Godclads

Politics, Naeko. Politics kills a man’s soul and defiles his mind. It is a dark thing that I enjoy the mechanics of it so much, for the functions and outcomes would have tainted me otherwise.

In one corner, Dowager Ever Wish seeks reparations for a bygone war of the past against the Scaarthians—an incident Stormtree vehemently denies. On the other, I will need to resolve the issue of Bloodthane Haesnaed Losnaugh. The Longeyes are losing control of that one, and that poor girl is spiraling on a death run, seeking a proper end after losing her sister.

How do these two incidents come together? Well, they really shouldn’t, except they come together in the strangest of ways. One desires satisfaction, the other wants an end. Both use politics to mask emotional desires, and everyone involved in the situation is an unserious fool prepared to spend copious amounts of human life and thaumaturgic capital to indulge in their base wants.

I tell you about this because though it would be easy to bring your palm down on the world, there are other leverages to apply, problems to use against other problems.

Someday, you will find yourself in a position where force is no longer the key to your problems, where you are forced to create and guide rather than bend and break. When that happens, think back to this moment, think of two things: What do people want; what do people fear.

Once you understand this, your creativity will grow, as the only two limitations will have been realized. And so often, our problems can resolve themselves if you just apply the right pressure on the right person and inspire the right mistakes…

-Jaus Avandaer

33-1

Lovenet (I)

Trails of crushing mist poured across 109,816 kilometers, shrouding the planetary ring behind an obfuscating screen. Above the arcing structure hovered another facility—one torn free of a demiplane and dragged beyond the reach of the atmosphere. Axtraxis Academy, once an esteemed institution of training for Highflame’s future Godclads to be, now resided atop the ring as a statement by Naeko: The High Seraph took his home, so now he was going to take everything he could from her.

Hundreds of voidships and terrestrial transport golems drew close. They trailed across the great nothingness that characterized the void, small vessels before a midnight backdrop carrying with them ambassadors, diplomats, and other figures of great esteem from each Guild. Their arrival was sloppy and harried, a few of their ships accelerating at incredible speeds, desperate to greet the Chief Paladin first.

But that wasn’t Naeko’s will. He wasn’t interested in getting his ass licked by some silver-tongued Color, and so he had the Sage impose their will.

“Pathetic.”

A casual utterance from the Sage made the entirety of the planetary ring tremble. Hyper advanced alloys sang a groaning song from the Heaven of Peace’s merest presence, and the phase field windows pulsed a brilliant white, as if holding against a colossal pressure. Everything the Sage’s mists touched felt the weight of its scorn, and after centuries of slumber, the altered divine tyrant had plenty of scorn to spare.

“Yeah,” Naeko agreed, standing atop the planetary ring, atop Axtraxis itself with his arms folded, watching the pussy-fuck half-strands crawl closer. Pathetic. Doubtless they were doing emergency practices with their lip muscles, trying to gauge who among them had a mouth large enough to suck Naeko off the most.

The answer, of course, was none, metaphorically speaking, but also quite possibly literally as well.

A field of impeding force pulled at everything that moved, at everything that was. Everything that existed upon the tapestry of force and violence was clutched by a faint corona of swirling mists. From maintenance drones and incoming voidships to the refugees Avo had stored above the ring, none were exempt, and none would be exempt.

For long years, the great powers of New Vultun had operated with impunity. They thought themselves above the rules, above the laws, above the world. They forgot to fear the clouds above them, for even mists of softest white and a sky of clearest blue could be torn from the firmament and brought down in the form of a palm that ground entire empires into pulp and rubble.

“My words were meant for you as well,” the mists said, cursing Naeko. His Heaven boiled inside him. There was a hellish anger there that dwarfed his own, a divine outrage that rumbled through its Domains, that raged against Naeko’s irresponsibility. “You allowed this to happen. They forgot the nature of the world, the truth of our purpose. You let them imbibe themselves on ‘freedom,’ to court and impregnate the bitch that is chaos. You are no better than a mongrel pimp of cheap slaves, Samir Naeko, an unworthy hand gifted my throne. I despise you above all. Never forget this.”

Naeko simply snorted in response. “Yeah. Big words from a rusted fucking fart. You wouldn’t have done shit without me, either. Because I broke you. Now you don’t go forgetting that either. You think you could have done better than me at keeping these people down? Maybe. But they would have broken you in minutes and days. Just like I broke you. Just like how you screamed and begged as you toppled, as I took your corpse and used it to bludgeon your fucking people into less than paste.”

The ring groaned and wailed as something beyond fury exploded within the Sage. Naeko spat at the mists in return. “Yeah, throw your tantrum, glassjaw. Wail and scream. Fuck me. I thought I was going to get some guidance from a true god. Instead, I get a bigger bitch than Karakan piggybacking on my good will.” With a flex of contemptuous will, Naeko forced the Sage to release the academy and the ring, reminding the fallen god that Naeko hated them too.

A lapse of bitter silence settled between them. But it wasn’t a true quiet. Pulses of force and violence flowed across Naeko’s awareness, the patterns of his Heaven functioning as if a spiderweb touched by landing fleas. His metaphysical senses were even sharper than before, and his power was also immensely greater. Such were the boons provided by a Sphere Nine Heaven and Hell—a final gift from Avo before releasing Naeko back into the world.

In the minutes to hours after his escape, Naeko placed the megacity under martial law. Despite this, there were still those who fought, who ignored his commandments and continued in defiance. They didn’t know of his growth in power, nor of the cold fire churning in his heart.

Naeko taught them quick and good.

Vandals learned what their own clubs felt like. Murderers tasted their own fléchettes. Abusers got a “hands-on empathy lesson” as every bit of pain they inflicted was turned back on them. New Vultun learned how to bow its head again, bit by fucking bit. Entire warhosts and forces were flattened—caught unprepared by the millions and dying in even greater scores.

For so long, the Guilds focused on brawling each other that they all had their backs turned to him, and left their kidneys wide open.

A mistake. A mistake above mistakes.

“A lesson you should have taught a century ago,” the Sage grumbled, breaking the blissful quiet again. “It took her wounding you twice for you to act. Twice. She has burned down your palace, butchered your subjects. Surely even a simple creature like you can see the shame your indecision has wrought.”

As much as Naeko wanted to tell the Sage to go fuck itself, it wasn’t wrong. It really wasn’t. “Yeah.”

The Sage’s mists twisted in building knots before disintegrating. “No.”

“No?” Naeko said, sighing with exhaustion. “What the fuck’s up with you now?”

“I will not allow you to be reasonable, once-slave. I will not accept this. I cannot be the tyrant, but I will not accept you as an unworthy channel—never turn. Never capitulate. Always declare. Always command. Always.”

Naeko was taken aback. “This is the shit that you’re getting offended by? Me taking a step back?”

“Gods do not ‘take a step back.’ That curse belongs to the ephemerals. Turn from your Domains, and be struck down. But perhaps you would want that. To die, as your mongrel father did—little more than a hog being butchered by other hogs. Wouldn’t that be fitting?”

Something inside Naeko turned raw and inflamed. “Fuck. You.”

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“Good. Better. Be hateful. Be intolerant. Be that which keeps heads bowed. For if we fall, then order is lost. Order. The only truth that man will ever impose in the corpse-womb we call an existence.”

It dawned on Naeko that the Sage was trying to train him, to shape and groom him into being a tyrant of peace as well. The Chief Paladin wasn’t sure how he felt about that. For so long, he used the Heaven of Peace as a weapon and a tool—a hammer to wield against others. But deep inside, he always thought of the Heaven as his enemy, an instrument taken from a bested foe.

Now, the animosity remained, but they were closer to each other than ever before, and Naeko was getting to know what it truly meant to be peace—and the god that its architecture was once based on.

Another thaumic mass drew close, pressing against Naeko’s Frame. Its weight was substantial as well, though slightly less. More esoteric were its Heavens. It pulled Naeko’s heart like plucking strings and spouted from the topside of Axtraxis in a twirl of magenta strands. Both Chief Paladin and mists turned to regard the arrival of two others.

Aedon Chambers arrived, fused with his Heaven, the Lovebringer.

And what a fucked-up looking Heaven that was.

It was a far cry from the Remembrance. Less a communal atmosphere of love and romance gifted to the megacity via Jaus, and more a cunt-faced monstrosity that had a hollow cavity for a chest and a body made up of laced yarn. In a weird way, it fit its user. From the brief look Naeko gave to Chambers’ dossier, he found himself exasperated. Of course the Heaven of Love would fall into the hands of a degenerate lowlife pervert. Of course Avo would choose such a half-strand to take on a substantial duty.

The fucking rotlick would probably spew some Jaus-lite bullshit while mostly finding it funny.

“So,” Chambers began, stitching himself into form right next to Naeko.

“You’re too close,” Naeko said, staring blankly at the Lovebringer. Chambers’ accretion was spiraling fast, but most importantly, it was on the verge of crashing into Naeko’s wards as well. The Chief Paladin might not know Aedon Chambers all that well yet, but he knew enough about the man’s vicarity habits that “crossing rims” wasn’t ideal.

“Oh, fuck, sorry,” the Lovebringer muttered, snaking across the ground. Three meters of space later, the Lovebringer started his awkward greeting again. “So… Nice view up here, huh? Very… very cool atmosphere with the… the mists and shit…”

The mists went still. The Sage grew incensed. “Remind me, mongrel slave, did you call for this fool?”

“No,” Naeko muttered.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“Then why do you allow him to speak with us? What kind of palace is this that a degenerate jester may speak to a lord. Unmake him.”

Naeko ignored his Heaven and rubbed his jaw. He told Jaus he wanted to be alone for a while. Watch the ships come in — center himself for the political bullshit to come. Sure, Jaus was with him, but Naeko didn’t want the man front in center with all these jackals. Worse, his heart couldn’t take letting Jaus see what became of his beloved city—the city Naeko failed for so long. “You need something, Chambers?”

“Uh, well, need’s a strong kinda idea you know. Like—everyone has these wants and—” Chambers’ words tumbled into a jumbled mess as a bit of a glare entered Naeko’s stare. “I think I found some of your Paladins. Or something.”

The atmosphere between them changed immediately. Naeko took a step toward Chambers, closing the distance. “No shit? Hells, that’s—good godsdamned job. I didn’t think—where are they?”

“Some of them got scattered all the way to the border walls and beyond. About fifteen were mixed up in the Sanctuaries. More are spilling out from the Substance, though. A couple emerged through the massive ruptures that are sprawling all across the Tiers. Didn’t find Maru yet, but Kassamon is there. Also, the Lovenet is slowly coming online. I’m still trying to establish bonds to all the other megas, but we can reach like…. Seventy percent of the planet through the people I’m connected to already. It’s wild!”

Naeko’s enthusiasm dimmed slightly. Kassamon being alive was… well, he was okay. Frankly, Naeko didn’t know him too well. He smelled kinda weird sometimes too. But Maru—after what happened to Kare.

“I’m still looking,” Chambers continued. Holding up a limb, he pulled at the surface of Idheim, and countless gleaming strings glistened with the light of a distant star shifting to night. A massive spreading fracture was being contained at the crown of New Vultun. Hundreds of thousands of Rendsinks, golems, and Godclads were working around the clock to keep the entropy contained.

There’s another thing that would keep this war delayed.

Naeko couldn’t tell if this was something Avo planned deliberately, or if it was the outcome of another battle. Voidwatch pinged him earlier—one of their special Bleak Minds or whatever the fuck asked for his authorization to deploy something nasty. Naeko allowed it—figured they were going to give Avo some aid.

Felt like the right thing to do, too. Besides, he had other issues to worry about, such as keeping the rest of the city in check.

“Do you want to talk to them?” Chambers asked. A magenta Bond slowly inched over closer to Naeko, and the Chief Paladin flinched away slightly.

“Beware,” the Sage grumbled. “The touch of his pattern is beyond our strength to compel. It is soft and insidious in its influence. Love. A fetid thing for sour mortal hearts.” If the Heaven of Peace could spit, it would have.

Naeko, though, knew just how potent the Heaven of Love was, and how susceptible he was to its power. Just as he could feel a strong presence connecting him to the Substance afar—to the place where Veylis resided.

Chambers’ glowing tendril lowered slightly, enthusiasm dampened. “Look, I’m not trying to do anything fucky, okay, consang. I’m being dagger-straight with you right now: no tricks. I’m not going to make you bust yourself to death or anything and try to drink your thaums or whatever.”

The Chief Paladin closed his eyes and did his best to banish the image. “Man, why would you say that shit to me? What makes you think those words are the ones I want to hear.”

“I’m just trying to put you at ease.”

“Chambers, when someone tells you to relax and claims they won’t make you die of all-consuming pleasure, it kind of achieves the opposite fucking effect.”

More of the Lovebringer sagged. Its limbs flopped down. Even its light dimmed.

Naeko felt bad.

“Pathetic,” the Sage said again. “Only a slave’s heart can be so easily swayed.”

And it was that that convinced Naeko to perform the following act—an urge of pure spite instead of anything else.

“You know what? Plug me, Chambers. Plug me with a Bond. I want to speak to my Paladins first, and then the city.”

“You worthless creature—” the Sage growled.

Vivacity returned to Chambers’ limb as it snaked forward, sinking into Naeko’s being. All at once, a long suppressed feeling swelled in Naeko’s chest as he felt…

He felt all the love still flowing through New Vultun, millions of streams rising from the planet, coalescing and concentrating to a single point: Him.

His name left the lips of millions, filled the hearts of billions, and Naeko felt an echo of what they did.

It was a loud fucking ech.

“The hells is this?” Naeko breathed. So many strings pulled at his being, so many sensations. He didn’t even know that many people. What was Chambers doing?

“This? It’s just how many people are happy you’re back, Chief. They’re, uh—new lobbies are forming on the Lovenet. Fan clubs, you know! About you! And the Strix. Fuck, even I got a few.” Chambers chuckled.

Naeko didn’t. “Fan clubs?”

The Lovebringer went silent, unsure how to respond for a moment. “Well, like, you really gave the Guilds a big slapping earlier, and since you stopped the violence too… well, the city always thought of you as this great hero. You might have gone to sleep for a while, and there were some memetics about you always being trapped by more Stormjumper DLC and how the game was a Guilder plot to keep you distracted but… well, you’re as close to a broadly liked guy there is, Chief. Even the enforcers and gangers didn’t hate you as much as the other Glassers. Mainly because you were playing Stormjumpers all the time.”

Despite Chambers’ joke at the end, Naeko still didn’t have a response. “All this… for me?” Naeko could barely believe it. He could barely accept it.

“Correct,” the Sage murmured hatefully. “They must be blind to feel such devotion to an incompetent creature.”

The Lovebringer turned a few tendrils on the mists. “Hey, Chief Naeko?”

“Yeah,” Naeko said, still lost in the sensations.

“You mind if I tell your Heaven to go fuck itself? It’s kind of being a half-strand to you for no reason.”

For the second time, Aedon Chambers surprised Naeko.

“You dare?” the Sage snarled. The ring began to shake again. Naeko forced it down.

“Yeah,” Naeko said, nodding. “You can. You can tell it to go fuck itself.”

“Right. Sage. Eat your own ass and shut the fuck up. I’m trying to talk with the boss here.”

The Sage quivered with rage, and Naeko sneered in response. Hey, you wanted me to be a tyrant. Here it is.

The quivering lessened. Indeed. So, you can learn. The Heaven of Peace sounded pleased. There might be something that can be made of you yet.

Naeko shook his head with exhaustion. Gods. Their moods and motivations never made any sense—never would. “Chambers.”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

A low series of giggles sounded from the Lovebringer. “You got it, boss. Now. Wanna get a walkthrough on how the Lovenet works?”