’dor. To glimpse the underpinning of the Realm takes power not all those of royal blood can produce despite their heritage. Now what did you mean by ‘bigger siblings?’”

“I traced the roots of our Towers to bigger roots and followed them all back to some really big Towers. That’s why I want to know what the Emperor looks like, because I think I might have met him.”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about when you said ‘I traced the roots,’ because that isn’t possible. And I can assure you that you didn’t encounter the Emperor because he would’ve instantly destroyed you with a thought.”

Ruin nodded thoughtfully. “Hypothetically then, if I saw a huge palace between five insanely tall towers that looked older than time that each had massive churches at their base all surrounded by a city that stretched to every horizon,” he paused to take a breath and continued, “and seven smaller palaces, still the size of cities, scattered around the perimeter of the Towers, and, hypothetically, a giant shadow creature appeared and threw spears at me, could that be the Emperor?”

Deryssa’s face had transitioned from amusement to surprise before ending in disbelief. “What?” she finally choked out.

“Oh, and after that, I want to ask about the Towers lighting up and who the beings are at the top and what they’re waiting for.”

“What?” Deryssa asked again, this time her voice softer. Her face had turned from disbelief into shock, and she wavered.

Ruin reached out and held her arm, steadying her.

“I need to sit,” Deryssa whispered.

Ruin summoned a replica of the throne he’d destroyed in frustration after the Scarecrow Aspect kept stopping him from escaping during his fight with Lalquinrial. Technically that was a less aware version of Deryssa that had done that, but he couldn’t really blame her.

Deryssa dropped onto the throne and rubbed her temples.

Ruin waited patiently. With Last Breath active not even a second had passed in the outside world. They had plenty of time to let Deryssa gain her bearings and help him understand what had happened with the Towers.

“Please don’t deceive me,” Deryssa said quietly. “Have you read a description of Vyrelion or did someone tell you about it?”

“No, I just saw it. Like a minute ago.”

Deryssa looked up and locked eyes with Ruin. “That is impossible.”

Ruin shrugged. “I get that a lot. It’s true though.”

Deryssa swallowed hard. “Please, take me slowly through everything that happened.”

Ruin provided as much detail as he could remember and asked Sivart to pitch in what he experienced as he’d seen the city and the shadow figure as well. Deryssa remained silent through the entire thing. When Ruin described the runes covering the Towers turning blue she began trembling, but still didn’t speak.

When Ruin finished Deryssa’s hands still shook and she clasped them in her lap to stop them, but it only transferred the trembling to her arms.

“Are you okay?” Ruin asked after Deryssa didn’t speak for a minute.

Deryssa’s eyes had glazed over and they refocused on Ruin. “No, I am not.”

Ruin stepped closer, concerned Deryssa’s hands and arms still shook. “What can I do to help? I don’t understand why you’re upset.”

“Upset? I’m not upset.”

“What’s wrong, then?”

Uruziel stepped up next to Ruin and placed a gentle hand on Deryssa’s shoulder. “She’s terrified.”

“Terrified? Why? Did I mess up? Are they going to follow me here?”

Deryssa placed a hand over Uruziel’s her expression thankful and the shaking subsided a little. She looked at Ruin, and now that Uruziel had pointed it out, he did see the panicked alarm in Deryssa’s eyes.

The Val’dor queen laughed, but there was no joy in it. She sounded crazed, almost maniacal. She spoke to herself, but it came in fragments and was interrupted by additional laughter. Uruziel kept her hand on Deryssa’s shoulder and Ruin stood frozen, not sure how to respond. Had Deryssa gone crazy?

Deryssa took a shuddering breath and sanity returned to her eyes. “I can’t describe to you the amount of angst, fear, and conflict our family has endured. And in the end, it was for nothing. The cost of that single misinterpretation is incalculable. I can’t comprehend this.”

“I don’t understand,” Ruin said quietly.

Deryssa laughed again, but this time it sounded sad. “Of course you don’t. Since the literal beginning of the Destruction Realm, the Val’dor suffered because every Emperor eventually desired the title of Emperor of Emperors, the final Emperor, or simply the Herald. All names for the same person. They all desired to be the Emperor of prophecy.”

Ruin waited patiently, hoping Deryssa would eventually provide enough information for him to piece together what she meant.

“What did the Emperor of prophecy require? One of the clearest portions of the prophecy called for the Val’dor family to be in ruins. That meant the Emperor and their supporters worked to destroy our family to help fulfill the prophecy. Hence the condition you found me in and the catalyst for your birth.”

Deryssa laughed again but tears covered her cheeks. “And that damn prophecy was right. Our family is all but destroyed. A single Val’dor remains. Only you carry the noble blood of our ancestors.” She shook her head and muttered. “Twice ruined.”

“I’m sorry Deryssa, but you aren’t making sense.”

Deryssa removed Uruziel’s hand and clasped it tightly for a moment before giving her a small bow. Uruziel returned it and took a few steps backward.

Locking gazes with Ruin, Deryssa spoke solemnly. “When you enter the Spire of Remembrance you appear in a small room. This room contains two things. A door leading into the actual contents of the spire and glowing text writ large across an entire wall. It’s called the Prophecy of Remembrance, and it goes like—”

Deryssa stopped suddenly and concentrated on the area above her hand. In glowing letters, the name Ruin Val’dor appeared. She smiled at her success and looked up at Ruin. “You need to know that our family name comes from before the Destruction Realm when the tribes survived in the Void. In the old tongue ‘dor’ means killer, and ‘val’ is the term for the most powerful lords of the void. Now, read the Prophecy of Remembrance for yourself.”

Above Deryssa, text the size of a house appeared.

Val dor ruin, from ashes born,

the last Emperor rises, a body torn.

Wardens wake to the herald’s call,

blue runes unlocking the sacred hall.

Val of fate wielding hidden tones,

a song protecting this realm of bones.

Extinction’s sword through heaven’s gate,

survival depends on the Remembrance of eight.