99 Echoes And Mysteries (2/2)
Her eyes were quite literally luminous at that moment. Light was pouring out of them, casting a warm glow on the air between us and thus illuminating what was otherwise a nearly utterly dark chamber.
”Althos... I don't know if I can ever repay you for the act of kindness you showed me that day. It's just so odd. Kindness is suspicion inducing to dark elves. I don't know how many of us you know, but we are not a species that is known for kindness.” Qu'Ren revealed, while speaking reverentially to me.
Sombra looked at the dark-elf, and then her bodyguard. There was an odd expression on her face. It took me a moment to identify it. Sombra was suspicious. The demon couldn't believe what she was hearing. I grinned at my minion, curious as to what was on her mind. And so I took a look using my powers. When I activated my powers to peek into Sombra's head I was suddenly and momentarily overwhelmed by something. A vision.
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I was suddenly and instantaneously hurled out of my body and into something less distinct. One moment I was seated in the chamber with Sombra, Qu'Ren, and the dark elf's surly bodyguard, and in the next, I was in the same chamber but a version of it that no longer existed.
I found myself standing at the edge of the room, unseen and unnoticed by its occupants. Darkness surrounded me, and I could see a large number of dark-elves, around fifteen, encircling a monster the likes of which I had never seen. Everything around me had an incompleteness to it, a sort of visible brokenness that made it clear that this was an imperfect recollection of whatever I was about to see.
That wasn't the only change either. In the present there was a large table that separated myself and Sombra from Qu'Ren and her bodyguard. In this memory that table was gone.
The creature was standing in the middle of a large circle made of a dark substance, and at a glance, I could tell that it was standing on top of a more advanced circle than the one that was located in my temple in the lair of the reptilefolks I had conquered.
The monster, a demon of some sort, growled at the dark elves who had brought it to this dimension. Its voice was supernaturally low, and seemed to rumble throughout the room as if coming from everywhere at once.
It had two pairs of serpentlike eyes but its body was anything but serpentlike. It had a thick, blocklike body made of dark-blue muscle and possessed three sets of muscular arms. Each of its eyes locked onto a separate dark-elf, and though the thing wasn't moving its eyes were dancing around, working to stay locked onto a separate target.
I recognized three of the dark-elves in the room. Each of the members of Qu'Ren's family I had met so far was in the room working to contain the demon. The guard I met earlier, and Qu'Ren's bodyguard were close to the monster, while Qu'Ren lingered by the entrance she and I had taken to walk into this room.
None of the demon's eyes were focused on Qu'Ren, though that changed when the dark-elf rose her hands in the direction of the demon and suddenly hurled a pair of flaming spears at the thing. It rose its treetrunk like arms to block the spells but I still distinctly heard the monster roar in pain when the spears connected with it.
The instant after the creature rose its arms and prevented the spears from reaching its chest, the other dark elves dashed in close and slashed at the beast. This time the beast's wails were more distinct, and I even saw its blood begin to drip from the wounds the elves inflicted on it. But even though the monster was bleeding and in pain, there was a macabre, possibly masochistic grin on its face.
That was when I heard the sound of the first droplet of blood hitting the floor underneath the beast. And that was the moment of its triumph. The creature made eye contact with Qu'Ren, all of its eyes locking in on her in an instant. The beast dashed forward, allowing the spears of the dark-elves to cut the beast more deeply, while running towards Qu'Ren.
The thing was like an out-of-control wagon, unstoppable and terrifying. It was almost upon Qu'Ren when she frantically began to prepare another spell. In Sombra's memories, I was unable to actually see auras but I could tell by the look of frantic concentration and fear on Qu'Ren's face as the monster rose a heavy fist to strike that she was weaving magic together.
Her back was to the door, which was closed shut. It was an odd construction made out of some sort of thick fungal matter.
Sombra focused on it for reasons I didn't know, and when Qu'Ren's magic exploded I was able to watch her unconscious form be shot back through the door by the force of her own spellcasting. The unconscious spell-caster hit the floor and the shouts of some of her dark-elven allies filled Sombra's ears and therefore mine since I was relieving Sombra's memories.
The unconscious Qu'Ren's arms were covered in wicked black burn marks that hadn't been visible before. Some of her hair had fallen out too. That struck me as mildly amusing because the Qu'Ren I was conversing with was bald. She had a smooth, almost egg-shaped head.
The dark-elf who now seemed to be Qu'Ren's bodyguard paid chillingly little mind to his fallen companion. He actually had a grin on his face, and it had first appeared on his lips when Qu'Ren's magic failed and sent her sailing from some sort of internal explosion. He was still present in the moment though and his eyes never strayed from the demon in front of him.
The last thing I heard before everything turned hazy and indistinct was the sound of Sombra giggling evilly at the carnage unfolding before her.
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In an instant, I was returned to the present. I once more found myself seated in front of Qu'Ren and her questionably devoted fellow dark-elf. He had remained silent this whole time and had only scowled at me and Sombra.
”Hmm... So Qu'Ren's condition wasn't of concern to the dark-elf at her side?” I asked myself, intrigued by that. That said, I knew that this wasn't the time to do much more than quietly scan the dark elf's mind. I did so without any particular movement, and chuckled when I sensed his impatience and suspicion.
”Why won't this asshole get out of here?” The dark elf wondered, his impatience mounting more and more with each second we spent together.
”Does Qu'Ren really believe this guy is a god? I know her mind hasn't been the same since that day but still...” He thought, anger mixing with impatience. It seemed that Qu'Ren's belief in my divinity wasn't shared. That wasn't exactly shocking, but it was annoying how rude the dark elf was about it.
I took advantage of the silent moment to question the mind domain about what had happened just now. I worded my question politely.
”Hello, so I just saw memories. That's kind of new. I mean... I think I saw memories? I'm honestly unsure. Can you explain to me what's going on?” I asked, curiously. I transmitted my question instantly, before getting an unbelievably speedy response.
”Well Althos, you're a growing god! When a god gets old enough his body starts to undergo... some changes.” The mind domain told me, clearly joking. It let its bad joke hang in the air for a few seconds before sending me a real explanation.
”No reaction? Jeez, tough crowd. What's actually happening is that your powers are expanding and the sheer intensity of Sombra's thoughts allowed you to experience a moment from her perspective. The... What did the dark elf call her? A 'little asshole'? Yeah, that sounds right, the little asshole must have been in the room, incorporeally, and watched the confrontation.” The domain explained, and I sensed the amused grin in its voice.
”But that's enough about me. Althos, it's your turn. Tell me and my husband all about you.” Qu'Ren suddenly exclaimed, leaning forward in her seat. The dark-elven spellcaster was gazing at me expectantly. My eyes widened, and for a moment I considered how honest I ought to be.
I momentarily debated actually making use of my powers over lies, and unbelievably it was actually tempting. I figured I could actually have fun making up something, and seeing how believable it was.