Animus Ex Nihilo - A God Quest

The wounds were deep. There was no denying it. No matter how far south you travelled, you could not leave the chill behind. You could not shake of the feeling of being trapped and suffocating in the cold. It was terrifying and you wished nothing more than to retreat to the safety of your reef to tend to whatever damage the Devourer had done to you. And yet, it was not where you were headed. Something else had to come first, as you were not the one who had lost the most in the disastrous fight. You dreaded the Harsh Mountains reaction to the news, as it was your urging that had convinced them to send their servitor to its death, but there was little choice. If it was not from you that they heard what had happened, there would be no salvaging of your still young alliance.

When you came upon the mountain and floated down towards its flank, the Harsh Mountain had already manifested itself and scowled at your approach. They had likely felt the Walking Mountain die. "We failed," you stated flatly, acknowledging the bleak truth of the matter.

"We? No, blighted sea-spawn." Gravel flew from the moving stone piles' mouth. "You failed. I am only left to suffer for the folly of trusting what the Child dragged to me."

"I did not force you to send your servitor along. It was your choice as much as mine."

"My choice?" The Mountains voice grew louder with every word they spoked. "It was you who came to me and all but demanded we strike at once. I told you that preparations could have been made."

You rose into the air once more as anger slowly pushed down the lethargy still clinging to your very essence. "And in the end, you agreed that stopping whatever ritual Skerhogis prepared to be too urgent to do so. I too suffered wounds in this battle, so cease acting as if you are the only one affected by this defeat."

"And yet, wounds or not, here you are, while what remains of my servitor is in the enemies clutches." The Harsh Mountains voice grew colder and somehow that made them sound more dangerous than their loud rage had done. "I have half a mind to finish what the Devourer started, instead of letting you flee these doomed lands and leaving me the only one to suffer the consequences of this folly."

In reflex, you drew upon you power, ready to flee or at least turn back a strike. The Mountain did the same and for one long moment, neither of you did anything but wait for the other to act first. Until you felt something, not all that far away and rapidly approaching. "It seems to have the same idea. The Devourer is coming."

The tension lingered a moment longer until the stone mound serving as the Mountains form slowly settled down again. "It matters little then," they said flatly, casting their amethyst eyes towards the horizon and the vile creature that slowly approached on its massive wings.

"For what it's worth, I regret the loss of your servitor," you said quietly, getting no response in return as the two of you waited for the inevitable. If you stood you ground with the other spirit at your side, there was at least a chance that you could beat Skerhogis back, but alone, it would be hopeless.

The beast was in no hurry in its approach, diverting its path a good long while before reaching the mountain to fly a great circle around it. Most likely, it wished to preen in the terrified gazes of the mortals below. It gave you a chance to carefully cast your senses out some further, looking for any sign of a different monster created by ritual, or of the Sky Child coming to aid you, but you found neither. Had the other spirit maybe been hunted down by Skerhogis after you had slipped away? There should not have been enough time for that, but then again, you had not expected the winged serpent to follow you to the Harsh Mountain either. It circled you twice more, slowly drawing in, before settling itself on the very peak of the mountain, coiling its sinuous body around it, its white scales easily melding into the eternal snow.

It's voice was mocking as it spoke, amused even. "I would have expected you to run away and nurse your wounds, carrion feeder. Perhaps I was too gentle."

"Why are you defiling my mountain with you presence, creature?" The grind of gravel was slow and deliberate as the mountain spirit called up to the peak. "You are sorely mistaken if you have come here expecting another easy victory."

"No," it rasped with a chuckle. "I know your might and where it springs from quite well. Perhaps even better than you, trapped one." It paused briefly, savouring the surprise that could be felt radiating from the Harsh Mountain. "You are not the first whom I have seen ensnared by what they claimed."

"You still have not answered why you are here, Devourer," You almost shouted in response, letting your power swirl around you. It was empty bluster, the cold still lingering in your essence and another strike perhaps your undoing, and yet you could not sit idly as Skerhogis manipulated the mountain spirit. "If all you have come for is to gloat and mock us, you should leave, before the owner of this peak makes you."

"Presume not to speak for me, water-spawn."

"I came here to make an offer in good faith. When I looked upon your servants body, I realized that your aid would be quite helpful in my great working, so I have come to see if you still bear me a grudge over those few mortals."

"You have slain his followers without provocation and now his servitor too. There is no reason why the Mountain would trust you, Skerhogis."

The mound of stone briefly glanced towards you, it's annoyance still quite clear. "Indeed. What could you possibly have to offer me that could outweigh your past attacks? Why should I aid one who has willing made themselves my enemy?"

"I know how to free you from this mountain."

There was a deathly quiet for a while until finally, the almost gentle sound of stones tapping to each other broke it. "Go on," the Mountain said.

"With the body of your servant, I can craft a vessel for your essence, letting you leave this place for good. What are a few scurrying vermin compared to that? You could walk the world again, and all it would cost you would be to aid me."

"Don't fall for its trap," you urgently called to the face of stones. "I have heard them rejoice about the prospect of plunging the world into eternal night and winter. First, it will make you its slave, and then, it will starve you to death as it kills every last of your followers."

"Is that so?" The Mountains amethysts eyes focused on the black ones of the Devourer. "To you truly plan to see all my followers dead?"

"What gives? We are more than them. We don't need mortals, even though I will admit that they can be convenient. Don't let your thoughts be clouded by one who has debased themselves to a mere servant of humans, instead of ruling and commanding them as it is proper for our kind. I have not a single mortal servant, and do I seem starved and powerless to you?"

"Even you draw power from them though. Feasting on their bodies and their fears in equal measure. Why should Harsh Mountain trust you to not turn on them and devour them too, once the mortals are no longer there?"

"Oh, is that it?" Skerhogis chuckled again, though it was edging towards full blown laughter this time. "Are you jealous, carrion feeder? Has feasting on the remnants in the forests and the essence of the Carrion Bird given you an appreciation for the taste of our kind? Maybe you would rather take the Mountains place and join me in their stead."

"What," was the first thing you could think of saying in response, all eloquence beyond that buried under the shock at the implied offer.

"Your powers would not be quite as useful as theirs for my purposes, yet I am curious to see what would become of one such as you in time. That is, if you can prove to me that you truly wish to leave behind you old allies."

What do you say?

[] Give more arguments why the Harsh Mountain should reject the offer.
-[] Write-In arguments

[] Stay silent. There is nothing more to say.

[] Attack at once. Together you can drive the Devourer away.

[] Leave the mountain while you have the chance
-[] Write-In where to

[] Take Skerhogis offer and join them.
-[] Write-In proof of loyalty

[] Something entirely different.
-[] Write-In

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AN: Needless to say, you being here had quite an effect on how this particular discussion went. On a personal note, my joyous proclamation that my schedule cleaned up was sadly premature, so expect irregular updates for a while longer.