Ria's Adventures
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Godslayer Lysette: Chapter 276
🕑 Added 2024-11-20 11:34:09 +0000 UTCChapter 276: Leviat’s Negotiation
Lysette hovered just outside of the reach of Thosse’s Kraken as she began communicating to it telepathically. She and the Kraken stared one another down, all while the crew of the Night’s Reach stood onboard the ship’s deck with a mix of disbelief and indignation. Indignation that only grew when Lysette batted away a second barrage of attacks aimed at the aquatic beast.
“Do you have a name? Or something I can call you?”
“Why does The Defiler seek my name? Do you wish to know the name of your killer to take with you down to your eternal prison within the Infernal realm?” The creature conveyed a sense of condescension and contempt in its words. “Very well, Defiler. Call me Leviat.”
“And I am Lyse. Or Lysette. It seems our names are not so dissimilar.”
“Let us dispense with such meaningless smalltalk. State your purpose.”
“This fighting is pointless. Neither of us can secure our objectives in this fight. And neither of us want to see the others harmed. Withdraw, and let us save both of ourselves the trouble.”
“Ha ha ha. Bold words, Defiler. Tell me, what do I get out of this?”
“The same thing you’d get by continuing. Absolutely nothing. But with a lot less pain and effort on both our sides.”
“And what makes you so certain that I cannot crush you? You don’t seem to be having a good time as it is.”
“Because, as you can plainly see, I am capable of flying. I would take so high into the air that you could never hope to track me. And I can stay aloft for days. Weeks if I must, riding updrafts to rest my wings and conserve my stamina. More than enough time to make it to the shores of Ereill.
“And you don’t want to kill the crew of the Night’s Reach either. If you did, you would have done so by now, Leviat.”
“You seem remarkably certain in your assessment of the situation. What would I have to gain by sparing the lives of these infidels? They sail Lady Thosse’s seas only because she permits it.”
“That’s not true, and we both know it. The sea is her Dominion, but not even she is immune to the laws of Aimarion. Her control is limited, and like all Celestial deities, she must act through agents and intermediaries, only able to manifest her presence for short periods of time.”
“You did not answer my question, Defiler.”
“Your Mistress does not wish to antagonize Zarielle. She knows, and therefore you know, that this is a diplomatic vessel, not a combat one. By flagrantly defying conventions on diplomatic protocol, you threaten to draw Zarielle further into the conflict against her. However you justify your actions, once Ereill has learned of this attack, they will declare war against Terea in retaliation. And I will join them.”
“You will not join them when you are dead, Defiler.”
“You cannot kill me, Leviat. That is not a threat or a boast. It is the simple truth. The body before you is not my true form. It is merely a shell, a conduit of a portion of my strength. Should you dispatch it, you may weaken me for a time. But my defiling rage will only grow, as will my desire for Reciprocity against you.”
“Then I do this world a service by removing you from it.”
“Which you cannot accomplish here and now.”
Lysette was keen once again to stall out the fight. After several minutes of discussion, her poison resistance had finally overwhelmed Leviat’s toxic sludge. Her stamina was once again restoring as her main body’s Cultivation back in Ciricu was channeling small bits of Essence through the link that connected the two. And Dennell too was recovering from the attack which severed one of Leviat’s tentacles.
“Weakening you is an acceptable outcome.”
“All of your actions to this point are predicated on the assumption that I won’t fly off right now and leave the crew of the Night’s Reach to their fate.”
“You would abandon your own allies to die within my maw?”
“You were the one who called me the Defiler. Surely if you are attempting to appeal to my better nature, you would not address me as such.”
“The Defiler is the harbinger of change. A great change that threatens the very foundation of this world. Millions will die in the coming war. It is My Mistress’s desire that this calamity be eliminated at all costs.”
“And you would kill hundreds of sailors on a diplomatic voyage in the crossfire? It seems you disregard lives as much as you claim I do.”
“If a sacrifice of a hundred lives saves a million, then that sacrifice is worth it!”
“I just said, Leviat. You’d be damning nearly two hundred people for nothing. Not for weakening me, not as part of some benevolent scheme to save millions. Nothing. You would gain nothing from it. Your mistress would gain nothing. Aimarion as a whole would gain nothing from it.”
“How dare you lecture me! You, who has reveled in senseless death and destruction since the moment of your creation!”
“I know. I’m trying to do better, but that doesn’t mean a damned thing to the hundreds of people who’ve already died at my hands.”
“Then you should accept how dangerous your continued existence is. Repent and atone with your life. In exchange, my Mistress will offer your soul the succor of eternal salvation.”
“I will not abandon my pursuits. This world needs change. It needs to be set free of the gods.”
“With yourself in charge, I assume.”
“No, Leviat. For now, maybe. But in the long run, we have done this world more harm than good. We must sever Aimarion completely from the Celestial realm and its governing system. Allow humanity to have the freedom and autonomy to decide for themselves exactly how their world should be. The freedom that the gods should have given this world after they ruined it the first time.”
“You would dare question my Mistress’s wisdom.”
“I would. Just as I’ve been forced to question my own divine wisdom many times during my journeys. I am on this voyage to learn more about myself, my goals, how to achieve them, and what sort of a world would best set humanity toward a bright and prosperous future. Though, now that I’ve met you, Leviat, I realize I have to consider more than just the human perspective on such matters.”
“And you know that your actions will lead to your death.”
“Some things we believe in strongly enough to fight and die for. Are you not the same, willing to kill me or die in the process?”
“If I could carry out my Mistress’s orders and deliver you to justice, I certainly would. But I can detect no hint of duplicity behind your words.”
“So you will let them go?”
“There would be no point in antagonizing their goddess further. However, know that the sea will be forever your enemy. Fly off now, Defiler, and enjoy what little time you have remaining. And know this: should you ever again attempt to avail yourself of Her Dominion, I will not be so generous with your co-conspirators.”
Leviat promptly broke off the engagement, disappearing into the depths of the global ocean. Soon after, the waters returned to their normal nightly tranquility. The stars twinkled as the last bits of residual seaspray fluttered back to the ground. A group of ocean gulls high overhead squawked and the winds blew at a pleasant though still very salty southerly wind at the Night’s Reach.
And the crew of the ship looked stunned, remaining hypervigilant as they waited for the next assault. Lysette floated over and hovered next to Dennell, careful not to land or touch the actual ship in any way. He had relaxed slightly, but seemed more puzzled than any of the other crew.
“You convinced that creature to leave?”
“We agreed that there was nothing to be gained from fighting.”
“That creature could speak?”
“No. But it was intelligent, and I could communicate with it telepathically via the Celestial tongue. With that said, part of the agreement is that I can no longer accompany you, nor ever again sail upon the seas, lest Leviat devours the ship I use, along with everyone else on board.”
“Leviat? As in, Leviat, The Ocean’s Maw? That’s what we were up against? No wonder our attacks had so little effect.”
“That is what the creature requested that I call it.”
“So, what does that mean for you?”
“I will fly. I am not worried about that. I will make my way to the coastline and await your arrival. It shouldn’t be more than another day, no?”
“I– I understand. May your flight be peaceful, Your Ladyship. I look forward to your arrival and our meeting.”
Lysette nodded and waved to the remainder of the crew which had since slowly disbanded and made its way back to doing whatever it was that a crew would do after an attack. Search the ship for any signs of damage, make critical repairs, and lots and lots of documentation for the officers to fill out. Ereillan society was certainly big on the paperwork.
She took to the air, flying higher and higher into the sky until the Night’s Reach was little more than a speck of brownish-black amongst a sea of deep navy. It was still early in the evening relative to her current position, but it was nearing midnight further to the east in Ciricu where her main body lay with Mirae at her side.
By some instinct, Lysette could tell exactly where her avatar was relative to her main body. She, with her primary body, took Mirae into her arms and teleported the couple two-thirds of a mile to the north, right over the center of Lake Ciricu. In less than a second, the connection to her avatar adjusted ever so slightly, confirming her sense of direction over the open ocean. But that was not the only reason for the sudden shift.
“Do you remember the ocean?” Lysette asked her love.
“Of course. How could I forget our beachside walk, or seeing the vastness of it while flying high overhead? I am a little hurt that you think I would ever forget one of the most romantic moments we’ve had together.”
“I’m flying over it right now. And it’s even bigger than you imagine,” Lysette said. “Endless ocean on all sides, nothing but sky all the way to the horizon above. And nothing but hundreds of miles of ocean surrounding me down below. It would make even a Celestial feel small.”
“It’s hard to believe that all of this, everything we see and feel, was created by only a couple dozen primordial deities. We– We have a very, very long way to go in our journey, love.”
“A world for humanity alone, right?”
“I think it needs to be for humans as well as all the other sacred beasts that inhabit this world. They too are intelligent. If I cannot abide unnecessarily harming the region’s flora, I should respect the beasts as well.”
“How will you do that?”
“I don’t know, Mirae. Maybe we can just adjust the parameters of the Aestori Ban. We can close up the loopholes and ensure that Celestial can never again interfere in the affairs of Aimarion. Under any circumstances. If something like that were possible, then we’d not need to fight anymore.”
“You don’t want to fight? Where’s the Lysette who screams about taking vengeance against the gods no matter what?”
“It is possible sometimes to claim victory through means other than physical violence. I was surprised by it as well, but not unhappy with the result.”
“Good, Lysette, my beloved, my betrothed.” Mirae glanced at their silvery white engagement ring. “That makes me very happy to hear.”
“I love you too, Mirae.”
“I know.”
Chapter 275: https://www.patreon.com/posts/116300509
Table of Contents: https://www.patreon.com/posts/101896170
Chapter 277: https://www.patreon.com/posts/116433121
Comments
Bielna
Well, I really like Leviat. They're probably among the most heroic characters of this story, even if they're on the side of the antagonists - fighting to protect the world and its people, doing their best to avoid hurting bystanders. Because let's be honest, the crew was attacking them and doing actual damage, and diplomatic mission or not, the Night's Reach were enemies, yet Leviat didn't actually do anything against them. And they hold strong in their beliefs, while also admitting that this is not a helpful place to fight Lysette and weaken her, thus deciding to cease hostilities and avoid any pointless damage. I suppose the line of "Repent and atone with your life" also helped me get sympathetic towards them. It speaks to me deeply, as I absolutely believe Lysette should repent and atone too. Which brings me to a point of anger - Lysette pretending that she's putting her life on the line. Just a couple days ago she was actually planning her happy retirement with Mirae in the Liminal Space, with no intention to atone with her life. I suppose she passed her Deception check - Leviat would have judged her far more harshly if they knew for all the people she has killed and plans to kill yet, she has no intent to ever sacrifice her own future and happiness. I annoys me that Lysette still finds herself excuses. I thought I'd made my peace with it after ch. 264, but Lysette bringing it back reignited my anger. "I’m trying to do better, but that doesn’t mean a damned thing to the hundreds of people who’ve already died at my hands." No. You know what would mean a thing ? Caring for their loves ones. Bowing in front of them. Giving them a guarantee that the person who committed murders will pay for it. There are a ton of things Lysette could have done to try to make it up as best she could, but she didn't care in the slightest about the people she had at her mercy and decided to slaughter, nor the families they left behind. Instead she's having dinner with her friends, getting engaged, being happy working in her small community, while the dead, those she decapitated and whose bones she broke and soul she stole are left to rot. Lysette knows the pain of loss, when she lost her family in Osstia. But rather than taking that as a lesson, she did not hesitate to inflict that upon tens of others for her own power. It's as she said four chapters ago. She’d do as she willed without consequence, and others would have to suffer whatever consequences she willed without choice. So, she can decide that her peacefully retiring from the world is perfectly fair and she in no way has to make up for the pain she has caused. Why ? Because none of her victims gets to raise as a demon to take revenge. For Osstia, Lacos died. Asterion will die. Lysette, though ? She would get to build the world she wants, be with the one she loves, pick her retirement of her own volition. As much as I'd like to see her face a bare minimum punishment, to be banished from the world, I still despise the complete absence of Justice in Aimarion, the corrupted Reciprocity of someone who has not spilled a drop of sweat to make up for the people she killed pointlessly for the sake of growing her power, and still looks forward to her future achievements and happiness, and that her Domain gleefully keeps supporting. In a way, this chapter made me realize that I really wasn't happy with the self-punishment Lysette picked for herself, even if I tried to convince myself I was. Especially when her twisted Reciprocity shows in this discussion, and when Leviat exists as a point of comparison, someone who actually cares to protect lives. Because they said they would take hundreds of lives to save millions - but they didn't actually do it. The willingness to do something when it is necessary, but the kindness to avoid any unnecessary destruction. Even when it's inconvenient, even when people are "threatening" them (though they weren't an actual threat), Leviat didn't casually brush those lives aside, didn't take the easy path and cause unnecessary death. Despite how common the idea that power corrupts is, Leviat disproves it, shows that power does not have to equal callousness and disregard for the lives of mortals, and proves that it is not power that corrupts, it is the evil in the hearts of those who grow powerful. In the end, I still don't know how the story will end. I might have taken ch. 264 as a gospel of truth, but was that right ? Lysette's path was full of changes, sometimes trying to do better, sometimes damning herself beyond forgiveness. If Omnia's system disappears, it is possible it would take away the lives of every deity, Lysette included, and any plan of retiring would be meaningless. Or she could find a way to turn all deities into mortals again, herself included, and just live the rest of her life carefree - she has never shown any desire to atone for the deaths she has caused or inflict Reciprocity upon herself, so it wouldn't be out of character. Or anything else, that was already suggested or never was, that includes punishment or not, that punishes deities for being what they are or not, remains possible. We'll see - the only thing I'm confident in is that the world at least is heading towards a good ending, a place that people like Danitha or Leviat, or Kristil if she was still alive, would be happier with.
Jessica
I guess that went as well as it could have. Interestingly it seems that Thosse is scared of what Lyse might do. But whether she really cares about the "millions that would die" or that is just a justification remains to be seen. But all in due time. For now I'm happy about the happy couple. 😊
