As Zareth landed, he noticed that the trees surrounding him seemed to almost move towards him. Some of the vines were starting to crawl towards him. The jungle itself was curious about what this god was.
His shadow form raised what vaguely resembled an eyebrow, brushing off the braver vines and continuing down a rough path. Plants had never been one of his strong suites or of great interest to him. Still his hands began to fidget in tension, normal jungles were not in the habit of acting like this.
The jungle began to rumble, it was clearly reacting to what Zareth did and it seemed to be communicating with itself. The bushes were shaking, the trees bending and the vines taking a greater interest into Zareth. A slight howl was heard in the distance accompanied by a larger snarl.
"Hmm." He frowned. this was just another reason Zareth had never cared for jungles or forests. They were always such moody life forms. Still at least they were never boring. Perhaps he'd have found them more interesting if he was more inclined towards the primal...
Oh let's not even go there.
From seemingly nowhere, three animalistic creatures with blades for arms came rushing through the jungle, they seemed intent on simply hacking Zareth into pieces. He noticed no detectable divinity towards them. Clearly the planet did not know who he was.
The three of them howled with bloody fury, circling him like some lost lamb.
What in the world are these?
One broke of from the group and charged Zareth while his back was turned, putting it's whole body into the attack as it lunged for him. Zareth looked down at his midsection, surprised to see the blade poking through it. Though he wasn't as surprised as his attacker as their whole body passed right through him and fell to the ground on the other side. It looked completely unharmed and healthy, except that it was dead.
"Oh my." Zareth looked up at the remaining two as they gawped at him in a mixture of fright and confusion. "Well go on then! Off with you!" Zareth chided them as if he was talking to a pair of naughty school children.
Seemingly unhindered, the other two ignored the lifeless body of their comrade and went straight for Zareth. Upon closer inspection, Zareth could easily notice a large amount of fungus growing around the heads of the creatures.
It was over in seconds and Zareth was left standing over the fallen trio. He had barely moved. "Carnivox probably would have found them more fun." he mused. It was only after it was done that he returned to his usual corporeal form, kneeling down to inspect them. They were like no living thing he'd seen before. Zareth absentmindedly picked at the fungus that grew over them, holding a piece of it up to the light.
The fungus was unlike anything Zareth had seen before. It raced in an attempt to escape and rejoin the forest, and after about ten seconds of this, turned to dust. The bodies of the fallen creatures also turned to dust around Zareth and the forest began consuming the remains. In the distance, the death god could feel a power being awoken.
Well it was as good an option as any that he had right now. Perhaps there he could get some answers. Zareth took flight, gliding through the forest faster than his small crow wings would suggest. A tiny drop of black against the green canvas. He couldn't shake the feeling of there be eyes upon him as the nearby vines rustled restlessly.
Without words, without noise, without emotions, a wolf-like creature appeared in front of Zareth. The left side of it was covered in yellow pulsating fungus, but without a doubt, it was Carnivox. He lashed out at Zareth without thinking and without remorse. The trees began to shake in approval and Zareth could feel thousands of eyes upon him now.
"Car?!... CAR!" Zareth squawked, dodging his attacks. "Car, what are you doing? What happened to you?!" The wolf went on, unabated. This didn't make sense. He had left Car just a little while ago at the court. He was fine. And the trees... what was going on here?
Carnivox did not respond as Zareth dodged his enslaught. The demigod made a suicidal rush at the god of death and made a mindless snarl.
"Car!" Zareth whirled around the air. Shouting out in his normal voice and flapping at the wolf's head, still Carnivox came at him, driven on by bloodlust. "Car, please talk to me!" Zareth called out desperately. Still no response. The vines were getting closer, encroaching in on them and leaving less and less space for Zareth to move.
Perhaps he could have done something smart to break or phase free, but his mind wasn't in that. Seeing Car like this, he was even yellow again. The pulsing puss filled growths were just the same colour as his eyes had been when they first met. When he was Despair.
I promised I wouldn't let that happen to him, promised I'd protect him.
"Car, please." Zareth called out to him, his voice almost cracking. "Stop." Carnivox didn't stop. "Please." The vines closed in. "Don't." The unseen eyes widened in anticipation. "Don't make me do it!" Carnivox widened his jaws, ready to swallow the small bird whole.
It was like Zareth exploded. Hundreds upon hundreds of black birds filled the forest. Their eyes burning like the eye of the dead king. Their beaks and talons sharp as midnight. Their feathers shimmering with the entropy. They filled the world around them. Not a swarm or a flock but like a tide, a great wave that enveloped everything in their path. Tearing apart every tree and vine in their path, gouging great scars out of the earth and throwing the mad wolf against the trunk of a mighty tree like he was a ragdoll.
The forest recoiled in shock. Its champion, first line of defense, defeated almost effortlessly. It seemed to be in pain. The fungus that was on Carn's left side then spread to the rest of the demigod and in moments, consumed him. What was at least the body of Carnivox, was now gone. Something worse shreaked out in the forest however. From a distance, it seemed as if reinforcements were being called, albeit from halfway across the world.
That wasn't him... it couldn't be him.
Zareth forced his mind to focus, to ignore the urge to run to the fallen hunter and hold him close. Even if it was a delusion, even if it was denial, he couldn't afford to believe that was Carnivox. That, for a while at least, that was the person he had allowed himself to call Son. No! He was in an enemy world now, one that wanted him gone, or worse.
Still, whatever source was against him had left enough of a sign to make itself known. Zareth may not have known whatever it was yet but he was going to find out. The shadow casting mass of feathered death turned as one and flew straight for the origin of the primal maoning.
As far as Zareth could see, a large winged beast was gatheing its strength along with at least four other signatures. It had yet to find him but if he wasn't careful, he could end up alerting all of them.
Each crow fell low, flying close to the ground and weaving in and out of trees and thickly clustered vines. They spread out, dotting out over the vast forest floor like ants. Only one of them Zareth and yet all of them were. Something that only a god could accurately describe.
It seemed to Zareth as if all of the demigods were moving as one. They were highly coordinated and despite making no sounds or obvious commands to one another, scanned the area very cleanly. Upon discovering one of the crows, a plant-like demigod Zareth had never seen before began prodding and poking at it.
The crow perched placidly taking the prods. Quiet in the knowledge that the rest of the murder was gathering around it. Perching on nearby trees and on the flesh of this new being itself. Inspecting it with beady eyes and lightly pecking an scratching at it as they tried to gather what it might be. Each acted simply, as one might expect to look at them.
Yet all the while Zareth's true mind moved between and through all of them, gathering it's thoughts and forming plans as fast as it could.
Quickly, the demigods backed off and a voice began permeating the air. It was distinctly female but forceful, as if the hopes, dreams and despairs of an entire planet were within. "Stop this madness at once. What are you, creature?"
Thousands of crows broke into an ear splitting chorus. Their high, shrill shrieks drowning out the deep voice of the forest. Their cries sounding spiteful and primal to mortal ears. More the mindless cawing of territorial beasts than anything, but behind it all was a clear intention. "Show yourself and find out." The murder took flight again, gaining height and looking for any possible sourse of the voice.
The voice echo'd out and laughed. "I can not. For I am all you see here. I am this planet, I, am Ekiruru."
Zareth was at a loss to that. They were the planet? They were the species? No... this couldn't be Eld. This was the broken realm's fever dream. But what could he do, what SHOULD he do?
"What have you done here?" He called out to the world.
The leaves rustled as a very large ent rose from the ground, clearly not the source of the voice, but something from which the creature could speak. "I have done nothing. We were merged as one, and thus we are one. This planet is one organism, I am Eld, I am Ent, I am Ekiruru. I know nothing of how this came to be, I just am. The one you destroyed was me, the ones who may destroy you now, are me and if you are not careful, you too, shall be a part of us."
"You make it sound so tempting." A crow spoke out in Zareth's voice, it's mouth making noises which should have been impossible for something with a beak. "But I find I have a finger in every pie I come across these days." Stated another. One of the crows landed on the ent's shoulder and whispered in what was passing for an ear. "No rest for thw wicked is there?"
The ent turned and whispered to the crow. " I think I recognize you now. You are the return of the god of death it defeated so long ago. But, we did not feel you break from your prison....strange. How has this come to pass?"
My prison? Well this was interesting. Did that mean there was another version of him in this world? Perhaps it had warped them all like it had once twisted Tsuronte.
Well there was one way to find out, assuming they'd fall for it.
What have I got to lose?
"Take me to the prison and I can show you." Another crow said.
The trees rustled in debate for a while, hours even. Eventually an agreement was reached and the Ent spoke again. "We have agreed. Your prison shall be shown."
In front of the ent, a massive fissure split the ground in two. The trees were shaking and the demigods watched. An amber crystal rose from the ground, still covered in molten lava. Black lightning sparked across it.
The murder's feathers all ruffled as one. Was this what waited for Zareth if he stayed here too long? Trapped like a fly in amber. They cawed and flapped their wings in frustration, giving away any unease he felt with blatant action. The lightning crackled louder as they got closer. Some pecked at the blazing hot crystal before the sparks shooed them off.
"What is this? Why is this?" They all cried out, Zareth's thoughts running rampant. He could feel something inside it... a presence. Something raging just beneath the surface. None of it felt right.
The Ent sighed. "We know little of this. It appears however, that you are not the creature held inside. It was captured by our god. Tried to rebel and was summarily destroyed like all who oppose our god will be."
Zareth felt a calling. Something inside was reaching out to him. That if he could as a whole reach inside somehow, he might be able to enter as a visitor.
----------------------
Bit by bit the murder came together, strands of entropy coming together and covering the glowing shard like tendrils. Until they could find even the faintest cracks and enter the prison. What followed went beyond the physical plain as Zareth's presence, his very being sought out that of the thing inside the ember.
"What...are you?" He echoed, reaching out.
Zareth heard a scream as he was pulled inside the prison. A cry of anguish and of desperation. The prison was pure black nothingness, Zareth knew that the voice had been alone for an untold amount of time.
"Calm! Caaalllm." He let the thought resonate though the void and into the heart of...of whatever was lurking there. He had had enough experience calming the recently dead and the souls that struggled against their natural end to say that he was an expert at this. He reached out to the consciousness, soothing, holding it. Comforting it.
"I'm here. I'm here now." It was an old routine but one that had it's purpose. From until the end of time no doubt.
"Lies! Lies! They are all gone! Alone. Just another damned projection! Alone!"
"No!" Zareth's essence cried! And for that moment it made itself clear. The two stood, simply and plainly before each other. No tricks, no illusions. With none of the metaphors or pomp and circumstance that their kind were used to adopting in fron to others. He took his true form. In all it's glory. In all it's horror. For all he was. There was Zareth, in front of his mirror self.
"I....no." Zareth's mirror self cried. "Why are you continuing this? Isn't this prison enough?" He started mumbling again. "All dead. All gone, alone. Alone."
"If they were dead; if they were gone... you'd be free. We both know that. You know why you are what you are. If you and I are the same person then the mirror was held up to us a long time ago. And if you were as strong as I am - and I'm not all that strong - then you'd have made your peace with that by now." It wasn't something a mortal mind could really comprehend but, to put it simply, Zareth moved closer to his mirror self. Stepping closer to it. "They aren't gone. You know that. Deep down."
"Imprisoned then. You know as well as I then, that I can never escape." Zareth's mirror wasn't sure if he was actually with someone now, or if he was simply seeing another delusion. But it couldn't do him any worse now.
"It doesn't matter!" Zareth screamed out, infuriated. "We are what we are! Prisons do not matter! Forms do not matter!" He circled what passed for his other self like a wolf, almost disgusted by how pathetic it was. More so because... because he had been through it himself.
"You and I! We aren't like them, we aren't gods, we aren't ideas or people given voice and form! We are life, nature, the only damn certainty! Only some things begin but ALL things end! When did you forget that? When did they? Eldarwen thought she was all life, thought she was all creation but she discriminated by what suited her aesthetic! She warped her nature and the task that she had to serve and it destroyed her! But she-"
His thoughts trailed off, overcome by the conclusion they all added up to. "Was this Eldarwen?"
The mirror laughed. "Eldarwen? She destroyed herself rather than face torture. It took everyone's power and twisted it! It wanted to ensure none of us could escape, none of us could make this prison more bearable."
He looked down and asked quietly, "What happened to Flight and Carnivox? If you are real, then you must have come from outside? What were their fates?"
Zareth began to piece the puzzle together, what had happened in this horrible world, what had happened to things that had stood against whatever had done this. He didn't know how this had happened, he didn't know what this form of himself was but it seemed genuine... and genuine things deserved the truth.
"Carnivox was... he was covered by that
fungus if something took this world then... I'm sorry but it took him. But I know he hurt it. He lived his life fighting, he'd never let anything tell him what to do, make him live a way he wouldn't want to. He's at rest now." The last part was said faintly, in mourning. A tone Zareth was all too used to. "I can't speak for Flight. I'm sorry."
"I see." The mirror Zareth spoke. "You talked about an end to all things. I think, I am ready to die as well. Could you do this?"
The two waited in silence for a long time. It might have been minutes, hours; it might have been years. In places like this, the beings like them, time was meaningless. But they could see each other. They SAW each other. For all that they were and for all that they had done and for all that had happened to them. Zareth had tried so hard, for so long, to fight against what he was and what he was made to do. In their own way he thought this version of himself had done the same. Just in a different way. He couldn't say they were right, her didn't think so looking at what had happened, but he couldn't say they were wrong either.
This was their way out. Even if he freed them from the physical prison he could never free them from what had happened. Who was he to deny them?
"As you wish."
He reached out to them, embraced them in warmth and comfort. They did not die in pain or fear. It was as if they fell asleep, like a child in their parent's embrace. They faded into something that was not life. Like sleep or peace. Not dragged or taken into it but welcomed by an inevitability that waited, oh so patiently.
"Don't worry." He soothed them. "I've seen what awaits our kind. "You'll be home soon."
Alone. Zareth was alone again. The maddened god of death was now gone. Zareth felt he could exit at any time if he wished to.
It was just like when he had embraced the voice of his creation. The promise of ascension, the idea that he could see above the pedestrian way he had viewed the world and truly know what he was and the universe around him. It was so tempting, so... words couldn't describe it! He longed to embrace it, needed to! But this wasn't his world, it wasn't his place. He needed to join the world that he had made his home and had made it's home around him.
But first he had something to finish.
----------------------
He flowed outwards, leaving the amber prison, not as a murder of crows or a great black shadow. No at first he was a thing beyond imagining as only gods can be but, eventually, he came together. Taking together his usual form. The pale, horned man, wearing an impeccable black suit with a bright silver pocket watch tucked into the breast pocket, the chain showing on the outside. Inside the jacket pocket is a tiny knife, black as night.
His eyes do not burn or glow. They aren't things that one can get lost in. But they see you, see more than you would like. Right now they are looking at the ent in front of him "What do you have to say for yourself?" He asks in a voice that sounds far younger than he - it - is.
"Are you seeking to destroy us? We would ask for you not to. It was not I who did this."
"But you are all the same person. you said so yourself. So it was you that did this." Zareth didn't WANT to destroy anything, that wasn't his purpose in the world. In fat it would defeat his purpose but this might prove the exception. Deep down; he knew it did.
Several demigods began to hop on the Ent's shoulders. They stared at Zareth. "We would prefer if we did not have to fight. It matters little because our god will simply destroy you later, but do you truly wish to kill an entire planet?"
"Entire planets die. Sometimes in pieces, sometimes as wholes. but I don't think you understand that. Do you? You say it is your god... but you're your god or your god overtook you. Tell me, did you just not trust the mortal creatures to their own devices or did you wan this, as if they were toys or tools?"
"We were combined by it. We simply exist to survive as life does. We do what we must to continue. That is true life, can you condem us for surviving?"
"And who is talking to me now? The beings or the fungus? The god or the mortal? Carnivox... the wolf headed hunter. Did he ask for what you turned him into? Did he want you to consume him?"
"We were all made as one. Those who did not wish to become part of the whole had to be assimilated by force. That was the command of our god. The one you call Carnivox had already been claimed by our god and was simply repurposed as our defender. You speak to us all now."
So he was dead, in one way or another. And he had died fighting. However morbid it was it could drag a smile onto Zareth's face. However much this other world differed from his Carnivox remained the same. That was fitting. Despite all that had happened to him across all of time and space, despite all the wisdom all others claimed... it was always Car that really knew who he was and what he wanted to be.
But what the being had said confirmed everything he had suspected.
We simply exist to survive...
"Life is never simple. Life does not exist to survive... it exists to live. You seem to have forgotten that."
"With all that has happened, it is all we can do. Please, leave us be. We have done little to harm you. This world is not your own."
True they hadn't... but in a way they had. And this world wasn't his own to lay claim to but did he owe a debt of similarity to his other self?
"What happened? What is ALL that has happened?"
"We have no answers. It wouldn't let us know. It seems some other false gods were destroyed resisting the true god."
But there was no true or false god, that was just something his kind let their egos tell them. And it denied them knowledge of things that directly involved them, not unlike others he knew. But what were these thing? They were drones, barely alive. Simply existing, breathing from one second to the other. Mortals had protested against this kind of thing for years. Euthanasia they called it.
Could he do that? It wouldn't earn him any friends here but Zareth had been so concerned with losing friends for so long. So afraid they would reject him for being what he was, for doing an unpopular task.
Perhaps it was time he took Carnivox's advice? He looked into the eyes of the things that surrounded him, looked deep into them and through them. He had a lot to decide and very little time to decide it in. At least if you viewed time as simply as mortal minds viewed it and not as death viewed it.
----------------------
Some time later a dark feathered phoenix flew over the skies of a warped Evalon. Much like the Eld Zareth had encountered, it looked more or less the same at a glance. But upon closer inspection the whole place was a stark contrast. Zareth had yet to get a good look at the various lifeforms that littered the planet surface but this was his best chance of getting out of this world, or at least finding the others.
Evalon had always proven a hub of life and activity, attracting gods and mortals in equal measure. If the others were anywhere, or the source of all this turmoil had chosen itself a lair, odds were it was here. Either way he certainly wouldn't find anything on the alternate Eld. For now, Zareth continued looking.