Twilight of the Gods Part 1

A circular, gilded table stood in the center of a vast marble room. Golden zigs, zags, and curls danced within their confined space on the floor as mural-coated walls and columns stretched infinitely into a starry void overhead.

A man clad in armor from various ages stood at attention with every weapon imaginable either strapped to his legs, hip, chest, or back. Next to him sat a cloaked man with dark, sunken eyes and a villainous smile that mostly served to accentuate his heavily wrinkled face. Across from them sat a clean-shaven man, armored in the best three piece suit money could never hope to buy and armed with nothing more than a stack of paperwork and a gavel. Above them, a robed woman danced while copies of her flitted out of a staff she swung to the beat of her own humming. A figure with necrotic skin and red eyes watched them in the room’s corner, his tattered cloak stiffer than a corpse.

A silvery fox pranced through the murals. No one could notice it, it didn't want them to.

An old CRT TV screen appeared on the wall. Lines of static extended beyond the screen, forming a man with a computer monitor for a head and wings made of cables and wires. Parts of his body glitched in and out of existence giving him a static-like appearance.

The man with a gavel spoke. “Communication, why don’t you take a seat over here so we can discuss what happened.”

“Of course Law.” His body disappeared and reappeared with each step.

“Now as we are all aware, many unexpected things have been happening in Faverden recently and Communication here gratefully decided to check on things for us.” He shot a look towards the woman above them. “Magic, if you would kindly sit down with the rest of us; it would be wise to pay close attention so we can deduce who or what is the cause.”

“But it’s so boring. No one here is even the type to actually be distracted by anything I do anyway.” Her voice flowed with her movements.

“Well, it is still advis-”

“Just get on with it already.” The man covered in weapons interrupted him.

“Of course.” He cleared his throat and gestured towards Communication's head. “Communication if you will.”

The screen on his head began displaying words and images. “The unexpected events have been the result of an unidentified woman seen here.” His voice changed with each word. “I was unable to identify how she got here.”

“Do you have any leads?” Law asked Communication

“We do not need any leads, it was clearly that thing who did it.” The wrinkled man spoke with a raspy voice. “Instead of making a pact with it you should have allowed Death to kill it then and there.” He slammed his fist against the table.

“Strife, I would like to remind you that I am an arbiter not a murderer.” He looked back at Communication. “Did you attempt to make any contact with this woman?”

“My job is only to relay information, I don’t perform other duties unless deemed necessary.” Static echoed each of Communication’s words.

“War or Magic, would either of you like to share your thoughts on the matter.”

“She killed a future champion of mine, as long as she is dealt with, I don’t care how or what brought her here.” War’s gruff voice cut through the room.

Magic stopped dancing. “She killed one of my current champions. As far as I”m concerned, she’s just an anomaly that needs to be dealt with. We can figure out the who, what, when, why, and how later otherwise she’s bound to cause more problems.”

“She has started causing problems for me as well.” Strife’s smile widened as he tapped his fingers together. “And, as I’m sure you know, she’s caused serious problems for you as well, Law. She has violated not only the laws of man, but the laws of war and magic as well. Her very existence is in violation of the laws you set forth for this world we worked so hard to shape.”

Law looked down at the table in thought. “Of course I would like her to be dealt with as well, but it’s a matter of caution. We may lose our ability to figure out how she arrived here and, in doing so, our ability to prevent it from happening in the future if we get rid of her now.”

“We don’t have time for that.” Magic’s copies disappeared.

“I will fight her myself if needed.” War readied a poleaxe.

“We have little reason to believe it will happen again so let’s just deal with her immediately.” Strife tapped his fingers together more quickly than before.

“The only other time this has happened that creature was involved. If there is another like it, we need to know as soon as possible.” Law tried to reason with them.

“It’s more likely it simply broke your precious pact. We have no reason to believe it would even care about something so fragile. You are also outnumbered three to one. According to the rules you laid out for us-”

“I would like to remind you that there are six of us here, not four, we should see what Communication and Death have to say first.” Law interrupted Strife.

Communication waved his hands while shaking his head.

Death crept towards the table. “Will… kill… what… responsible… will… kill… woman… and… fox.” Its voice was cold and strained.

“You have been overruled Law. It seems I will call the shots from here on out.” Strife motioned for death. “Do it.”

The silvery fox stretched the wall as it jumped onto their table.

“See, Law we all knew it.” Magic said, distancing herself from the outstretched wall.

“We made a pact. You are aware this is in violation of that, correct?” Law flicked through his papers as he asked the creature.

“I didn’t intervene in your world or with any of your dealings or anything else that contract said.” The wall bent as the silvery fox spoke.

“Summoning someone to our world is in clear violation-”

“Where does it say that? You allow Earth gods to send people here.” The silvery fox cut off Law.

Law removed the correct page from his seemingly infinite stack of papers.

“We made a deal with them that allows it; our contract on the other hand is frighteningly brief and makes no mention of such a thing. If you would read this paragraph.” Law pointed at the only paragraph on the contract. “Even if you were correct, your presence here would be a violation.”

“Exactly, I can’t intervene. It makes no mention of me having someone else intervene on my behalf.” Glasses appeared on the silvery fox’s face which it then pushed up. “However, it does state that you can’t intervene with me or my doings like you were about to do. This future violation is the only reason I’m here.” It held its glasses in the air with a disembodied hand. “Well that and the future violation of your own rules of course.”

“This is an anomaly which would authorize direct intervention.”

“Stop arguing with that thing and kill it already, it is clearly unwilling to respect its position and your law.” Strife smiled gleefully.

“I should’ve known the original ‘heroes’ couldn’t be reasoned with.” Mercury erased the silvery fox as it dripped from the mural.

“In violation of the fox creature x Faverden pact I, Law, now authorize Death to erase you.” He looked at the others. “Once it is done, we will re-discuss how to handle that woman.”

The mercury shaped itself into a fox-like figurine. A wet, metallic screech fled its malformed mouth. “I guess the matter with Kaoru, or Chaos, if you prefer I call her that, didn't teach you anything. Perhaps you’ve all…”

“DO NOT SPEAK OF HER YOU MONSTER!” The rest of the room turned in shock towards Law.

“Struck a nerve did I? Oh well, just get on with it Mikhail. I’m tired of playing around and want to see how this pans out.”

Law and Magic looked towards Death. “Mik- er sorry Death.”

Law looked over at Magic then nodded. “Go ahead Death. It seems this creature wants to die.”

“Before I go; isn’t it interesting how you two are the only ones who looked?” Silvery, liquid tentacles sprouting from the metallic fox figurine’s back pointed at ‘Law’ and ‘Magic’.

Death touched the figure with its necrotic, almost skeletal hand, causing both it and the outstretched section of wall to disappear.