Nozarg commenced with his explanation to the group, shedding light on the hidden world operating within Arrithia. Though his knowledge was far from comprehensive, he provided as much detail as he could muster.
"In the shadows of Arrithia," Nozarg began, "there exists a faction of Highers who still nurse a bitter grudge from the aftermath of the war between them and the Dragons. Their bitterness deepened when Quetz, the Higher of Light, and Erza, the Dark Dragon Queen, broke the sacred pact that forbade interbreeding between Dragons and Highers, resulting in the birth of Xayddryrth."
Nozarg paused, emphasizing the gravity of this breach. "While my knowledge is limited, I am aware of the involvement of Nix, the Higher of Void, and Protos, the Higher of Time. However, I have reason to believe that there is at least one more Higher aligned with their cause. Above all, this group was responsible for transforming Xayddryrth from a Dragon into the Human you all know as Zero some five thousand years ago. Since then, they have been covertly guiding Zero, compelling him to undertake actions beyond their own abilities."
"These rogue Highers harbor a sinister ambition," Nozarg continued, his expression darkening. "They seek to obliterate our universe and reshape it in their own image. To accomplish this, they must not only confront Ebony and Ivory, the Highers of Eternity and Infinity but also contend with the Old Gods themselves."
The Old Gods have remained elusive, never revealing themselves on Arrithia. Even Ebony and Ivory, who were last known to be exploring the Dragon Realms in search of answers, have vanished for just as long. Rumors circulated about their pursuit of the truth regarding the Dragons' disappearance. Seven days after Zero's birth every Dragon mysteriously vanished without a trace. Their realms, once guarded, now stood empty and unattended.
"Well, as much as I'd love to discuss your reasons for siding with us, Luna, it seems we're running short on time," Maeve remarked.
Sol, Zus, and Taurus found themselves on the opposing side of Zero, Maeve, and Luna. For the past five minutes, an uneasy standoff had persisted, with Taurus brimming with anticipation for the impending clash. Neither group wanted to initiate the first move; whoever did would likely meet an untimely demise. Once that fateful trigger was pulled, it would inevitably lead to a chaotic melee of close-quarters combat. Luna's barrier prevented any escape but also ensured they would be confined to battle in close proximity once the inevitable eruption occurred.
The standoff persisted for another tense minute until Taurus unexpectedly broke the silence, catching both sides off guard. He swiftly ripped the hearts from the chests of Sol and Zus. Standing behind them initially seemed like a move to restrain himself from attacking first, but his true intentions became chillingly clear. With a single, violent motion, he thrust both hands into their backs, emerging from their chests with their frozen hearts held in his grasp. He held the hearts before their petrified owners.
Sol was the first to waver, her form slowly disintegrating into a pile of ash at Taurus' feet. His focus then shifted to Zus, who maintained a smug expression.
"Clever, Taurus, but to kill me, you must—AHHH, hyuck..." Zus halted, his gaze dropping to the ground, where a stone-gray tentacle emerged from his left thigh, clutching a second heart.
"I gotta get both hearts?" Taurus sneered. He pulled the tentacle, which had slithered from his back, alongside his hands, displaying both hearts triumphantly above his head. Zus, like Sol, dissolved into a pile of ashes.
"They sure didn't last long, did they? Kind of pointless," Zero remarked dryly.
Taurus held the hearts aloft for a fleeting moment. As the tentacle retracted into his back, it absorbed Zus' second heart before promptly seizing Sol's heart. It began feeding the hearts to Taurus as he tucked Zus' first heart into his chest, where his flesh seemed to part to make room for it right beside his own.
"Ahhh," Taurus exhaled, a look of satisfaction on his face. He tilted his head back and forth.
"Oh yeah, I think, yes, this should be enough." He lifted his left hand to his face and rotated it, seemingly savoring the newfound power coursing through him.
He turned his attention toward Zero, his grin widening as he fixed his gaze on the young man. "You."
"Me?" Zero raised an eyebrow and pointed to himself. "I'm sorry, have we met before?"
Taurus thundered, his voice shaking with intensity. "Drop the charade! I know who you truly are beneath that façade. I witnessed it with my own eyes the day you stormed my compound!"
"Oooh, Taurus, my old friend. I thought you died?" Zero replied nonchalantly.
"Did he... Did he hit his head or something?" Luna questioned, baffled by Zero's behavior.
Maeve shook her head, resigned to Zero's antics. "As infuriating as it may be, it somehow always works."
Taurus seethed with rage, his nostrils flaring as steam billowed from his ears.
"What, precisely, did you witness me doing?" Zero inquired, his face straining to maintain its composure, suppressing even the faintest hint of a smirk. "I’ve done many people and many things." He hesitated for a moment. "That first half came out wrong, but you get my drift. Could you provide some details?"
"AAHHH, ZERO!" Taurus charged forward, his claws extended. "I FUCKING HATE YOU!"
The way he charged was relentless, fueled by a blind rage that left his eyes glazed over in white and his mouth agape, saliva flying in all directions. Repeating the same mantra, "Crush Zero. Crush Zero. Crush Zero. Crush Zero," he lunged forward without a care. Collapsing upon the ground, Taurus paid no attention to Maeve or Luna. He crashed into Zero, who teleported in place just in time. Taurus rolled past him, crashing into the backside of the barrier.
Zero turned to Luna, his tone dead serious. "Drop the barrier, I'm about to clean up."
Luna hesitated briefly, then nodded and began to lower the barrier. As she did, Zero dashed by her and shot toward the western outskirts of Highbluff, the capital city of Hier, where the Vampire Gods' castle had been teleported. Taurus quickly gave chase, his screams echoing, "ZERO!"
Luna turned to watch the chase, but her body moved while her head didn't. It slowly slid from her neck into Maeve's hands. Maeve rotated it so Luna could see her.
"Told you it works," Maeve stated with a small smirk. "And no, neither of us care if you were going to help us just now. We know you're only switching sides because now our side is winning."
"I wouldn't call any of this winning," Luna said, her eyes rolling as she surveyed the devastated surroundings. "This entire island will need to be rebuilt. Every Kingdom has fallen, and this world will remain trapped in never-ending twilight."
Maeve squeezed the side of Luna's head as she lifted it to her eye level. She moved it slightly to the side to see Luna's headless body, frozen in stasis until her head was returned. Maeve kicked it over with her foot, and then moved Luna's head back into place, their eyes locking in an intense stare. The moment lingered until Luna finally spoke.
"He's going to blow up the moon, isn't he?"
"He's going to blow up the moon," Maeve confirmed.
An extended silence enveloped them before Luna's face displayed a growing concern, and she finally spoke up. "Did... Did he have this plan before or after he found out the spell is unbreakable?"
Maeve's expression said it all, her smirk and eyes radiating mischief. "I don't think he knows it's unbreakable."
"Maeve..." Luna's face bore genuine worry. "...your husband is insane."
Maeve glanced up, observing Taurus as he continued his relentless pursuit of Zero, causing chaos among any vampires in his way. She smiled. "I know..." Her gaze lowered to Luna's head. "...but where do you think he got it from?" Maeve's cloak unfurled, revealing a pit of darkness.
"NO!" Luna cried out. "ANYWHERE BUT THERE!"
Maeve tilted her head. "What? I thought you wanted nothing but darkness?"
Luna's screams echoed briefly but soon muffled as Maeve tucked her away inside her cloak, then began to stride forward, taking long, exaggerated steps as she casually followed after Taurus and Zero. A hum escaped her lips as she continued on her path.
Nozarg commenced with his explanation to the group, shedding light on the hidden world operating within Arrithia. Though his knowledge was far from comprehensive, he provided as much detail as he could muster.
"In the shadows of Arrithia," Nozarg began, "there exists a faction of Highers who still nurse a bitter grudge from the aftermath of the war between them and the Dragons. Their bitterness deepened when Quetz, the Higher of Light, and Erza, the Dark Dragon Queen, broke the sacred pact that forbade interbreeding between Dragons and Highers, resulting in the birth of Xayddryrth."
Nozarg paused, emphasizing the gravity of this breach. "While my knowledge is limited, I am aware of the involvement of Nix, the Higher of Void, and Protos, the Higher of Time. However, I have reason to believe that there is at least one more Higher aligned with their cause. Above all, this group was responsible for transforming Xayddryrth from a Dragon into the Human you all know as Zero some five thousand years ago. Since then, they have been covertly guiding Zero, compelling him to undertake actions beyond their own abilities."
"These rogue Highers harbor a sinister ambition," Nozarg continued, his expression darkening. "They seek to obliterate our universe and reshape it in their own image. To accomplish this, they must not only confront Ebony and Ivory, the Highers of Eternity and Infinity but also contend with the Old Gods themselves."
The Old Gods have remained elusive, never revealing themselves on Arrithia. Even Ebony and Ivory, who were last known to be exploring the Dragon Realms in search of answers, have vanished for just as long. Rumors circulated about their pursuit of the truth regarding the Dragons' disappearance. Seven days after Zero's birth every Dragon mysteriously vanished without a trace. Their realms, once guarded, now stood empty and unattended.
"Well, as much as I'd love to discuss your reasons for siding with us, Luna, it seems we're running short on time," Maeve remarked.
Sol, Zus, and Taurus found themselves on the opposing side of Zero, Maeve, and Luna. For the past five minutes, an uneasy standoff had persisted, with Taurus brimming with anticipation for the impending clash. Neither group wanted to initiate the first move; whoever did would likely meet an untimely demise. Once that fateful trigger was pulled, it would inevitably lead to a chaotic melee of close-quarters combat. Luna's barrier prevented any escape but also ensured they would be confined to battle in close proximity once the inevitable eruption occurred.
The standoff persisted for another tense minute until Taurus unexpectedly broke the silence, catching both sides off guard. He swiftly ripped the hearts from the chests of Sol and Zus. Standing behind them initially seemed like a move to restrain himself from attacking first, but his true intentions became chillingly clear. With a single, violent motion, he thrust both hands into their backs, emerging from their chests with their frozen hearts held in his grasp. He held the hearts before their petrified owners.
Sol was the first to waver, her form slowly disintegrating into a pile of ash at Taurus' feet. His focus then shifted to Zus, who maintained a smug expression.
"Clever, Taurus, but to kill me, you must—AHHH, hyuck..." Zus halted, his gaze dropping to the ground, where a stone-gray tentacle emerged from his left thigh, clutching a second heart.
"I gotta get both hearts?" Taurus sneered. He pulled the tentacle, which had slithered from his back, alongside his hands, displaying both hearts triumphantly above his head. Zus, like Sol, dissolved into a pile of ashes.
"They sure didn't last long, did they? Kind of pointless," Zero remarked dryly.
Taurus held the hearts aloft for a fleeting moment. As the tentacle retracted into his back, it absorbed Zus' second heart before promptly seizing Sol's heart. It began feeding the hearts to Taurus as he tucked Zus' first heart into his chest, where his flesh seemed to part to make room for it right beside his own.
"Ahhh," Taurus exhaled, a look of satisfaction on his face. He tilted his head back and forth.
"Oh yeah, I think, yes, this should be enough." He lifted his left hand to his face and rotated it, seemingly savoring the newfound power coursing through him.
He turned his attention toward Zero, his grin widening as he fixed his gaze on the young man. "You."
"Me?" Zero raised an eyebrow and pointed to himself. "I'm sorry, have we met before?"
Taurus thundered, his voice shaking with intensity. "Drop the charade! I know who you truly are beneath that façade. I witnessed it with my own eyes the day you stormed my compound!"
"Oooh, Taurus, my old friend. I thought you died?" Zero replied nonchalantly.
"Did he... Did he hit his head or something?" Luna questioned, baffled by Zero's behavior.
Maeve shook her head, resigned to Zero's antics. "As infuriating as it may be, it somehow always works."
Taurus seethed with rage, his nostrils flaring as steam billowed from his ears.
"What, precisely, did you witness me doing?" Zero inquired, his face straining to maintain its composure, suppressing even the faintest hint of a smirk. "I’ve done many people and many things." He hesitated for a moment. "That first half came out wrong, but you get my drift. Could you provide some details?"
"AAHHH, ZERO!" Taurus charged forward, his claws extended. "I FUCKING HATE YOU!"
The way he charged was relentless, fueled by a blind rage that left his eyes glazed over in white and his mouth agape, saliva flying in all directions. Repeating the same mantra, "Crush Zero. Crush Zero. Crush Zero. Crush Zero," he lunged forward without a care. Collapsing upon the ground, Taurus paid no attention to Maeve or Luna. He crashed into Zero, who teleported in place just in time. Taurus rolled past him, crashing into the backside of the barrier.
Zero turned to Luna, his tone dead serious. "Drop the barrier, I'm about to clean up."
Luna hesitated briefly, then nodded and began to lower the barrier. As she did, Zero dashed by her and shot toward the western outskirts of Highbluff, the capital city of Hier, where the Vampire Gods' castle had been teleported. Taurus quickly gave chase, his screams echoing, "ZERO!"
Luna turned to watch the chase, but her body moved while her head didn't. It slowly slid from her neck into Maeve's hands. Maeve rotated it so Luna could see her.
"Told you it works," Maeve stated with a small smirk. "And no, neither of us care if you were going to help us just now. We know you're only switching sides because now our side is winning."
"I wouldn't call any of this winning," Luna said, her eyes rolling as she surveyed the devastated surroundings. "This entire island will need to be rebuilt. Every Kingdom has fallen, and this world will remain trapped in never-ending twilight."
Maeve squeezed the side of Luna's head as she lifted it to her eye level. She moved it slightly to the side to see Luna's headless body, frozen in stasis until her head was returned. Maeve kicked it over with her foot, and then moved Luna's head back into place, their eyes locking in an intense stare. The moment lingered until Luna finally spoke.
"He's going to blow up the moon, isn't he?"
"He's going to blow up the moon," Maeve confirmed.
An extended silence enveloped them before Luna's face displayed a growing concern, and she finally spoke up. "Did... Did he have this plan before or after he found out the spell is unbreakable?"
Maeve's expression said it all, her smirk and eyes radiating mischief. "I don't think he knows it's unbreakable."
"Maeve..." Luna's face bore genuine worry. "...your husband is insane."
Maeve glanced up, observing Taurus as he continued his relentless pursuit of Zero, causing chaos among any vampires in his way. She smiled. "I know..." Her gaze lowered to Luna's head. "...but where do you think he got it from?" Maeve's cloak unfurled, revealing a pit of darkness.
"NO!" Luna cried out. "ANYWHERE BUT THERE!"
Maeve tilted her head. "What? I thought you wanted nothing but darkness?"
Luna's screams echoed briefly but soon muffled as Maeve tucked her away inside her cloak, then began to stride forward, taking long, exaggerated steps as she casually followed after Taurus and Zero. A hum escaped her lips as she continued on her path.
