The Mother of Monsters

Teyva dismissed the notification about the new ability and let out a breath. She glanced over at Nephral who had been staring at her thoughtfully as she went over the details. She reached up and ran her hands over her face before examining her talons again. They still looked close enough to fingernails but she could feel how deep the nail went into her hand, joining with her fingerbone. She turned her hands over, opening and closing her hands carefully. She didn’t want to puncture her own skin with the deadly implements.

“Nephral?” She murmured, “Is what is happening to me normal?”

“As one advances in an aspect, their body may undergo changes to reflect that advancement. You have four aspects mother and they are all acting at the same time. That said, I have never seen or heard of a being developing powers such as your new ability, this is strange new ground,” The Sphinx pointed out, his tail flicking now and then. “The potential for that one ability alone is limitless, especially if it has the power to turn the undead into something close to the living. I wonder what these beings would even be called?”

“Still more to see, Teyva,” Azrael said, urging her out of her conversation with Nephral.

Teyva looked up and spotted Azrael standing next to Batel, the two of them waiting just down the hall from her and in front of the doors that lead up to the highest level of the University. Teyva hurried to follow them, having to stop now and then to be greeted by one of the reborn Labyrinthians after another. She shook hands, was hugged, and more awkward were the moments when they asked to kiss her hand. By the time she met back up with the waiting pair, she was a bundle of nerves. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” Teyva said, frazzled.

“Try to keep up, Mother,” Batel said, “Lord Paraklytus is on the upper floor. He will want to see you now that you are awake.”

“Did he uh…” Teyva made a vague gesture, “...change like you all?”

Batel shook his head, “No, mother.”

Teyva frowned, she didn’t remember offering to change any of the other Labyrinthians in this place, yet here they were. She figured if they had been roped into her new ability so had Paraklytus. She didn’t mind that the offer hadn’t been extended to him, she still had a bone to pick with the skeletal bastard. She shrugged as if she didn’t care either way and Batel let out a sigh before turning to the stairwell. Azrael chuckled and shrugged as well, falling into step with Teyva. After a heartbeat she entered the private chat.

“He’s not a bad guy.”

“That remains to be seen.”

“He didn’t hurt Nephral.”

“Then what was his angle? I don’t get why he did any of what he did.”

“That’s not a question for me to answer, but you should give him a chance.”

“Fine.”

They ascended the stairs and found themselves in the first floor Teyva and Azrael had cleared when they had come to Nulakam. The hallways were as packed as the ones below, people milling about, talking, some conversation even sounded like they intended to resume experiments from where they left off. Others seemed more interested in learning about what new knowledge had been acquired during their time as ghosts. Their passion was a little startling, they’d come back to life and the first thing they thought of was to get back to work. More greetings followed, more outpourings of what Teyva felt was misplaced gratitude.

When they finally ascended the stairs leading up into the main hallway, Teyva could see the Lich standing at the balcony overlooking the courtyard. She could hear activity beyond him, people talking and laughing. She watched his posture, his arms pressed to the rail and one bony foot tapping the ground behind him. Despite his lack of any lungs his shoulders seemed to rise and fall at irregular intervals. She froze as they reached the apex of the hallway and it struck her. Was he crying? She canted her head to the right and took a few more steps forward only for the Archlich to begin to speak.

Teyva glanced back and saw that Azrael and Batel had given the two of them space.

"There is no heart inside of these old bones," Paraklytus said, "Yet it aches."

Teyva froze and watched him look up at the ceiling, "I have no eyes, yet I weep," He murmured.

"I am nothing but bones, yet I feel warmth on my skin," Teyva frowned, was he trembling?

"You don't know these people. Yet you accepted them. You gave them a second chance. You freed them from their suffering,” Paraklytus said hoarsely. Teyva shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Yes, she’d accepted Batel and his people, there had been so much tragedy in this place. She wasn’t sure why or how they had come to be what they were beyond the specs of her ability. It hadn’t been intentional or something she wholly wanted. It felt wrong to accept his gratitude.

Then he turned to face her and she felt a lump form in her throat. For just a moment there she saw a kindly middle-aged man with a scruffy black beard and long black hair. His eyes were filled with tears. The instant passed and he was a skeleton again, on his hands and knees with his head pressed firmly to the ground. Teyva staggered a single pace backward and looked over her shoulder at Azrael who nodded to her. Teyva looked down at the prostrating Lich and waited for him to speak.

"Within the place of my soul, there is a seat. Reserved for one and one alone. My lady, may my weaving halls always lead to your side. May the creatures of the dark paths whisper your name in jubilation. May the moon, most holy, shine her light on your every word,” He began and Teyva felt something between a chill and her skin crawl. She glanced back at Batel this time whose mouth had fallen open in shock.

“Lord Paraklytus!” The younger man blurted out.

The lich continued unfazed, "Let not one being stand before you in defiance till the dusk of all that is and will be. For the age and a day that I shall live, I am yours. My sovereign, my queen, I give you the throne of my soul. Let your words be mine and your will be done by my hand. Until my bones crumble to dust. That is my pledge upon my given name, Parsis Alort."

Teyva swallowed and looked down at the back of his head, “That sounded rehearsed,” She said grimly, “I promised Azrael I would give you a chance to explain yourself. I didn’t say anything about accepting you after everything you did.”

“A Labyrinthian does not pledge on their given name lightly, our names are sacred to us,” Batel said, “That was a formal oath of fealty, he never even-”

Paraklytus cut him off, “No, not even to Teyva Rani whom I loved.”

“You were her lover?” Teyva pressed.

“We had a daughter,” Paraklytus admitted, “Her heir.”

“Why did you leave?” Teyva asked, “The words on the wall say you left Rani for this place, what happened?”

Paraklytus went still before looking up into Teyva’s eyes, “Teyva Rani wanted immortality, true immortality, she was obsessed. She began to experiment with the place of the soul, trying to find ways to use souls to extend her lifespan. She’d consumed souls of the living in her barbaric quest. She hid our daughter from me before sending myself and Batel who also protested her work into exile,” He shook his head and rested it on the ground again. “She let our empire crumble, she abused the new-people, they rose up in rebellion, lead by the Azar.”

“Why me?”

“Because you have done more for our fallen people in one act than Rani did in her entire lifetime. Because you have a strength of character yet you are willing to cross what lines must be crossed to accomplish what needs to be done. Because you faced me, feared me, and did not back away. A summoned creature could simply be resummoned if something happened to it, but the idea of Nephrals pain drove you to such action,” He said into the ground, “I am in awe of your spirit. I wish to see what you do with this life of yours and with these powers you possess. I wish to be at your side as you change this world one way or another,” The lich sat up straight, still on his knees. His blazing violet gaze was more intense than it had ever been.

“I offer you my knowledge, my wisdom, my power, all that I have if you would have it for yourself, Teyva Akura. I will help you rid yourself of Teyva Rani in any way I can.”

“Are you sure you do not just want another Teyva Rani?” She demanded.

He tilted his head forward, cold hate burning beneath those two violet points of light, “It would be best for our world if another Teyva Rani never came to exist.”

They held one another’s gaze in silence, she had been so trusting in her past life and it had cost her. She’d been reckless with her trust even in this new life. He had kidnapped Nephral, subjected her to a violent test, and forced her to face her own faults. That last part, though, she had to admit she was grateful for. She had made a lot of mistakes up until this point, she’d been reckless, foolish, and wasteful. She had to look at the bigger picture. If she wanted to grow in this world she needed power and she needed allies. Paraklytus had the potential to be both, if not more.

She let out a breath and knelt down, placing her new hand on his shoulder, the chains around her arm jingling.

“I still haven’t forgiven you,” She said cooly, “But I don’t doubt that will come with time,” She could tell he was sincere, and that he had higher motives for what he had done. It still annoyed her, but she understood.

“I can accept that,” The Archlich said.

Teyva stood up and turned her focus to the prompt, she pressed her lips firmly together and hit accept.

“I will not fail you, my lady,” Paraklytus said, and rose to his feet.