NOVEL SIMPLE Kelemnion 1: The Choosing
“He’s ready.”
A great clamor arose in the massive hall, some entities cheering their assent and others announcing their displeasure. Each being had their own designs, but their shared goal was more important than those. Still, some forgot themselves and sought to increase their own individual power at the expense of risking failure against the Enemy.
“Cease your bickering,” commanded Kelemnion, “I present unto you my Chosen, and you squabble like children. Do you forget that I stand to lose the most of all of us, should this go wrong?”
One particular Realmheart Avatar was exceedingly vocal about his displeasure, but Kelemnion silenced him with a wave.
“I, for one, agree with you,” proclaimed Annihilum from the audience, “He is the best option available. But that does not mean all of us are happy with it. He’s taken many worrying actions. What are we to do if he invades our realms, for example?”
The God of Forbidden Knowledge shook his head. “It is not a concern any of us need to have. If things go right, our individual realm strength will mean nothing, especially if it can help him increase his own power.”
Intimicion, a fellow member of the Aethenium, appeared beside him on the stand and put a hand on his shoulder. She whispered softly, seeming for all the multiverse like a mother speaking to her child, “Kelemnion, they know the truth of your words, but it is hard to accept. We’ve all worked on and built up our realms for millenia– accepting that we have to give that up isn’t easy.”
He patted her hand back. “I know,” he quietly responded with a smile. He turned back to the audience as she faded into pink mist, proclaiming, “I understand that this is not easy, but we swore a pact! I ask you, my brothers and sisters, to remember when we rose to bring down Azathoth, and before that, Ysothis! How many of us fell to those Great Ones? How many stand here today, filling the shoes of the elders, such as myself? And those beasts did not even die!
“For the first time, we have a chance to reclaim the heavens! We have a champion with the potential to rival our overseer, with a narrow chance to take back a throne that is rightfully ours! To this day, we fear Azathoth’s awakening, and none dare venture into the realm we banished Ysothis into, but now we have a way to retake our multiverse from the curse of Mana!” Kelemnion stretched his arms out to either side, reminding them, “I alone have borne the weight of the heavens for too long. You have had your chance to grow and accrue power. Now it is your turn! Are you ready??”
Shouts of approval and war cries thundered from all around him, and the dark one smiled. It always took a bit extra effort to get the Light-aspected Realmhearts to agree with him, but they were potent and loyal allies if you knew how to manage them.
Each and every Avatar in the room was sick and tired of being crushed under Mana’s boot, especially after many of them had been the ones to put him up on his pedestal in the first place.
Kelemnion looked down at his Chosen One busily reconstructing his little tower, completely unaware of the changes that were taking place within his soul. More importantly, though, he looked at his heart.
This time, things will be different…