First Demonic Dragon

Chapter 1169: Thou Shall Not Covet

“Yog-Suckssocks?”

“…No. Sothoth.”

“Oh, pardon me. My hearing isn’t as exceptional as I would like it to be…”

“That’s fine, Geras.”

“What a kind young man you are. Even if you’re a trifle bit frightening…”

“…I’ll thank you for the compliment.”

The god Adad was next to try to move the conversation along.

“…Right, well.. None of us understands the significance associated with this name. Can he not be captured as easily as the rest?”

“You could give me two weeks and I still wouldn’t be able to lose all the reasons why that wasn’t possible.”

“Well, why is he taking us?” Another god asked.

“Don’t you know? The Ogdru Hem are monsters. What reason do monsters need to cause chaos and make everyone else miserable?”

The gods nodded in agreement amongst themselves even though nearly half of them had sired inhuman children or were sired by them.

“Why is this creature after us?”

“…He wants to use you as bargaining chips. The creature has asked an exorbitant price that we, under no circumstances will pay. You’re here so that we can lay down measures to keep you all safe and begin strategizing everyone else’s safe return.”

Erlang Shen leaned forward with his elbow on the table. “Well, shouldn’t we be the ones to decide whether or not the price is fair?”

“No, you should not. Next question.”

Anubis wrinkled his snout and leaned forward.

“You seem… unaware of the significance of your position, Judicator Zheng. You are to act on and represent the collective interests of us gods. You cannot hope to do so when you are voluntarily withholding information from us.”

“I’m well within my rights to do so when the alternative could result in a decision that breaks the balance and throws our realm into upheaval.”

“How can we be assured you aren’t simply operating from a place of hysteria? Your deliberate secrecy is an indication that you do not believe us capable of seeing the bigger picture!”

’Because I don’t.’ Zheng wanted to say.

The primordials had yet to speak up in any way. Rather, all of them seemed to be more interested in observing how Zheng dealt with the most bull-headed of gods.

This was his debut. A chance for him to show that he was deserving of the position and hadn’t simply claimed it due to his strength or nepotism.

“…Yog-Sothoth wants a body. My body, specifically. He has stated that if we want the gods returned, I should make him a vessel and void all attachment to it.”

Abaddon could see the way that the energy changed when the information hit the table. The gods went from having a relatively relaxed posture to a very obvious anxiety.

“Of course. Why am I not surprised? Why is it that every something of this magnitude occurs, we seem to find you at the very center of it?!” Odin accused.

Abaddon paid no real attention to the words of the ornery one-eyed god.

But that didn’t mean Zahara was suddenly one for letting things slide.

“Why can’t Yog-Sothoth take those who will not be missed? A universal enigma if I have ever heard one.”

Her words wrested a series of dry laughs from the darkest gods present while Odin began to turn an unhealthy shade of red.

“Enough of this…” Horus clicked his talons against the table. “What happens if we accept it’s demands?”

Zheng’s brow twitched. “We are not-”

“I am aware, you’ve been quite clear on the matter. But I, and I assume many others here, would like to know the full repercussions of what it is we’re refusing.”

“Yog-Sothoth is the closest thing that the elder creatures have to a primordial body. He, unlike the others, has no defined body, only a consciousness.

This alone would be enough of a problem on it’s own, but Yog’s existence itself is unmoored. Detached.”

“And that means..?’ Father Dagda questioned.

“He is not constrained by the normal boundaries of time. He doesn’t quite travel through it, but he exists in every moment and none of them simultaneously. As a result, he views the entire stream of events to come and those that have already come as one big picture. He is almost truly omnipotent.”

The younger gods were horrified. The primordial were baffled.

It’s not hard for someone of their level to detach themselves from the flow of time completely. It’s just that doing so comes with it’s own detriments.

Living with no real grasp on whether it was today, tomorrow, or yesterday, can drive even primordial beings insane and reduce them to shells of themselves.

If one needed proof, they need look no further than within the walls of Tartarus. The black gates are filled with gods whose names are forgotten and have long lost all that remained of their minds.

For reasons they remain unaware of, only Yesh bears a true, unlimited omnipotence that does not affect his mind. While the other primordial can see quite a bit through their own authority, it comes with conditions as well as limitations.

“You all act like you’re afraid enough of Abaddon already, so would you care to imagine a version of him with all of it’s powers and destructive might, that also possesses a consciousness that knows every little move you are going to make before you do?

Most importantly, do you feel like dealing with a version of him that does not have his sanity or sense of reason?”

The answer, without being voiced, was a resounding no.

“Does he know we’re having this meeting right now?” A god asked.

“Our home is a very particular location barred from any surveillance, no matter how powerful the force.” Ayaana answered. “He probably saw you all leaving your homes and heading this way, but as soon as you arrived on the property, he would have seen nothing. That said, I will ask you not to discuss anything that happens here once you leave, or else I am certain he will know about it.”

“…So what do we do?” Azrael asked. “How are we to best the creature that won’t allow itself to be found and knows any action we might take before we have even conceptualized it?”

“Say that you give him the body.”Loki leaned forward.

“Why the hell are you out of prison..?”

“Out on good behavior. Now, my point is, say that you hand over that empty shell of yours. He lets the hostages go, you all transport them somewhere safe, then why can’t you three super dragons put the smackdown on old ugly and drag him back to where he belongs?

Even if it’s your body, surely three- make that thirteen against one, are quite the favorable odds for all of you, no?”

Everyone at the table stared at Loki incredulously.

He looked around and lifted his hands that were still bound in shackles.

“What!? Why’s everyone looking at me like that??”

“You… said something intelligent.” Skadi murmured. “It was highly unexpected.”

“…It’s really hard for me to enjoy that compliment because it feels like you all are calling me dumb.”

“You are not dumb. You are infamously intelligent.” Thoth added.

“Thank you-”

“It’s just that everything that comes out of your mouth is either dumb or a lie, so we’ll all need just a few minutes to get used to this sudden development.”

Loki’s expression soured.

He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest while scowling into his teacup.

“…Fuck you guys. I don’t know why I come to these things.”

While Loki brooded, Abaddon placed his elbow on the table and assumed a slightly bored look.

On the tip of his claw, he created a unique, miniature solar system. A bit of a party trick of his for whenever he had too much on his mind at once.

“Loki’s idea isn’t necessarily without merit. In fact, we haven’t really tested it yet, but in theory, when combined, my wives are stronger than me.”

The jaws of everyone at the table collectively fell open. The looks everyone gave Ayaana and Zahara completely changed.

However special he may be, Abaddon was but a single entity. There was a hard limit on just how much of Oblivion he could inherit at a time. Only aging would give him more.

At the same time, Ayaana and Zahara are made up of multiple women. When combined, the percentage that Izanami holds gets added to what Sif possesses to make them an even greater whole.

…At least, that is the family theory.

Shy of dreams and calculations, there is no safe way for Abaddon, Zahara, or Ayaana to test the upper limits of their powers without further compromising the health of Yesh.

Which is also the reason why a fight involving all three of them is an absolute nonstarter.

“…My wives and I have grown very powerful since our births. Strong enough that I a not over exaggerating when I say that all three of us, fighting with our full strength at once, will bring about a range of destruction that makes the end war look like a pop of confetti. So, I highly recommend that we-”

“Who… is that…?”

Abaddon followed Nergal’s eyes to a window on the third floor of their home.

When he saw who was staring at him, his heart almost stopped.

Waving at everyone with an inhumanely big smile on her face was none other than his daughter, Odie.

To make matters worse, Courtney stood right behind her, holding up a peace sign.

Once again, the mood of the meeting completely changed…