Deific Reflections [Mana/Mazda]

A call, by one of those scant few beings left which he considered worth his attention. Certainly, there had once been far more, but Mazda had watched them fall by the wayside one by one, either in their own failings or simply as he came to better understand them. The queen of demons, however, was not something that even Ahura Mazda would be so foolish as to underestimate. That did not mean that he came to the meeting place with any fear in his mind, of course. He was still the Wise Lord, the will of the Sun incarnate.

"How curious, to find a summons such as this."

It was nothing difficult for a creature such as Mazda to simply go where he pleased. Indeed, he had already seen the turning of the tides, and he knew precisely what was to happen in the coming days. The stability of all realms was of little consequence now, wasn't it? He simply appeared where he wished to be, carried along by the words of the Soul King's own language and beholden to none. As he arrived in the sands, it was as if he had simply always been there, his arrival not heralded by so much as a sound.

"Your concern for matters of the future is understood, and I intend to correct it. I wonder, Queen of Demons, whether or not you will aid me in this endeavor."

"Creatures such as you and I have no option but to see the world change in ways that we may not wish."

Naturally, Mazda had little concern for the idea of being sized up, appraised by the queen of demons. To him, she was simply one other of the few beings such as himself and Liltotto, who existed in a state far beyond the understanding of mortal creatures. It was only natural that she study him so closely on their first meeting.

"My intentions are nothing short of a correction of the state of the realms. I need not tell you, queen of demons, that every realm is in a state of not only flux, but instability. Your own realm is no different, with the departure of Chaya Nation. Such a void is one that can be patched, certainly, but even beings such as you or I cannot truly fix it. That is above even us. Every realm is falling apart at the seams, through war, through endless travel between them, through the constant thinning of the boundary between life and death. Total collapse is unavoidable."

Mazda's voice was stern, his stance proud but not arrogant. Unlike many conversations he held, this was one being had with a genuine equal. He had no reason to maintain pretenses of grandeur when, so far as he knew, she would simply understand it inherently.

"I know of a young creature who carries in her the whole of Black World's essence, and I know well what it is that occurs when creatures of this realm and of Black World sense one another. Either they fight to the death...or they merge, into a single unified being. I am the closest that there is to the Soul King in this realm, or any. I have no intention of simply taking his place, for that is outside my power. But to become a part of him is enough, for my knowledge, and my ambition, will be brought into him. And from there, I will simply reshape the realms. Collapse them in upon themselves for the briefest of moments, and then reforge them, stable once more, without the countless burdens that have been laid upon them. I will correct the countless mistakes that have been made."

It was ambitious, certainly. Perhaps even impossible. But that meant little to Mazda.

"If I fail, then so be it. The end result is no different from what will already inevitably occur. But if I succeed, then the world is put at peace. At the very least, the threat of its imminent collapse is removed."

"I am thoroughly pleased to have your assistance then, Queen Asthavon."

Mazda was not what most might ever have called a particularly expressive being, at least not when carrying himself in his most serious capacity. However, in this moment he allowed himself a smile, genuinely gladdened to know that she had understood the situation in the way that he had hoped she would.

"The small creature who carries in her all of Black World's remaining essence is everything to this plan. Once I have her, there is little more that needs to be done. Of course, I am under no illusions that this will be something easily accomplished. In all likelihood, I will need a rather grand catalyst for something so immense as this undertaking. I have one in mind, but it will certainly call attention to us when the time comes. The barren wastes of Australia will serve perfectly well, particularly given how little life will be put in jeopardy."

Naturally, regardless of the scope of this plan, it was still something Mazda pursued for his vision of a better future, of a brighter world. He would not hard anyone unless it could not be avoided.

"I have little doubt that, the moment we begin to act in earnest, we will call a great deal of attention to us, from every corner of all the realms. I hope you are prepared to fight for this aim, knowing that those beneath us will likely never understand the scope of our undertaking."

"By taking in her nature, that fundamental existence of Black World, I can remake myself from merely a lesser simulacrum of the Soul King, and become the Inverse. Without that small creature, and her connection to that lost realm, it may well take untold years for me to collect what little detritus remains of that shattered world."

From Mazda's perspective, it all more or less fell into place from here. He knew, of course, that no plan was without error, not even those of the gods. But he knew that this path forward was a straight one now, one that would require nothing more than to clear away whatever obstacles placed themselves before him.

"I intend to use the land itself as my catalyst. To convert the very earth of that barren place into energy. I know fully that such a thing can be done, for I have seen beings far less grand than myself achieve it. And I, who speaks with the words of the Soul King himself, can certainly create such a change. That catalyst will be all that I need. A mass of energy far greater than what any individual could possess, born of a broken land so I might create the world anew."

"I have no other recourse but to ask her directly. Even if her raw power is incomparable to that of you or I, it is undeniable that she is in some way or another an existence just the same as ours. She will surely understand the scope of our aims just as clearly as we do. Even moreso, perhaps, having witnessed the collapse of Black World firsthand."

Of course, there was just as easily the distinct possibility that Ky'rin might well decline the offer. But to think about that sort of thing would only delay genuine action, and he had delayed for more than long enough. Now was the time to simply do what was necessary.

"I will look forward to your assistance, then. And I assure you that I will do all that I am able for the sake of your realm just as much as any other. It is only right that I do everything I am able to for the sake of all life."