"Who—"
"I'm afraid we don't have time for introductions right now. Just follow me."
The stranger pulled Illya away from the stage. Weaving through the crowd, they got just far enough for Li not to notice as she passed by. When they were sure the coast was clear, the stranger led Illya through the town and towards a large tower.
"Um...where are we going?" asked Illya, eyeing the Sindarian palace looming behind the tower.
"Ditallu Tower. It's where the Queen's cult works out of."
Illya stopped in her tracks. "What? Why are you taking me here?"
The stranger pulled two veils out of his bag. He put one of them on himself and one over Illya. "Don't worry our cloaks look similar to theirs. With the veils, they'll think we're one of them."
Just as they got the veil onto Illya a group of Li's followers returning from the executions came marching back to the tower.
"Glory to the Queen," greeted the head priest.
"Glory to the Queen," repeated the stranger.
Illya followed their lead and repeated their greetings. Seemingly satisfied, Li's followers made their way into the tower with Illya and the stranger trailing behind them. The inside of the tower was quite large. Right at the center was an intricate spiral staircase that seemed to go on forever. Each floor was littered with rooms upon rooms. The higher the stranger took her, the more it became clear to Illya that the higher floors were reserved for more high-ranking followers.
The stranger stopped at one of the middle floors and brought Illya into a room. The stranger locked the door behind them and took off their veil. Folding it neatly, they placed it on their desk before taking a seat.
"Welcome to my humble abode," They said, gesturing at the room. It wasn't very fancy but it was by no means simple. "Before we go on, let me ease your mind. I'm not one of Li's shadows. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Right after Li became Queen she started to purge everyone. Anyone who had associations with you or supported Solaria was executed like you saw today."
"So how did you end up in the tower?"
"Li wants to rebuild her cult but a lot of her Arunian followers died with the fall of Aruma An or split with the Ashen eyes. That's why mages and anyone who could handle magic were brought to the tower to work for her. I had been travelling for some time and when I tried to leave for my next destination, her shadows caught me at the border. Li had come for an inspection that day and realized that I had quite a strong connection to the shi so she had me...recruited."
Quirking an eyebrow at the mention of her homeland, Illya remained silent. As mysterious as the stranger was, he didn't seem to be lying. "What's your name?"
"Ah! Where are my manners." The stranger stood and bowed. "My name is Redfearn. Please call me Red your majesty."
"I'm not Empress anymore, you don't have to address me like that."
Red smiled. "I'll forego the formalities then." Red relaxed back into their seat. They swung one leg over the other and smiled coyly at Illya. "So then, how does a mighty war god fall so far?"
Illya sighed. "I'm not...ugh. That's just something people started calling me after the first few battles I won. Any claim to godhood I have pales in comparison to my parents. Even they themselves were minor deities. I would hardly call myself a god."
Red shrugged. "But you are. I know you."
"How? I don't believe we've ever met before."
"I know many things. For example, I know that there are different ways for a god to be born." Red raised a finger. "One, when they are born as one, like in the case of your mother," he raised another, "two, when they absorb enough shi to ascend to godhood, like what your father did, and three..." Red raised a third finger, "when they are cursed by their predecessor...like in your case..."
The more Illya listened to Red rattle of facts about her parents, the more it became clear that they were much older than their current form suggested. Sure, the history of Aruma An wasn't exactly a secret, but it was rare for those outside of Arunian lineage to know much about it much less specific details about herself that she had never told anyone.
"...and how exactly does one come to know of such things?"
The stranger chuckled. "Come now, I've got to keep some things to myself don't I? Don't worry, I'm no threat to you. If I was, I would have revealed your identity back in the town square."
Illya fell silent again, allowing the stranger to continue.
"In my humble opinion, you were at your strongest when you indulged in your power. All I see now is a washed-up monarch caught in the web of a once brilliant crown. You forget yourself Illya."
"And who exactly do you think I am?" Asked Illya, irritation rising in her voice.
"You are the daughter of Salem and Sheila Omarosa. You were born part mortal and part dragon and when you were seventeen, in the midst of training to become a knight, you encountered an injured god."
Illya grit her teeth. He really knew too much.
"The god was a young boy, no older than you. As thanks for offering him the last of your water, he proposed a deal. he sensed your rage and tried to coax you into a fit. He offered you revenge but you didn't like his ruthless and self-indulgent ways."
"Okay I get it, you know things. I—"
"It wasn't until you were laid beneath the Earth, having been betrayed and buried alive that you finally let your festering agony loose," Red continued, cutting Illya off. "The god dug you out and pleaded with you to understand, to stop denying yourself the pleasure of crushing your enemies beneath your feet, but you remained adamant until the end. You refused to let innocent people pay for the sins of others simply because you yearned for revenge and that is what cost you your life. It was the first time you ceased to breathe and as the life drained from your eyes, the god cursed you. A curse to spite you for defying him so and perhaps to make you understand."
Red's eyes began to glow ominously as they suddenly reached out and grabbed Illya's hand. A sharp pain surged through her and red curse marks began appearing on her body, ones she hadn't seen in ages. They were hot to the touch as if they had been seared into her skin and filled with an ancient heat that she instinctively knew belonged to her predecessor. The messy red marks vaguely spelt names. The names of each god of her kind that came before her and on her neck was the name of the god who cursed her.
"His curse is what brought you back. Not as a mortal being, but as the new goddess of revenge and when the last of his power fell to you and he withered away, you took on the role willingly."
Red released her. As soon as they did, the curse marks, along with the pain, disappeared.
"I know you. I know you went wild with power. I know you found pleasure in destroying your enemies and I also know that in the time that you have had such power, you have only taken revenge for yourself once and I must say, it was indeed a great massacre you carried out."
Illya gasped, grabbing the corner of the wall to steady herself as she recovered.
"I know you," they repeated. "I know that bottom tier deities like cursed gods must constantly replenish their shi, lest it backfire and begin eating away at you. You understood very well back when you sacrificed part of your root shi for your son, that your little prison full of people you carried out revenge for would not be enough to sustain you. Especially given how picky you are when it comes to taking on requests. Though I suppose I can't fault you entirely for that. The life of an Empress must have been busy enough for you to neglect your duty as a god," Red remarked sarcastically.
"You've spent far too much time playing human and have forgotten what it feels like to wield your true power. You did not take care of yourself, too preoccupied with the crown that shackled you to the throne and Li took advantage of that because she has not forgotten. She remembers who she is."
Illya kissed her teeth, unable to deny their words and unwilling to fight back against the mysterious power that was the Red stranger. Perhaps it was part of getting older or maybe it was when the wars ceased and peace reigned, that she felt like there was no longer any reason to indulge in the more sinister pleasures she used to adore when she was younger. Thinking back to the earlier events, a realization struck.
"Wait...is...is Li trying to ascend?" She thought back to the way Li stole the shi of all of those people during the execution.
"Oh! Maybe I judged you too quickly. It seems like you still have some wits about you! Yes, that does seem to be Li's plan."
Illya kissed her teeth. Li was trying to ascend to godhood the way Salem had. It looked as though she really was pushing towards re-creating an Aruma An, one where she ruled, one where she had control, one where she could achieve all that escaped her when Aruma An fell. As she pondered over how to stop Li another thought dawned on her. Seeing the ghost of an ardent flame reignite behind her eyes, a crooked grin broke across Red's face.
"There's that hunger..." he whispered." A goddess of war and vengeance is nothing if not eager to take advantage of the chaos. I think it's time you remembered what that's like."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGHvmXM5Im
