Andohr sat on his throne, his eyes fixated on the live feed of Nagaland playing before him. He relished every moment of Michael's suffering as Diana revealed herself to be his mother. Andohr's laughter echoed through the empty halls of his castle, a sound that was almost maniacal.
Suddenly, the feed began to flicker, and a bright light appeared before Andohr. He was taken aback, wondering what was happening. The light grew brighter until it took on the form of a woman. Andohr recognized her instantly.
"Seraphine?" he asked incredulously, tilting his head in disbelief.
"It has been quite some time since we last met, Andohr," the goddess replied with a gentle but powerful voice.
Andohr frowned, trying to comprehend why a goddess would suddenly appear before him. He had been trapped in this mortal realm for six thousand years with no way to leave. He wondered what Seraphine's motives were.
"If you meant six thousand years ago, then yes, it has been quite some time," Andohr quipped, trying to hide his suspicion.
Seraphine chuckled softly, a sound that made Andohr's skin crawl.
"I see you still have your sense of humor," she replied.
Andohr leaned back on his throne, crossing his arms over his chest.
Andohr's eyes narrowed at the sound of Seraphine's voice, the embodiment of all that he despised about the realm of the gods. He bristled at the urgency in her words, a reminder of the ancient duty he had abandoned long ago. Despite his outward calm, Andohr seethed with anger at the thought of being dragged back into the politics of the pantheon.
"What do you want from me, Seraphine?" Andohr growled, his voice laced with venom.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtSeraphine's form flickered, her light growing brighter as if in a warning. "You know why I'm here," she said, her voice gentle yet firm.
Seraphine didn't seem to take offense at Andohr's tone, continuing with a sense of urgency. "The third seal has been broken, Andohr. Dagon is planning to ascend to our realm once again with his army of hell walkers."
Andohr remained unmoved, his anger towards the Dark Lord overshadowing any sense of duty to the realm of gods. "I'm pretty sure Morrigan will take care of that," he snickered, showing his disdain for the god of war.
"The last time I checked, it was your duty to prevent Dagon from ascending to the realm of gods," Seraphine reminded him.
Andohr's voice dripped with venom as he retorted, "Well, the last time I checked, I can't even leave this damn castle. So if you have a way to break the seal and let me out of here, I might go deal with Dagon out of the goodness in my heart." He knew he was treading a dangerous line, for if he showed too much hatred towards his own kind, the gods might find a way to keep him in the mortal realm for longer. But he couldn't hide his anger and hatred towards the realm of gods anymore, not when he had been trapped in the mortal realm for six thousand years.
Seraphine looked at him with a sense of disappointment and sadness. "Your hatred blinds you, Andohr. You were once a noble and just god, but your anger towards the Dark Lord has consumed you and made you forget your duty to our realm. You are needed in the war against Dagon, but first, you must let go of your anger and remember who you truly are,"
Andohr's face twisted with rage. "You know nothing of what I have endured, Seraphine. You and the other gods have no right to judge me. My hatred is not what blinded me, Seraphine. It was my own kind that forgot about me. None of you bothered to check on me until you want something from me. Tell me, goddess of all information, how many times have you checked on me? None."
Andohr's voice grew louder as he continued. "For a goddess of information, you seem to have no clue that I am trapped in this damn castle. So tell me, how am I supposed to deal with Dagon? And why would I want to help you even if I could?"
The tension in the room was palpable as Seraphine regarded Andohr with a mix of sadness and frustration. "We are not blind to your plight, Andohr. We have not forgotten you. But you must remember that our realm is in danger. We need your help and are willing to do what we can to assist you in leaving this castle,"
Andohr was taken aback by the sudden offer of help. His anger and hatred for the gods had blinded him to any possibility of assistance from them. But deep down, he was still desperate to leave the mortal realm any way he could, even if it meant working with his own kind whom he despised. He suppressed his rage and considered the offer for a moment.
Sensing that Andohr was not going to interrupt her, Seraphine took the chance to continue speaking.
Seraphine leaned forward, her voice low and urgent. "Andohr, listen to me. Dagon cannot escape the Hell without first breaking several powerful artifacts that keep him imprisoned there. He cannot destroy them himself, so he is sending his hell walkers to do it. We need the Skyhall to fight against these hell walkers and protect the artifacts. If they are destroyed, nothing will stop him from ascending to our realm,"
Andohr listened to Seraphine intently, weighing his options as he considered her proposal. Although he still harbored a deep-seated anger towards his fellow gods, he knew that he was also desperate to leave the mortal realm, and the opportunity to do so might be worth considering.
"Let us assume for a moment that I am willing to assist you," he said slowly, eyeing Seraphine with suspicion. "But what makes you think that the Skyhall alone will be enough to stop Dagon and his army of Hell walkers? Breaking things is always easier than preventing them from being broken, and even if I were to agree to send the Skyhall to this fight, Dagon would eventually find a way to break the artifacts without any gods fighting against him."
Seraphine nodded gravely. "We are aware of that. That is why we need the Skyhall to delay Dagon as long as possible until the Dark Lord can break three more seals. Once that happens, we can send a god from the pantheon to the mortal realm and engage in battle with Dagon's army directly."
Andohr's frustration was palpable as he slammed his hand on the armrest of his throne. "So, you're telling me that you could send a god to the mortal realm but not bring me back? This is outrageous!" he exclaimed.
Seraphine's expression softened slightly. "I understand your anger, Andohr. But the rules of our realm are not always fair."
Andohr scoffed. "Rules? The Dark Lord doesn't follow any rules. He has already caused so much destruction, and yet the pantheon still underestimates him. Dagon may be a threat, but he's nothing compared to the Dark Lord."
Andohr's eyes blazed with fury as he confronted Seraphine. "Why does the pantheon continue to underestimate the Dark Lord? He is a much greater threat than Dagon could ever be. Why not send a god to the mortal realm to take him out?"
Seraphine's expression was grave as she responded, "Because we are still here, Andohr. The Dark Lord is not. The previous Dark Lord was forced to reset the mortal universe as a last resort. Even at his peak, he only managed to kill some weak gods. Dagon, on the other hand, could threaten the very existence of the pantheon itself."
Andohr seethed with anger, knowing that his own hatred for the Dark Lord was consuming him, blinding him to the true danger that lay ahead. Despite his loathing for the gods, he knew that he needed their help to escape the mortal realm. But at what cost? Would he be forced to fight alongside those he despised to save the very realm he had grown to hate?
Seraphine's voice rang out with a tinge of disappointment and frustration. "Do not forget your true purpose, Andohr. You were sent to the mortal realm to eliminate the threat that Dagon poses to our world," she reminded him. Six thousand years ago, the pantheon had tasked Andohr with the mission to end Dagon's existence. However, Andohr's stubbornness and hatred towards the Dark Lord had clouded his judgment and he ended up fighting the wrong enemy. His reckless actions had nearly cost him his life, and Andohr's anger had only grown since then, causing him to forget his original mission.
Seraphine's voice was firm and determined as she made her offer to Andohr. "If you help the pantheon defeat Dagon and the other fallen gods, I will personally make sure that the Dark Lord pays for what he did to you. Whatever the cost, I will find a way to bring you out of the mortal realm and restore you to your rightful place among the gods." Her words hung in the air, a tantalizing promise of revenge and redemption.
Andohr's eyes gleamed with a sudden realization that the gods' offer was too good to refuse. Despite his loathing towards the gods, he had no doubt in their power and authority. Their word was as good as gold, and if they promised him anything, they would keep it no matter the cost. Andohr knew that dealing with the Dark Lord would require a lot of planning, strategy, and cunning. However, with the pantheon's help, he could deal with the Dark Lord directly, using brute strength and force, something that he was exceptionally skilled at.
Andohr expressed his concern to Seraphine, "If I commit the Skyhall's resources to fight against Dagon and his army, that would leave the Dark Lord unchecked. How can we be sure that it's the best course of action?"
Seraphine chuckled at Andohr's words. "You underestimate the power of the goddess of information, Andohr. I know all that happens in the mortal realm, including your contingency plans. The shadow clan is one of them, is it not? And even if you had no plans, letting the Dark Lord run rampant will work in our favor. The more chaos he causes, the easier it will be for us to sway the pantheon to end his existence."
Andohr was taken aback by Seraphine's knowledge. He had always been careful to keep his plans hidden from the gods, but he should have known better than to think he could keep secrets from the goddess of information. He sighed, realizing that he had no choice but to agree to Seraphine's proposal. If it meant he could finally exact his revenge on the Dark Lord, he was willing to sacrifice the Skyhall's resources and let the Dark Lord run rampant in the mortal realm.
"Fine, I'll help you. But remember, Seraphine, I'm doing this for my own reasons, not for the realm of gods," Andohr said, his voice laced with bitterness and anger.
Seraphine nodded, her expression solemn. "I understand, Andohr. But we need your help now more than ever. Dagon poses a threat to our entire world, and we cannot face him alone."
Andohr clenched his fists, his rage boiling inside him. He knew that Seraphine was right, but he couldn't help feeling resentful toward the gods. They had abandoned him to the mortal realm for six thousand years, and now they expected him to come to their aid. But despite his anger, he knew that he couldn't let his personal grudges get in the way of what needed to be done. If he didn't help the pantheon, they would all be doomed.
As the conversation seemed to be coming to an end, Seraphine's voice became more serious. "And before we part ways, there is something else you should know, Andohr," she said, her tone weighted with importance.
Andohr raised an eyebrow in curiosity. He knew that whatever Seraphine was about to tell him, it must be something of great importance.
"There is a fallen god who has taken refuge in the mortal realm and has turned himself into a vampire" Seraphine revealed, her voice filled with urgency.
Andohr's eyes widened at Seraphine's revelation. "A fallen god who turned himself into a vampire? What's his name?" he demanded.
"Ingram," Seraphine replied calmly. "He's one of the elder vampires at the table."
Andohr's mind raced as he processed this new information. A fallen god aiding Dagon, and one who had turned himself into a vampire no less.
Andohr felt a twinge of amusement at the thought of a fallen god turning himself into an elder vampire. He knew that the fallen gods were capable of anything, but the idea of one of them becoming a vampire was quite unexpected. He couldn't help but picture the fallen god Ingram sitting at a table, dressed in black leather and sipping on a glass of blood, surrounded by other vampires. The irony of it all made Andohr chuckle, despite the gravity of the situation.
Seraphine couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for Andohr. Despite being stripped of his power and stuck in the castle for so long, he still possessed a sharp mind and cunning intellect that made him one of the most powerful gods in their world. She knew that underestimating him would be a grave mistake, as he was capable of outmaneuvering even the most cunning of opponents. It was this resilience and determination that made Seraphine realize that Andohr was not to be taken lightly, and that he could prove to be a valuable ally in the fight against Dagon and the other fallen gods.