Bladel, the Great God of Glory and the Second Son of the Illustrious Giant Queen, stormed His way back to the settlement of Giants, His muttered grievances carrying through the stillness of the wilderness. How dare that Auernia stop me?! he raged inwardly. So what if I ate a few humans? They were forsaken anyway, dangling on the brink of death! Better to serve my strength than rot in the empty Underworld!
His golden brows furrowed as his resentment simmered. Bladel hated Her—the so-called Blood Moon Queen. He hated the Sanguines, with their arrogance and smirking faces, as if they hadn't once grovelled for Sanctuary before His Mother. He hated the wretched humans, who had conveniently forgotten it was His father who had first granted them refuge and protection in the world. And above all, He hated that Sun God—the one who took everything from Him.
It wasn't supposed to be this way. His chest burned with fury, the embers of past Glory stoking a restless ache in His divine heart. Bladel clenched His fists, longing to crush something, to unleash His rage. But He held back—not out of restraint, but because He walked within the sacred wilderness shaped by His Mother.
They weren't supposed to end up like this—fractured alliances, dignity in tatters, and a world so far removed from what it was meant to be. His steps faltered, His golden eyes narrowing as the weight of it all bore down upon Him.
It was all… because of Him! the image of that Omnipotent, Omniscient figure who had crushed their world beneath an unyielding hand. Because of Him, that—
"Child." A gentle, warm voice shattered His spiralling, dangerous thoughts, making Blahel whip His head around the verdant expanse. "Mother?" he began, his tone almost hesitant. It had been so long since He'd heard Her voice that He wondered if His mind was conjuring ghosts again.
"Yes, Child," came the soothing reply, her warmth melting away the fire in His chest.
"MOTHER!" He cried out desperately, spinning in place with hope rising fast and wild. He looked to the trees, to the ground, to the creatures darting away, frantic for any sign of Her. "Where are you?!"
"Look up," She said simply.
And so He did, His gaze lifting to the heavens.
There She was, descending from the sky, Her presence so radiant and vast. Her arms were outstretched, welcoming, Her form perfectly mirrored to match His size as She floated down.
All Bladel had ever wanted was Her embrace, and He jumped into Her arms before She could even reach the ground. As the land and tree quaked, as animals running away in fright, Mother held him up towards the sky as though He weighed nothing to Her, which probably was the truth.
"Forgive me, Mother," Bladel apologised immediately, resting His head on Her shoulder. "I let my control slip again. But it's not entirely my fault—you must understand—it's that Crimson bit—"
"It's fine," Mother interrupted softly, Her fingers threading through His golden hair. "It's fine, Child," She reassured Him, Her impossibly gentle voice washing over Him, soothing His storm of emotions into something close to calm. His racing mind slowed, almost at ease. "I understand."
Almost. Bladel knew His Mother too well to believe She was done.
"But," She continued, Her tone suddenly firm, carrying a weight that made Him flinch. "Do you remember what I told you?"
"I know," Bladel murmured, lowering His head to rest against Her chest. "I know I need to control myself, to restrain my instincts. Not just for our race… but for myself." His voice faltered, the words meant to carry pride instead feeling hollow and lifeless. "I'm the Glory." But He didn't believe it anymore. The title that once defined Him now felt like an empty shell.
Mother sighed softly, lowering them gently to the ground. The earth rumbled faintly beneath His feet as He landed, while She remained above, hovering just out of reach. Her hands cupped His cheeks, their warmth grounding Him as She whispered, "Child, you will always be my Glory."
The words lit up His face, an immense smile breaking through the shadow of doubt.
"But I understand," She added, Her gaze steady and brimming with love. "I understand how you feel. It's true—we are not as Glorious as we once were. Neither the past nor the present has been kind to us. But, Child, the future is still within our grasp. There are things we cannot change, forces we cannot oppose."
Bladel's jaw clenched, His heart burning at the unspoken title of that Omnipotent being.
"Yet," She said, pressing her hand gently over His heart as if to still the turmoil within. "Glory isn't lost unless we give in to the base prejudices imposed upon us. We must rise above them. You must rise above them."
"Listen to your brother from now on. Do not disobey Him again. As for the Sanguines—I know they may seem rigid, even intolerable, but they mean well. They are one of the few remaining remnants of our shared past." Her eyes softened, letting go of Him and slowly drifting upwards. "So, Bladel, do not ever think yourself unworthy. Not for a moment."
But Bladel didn't want to let go. "Mother!" He reached out, grasping Her radiant hand. "Are you leaving?!" He asked, His voice a mixture of disbelief and despair as the realisation sank in. There had always been a sense of inevitability in Her tone, hadn't there?
"Yes," Mother nodded softly. "I'm leaving."
"Why?" Bladel asked desperately, His grip trembling as if holding on could somehow keep Her there.
"You already know," She replied with an encouraging smile, Her eyes steady and knowing.
It took a moment, but Bladel understood. "Glory…" he murmured, bowing His head as a heavy weight seemed to settle on His shoulders. Her words weren't just for Him, were they?
"Child." Mother gently took hold of His chin, lifting His face until His golden eyes met Hers—so impossibly warm, so full of love. "I'm always with you. You know that. A word, a call—truly spoken—and I will be by your side."
Bladel let Her hand go at last, backing away a few hesitant steps. With a resolute nod, He said, "I understand, Mother." His voice carried all the firmness He could muster. "I'll remember Your words. I won't disobey Brother anymore. And as for the Sanguines… I'll bear with them. You may go now. Forgive me for holding you back."
Mother chuckled softly. "Silly Child," She chided, Her voice full of affection. "Take back those last words—and you leave first."
A wide smile spread across Bladel's face. "I take it back!" he declared, spinning on His heel and striding purposefully toward the settlement of Giants. "I take it back!"
But after only a few steps, He turned back, unable to resist. She was still there, watching Him with that same encouraging smile.
"MOTHER!" Bladel suddenly roared, His voice echoing through the overgrown wilderness, shaking the very ground. "YOU WILL RISE ABOVE ALL OF US, ABOVE ALL OF THEM…" He finished the words in His heart, unspoken but certain. Above even Him.
Mother's widening smile was all the answer He needed.
With one last glance, Bladel turned again, running toward the settlement. The immense smile on His face didn't waver—until, of course, He imagined the idiotic, self-satisfied expression of His Twilight brother would be wearing when He arrived.
Ah, He was already missing His Mother.
But Blahel didn't look back.
He didn't dare.
———————
Aurenia needed wine—and a long vacation to the Sonia Islands. At least the elves there wouldn't be as idiotic and insufferable as the Giants. Then again, that was a bar set tragically low on both sides.
The Blood Moon Queen sighed, sinking deeper into the comfort of Her chair on the balcony. The view below was bustling, the settlement alive with movement and noise. It wasn't the Blood Capital—not even close. Few things could rival the glory of the past, a past that seemed impossibly distant now.
Still, they were surviving. They were living. That was more than could be said for the Demonic Wolves and other non-human like mythical races.
The memory of a certain star-studded woman standing around mountains and mountains of Demonic Wolf corpses still made Aurenia's heart tremble faintly.
She reached for the bottle of wine and a ruby-studded glass from the table nearby. The wine was Crimson Ambrosia, brewed delicately and methodically from the purest human blood. This was one of the last remaining bottles from the Second Epoch, a time when its production was still allowed.
Typically, such a rare vintage was reserved for the most significant occasions. But today, Aurenia indulged Herself. After the mess She had to deal with, She deserved it.
That idiot Giant. He had the audacity to call Himself "Glory"! What glory? The glory of tripping over His own feet? The glory of turning everything He touched into second-rate chaos? The thought of His ridiculous face still sent a surge of irritation through Her, the kind that simmered just beneath the surface.
She poured herself a glass, letting the rich liquid swirl. A small indulgence, yes—but utterly necessary.
Still, a line needed to be drawn. This couldn't go on any longer. I need to speak with Badheil—to reign in His brother at all costs. If not, the consequences could be catastrophic…
Aurenia had received troubling reports over the past months. The number of Inquisition members along the border separating their settlements from the rest of human civilization had nearly tripled. And at the helm of the Inquisition was none other than the White Angel of the Creator—Aucuses.
That madman and His even madder followers wouldn't hesitate to pounce on the slightest opportunity to launch a crusade against us.
Aurenia finally took a generous sip from Her glass, the sweet Crimson Ambrosia soothing Her restless nerves. Her crimson eyes flickered subconsciously toward the blood-red moon hanging high in the heavens. Its light no longer warmer Her. It hadn't in over a thousand years.
A smile ghosted across Her lips, tinged with myriad emotions—memories of days long past, of glory, of Her Mother.
This isn't how things should have ended up…
Her crimson eyes grew glassy, clouded with unshed tears.
"Aurenia," a warm, gentle voice pierced through her thoughts. The air was suddenly fragrant, blooming with the serene scent of flowers, as a presence manifested beside Her. Who it was didn't surprise Aurenia. And yet, the personal visit was entirely unexpected.
Chiding herself for Her lapse, Aurenia quickly composed herself. She shouldn't have indulged—not like this. Her gaze swept over Her disheveled state before turning toward the Giant Queen.
"Your Excellency," She greeted, standing to meet the beautiful figure of Ombella, who stood near the railing of the balcony. The Queen's gaze was fixed deeply on the Sanguine Settlement below, as though She had been present there for quite some time.
And wasn't that a comforting thought… Aurenia lampooned to Herself.
Giant Queen Ombella finally turned to acknowledge Aurenia. Dressed in a flowing white gown adorned with intricate patterns of plants and herbs, and crowned with a wreath of golden flowers, She was the very picture of natural beauty and earthly grace.
Yet, for Aurenia, what immediately stood out most—what truly caught Her attention—was the absence of the ethereal, illusory infant in Ombella's arms.
"Excellency…" Blood Moon Queen began, Her voice tinged with shock.
"I'm leaving," Giant Queen interrupted, Her tone resolute.
It took Aurenia a moment to process Her words and the tidal wave of implications behind them. A million questions raced through Her mind, yet in the end, She only managed a single one: "Why?"
"Change," Giant Queen replied, Her green eyes steady, unwavering. "The previous path is no longer enough."
"Oh." It was all Aurenia could say aloud, though it was far from the truth. So much churned within Her, words unspoken and thoughts unsaid. She wanted to ask, needed to say more. But Her beating heart betrayed Her whenever She looked into Ombella's eyes. Whenever. Wherever.
Giant Queen smiled, and for a fleeting moment, Aurenia glimpsed something—or someone—else in that smile. It wasn't comforting. It wasn't reassuring. It was a mocking echo, a reminder of Her own inadequacies. This was an illusion, She told Herself. Ombella was so close to becoming the Mother. That was the reason. That had to be the reason.
"You can say what's on your mind," Giant Queen prompted, Her tone softer now, almost inviting.
But Aurenia only managed another question, barely above a whisper: "Will you return?"
"Is that even a question?" The Giant Queen's smile warmed, turning gentle, yet final. "Of course."
Her form began to dissolve, breaking apart into a breathtaking cascade of flowers—every kind, every colour—drifting upward toward the heavens. A few petals fell around the balcony, brushing against Aurenia's skin as if carrying a final caress.
"Always."
A whisper in the wind. A shimmer in reality. A shift in the world itself.
Aurenia felt it. In Her bones, in the spirit of the land, in the very air She breathed. There was a rising pulse in the dripping streams of the settlements, in the rustling wilderness that surrounded them.
Around Everywhere. In Everything.
Nature was no longer dormant.
The Naturewalker had returned.
Yet, amidst the momentous change, Aurenia's mind clung to a single word. It echoed within Her, entwined with a voice from long ago, two sounds blending as one.
"Always."
She whispered it under Her breath.
"Always."
"Always."
"Always."
Her trembling hand reached for the bottle of Crimson Ambrosia. Uncorking it with a sharp pop, She tipped it back and took a long, desperate swig.