Serpentlord (Rise To Omniscience Book 9), page 2
His insides were destroyed, his core on the verge of collapse. Octagon knew he was dying, yet his stubborn will would not allow him to give up. Not yet.
“You might once have been the most powerful beast on the continent,” the girl said, staring down at him with her horrific mismatched eyes. “But the world has changed in the time you’ve been asleep.”
Octagon threw his right arm up, trying to rip the woman’s head from her shoulders. But when his arm reached her head, he hit only empty air. Octagon didn’t understand what had happened as he stared at the stump of his right arm. The thud of the severed limb hitting the ground barely registered as he toppled forward, his vision already beginning to fade.
There, on the frozen ground, where he had once claimed dominance over this land and claimed it as his own, Octagon the Bitter, Pinnacle King of Winter, met his end.
1
Morgan’s eyes flicked open, his mind coming alert instantly. The fogginess of sleep hadn’t lingered for a while now, but could he truly call the half-wakefulness he now experienced sleep? Morgan wasn’t so sure. Ever since his advancement to the Pinnacle of power, he didn’t sleep. Instead, his mind entered a sort of suspended animation, one in which he was still aware of the world around him yet allowed his brain to relax.
The strangest part of it all was that a part of his consciousness seemed to drift out of his body and hovered over him. This meant that he could see himself as he slept and experienced the odd sensation at the same time. It was disconcerting in a way but also oddly comforting.
Sleep was when one was most vulnerable, and now, no one would ever be able to sneak up on him.
He looked over to a spot in the bed that had remained vacant for over two years. There was still that small part of him, the one that was still very much human, that was afraid it would be empty. It was an irrational fear, seeing as he’d seen the room all night and knew she was there. Still, fear was, by its very nature, an irrational thing.
Morgan worried for nothing, and his small spike of fear abated when he saw Sarah’s bare back facing him.
He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he watched her shoulders rising and falling in time with her breathing. It was hard to believe she was really back. Even after the entire week they’d spent together, he still couldn’t believe it.
He reached out, his fingers tracing down her spine, moving out and over the strange symbol now stamped onto her skin. The black ink-like substance had simply been there when she’d returned, and no amount of scrubbing or washing had removed it. Still, it didn’t seem to be hurting her, so they’d just accepted that it was now a part of her and moved on.
Sarah stirred at his touch, leaning her head back and peering at him through one cracked eye still heavy with sleep.
“What time is it?” she asked, staring at him blearily.
“Just past dawn,” Morgan replied. “You can go back to sleep if you’d like.”
In response, Sarah rolled over, facing him now. She blinked several times, her eyes – one red and the other green – opening fully. The absorption of the Divine Essence had changed several things about her, like the color of her eyes and the strange symbol on her back. But other than the few physical changes of aging, Sarah looked much the same.
She still had the same beautiful smile, her long red hair, and although her body was far more athletic and less curvaceous than it had been before her demise, neither of them minded very much. The biggest change, though, came in her personality.
Despite what Morgan might have thought about her mental state, Sarah seemed to have matured quite a bit, despite not really being around to experience that growth. The blending of the Divine Essence with her very human body seemed to have tempered her old temper. She was calmer now, less demanding and pushy. More than that, her skills and abilities had been changed, and her very soul seemed to reflect that.
“I’ve been asleep for long enough,” she replied, leaning in and kissing him.
Warmth flooded Morgan’s body as their lips met, the thrill of being able to share these intimate times with the woman he loved not diminishing in the slightest, no matter how many times these moments happened.
“We can’t stay here forever, you know,” Morgan said, pulling back. “We’ve been away from Faeland ever since you’ve come back. They’re going to need us…”
Sarah silenced him by kissing him again, her fingers teasing through his hair as she did.
“I know,” she whispered as she pulled back, her mismatched eyes locked onto his. “But I just want you all to myself, if only for a bit longer.”
“I know what you mean,” Morgan replied as she snuggled closer to him, still playing with his hair. “Honestly, having responsibilities sucks.”
Sarah snorted out a laugh, pressing her nose into his cheek and kissing him again. Once, Morgan might have been aggravated by the excessive shows of affection and constant physical contact, but now, he wouldn’t give it up for anything. He was happy, truly happy, for the first time in years.
Yes, there was a war starting in Faeland and the threat of the World Beasts was growing by the day as they battled with one another. Yes, he was needed back on the continent to help with the war effort, but for now, they could manage without him, even if just for another day.
“You need a haircut,” Sarah said, interrupting his thoughts.
“Grace normally does that for me,” Morgan said, thinking of his student, the girl he’d come to regard as family.
“I can’t wait to meet her in person,” Sarah said. “Do you think she’ll like me?”
Seeing as Sarah had been inside the Silverspear, she knew of everyone who’d been around Morgan. It was why he hadn’t needed to bring her up to speed with what was happening in the world. But although Sarah knew of Grace and had seen her through the veil of the spear, Grace had never actually met her.
“I don’t know,” Morgan said honestly. “She can get a bit jealous of people who take up my time.”
Now that he’d advanced, so many things that had been previously hidden were now blatantly obvious. He knew that Grace’s feelings for him were complicated, mixed up between her body and mind. She was going through puberty, so while her mind told her one thing, her body tried to tell her another. He was glad Lumia was around to help and guide her, as going through something like that alone would be horrible.
He wished he could be around more for her, but they would likely spend very little time together until this war was over.
“She is adorable,” Sarah said. “I hope she likes me. How do you think Katherine is taking it?”
Seeing as the two of them were currently staying in one of the guest wings of Pinnaclefall castle, it had been fairly easy to send Katherine a message. She was currently in Faeland, along with Le’vine and Beatrice, the leaders of the South and East Kingdoms. Hu Kiln, King of the West, was currently shoring up their own defenses, taking charge of the Five Kingdoms while their leaders were away.
The traitor, Herald, was still nowhere to be found, though the borders of the Central Kingdom were still shut tight.
“I don’t know,” Morgan replied, his mind going to the Queen of the North.
His relationship with Katherine was strange. Even now, his feelings for her were as real as the ones he felt for Sarah. In their time apart, he’d been tempted, several times, to give in, to try and be happy with Katherine. It had been extremely difficult to fight against those feelings, especially when he was in her presence, when he hadn’t known when or if Sarah would ever return.
Once, long ago, Katherine had offered to share Morgan with Sarah if he married her. But Morgan had ever only wanted a relationship with a single person. The very idea of attempting to marry two women repulsed him simply because it wasn’t right to either of them.
Katherine could and would find someone other than him. He knew that Sarah’s return would hurt her, which was one of the reasons he’d remained back here as long as he had, but she would eventually get over him, or so he hoped.
Sarah continued to play with his hair, the two of them not speaking and simply enjoying being in one another’s company as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. Only when sunlight streamed in through the window did Sarah finally untangle herself from him, placing one last kiss on his cheek and getting out of bed.
“I think I’ll take a bath,” she said, stretching her arms high overhead and giving Morgan a very good view of her lithe figure from behind.
Morgan watched her go, walking across their room and heading into the attached bath area, finally cutting her off from sight. The sound of running water reached him a moment later, and Morgan leaned back in the bed, thinking of Sarah’s fight with Octagon the night before.
She had insisted on going to face him, and although his first instinct had been to refuse, his better judgment had told him it needed to be done.
What Octagon had done to her had been horrible, and she’d needed to face the monster who’d killed her or be forever haunted by him. Morgan had needed it as well. It was important for him to see how strong she’d become. He’d needed to see that she was strong enough to protect herself, despite what had happened.
Sarah was wholly unique, especially after absorbing the Divine Essence that brought her back to life. The very nature of her power had changed, and after absorbing Octagon’s core, it had settled, giving her a new skill that would ensure she could better protect herself and others. Sarah was far from weak, and peeking at her status, Morgan could clearly see why.
Name: Sarah
Divine Advanced Mage: Rank - 65
Energy to Next Rank - 0/250,000,000
Ability - Divine Element: Water
MP - 12,950/12,950 (Regen - 138.3 per second)
Strength - 812
Agility - 744
Constitution - 1,007
Intelligence - 1,295
Wisdom - 1,383
Skills - Bloodbath, Great Storm, Blood Essence, Ice Armor, Construct, Freezing Lance
Traits - Divine Body, Godly Essence, True Sight
Divine - Horde Creation, Ice Age (Catastrophe), Trueblood
She had taken on a portion of the goddess Sarah’s divine power, giving her more control over her original ability than humanly possible. She’d also taken on some of the god’s traits and abilities, giving her powerful skills and a way of recovering from wounds, much like Morgan’s. She was now at the Advanced stage as well, which meant she was just a single step down from reaching the Pinnacle.
Her fight with Octagon had demonstrated her might and how strong she was compared to back then.
Sarah peeked out from behind the wall, her lips pulled up in a smirk, as though she were able to tell that he was peeking at her status.
“Well?” she asked. “Are you coming to join me?”
Morgan was out of bed in a flash. An invitation like that was not one that he was going to turn down.
2
“You never realize how much you’re going to miss the taste of food until you’re dead,” Sarah said, clearly relishing the taste of the fluffy pancakes as she took another bite.
“I honestly think you’re the first person to say that,” Morgan replied with a half-smile as he watched her eat.
The two of them had just finished bathing not ten minutes ago and were both dressed in fluffy robes. A towel was wrapped around Sarah’s hair, while his own hung damp and loose. Sarah would be cutting it once they were done eating, and after they got dressed, the two of them would be heading into the wilderness near the ruins of City Fifteen to enjoy a quiet day together.
It was still quite cold in the North, but seeing as cold didn’t bother either of them anymore, they wouldn’t mind.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
Morgan was snapped from his thoughts as Sarah pointed to his plate, which he had barely touched.
“Yeah,” he replied, picking up his fork and taking a bite.
The food was delicious, of course, though the need to eat and drink was now a thing of the past. Honestly, at this point, food would be consumed simply for pleasure rather than any need to sustain himself. With his new and improved body, he could pull energy from the world around him to keep himself going. The very air, rich with life, was more than enough.
Now, more than ever, he desperately wished for someone to talk to about this. Someone like Dabu, or perhaps his mother, Gwendolyn. When he thought about it, his life had been nothing but fighting, misery, and death. He had lost so much, and now, going into yet another war, there was the opportunity for even more loss.
“Something’s bothering you.”
Morgan looked up as Sarah placed one of her hands over his.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” he said.
“But you are worrying,” she said, placing her fork on her plate. “Tell me.”
Morgan let out a long sigh – he hadn’t wanted to bother her with this.
“It’s the war,” Morgan said. “I’m worried that the fighting will never end. It honestly seems like my life has been hopping from fight to fight, killing and destroying everyone in my path. How many people have I killed, and how many more will I have to kill before this is all over? Once, fighting was all I wanted. I lived it, breathed it. Fighting was my entire reason for existing. But now…”
“Now you have more to live for,” Sarah said, her voice quiet.
He nodded, looking down to his hands that had taken the lives of countless people and beasts.
“The gnomes, trolls, and cultists of Strangler, led by Shedra, are going to try and overthrow the leadership of Faeland. At the same time, four World Beasts fight over something I can’t see. There are now, at the very least, three godlike beings who want to see me dead, not to mention the fact that the literal creator of the universe has tasked me with destroying them. It’s just too much for one person to bear.”
Morgan felt Sarah’s fingers curl around his.
“Come on,” she said, standing up and pulling him to his feet. “I’m going to cut your hair now.”
Morgan raised an eyebrow, but Sarah didn’t say anything else, pulling him back into the bathroom and pushing him down to sit in one of the swiveling chairs lining the walls. She pulled a sheet from the side of the bath, draping it across his shoulders, then filled a bucket with warm water and brought it over.
“I want you to close your eyes,” Sarah said as she moved behind him.
Though Morgan still felt all twisted up inside, he did as she asked, trusting that there was a reason for this. Sarah was no longer the impulsive, quick-tempered girl she had been before her death. Even the way she spoke was more subdued, less demanding and more understanding.
Morgan heard the splash of water, and a moment later, felt warmth trickling down his scalp as Sarah began running her fingers through his hair.
“Do you remember the first time I did this for you?” she asked, her voice low and warm.
Morgan’s lips quirked up in a half-smile. Of course he did.
“It was back when we were still running from your father,” he replied. “I tried to fly over the border wall and into the East Kingdom. I was badly injured, and you dragged me back to an inn. I remember having an argument with you about it.”
“I was quite the spoiled brat back then, wasn’t I?” Sarah mused with a chuckle.
Morgan didn’t agree, though he didn’t disagree either.
Sarah’s fingers probed at his scalp, digging deep into the skin and pushing at his literal metal skull beneath. This felt wonderful. She was strong enough to work his toughened skin, which wasn’t something most people could accomplish. After all, his advancement had pretty much turned him into a walking impossibility.
He had skin tougher than the strongest magesteel, muscles infused with reiki and woven with adamantine fibers, and bones made of metal. Feeling sensations such as these should be impossible, but with her not-inconsiderate Strength, Sarah had little trouble working him over.
“Can you believe it’s been nearly five years since we left on our adventure?” Sarah asked as her fingernails scratched over his scalp.
“Has it really?” Morgan said as his muscles began to relax under her ministration.
“Very nearly,” Sarah said, her fingers tracing down to the base of his skull and her thumbs digging in just the right spot. “I can still remember our first meeting, when you fought off a group of urchins for a piece of moldy bread.”
It was hard to think about his former life and even harder still to realize how pitiful he had once been.
“What I’m saying,” Sarah said, pushing into his neck and sliding her thumbs down to his shoulders, “is that life isn’t ever what we imagine it to be. Once, I asked you to leave with me, but you stayed after you were given the opportunity to reclaim your emotions. Because of that – because of me – we stayed.
“You’ve sacrificed so much of your life, not only to help others, but to help me specifically. Hell, you spent years trying to bring me back, and for that, I am extremely grateful.”
“But?” Morgan asked.
“There is no but,” Sarah replied. “You spent so much of your life for me. I only hope that I can return the endless kindness and love you have shown me. And I hope you know that you don’t need to worry about speaking to me about your troubles. You don’t need to be alone.”
Morgan felt the same warmth he had before as the last of the tension left his body.
“Will you marry me?” he asked.
The question just slipped out, without him meaning to ask it. His eyes snapped open, and he quickly turned his head, wondering if he’d just made a huge mistake in not preparing more. But Sarah’s grin, which spread from ear to ear, told him he had nothing to worry about.
“Do you even have to ask?” she replied.
“I do,” Morgan said, feeling a sense of pure elation.
