A bang of regret immediately assaulted Quetzalcoatl's spirit. She knew better, but she could not help herself but make that silly comment. She did not mean anything by it; only implied something improper with it to tease, nothing more. However, it was enough for her to receive the same look she is consequently used to, the one look she hated the most by the only man she ever loved and respected, her own father.
She watched him scoff, sneer in disgust, and loath her very existence. He did not say anything to her. There is nothing much to be said to the dead, so he turned around and walked away.
Quetzalcoatl stared at his back as he headed toward the teleportation platform. She wanted to stop him, exert her strength over him, but she knew, pushing him further will do her no good, not after she saw hope in his memory when she did not think it existed in the first place.
She closed her eyes, knowing full well, there is only one thing she could do to remedy the situation and start over. Something she has never done her whole life, not even for her father, but what other choice did she have? Per usual, she royally fucked up an opportunity that does not come once in a lifetime.
Amon extracted his control rod, planning to get the hell out of here before the raging volcano in his heart consumes him. He stood on the ancient platform intending to search for Ling then leave this hidden world.
"I'm sorry."
Amon froze, it was a surprise, A primordial monarch apologizing to someone other than their spouses is unheard of. They are the most powerful entities in their Ring Galaxy, admitting wrongdoing or a mistake is not something a monarch does. However, it was not enough to quell the storm in his heart.
Sighing, Quetzalcoatl continued. "I know I'm not qualified to be made into a carpet for the Phoenix clan matriarch to walk on, let alone their current oldest living ancestor. Even in my prime, I knew my limit, and I have never dared approach a Phoenix with disgraceful intentions. I would not know how I died if I did, scratch that, I know how."
Quetzalcoatl was not exaggerating in her apology. Even among Primordials, there is a hierarchy. The Dragons were always considered to be the most powerful clan in existence, but certain other Primordial clans were not that far off from them, especially the three royal avians' clans.
"You want something from me desperately it seems for you to admit all of that. Then speak clearly, no lies, no hidden motives, no nothing. What do you want?" Spoke Amon while still holding the control rod in his hand and without turning around.
"You offered Alexios to find a way to give birth to a Radiant Lion somehow, effectively restoring their clan. I cannot divulge why, but none of us three would be interested in it for the most part." Mentioned the feathered serpent.
The gears in Amon's head instantly clicked in place. "I see, someone else made that offer to you three, which is why you three are standing guard over this hidden world. Probably a human, perhaps one of the architects."
Quetzalcoatl remained quiet, not confirming, or denying anything.
Turning around, Amon looked at the colossal serpent. "Alexios did mention a vow he is willing to break. I can only conclude two matters. You are both under the same oath, but he has more leeway than you since he was willing to break it if I agreed to his terms while you apparently can't. Perhaps whatever is allowing a spirit fragment to survive this long no longer will allow you to exist if you break your vow."
Quetzalcoatl faintly smiled, it was refreshing to talk to someone both wise and intelligent even when he missed the goal center by a bit.
"Then what do you want? And why should I care? You know I have a second plan to get what I need anyway, even when it is more tedious and will take me a long time to accomplish. You have spoiled my mood, so charm me." Declared Amon.
Quetzalcoatl slithered closer to Amon. "I care not for vengeance, nor do I hold any ill will towards the Dragons. It has been so long already, and my hatred has long faded away, with it the purpose for why I'm here. Truth to be told, I only intended to pass my legacy to qualified candidates, fulfill my vow, and fade away like the rest of my clan.
I'm just a dwindling spirit fragment that should not have endured for a pointless endeavor that I won't see or feel with my own senses if it is accomplished."
The feathered serpent rose to peer through at the rest of the hidden world. "Alexios is indeed a stupid, stubborn cat. He saw the same thing I saw in your memory, and his spirit did not latch onto it with all its might."
Amon crossed his arms. "Oh? Do tell, what did you see, your royal highness."
Quetzalcoatl looked down at Amon. "Hope...I saw hope, an impossible dream that my subconscious could not even imagine in my long slumber here or fantasize about in dreamscape. A second chance at life, that's what I saw in your memory."
Frowning, Amon grasped the jest of what the sensual snake wants.
"You want me to resurrect you? That is impossible. The dead may never die again."
Amon was correct. Resurrecting the dead is an impossible achievement that many scholars and sages tried their hands at for many eons with no success. Even a Phoenix who does not go into nirvana before their soul disperses will die too, permanently.
Quetzalcoatl brushed her soft feathery tail against Amon's face.
"You are correct. It is impossible, the very laws of our universe forbid it. That is until you were born, or rather reborn. You have not considered it because you have not thought about it deeply. You have no one you want to resurrect after all.
My period was a time of war, tragedies, and loss. Combining our memories together, I can say there has not been a more significant nor an equivalent disaster since my time. Many of our kind perished, whole Primordial clans died abruptly, leaving one or no survivors. Make no mistake. I'm not talking about the calamity the Dragons brought on some of us.
The topic of resurrecting the dead had many pursuers throughout my era. Who did not want their loved ones back from the clutches of war? The best sages of my time thought about it, searched high and low for any method in the hope of accomplishing it.
Your clan is one of them. They lost someone unique among them, not to mention they were at the forefront in the war of my era."
Amon ran a hand through his hair. "Alexios did not lie then in his speech. A galactic war preceded the catastrophe the Dragons brought down on your clan and his. Since you are vague about it, I believe details of that war are part of your oath, and you can't reveal more, no?"
Once more, Quetzalcoatl did not deny or confirm anything regarding her old oath. Instead, she returned to the main topic.
"It was found that a Death monarch can't bring the dead back to life because they would be infringing on the Law of Life boundary. The same was discovered regarding the sacred Life Law, bringing back the dead would require infringing on the Law of Death boundary.
The sages and scholars of my time then reached a logical conclusion. Just have two monarchs representing the two laws work together. They would surely be able to accomplish it!
And so, a plan was set in motion, two equal monarchs of both laws were found. They were joined in a pious soul exchange ceremonial marriage, the most extreme form of eternal joining of two souls in matrimony. They quickly fell in love too, and many thought the realm would once more see the brilliant seven-colored flames of the seven-colored Phoenix."
'Seven colored flames?' "I take it they failed." Commented Amon.
"Horribly so. No matter how hard they tried, no matter what they did, they could not succeed. Even the usage of relevant Prime Ethereal Treasures did not help one bit. Worst it was blamed on the two monarchs of Death and Life as no one could come up with a reason for why they could not resurrect a fly. Until now..."
Quetzalcoatl giggled charmingly. "I, the loathed so-called snake whore, the most hated wives thief learned what the most brilliant minds of our era failed to discover. Is that not right, my little handsome, young sage?"
"Entropy stood in the way." Muttered Amon.
Quetzalcoatl smirked.
"What was it you said again about your terrifying little heart? Right...
'The arrow of time. The ultimate fate of everything. The cosmos chaos enforcer. The inception of the ancient past and the conclusion of the inevitable future. The first moment before life and death, and the first moment after life and death. You are not the lowly Heart of Chaos or Energy. You are the terrifying Heart of Entropy. The physical expression of the sole Omni concept of the cosmos, the one universality that will never be overthrown.'
The poor souls did not know on whose boundary they were trying to violate when they attempted to resurrect the dead."