"Man is something that shall be overcome. Man is a rope, tied between beast and overman — a rope over an abyss. What is great in man is that he is a bridge and not an end."
― Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
"He's finally coming..." Jun Hie gripped his fists as he stared into his dressing mirror. He wore a fine set of gilded mail, mithril links edged in gold. The breastplate on his chest bore his family crest, a grand silver dragon, locked in mid-flight.
"Father promised to make him listen!" His sister pushed her way into the mirror's pannel as she adjusted the unfamiliar sword belt at her waist.
"We'll see, Huan," Jun Hie winced. "That man isn't normal," He swept his blond hair away from the horns on his head. "He and father might not... get along."
"Father will love him!" Huan Jie spun in a pirouette, her short, blond hair millimeters from Jun's eye. "He's so powerful!"
"Maybe..." Jun tightened the clasps on his armor. He'd thought long and hard during the voyage home. As Ven tormented his guards, it taught him an important lesson. Besides Father, all of us are weak... No new Semi-Divines had risen from their ranks in hundreds of years.
His father was the last, the greatest King they'd ever known. Born from the love between the Dragon God and his half-dragon grandmother, he had the purest dragon blood of any dragon-kin alive. The man had founded an empire in his father's name, a power that held sway over much of the world.
"NO!" Huan smacked Jun's cheeks with both hands, his face squashed between them like putty. "Father and Ven will get along, and then he'll listen to Father's commands, just like everyone else!"
"That's not how that works..." Jun forced his words out past his malformed mouth.
"Yes, it IS!" Huan gripped his cheeks and pulled.
"Ahhhhh!" Jun lurched back, hand clutched to his sister's wrists. "Unhand me, foul woman!"
"You'll see, come on!" Huan released her brother's face and tugged his arm. "He'll be to the gardens soon, let's get there first!"
"Alright, alright..." Jun rubbed his face and trudged after Huan. "But I still think it would be better if we waited."
"But I want to watch Dad make a new friend!" Huan pouted. "It's always exciting!"
Jun sighed and closed his eyes. "Better to blindly follow, instead of argue with a brick wall..." He resigned himself to his fate and let his sister drag him through the halls.
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Ven followed Rafe through golden-toned corridors. The castle was impressive, although not as mighty as the labyrinth fortress. A vast structure, carved from pale blue stone. A strange energy wafted from the place, a taste that reminded him of the inner world of a lesser beast. Ven knelt. His claws shaved a small layer from the polished floor, which he tossed into his mouth.
"Hmmm..." It tasted similar, a diluted version, but far easier on the stomach. "Not bad!"
"STOP THAT!" Rafe lept to Ven's side and clubbed him over the head. "What's wrong with you?" The halfling shoved Ven forward, away from the damaged stone. "Is eating all you think about?"
"I spent a long time, dreaming about all the food I didn't have." Ven shrugged as he let his hand dart out. "It's turned me into a bit of a foodie." He scraped a few more shavings from the wall and shoved them into his pouch, a snack for later.
"Well, keep your hands to yourself in here!" Rafe picked up his pace, determined to minimize the damage Ven continued to deal to the palace walls. "The King created this place with the help of the Dragon God, a long time ago." He jerked Ven to the side and saved a section of exposed floor. "I'm not sure how easy it is to repair..."
Ven darted to the side. Free of the halflings grasp, he uprooted a man-sized slab of flooring. He gave it a shake and released a cascade of dirt. This would be enough to use as a seasoning for some time. Ven grinned as the stone vanished into his storage.
"Alright, alright, Let's go." Ven dusted his hand and kicked a rug over the gaping hole. "I've got enough for now, anyway."
"Well good for you," Rafe rubbed his temples. "Let's get out of here before someone sees!"
The pair beat a swift retreat, and soon Ven stepped into an outdoor garden. Rafe led the way through wild, untamed greenery, each step a breath of fresh, crisp air. Ven exhaled. Lome and earth competed with countless flowers, a symphony of plants that lulled Ven into a relaxed state. His annoyance at this summon faded, and he lost himself in the moment.
"Come on," Rafe urged. "We're almost there."
"Mmmhmm..." Ven nodded, distracted by the wonderful smells. "Lead the way, half-squat."
"Watch it!" Rafe snorted. "Ooulin may have ordered me to look out for you, but I'll still kick your butt if I have to."
Ven just smirked at the halfling. He was already strong enough to compete with a Semi-Divine. He wasn't sure about Rafe's true strength, but soon he would overtake the small man.
"Keep smiling, pretty boy..." Rafe sent him a dark look before he vanished into the surrounding foliage. "You'd never see it coming if I wanted to kill you."
"I'll agree that you're good at hiding." Ven shrugged. "But that can only take you so far..."
Ven's cloke of shadow expanded, a flood that darkened the world into twilight. Whoops... He'd meant to encase his surroundings, but it seemed his aura had expanded again. It filled the garden and pressed at the walls of the castle. If he pushed harder, he was sure he could slip within and continue to expand his range.
"Hmmph!"
An aggrieved snort echoed into the artificial night. It came with tremendous pressure, a force that bore down and commanded him to bow.
"Is this how you behave in another person's home?"
Ven's knees creaked as he turned to face the owner of the voice. A broad-shouldered man with hair as white as snow. He had a well-trimmed beard, his face well-lined from an unknown number of smiles. He wore a simple blue robe and carried a heavy staff like a cane.
"If you hadn't rescued my favorite daughter, you'd already be dead, young man." The King's face slipped into a frown. "as for you..." He glanced at Rafe. "You can go now."
"But Ooulin said..."
"Ooulin is dead." The king's tone held no room for debate, and the pressure shifted from Ven to Rafe. "And Ooulin was never the king."
"All... alright..." Rafe paled. He glanced at Ven, before he vanished once more.
"Pfff, assassins," The King shook his head. "He's probably still lurking about, just in case I decide to eat you." The King leered at Ven and twitched his fingers. "Now let's clear up this poor weather..."
The air cracked. Ven's aura stuffed itself back under his skin like a well-packed set of luggage. The act was so swift that Ven barely followed its movement. No matter what he did, it remained locked within, as if it cowered from the king's strange power.
"Now, what to do with you?"