***Hemelin, in the immediate aftermath of the 'Great Air Raid'…***
Waking up amid the rubble, dust, and occasional fires, the head of the security detail of the Golden Hammer, Farah Koh, surveyed the destruction around her. Corpses of the members of the dwarf temple guards, priests, and some of the council members littered the place, and above her were the azure skies of Equality…peeking through the broken ceiling and walls of the Grand Temple of Hemelin. She could hear noises from a distance, though it took her some time to figure out those were gunfire and explosions.
"!!!" Miss Koh was brought back to her senses. They were supposedly under attack. She immediately looked for the Golden Hammer, yet he was nowhere to be found. So, she called out to the guards who arrived to help with the dead and the wounded, and they swept the throne room for the signs of their 'god.'
Still, the persistent battle noises from afar bothered the security lady. She asked the others what was going on, "Where's the fight?"
"Outside, Miss Koh," one of the dwarves answered. "An aerial army attacked Hemelin earlier, and destroyed two airships, as well as several fighter squadrons of the temple guards."
"What?" the security head blurted out. "Whose army is it?"
"From the initial investigations, those are pilots from the Cole Miners' Guild."
Miss Koh clicked her tongue. "I knew those dirty mud-dwellers are up to no good; we should've struck them when we had the chance! But what are those noises I'm hearing?"
"It's another issue, Miss," the dwarf explained. "You see…" he looked towards his other companions before continuing, "…even us can't believe our eyes! However, many of the guards and priests saw what happened…"
"A giant appeared from here, destroying the temple from the ceiling down to its wall," another dwarf picked up from the first. "She destroyed our defenses; from the barriers enclosing the area itself to the barricades set up by our comrades. I believe that's the noise you're hearing, Miss."
The second dwarf hadn't finished his words, and Miss Koh grabbed a binocular from another guard to look at the distant noises outside. There was a thick fog obscuring the view, but from what she saw, the rest of the dwarf temple guards had gathered their forces, along with the local police, in an attempt to restrain the giant—which she could make out from the big shadow through the mist. A few members of the temple guards were reinforcing the frontlines, and bringing in cannons for the fight.
The dwarf lady fell silent. For a moment, she was at a loss of what to do, for the appearance of a giant didn't bode well for Equality…or as she was told by her superiors, based on their stories of old. Miss Koh tried to deny what she saw, reasoning that her eyes might be playing with her. But her subordinates insisted…
"It is really a giant!"
And what's more? To reinforce the truth she heard, soon, a police car came flying through the thick fog, landing somewhere near the guards setting up cannons. It was only a miracle that only a few of them—including those inside the vehicle—got out of it with minor injuries.
"Is the media already there?" she asked.
"We are not sure, Miss. But it is safe to assume they are; after all, there was a raid earlier."
The dwarf security lady could only shake her head in disbelief. "And we still have to find His Holiness, the Golden Hammer…"
The other guards exchanged anxious looks while they waited on their leader to give them instructions. Miss Koh weighed on her options; part of her instinct told her that the Golden Hammer was kidnapped by that giant, yet another part told that she should search the rubble for him. Taking a deep breath, she ordered…
"Form three groups of four and sweep this place for our lord; look for him, even if it's just his body. The rest of you, come with me; we'll capture that giant!"
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***The city of Hemelin, downtown district…***
With the magic barrier protecting Hemelin dispelled, thick clouds immediately blew into the streets of the dwarf city—along with powerful gale-force winds, effectively limiting the visibility and halting the mobility on the roads, as well as stopping the chaos brought by the aerial raid earlier. Nevertheless, the woes of the city residents weren't over just yet. They had to deal with another threat, as news of a giant that suddenly appeared on the streets, pursued by the temple guards—as well as the local police, quickly spread like wildfire.
"Get those berserkers in line!" came the order from the highest officer present in the scene, deploying the best warriors the dwarves had at their disposal.
At once, the berserkers from several temple guard regiments lined up, armed with powerful steam war hammers, and battleaxes, and blocking the approach to the city center. They were supported by an artillery formation, positioned behind them and ready to let loose the lethal projectiles at a word. To reinforce the units guarding the roads, the city police were also deployed, with an airship above them.
"!!!"
Nevertheless, the Lady Helgath was unstoppable. Even with her huge size, she was nimble. Cutting through several makeshift barricades meant to slow and capture her, the giant injured and inadvertently killed members of the temple guards. She kept up her magic barriers, keeping off the bullets from hitting her, and helping her with that was Lily, putting her own magic barrier. For his part, Kuro picked off a few of their enemies that presented an immediate threat to them.
"The berserkers are coming," the Lady Helgath warned her companions. "Hold on! We're crashing through them!"
"Careful!" Kuro added. "I can see an entire artillery line formed up behind the berserkers!"
"I'll increase my magic output!" Lily offered, noting the airship above. "We can't stop here; that thing over there surely has its cannons aimed at us! Your Holiness, feel free to punch through!"
"Right!" the giant laughed, and put up her hands in front of her to shield her 'little' companions. "Well, here goes nothing!"
Increasing her running speed, the Lady Helgath blindly charged towards the dwarven defense lines. The berserkers—true to their name—stood their ground, even as their fellows fled for safety. They attempted to give battle, but the giant only crashed through them. The force of the huge creature threw everyone for significant distances, some even flying to the buildings. Those who tried to attack them on the flanks were shot dead by Kuro. Lily, for the meantime, focused on the artillery shells fired at them, reinforcing her magic barrier as those fell on them. One shot that passed through her shields, and that could be the end of them.
"Kuro, Princess, hang on!" was the Lady Helgath's scream as they broke through the artillery lines. Picking up a cannon, the giant swung it around like a club, creating a huge swath of death, explosions and destruction. The duke and the Iron Princess closed their eyes; they never want to watch the crushed cannons and squished bodies flying towards them. As for the giant lady, she just brushed the grisly debris off her body, as they charged towards the 'freedom' offered by the downtown district…where they could hide themselves among the panicked populace.
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***The Chamber of Time…***
The Lady of Time never took her eyes off the thread that was being weaved while Kuro and the Lady Helgath wreaked havoc in the city of Hemelin. For her, this was a new 'timeline,' and she watched it closely, for no one—except for the High King of the Gods—knew what was to happen next. Still, she looked on with anxious anticipation; the 'story' of the Black God had taken an interesting turn.
"!!!"
However, just as the Lady of Time turned towards the other spools, she was shocked to see dark miasma crawling to where she was. By then, a few of the spinning wheels across the chamber's hallway had already blackened—a sign that those worlds were devoured and destroyed.
At once, Time pulled out her sword and shield, never backing down against the encroaching darkness. For a while now, she had seen several resurges of those 'miasma,' although it's still nothing out of the ordinary. Still, it was a proof that the 'creatures' from the Void were becoming restless for some unknown reason. The Lady of Time never waited for the miasma to come to her; to protect the other spools, she took the fight to those 'monsters.'
"!!!" Just as she swung her blade, the miasma quickly coalesced into a figure and blocked her attack. Time did not wait for the 'creature' to complete its body; she followed up her offensive by casting a spell that 'cleaved' the dark creature in half. Then, Time bashed her shield on the miasma's 'head' and crushed it in a single blow. The encroaching darkness immediately dissipated.
But, the Lady of Time's woes wasn't over yet. Turning back to the spinning wheel she watched earlier, she was stunned to see another encroaching miasma about to gain a foothold on it. Knowing that she wouldn't make it, Time—using her body's momentum—threw her sword towards the Void creature and impaled it, almost knocking the spinning wheel down. Without taking another second, the lady chanted a magic spell that formed a barrier around her chamber…though it was just for a limited time.
Still, the Void creatures would not give up. Converging on her spot, the dark miasma overwhelmed her barrier, causing Time to stop powering the spell and going back on the defensive. As the figures from the miasma were relentless in their attacks, so did she protect the remaining spinning wheels with all her might. A bash of her shield to one of the figures would be replaced by two more. A thrust of her sword would be countered with several impaling miasma that Time could barely parry, yet the lady dogged on…
She will never let the Void devour any spinning wheel in her care!
With her body full of wounds, and dragging her exhausted arms, the Lady of Time stubbornly stood her ground. She fought the Void to a standstill, though she knew that if the fight dragged on, she would be at the losing end. Nevertheless, she still had an ace up her sleeve…
"!!!" Summoning all the mana she could muster, Time leaped at the middle of the Void and cast another barrier—this time, at its full power. Her desperate attack effectively destroyed the miasma and wrapped her entire chamber in a bright and warm light. The barrier was up for some time until she was forced to cut it off; lest she exhaust her mana reserves, which could put her defense in jeopardy.
Although never a warrior, the Lady of Time had been trained by the Black God in fighting off the creatures from the Void, who would encroach in her chamber occasionally. And it was a welcomed skill, for she had been helpless in the past; often left to just watching the miasma devour the timelines she was in-charge with.
Well, it's not like she really cared about those timelines before; she was there to watch, and that's it. Only after she met the Black God that Time learned to appreciate her duty as the Keeper of Timelines…
"…"
And recently, there has been an increase of encroachments from the Void…
The Lady of Time barely breathed when she felt someone's presence nearby. Picking her sword and raising her shield, the Lady of Time was about to pounce on her visitor when she felt her body froze up in its spot.
"Hold it, milady! I'm sure you wouldn't want to attack an old god like Me," the High King of the Gods finally appeared, dressed in His golden armor and had drawn His sword of fire. His presence put Time at ease, for with the most powerful deity around, the creatures from the Void would never dare to approach her chamber.
----------
Now that everything returned to peaceful normalcy, the Lady of Time and the High King of the Gods sat down before the spinning wheel the former watched earlier. Typical of His entrances, the old god would pull stuff from nowhere and place it between Him and His companion; He enjoyed the surprised reactions He would often get from them.
And this time, the High King brought out a 'movie projector' where the events from the spinning wheel flashed to the chamber's walls. The Lady of Time never took her eyes off the 'screen,' as she wondered if Kuro and his companions would escape the dwarven cordons in Hemelin.
"Oh, he'll escape that, I assure you!" the High King of the Gods quipped, His hands on the spinning wheel.
"M-Milord!" the Lady of Time remembered what she wanted to ask. "W-What brings y-you here?"
"Well, I heard you're having difficulties fending off the Void," the High King chuckled. "Gabriel reminded me, so I hurried here to help. Turns out, the Black God trained you well. You can square off with those creatures even without my aid!"
"I nearly had this spinning wheel devoured," Time sighed, pointing to Kuro's timeline.
"Yes…but, try to accept credit when it is due," the High King reiterated. "I mean, it's certainly a great improvement from the former you…who doesn't give a care about the timelines before. Ah, the Black God really does change everyone around him…including histories!"
"Yes, Milord!" the Lady of Time confirmed. "In the original…I mean, the other one—the only timeline that survived the Seductress' onslaught—he would've used the god-powers of the saints to force the Golden Hammer to submit to his demand, which is the god-power of the Elf Saint. However, in this one, Kuro…he…he let the Lady Martelle fulfill her promise to her loved one."
"Hence, the Black God is right on relying on this 'version' of himself," the esteemed deity replied.
A moment of silence followed that. The High King just kept watching the events on Equality, while the Lady of Time rushed to look for words to keep their conversation 'alive.' She feared the next topic they would discuss; she would like to avoid it as much as she could.
"Why are you afraid of facing the truth?" the old god suddenly asked; ostensibly, He read her mind. "The Black God, Kuro, is one that refuses to be tied down. Nor is he ready to give up on things he has set his mind to do. You're only making yourself suffer."
"Milord…"
"It's useless to hide it from Me," the old god laughed. "You may fool the saints, but not Me. After all, your divine power comes from My authority."
"M-My apologies, Your Holiness…"
"I forgive you; it's nothing big, anyway. But that love of yours will destroy you, Lady of Time," the High King pointed out. "The Black God trusted you to help him avenge his death, yes?"
"Th-That's true, Milord…"
"However, have you also realized that he gave his 'dreams' and 'aspirations' to you? The Black God knew that he won't survive his last fight against the Seductress, so he entrusted his other self, 'Kuro,' to you so you can help him win. I think he will never want it if you keep watching over him, protecting him from all dangers he should face to become a proper god."
"I…" Time's voice trailed after the rebuke. The spinning wheels that were lost earlier flashed through her mind.
"I'll see what I can do about those," He reassured her. "But learn from your mistakes, milady. Your focus on one person brought the 'death' of others…"
The Lady of Time stared at the old god. She certainly didn't expect that from the High King. "Milord," she asked, with a hint of pain in her voice, "why did You put me on this duty if You wanted someone 'caring' towards the worlds You created? I'm sure there are other gods and goddesses who fit the criteria."
"Well, yes…I know this would happen, everything that has transpired. But why did I choose you in this capacity? The other gods and goddesses have their own duties to fulfill, according to their personalities and skills with which I gave them. And, you…you are the right one for this particular job; after all, didn't I create you as well?"
"But the destroyed worlds…"
"There is always the learning curve, milady," the High King reassured her. "That's why it is wise to never waste the sacrifices made for you to arrive at this stage."
Another round of silence. The Lady of Time could say nothing back; with the multitudes of worlds 'destroyed' before she became convinced to give effort to defend those, she couldn't see the meaning of keeping her duties. Nevertheless, the High King of the Gods sought to calm her heart…
"The Black God trusts you," He reminded her. "That, and after his loved ones perished in his timeline. Did you see him get mad at you?"
Time shook her head.
"Then it means you're doing fine. Again, there's the learning curve; the Black God understands that and refuses to blame you. Instead, he taught you to fight, yes?"
The Lady of Time said nothing. Deep inside, she was torn about her own feelings and her responsibilities.
"I know the struggle within you," the High King gave her a head pat. "Sure enough, you are of the same status as I am, but you're still capable of having desires; I can understand that. Nevertheless, you have to do the right thing, milady. You have to help Kuro become the Black God, and do your duties…even if it means you have to give up on your feelings. This is true love; sacrificing your happiness so the others can be well."
Tears fell on Time's eyes. However, while she steeled her heart, she also summoned all her courage to ask the High King…
"Milord, can I request something from You?"
"Go ahead, let Me hear your petition."
The Lady of Time took a deep breath, and then put forward her request: "Milord, when the time comes that…the Black God returned and has defeated the Seductress…would You consider my duty as 'fulfilled'? And when I fulfilled it, will You please allow me to step down from this responsibility and give me the life of a normal girl?"
"I can see no problem with that."
"Thank you, Milord…"
"And as gratitude for your service," the High King of the Gods flashed a gentle, poignant smile. "Allow Me to give you the life that you always wanted…together with the person you loved."
----------
***The city of Montserrant, a few days after the 'raid'…***
It wasn't long before the news of the 'great raid' of the Cole Miners reached the heart of the resistance movement in Montserrant.
"Flash News: City of Hemelin raided. The Golden Hammer is missing. Church supporters are now flocking to the Temple District to express their grief and outrage to the blasphemous rebels from the Cole Miners' Guild. First Deputy Priest issues a general mobilization order among the faithful."
Through an emergency broadcast, the Church of the Golden Hammer revealed to the entire land of the dwarves the events in Hemelin, though with a certain censorship, much to the utter shock of the human 'god's' supporters, and to the delight of the leaders of the Cole Miners' Guild. As the forces loyal to the church called out for blood, so did the rebels galvanize their population for the upcoming conflict.
"The Lord Kuro, through his saint, the Lady Seirna, crushed the head of that Golden Hammer vermin! Truly, he is the god we've been waiting for!"
"The true successor to the Lord Gaius has come!"
"I prayed to his name, and my business suddenly boomed! The Lord Kuro is my new god, may his will be done!"
In a short time, the 'religion' of the Lord Kuro spread like wildfire throughout the mining city. Idols and icons dedicated to worshiping the Golden Hammer (erected to hide the miners' disbelief of the latter) were smashed and torn down, replaced by black banners signifying the dwarves' reverence for their new god. Books and articles advancing his church's philosophies were burned, and widespread 'witch-hunts' for his remaining supporters broke out, with the rebels' anger poured onto them.
Soon, the 'black banner of the Lord Kuro' was raised at the airship tower of Montserrant, the highest point in the city.
Amidst of it all was the Overseer Saint, Seirna Stephanie. By helping the Cole Mining Guild throw off the 'Golden Hammer's yoke' and achieving a near-impossible victory over the Church of the Golden Hammer's air armies, she hoped to convince them to drop their faith in that human. However, Seirna never expected the dwarves would go a step further, and start worshipping the Lord Kuro at the first opportunity—proof that the Golden Hammer had gone past his 'natural use.'
And only a fool would stop short in exploiting the situation, especially now that they are running after time…
With her was the queen of the Miners' Guild, Paula Cole. Though she could see that the dwarf queen's heart still had doubts, the Overseer Saint knew she needed only a few more miracles attributed to the Lord Kuro to make them believe. And with Queen Paula's unwavering devotion to their cause, so will come the rest of the Miners' Guild. Then, after that, they could spread the 'gospel of the Lord Kuro' throughout Equality; through words, diplomacy…and by sword, if necessary.
Now the otherworlder only needs to do his part of their deal, and get the dwarf saint's god-powers, so he can deal with the Seductress, and rule forever as Chersea's god.
"Your Holiness," Queen Paula interrupted her thoughts. "Now that we raised the banner of rebellion against the church, other guilds wanted to join us."
"Then it's all good, Your Majesty," the Overseer Saint grinned. "The bigger our forces are, the quicker it is to convince others to drop their faith in the fake god. Those who will come to us with hearts open, we shall accept as our own. Those who will resist our words shall be put to the sword."
"As you wish, Your Holiness," the dwarf queen bowed, before raising another concern. "But what about the armies of the Golden Hammer? I'm sure, with how big the trouble we caused in their city, they won't take this lightly."
"Of course, it's natural," Seirna chuckled. "If I may dare say, they might even be gathering their strength while we speak, as the dust in Hemelin slowly settles. Soon, their powerful air armies will appear above Montserrant's skies; their wrath insatiable, and their desire for vengeful bloodshed unstoppable."
The heart of the miner queen wavered as she asked, "And the Lord Kuro will deliver us, right?"
"As I am the representative of my god, I am enough," the Overseer Saint reiterated. "However, if he does come here, I'm sure the armies of the Golden Hammer will not be enough for our combined powers. After all, the Lord Kuro prevailed against everyone thrown at him…and this is when he is still human! You have me as a witness to his feats!"
"W-Well, I did hear his heroics in Chersea, Cherwind, and Cherwoods. Th-Thank you, Your Holiness." Though it did not completely erase the fears in Queen Paula's heart, it somehow convinced the guild leader of the 'righteousness' of their cause. And in war, Seirna believed, the 'moral high ground' could make or break an army.
----------
As the holy lady and the miner queen descended to the underground city, they were met with a dwarf messenger from the mining council.
"Your Majesty," he took a deep breath, ostensibly to catch some air; he ran from the underground city caverns up to the mountain peak, after all. "The ministers sent me to pass you an urgent message."
"Speak then," the queen told him, as he gave her a dwarven smartphone. A video of the news footage from Hemelin was already playing on the screen. While Paula tried to make sense of what she was witnessing, she asked, "What's going on?"
"It was recorded earlier, Your Majesty," the messenger explained. "Though the news did say it happened after our raid."
"Wait, the video is so shaky! And what's that big thing being focused on through the smoke?"
There was an obvious change in the messenger's face, as his expression turned somber. "Milady, they say…no, th-that video has recorded a footage of a giant."
A moment of tense silence as his words sunk into Paula's head. Then, she blurted out, "Giants? You mean those legendary people that disappeared long ago?"
The messenger nodded. "Your Majesty, don't you think this is a precedent?"
"A 'precedent'?" Seirna stared at the dwarf queen, demanding answers. She also peeked into the latter's mind to ensure she was not lying.
"Your Holiness…" Queen Paula paused for a bit, before shoring up her courage to admit, "…there was a prophecy within our people before, see? It says that at the moment of Equality's greatest peril, a powerful army of dwarves—led by a giant—will rise from the deep."
"Is that so?" the Overseer Saint was amused by what she learned.
But the fear and anxiety were all over Queen Paula's face. "Your Holiness, please tell me. You and the Lord Kuro suddenly appeared to us, proclaiming your holy words. The conflict with the Golden Hammer erupts, and we finally throw off his yoke. Then this happens. What is happening? Are we witnessing the end of the ages? Is the world going to be destroyed?"