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Darkheart’s core domain is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a swampy landscape full of smog and barren, twisting trees the colour of charcoal. Bones protrude from the mushy ground from ancient creatures slain. Black stones covered with glowing moss sink into the murky, poisonous waters. The air is thick and warm with death, so vile that a simple mortal could die breathing in the curses laced into the atmosphere. Even the demigods were advised to avoid entering Darkheart’s core domain. The other SFOTH definitely made their separate efforts to steer clear.
So why does Illumina, his enemy, enter his domain on this cursed night?
The faded lilac-coloured god appears at the bottom of a hill. He floats through a portal, sword in hand as he looks around. An echoing laugh greets him almost immediately, a trilled voice swaying the boney trees.
“Illumina! Illumina, Illumina, Illumina! Had we known you were coming, we would have prepared our most potent tea for you!”
Darkheart appears at the top of the hill, twisting and turning out of a skeletal tree towering into the inky sky. His body contorts into uncomfortable positions, bones popping and realigning in a way that disgusts the other god. All the while, his glowing smile remains on his face, toothy and wide as always.
“What brings you here to our humble home, Illumina?” Darkheart’s unstable voice asks as he contorts to stand.
Illumina frowns. “I told you to wait. We may continue our conversation, now that the context I needed has been enacted by our foolish king.”
Darkheart gasps rather comically. He claps his hands together and jumps up and down, giggling as he remembers.
“Yes, we remember! Come come, let us chat at a more proper setting! We have a great feeling that this will be an interesting storytime.”
Illumina reluctantly heads up the hill as Darkheart conjures a table and two chairs weaved out of shadows and moss. They sit together, Illumina sitting ramrod straight with his sword at his side, and Darkheart sitting cross-legged, tapping a clawed finger on the table.
What an odd pair they made. If another SFOTH saw them, they would think something was wrong---and their thoughts would be correct. Illumina and Darkheart had disliked each other since their creation, divided by their different lifestyles and how they operated as gods. Illumina preferred to manipulate from a distance. Darkheart preferred to get dirty and play around with his food. They often clashed and had clashed once or twice. So, to see them sitting together civilly would be very odd.
However, they had their reasons.
“Now that the gates are open,” Illumina begins, “the factions will be able to interact with one another. That is crucial to what I have in mind.”
“And pray tell, my dear Illumina, what is going on in that miniscule mind of yours?” Darkheart grins.
“I know you’re unsatisfied with Firebrand. He’s restricting what you can do with the mortals and won’t let your powers run free. I can tell from how stuffy it’s getting in your domains.”
Darkheart hums, amused. “Go on.”
“I also know you’re the one behind cursing The Spawn.”
The green and black god bursts into fits of giggles. He covers his grin and wipes an invisible tear, sighing theatrically. “Oh dearrrrrrrrr! We’ve been caught! Will we be executed for our tricks now?!”
“I want to know if it can be reversed,” Illumina says, crossing his arms.
“Illuminaaaaa, what we give cannot be taken back! What’s the point in giving a gift if the giver decides to relinquish it?” Darkheart plants his elbows on the table and rests his chin in his hands. “Only Mother can stop our foolery now. But, it’s been missing for quiiiiite a while, so the curse will remain in place. Does this bother you?”
Illumina shakes his head. “On the contrary, no. You have actually done me a favour.”
“Oh?! The lowly Darkheart gains praise from the high-and-mighty Illumina?!”
“Your curse will be used to amass an army.”
This grabs Darkheart’s attention.
“Mortals are fickle, selfish beings. They will do anything to save themselves. We will tell them that if they assist us with my crowning into God of The Inphinity, they will live a life free of their curse.”
Darkheart is quiet for once. His grin remains on his face, but Illumina can sense the gears whirring in his head. He may be a clown oftentimes, but he was a feared clown-of-a-god for a reason. Darkheart connects the dots and hums a short tune.
“You assume Mother is dead,” he says.
“It hasn’t appeared in eons. Of course it’s dead.” Illumina speaks matter-of-factly. His voice holds no remorse talking about their dead creator, unsurprisingly so, coming from a heartless god like him. “Why do you think it was easy to curse The Spawn? Its heart is weak, dead even. It’s gone.”
“So you want to be the new Inphinity and rule the world?” Darkheart asks. “My my, you are more selfish than we realized, Illumina! We suppose the other SFOTH are unaware of your festive plans?”
“They don’t suspect a thing,” Illumina says.
“Hmmm, what a predicament!” Darkheart leans back in his chair, throwing his arms out. “It’s thrilling! You come here to ask us to aid in your ascension to the throne! Oh my stars, our heart races at the thought of deceiving the others!”
“So will you aid me or not?” Illumina exasperatedly asks.
“The magic questionnnnn…”
Darkheart giggles. His form dissipates into a storm of shadows, encasing the entire domain. Everything around Illumina fades into pitch-black; the god is left sitting in his lone chair, surrounded by an empty void and echoing laughter. Anybody else would be intimidated, terrified even, but not him. Not Illumina.
“How can you guarantee victory when the entire world loves our dear king?” Darkheart’s voice sings. The shadows began to swirl around Illumina. “There will be opposition once you’re found out, lovely Illumina!”
“I am a god who prefers words over actions,” Illumina replies calmly, “but I will not shy away from a war if it means becoming the one true God. As for Firebrand, he is a kind-hearted king. He will pick up his blade when it’s too late.”
“You say that sooooo surelyyyyyy….”
The shadows gather into Darkheart’s form. The god appears in front of Illumina, hanging upside-down, inches away from smacking heads with one another. Darkheart’s eerie grin glows in the darkness as he stares Illumina down with shadowed eyes.
“We’ve begun to wonder if you know more than you’ve let on..”
Illumina stares back at him.
“Your curiosity can be satiated if you join me, Darkheart. If you choose to aid me, I can give you a world to play in. You can let your powers roam endlessly under my reign.”
“Hmm…”
The darkness recedes. Darkheart flips and lands on the marshy ground of his domain, tapping his chin in thought.
Illumina could read anybody. Even without a heart, it was easy to read another’s mind and emotions, his ability akin to reading a book. The only person he couldn’t reach was Darkheart, this twisted god who bounced around and acted on his own whims, nary a thought for others. His mind was an endless, vast expanse that worked in ways that Illumina couldn’t read, and perhaps that’s why Illumina despised him.
Darkheart was a weakness of his, someone he couldn’t begin to grasp. To not have him on his side when things finally went underway would be painful. It’s like dancing with a ghost, unable to grasp its hands or stop it from moving too slow or fast. His words cannot pierce Darkheart like they pierce anybody else.
He needed Darkheart’s whims to win, whether he liked it or not.
“Well well well!” Darkheart snaps around, immediately extending his hand out to Illumina. “It seems we have plans for the next period of time after all! We accept!”
Illumina narrows his eyes. “You cannot betray me.”
“Aww, already thinking of deceit? Have you no faith in us?” Darkheart chuckles. “You can trust us, Illumina, we will be your strongest ally in this delightful war you’ve planned.”
“Trust is not a word I would associate with you.”
The god takes his hand. Shakes it firmly, glowing lilac rings appearing and merging with neon green ones. A god pact that cannot be broken under death.
“‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’,” Darkheart hums. “You can find trust in that.”