The Guardian gods

Ikenga's lips curled into a dry, knowing smile. "A demon preaching about order isn't a normal sight," he said, his voice laced with a subtle sarcasm. "It should be scorned if heard."

Zarvok scoffed, the sound a low, rumbling growl. "I never said I liked order, only that order serves me best at times like this. We demons have the luxury of choice, meaning we can follow order if necessary and the other side if necessary."

Zarvok's smirk deepened. "Lady Tiamat, huh? Your world must be better than I thought, having dragons in it."

The comment was met with a sharp glare from Ikenga, who immediately shifted the topic back to the pressing matter at hand. "It's time we hasten our approach to taking this world."

Zarvok sighed, a long, weary exhalation. "I was discussing the same with my generals before you came in. You know 'Mother' is our goal, but we have to do it in a way that isn't too obvious. That's been easy up until now, but as we've gotten closer, it's gotten harder."

"Even more so now that the empire has promoted the abyssal armor across their army," Zarvok added, his tone tinged with frustration.

Ikenga looked down at the map, his hand moving a piece that scattered the markers representing the empire's army. "My chess piece has now secured an important position in the empire's hierarchy, with a strong name and a history of honor and accomplishment."

"His influence will prove vital in destabilizing the empire's current army, particularly the Ogres and Ratfolk, which are their main fighting forces. As for the goblin mages, your demons can overwhelm them when the time comes."

Ikenga continued, his gaze intense. "Our focus must be on the remaining sixth-tier mages. Vorenza has thinned their numbers, and we now have more than they do. However, your two sixth-tier men should not be counted. They can't offer much help in a fight against mages who have been at that stage longer than them."

Zarvok nodded in agreement. "That leaves only me, you, and Lady Keles."

Ikenga nodded in confirmation.

"I would count Keles out," Ikenga stated, his voice firm and final. "I would rather not have her put herself and our child in danger."

In response to his words, Keles's voice, clear and resonant, filled the open space of the war room. "You don't get to decide that. I will fight when the time comes."

Ikenga's surprise was palpable, while Zarvok's brow simply raised in an amused, knowing arch.

"NO," Ikenga roared, his voice growing louder, taking on the booming resonance of a giant. "I will not let you put yourself and the child in danger when these mages have shown they are ready to do whatever it takes to win, or to drag you down if they can't."

Keles's voice remained silent for a beat before speaking again, softer but no less resolute. "I will fight. I am the child's mother, and our son jumps with excitement when he feels my need to act. As a mother, I would do well to see my baby happy, and I think you would do the same as the father." Her voice then went silent, a clear indication that the conversation, for her, was over.

Zarvok glanced at Ikenga, his expression unreadable, and said nothing. Ikenga took a moment to gather his thoughts, knowing he had much to say to Keles, but that conversation would have to wait.

"Like I was saying before I was interrupted," Ikenga began, his tone now heavy with resignation. "I can handle the Angel and Vellok. The Emperor should be yours to handle. And in Keles's case, she should take care of the three sixth-tier mages left."

This time, Keles's voice didn't echo through the room. Instead, it spoke directly into Ikenga's mind through their connection, her words laced with an slight undertone. "The Emperor is mine. His soul calls for rest, which I should deliver."

Ikenga clenched his fist, then slowly released it, the tension evident in his movements. "The three sixth-tier mages will be yours to handle," he said, the words heavy, "and the Emperor belongs to Keles."

Zarvok watched Ikenga, a mix of concern and respect on his face. He had a few things to say, but he held back, seeing the emotional turmoil his new ally was in. Zarvok was truly beginning to like and respect Ikenga. As a god, Ikenga's gaze had never changed from the way it was in the beginning, before he learned about demons and their true nature.

Zarvok wasn't sure if this was just how origin gods were, but in his long years of life, he had met many ascended gods. Their gazes had always changed to disgust and distrust after learning of demons. Even talking for long with demons seemed like torture to them.

Ikenga's plan was good, but it had some flaws that could have been sorted out if Keles had never spoken up. Now, with her declaration, the flaws were unfixable.

"You have matters to handle. I will leave you to that," Zarvok said to Ikenga. "We can continue to flesh out your plan once you are done."

Ikenga looked at him for a while in silence before walking off. As the door closed, Ikenga's cold voice reached Zarvok's ear. "Thank you."

Ikenga walked into his room, the door closing behind him with a soft click that sealed him away from the war council and its strained dynamics. He found Keles sitting on the bed, her expression serene despite the storm her words had unleashed. He approached her, his own turmoil a tangible presence in the room.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "This isn't just about us. It's about our child. The mages are dangerous. They will use any weakness they find."

Keles looked at him, her calm gaze unwavering. "Do you take me as a mere weak mortal woman to be protected?"

"No," Ikenga said with a resolute tone. Keles stood up and walked closer to him with her bulging stomach. "I am a goddess, something you seem to often forget."

Keles took Ikenga's hand and placed it on her stomach. "Our child is not fully conscious yet, but his uniqueness before his birth is already shown. As the one bearing him and closest to him, I feel and understand this more."

"I know not of his divinity yet, but through him I can see the end of a dynasty," she continued, her voice full of an eerie certainty. "He should be present to bring about this change, but he is not yet born. So I have to take his place instead."

Ikenga hearing this was stumped, he found himself lacking words to rebute Keles words. Find the translation on MV&LEMPYR.

Keles looked at him, her gaze held a strong love in it. "And what do you think would happen if I stayed behind? What do you think would happen to our child if he saw his mother, a goddess, simply stand by and watch while his father and his allies fight?"

"He would be safe!" Ikenga insisted.

"He would be safe, but he would also be weak," she countered. "He would learn that safety is more important than purpose, that hiding is better than fighting. Our son is a god. He is meant for great things, not for a life of fear."

Ikenga fell silent, her words striking a painful chord. He thought of Ikem and Maul, both born into a life of purpose and conflict, without a moment of peace. Was his desire for a "normal" life for his new child a betrayal of his nature?

"His happiness is my happiness," Keles continued, "and he is happy when he feels my need to act. He is a part of this world, Ikenga. He is a part of our story, and we cannot erase him from it just because we are afraid. You want to be a good father, I know. Then let us teach him what it means to be a god, what it means to be a parent, and what it means to protect the ones you love."

Ikenga looked at her, his anger and fear slowly giving way to a understanding. He wasn't just a father; he was a god, and his child was meant to be one as well. Their life was not meant to be "normal." He sat down beside her and took her hand. "Alright," he said, his voice filled with a new resolve.

While Ikenga and Keles worked through their own struggles, the tale of a once-great warrior was reaching its sorrowful conclusion a few days earlier. After his last, humiliating meeting with Rattan, Chief walked out of the war fortress with no destination in mind. Vorenza's final act of using him as a pawn to get closer to Rattan had delivered a devastating blow to the confidence he had spent years rebuilding.

It was the final straw for a stubborn man like himself. As he walked away, he couldn't shake the thought that his very path was now a result of Vorenza's insidious influence. Moving deeper into the forest, he was consumed by the idea that this too, might be another part of her design. Chief, a warrior who had always faced death head-on, unknowingly began to seek it out, but death wouldn't come. His new, hybrid body, a horrifying merge of spider and ratman was proving impossible to kill.