109 Dwarves and Volcanoes. (2/2)
”You are far kinder than you may realize. And the knowledge we've gained from you is what will allow us to help safeguard the underground from the machinations of the demons.” The king proclaimed, speaking as if I had handed him information on the demons themselves. I hadn't.
I now possessed a keen awareness of the demons I knew I needed to oppose. This awareness came to me thanks to my newest detection ability, the one that allowed me to map places illuminated by the light from the star at the center of my solar system. Thanks to it I had a live-action map of all of Torus.
There was a specific faction of demons who sought to remake this world and turn it into a part of the dimension they were from, the dreaded ”Heart of Darkness”. This faction originally included Sombra, the praereptor demon who possessed Troik and was now my servant.
They were my foes, and I intended to stop them from enacting their vile machinations. Doing so would be much easier since I now knew their locations. This was knowledge that I hadn't shared with Rachel, Amaris, or King Abel.
The truth was, I wanted to meet these demons myself. I was eager to make more demonic allies and to learn more about the demon named Agustino. Agustino was the demon at the center of the plot to twist Torus into a world compatible with the Heart of Darkness. After thinking about this for a moment, I looked at Abel and smiled.
”Thank you King Abel. I was happy to help Rachel.” I told the king, speaking quite honestly. Aiding Rachel was a smart move on my part that granted me this opportunity and the worship of a number of dwarven nobles who Rachel spoke too and then I converted, through dreams.
I was worshipped by three separate dwarven nobles, all of whom were located in different parts of Atlantis. All of them were lawful in alignment, and so far I had found them to be useful allies. I looked forward to building deeper connections with them in the days to come, especially since I wanted to gain access to Morehammer's artifacts eventually.
”Althos, do you seek more worshipers? Please tell me and my advisors what your goals are. If they are compatible with ours we should consider an alliance. It would be a fitting reward for one who safeguarded my daughter's freedom and protected us from our foes.” King Abel said, speaking as though he had the unanimous consent of his court. That said, none of the dwarves voiced any opposition to the king's remarks.
”I am seeking more worshipers. My goal is to safeguard this world, while also expanding my own powers. For now, as a newborn god, I am... being cautious. I engage more readily with those who pray. Like your daughter did.” I told the king, smiling as I spoke. I looked him in the eyes and added a bit to my remark.
”You raised her well. You taught her about the old ways. The ways of Morehammer. Those ways saved her. Those ways are righteous ways.” I told the king, assuming that her free form of piety was a cultural cornerstone that was a result of Morehammer's influence.
The king smiled at me. There was a genuineness and a gentleness in his smile. It was the smile of a father, not a king.
Behind me, I sensed Rachel's happiness as well. My actions had transformed this family's life. It wasn't the first time I had done something to save a family, but this moment felt... special. It felt like I had used my powers for good, and in doing so I had kept a family together. I felt joy well up within me.
”No Althos... You saved her. I know not the hows of what you did, but you did this. You spoke to her. You gave her this gift. Thank you.” The king told me, tears visible within his eyes. The king might have been lazy, but the love he possessed for his daughter was genuine.
This moment of warmth and solemn joy lasted a few moments longer before I decided not to overstay my welcome. I took a step back and smiled at the dwarves around me. ”Friends, it is time for me to depart from this place.” I told the dwarves.
”I am your friend, and I intend to earn your worship. In the days to come, I will meet with you again. And in the meantime, I shall aid your people. You shall know, and feel my presence. I possess... many powers. Remember me, and pray to me. Allow me to know you, and I will come to your aid when you need assistance.” I said to the dwarves who had gathered around me.
Sixteen total dwarves were crowded into the chamber. Three of them were either royalty or direct aides to royalty. Five of them were guards and military leaders. The other eight were valuable advisors, skilled experts the kingdom relied upon for advice and leadership. All of them silently watched, as I smiled and willed myself out of royal chamber.
I teleported from the dwarven kingdom to the top of a tall, active volcano.
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In an instant, I went from a stuffy, well-populated chamber to a point high in the sky, at the top of a volcanic mountain. I was standing on the edge of the volcano's crater and if I looked down not only could I see the magma located dozens of meters below me, I could also see creatures swimming in said magma.
”Hello there!” I said, practically shouting into the crater. I quietly used my powers over sound to ensure my voice carried the dozens of meters that separated me from the ocean of magma, and from the angels that swam in the magma as if it were a temperature ocean.
The angels, a pair of the things, froze when they heard my voice a mere instant after I spoke. All I could see of the things were tall, bony spines that broke through the magma they swam in. The spines had previously been lazily moving through the lake of magma they were in, but now the spines froze, tensed up.
I had been expecting them to come to me excitedly. The system, just two days ago, had informed me that the things were ready to come and serve me. They hadn't.
”It's me! Althos!” I said, after the angels froze and didn't move a muscle. But my second remark did provoke a reaction. The pair of angels shot out of the ocean of magma, flying to the top of the magmic chambers that contained the magma they lived in.
I watched, fixated, as the creatures sailed out of their home. They had wings of flames, bodies that loosely resembled those of butterflies, and the antenna of assorted types of insects. They flew with frightening speed, and only flapped their wings twice while ascending to the peak of the volcano that housed them.
As they drew nearer and nearer to me I began to feel the heat radiating out of their bodies. I chuckled and relished it since it was nothing compared to the heat generated by the sun. As they closed in on me, I heard the voices of the system and assorted domains cheer in excitement in my head. I grinned, sharing their excitement. I was about to meet angels for the first time!