Rise of the Godking

Daneel couldn't believe his ears. He staggered to his feet and took a step back, trying to believe that he hadn't heard correctly while the last words of the dwarf king still echoed in his mind, making his face go wan as he went closer to the man so that he could tell him to stop joking.

As soon as he neared the giant enough to touch him, though, he suddenly saw that something was wrong. Caught up in everything that had been happening, he hadn't really observed his brother except to see that he seemed well on the surface, and now, he cursed himself due to this negligence.

From just a few feet away, the man might look normal, but once anyone went close, they would clearly be able to see that his skin was as shrunken and dry as paper. It was unnatural; it almost seemed as if it would fall out at any second, and at the moment, it was simply holding onto the semblance of something belonging to a human.

It was the same throughout his body. At some spots, the skin had even gone translucent so that his withered bones beneath could be seen, resulting in a bizarre sight that made Daneel suck in a sharp breath of air. His eyes ranged over his brother's body and all the devastation that could be seen writ upon it; in a few seconds, he wondered how the man was even holding himself upright, and with a hopeless shrug, the giant gave him the answer.

"We've been hanging on just so that you can have your answers, and we can say goodbye to all those we have changed. That old man warned me about affection, saying that they would only pull one down… but we just couldn't stop ourselves from seeing all those that we transformed as our children, connected to us by a bond stronger than even blood. And we know that we seem crazy because we keep calling ourselves in this manner… but that is an affectation that we picked up to retain our sanity in this long journey so far. If you do choose the path of a Glutton, beware of the effects it has on one's mind and body. Using a constant stream of power, we were able to keep most of the effects of old age at bay… but there is only so much that someone born into a place like this can do. We have heard that it is different for the people in the Mainland; even if they are born unlucky, they have many ways to cleanse the body and make themselves perfect for cultivation. Do not worry… we have no regrets. We just wished to see this day… and thanks to you, our wish has been fulfilled. We have worried too much about who would take care of our children after we passed… but now that they have you, we can pass into the valley beyond without fretting at all. Please… call them over."

[Responding to host. Scan complete. Healing impossible due to the status of target's mind and heart. Both are extremely taxed, and have begun the process of giving up.]

It was true that they had only met barely a few months ago, and that too on terms that hadn't really been friendly. The man had even hidden things from him, and anyway he saw it, he knew that he should not feel too much of a connection… but as always, his heart did as it wished, and here, it had attached himself to that bond that he treasured so much.

He missed his real brothers, and the dwarf king had taken their place. Both of his them were on the Mainland, somewhere… but he had no idea when he would find them. Until then, he had believed that this family he had built would remain… but alas, a large piece of it was going to fall away already.

Wiping away the tears, he reached the town and ordered the first dwarf he found to collect everyone in the city, and bring them to where he was. Every dwarf that arrived after that was sent back with even more urgent of a summons, and soon, hundreds of them were milling at his feet, with the children pushing through to come the closest so that they could get a few pats.

Daneel abided by their wishes absentmindedly, not knowing what to think with the grief filling his mind like wool. When the steward arrived, he just took a single look at Daneel's face and shook with sorrow, and right away, it was obvious that he knew what was going to happen.

The man didn't say anything, though. They waited as more and more dwarves gathered, and after thirty minutes, when the steward assured him that all those alive, even those who had been injured severely in the battle just now had come, he set off in the direction of the king.

Questions filled the air about where they were going, what they were going to do, how their father was. Those of that last sort made Daneel's throat clog up almost as if it was about to choke, and without giving an answer, he just marched on.

When they all walked past the invisible barrier around the town, everyone gasped. There was just enough place beyond for them all to fit, and as they laid their eyes on the giant who stood tall, now, at the very edge, some shuddered, as if already anticipating what was to come.

When the dwarf king turned around, though, he had a smile on his face. It was a heartbreaking one, as his eyes were filled with sadness and the pain of parting, and instantly, many of the children burst into tears even though it was probable that they didn't understand why.

Chuckling, the man raised his hands and gestured at them to come closer. They ran, falling over one another but not stopping on the way as they spilled into his embrace, all of them managing to hug some part of him as he made soothing noises deep in his throat. As Daneel watched, he could tell that although some that touched his skin recoiled at first, startled due to how peculiar it was, but then, the tears resumed anew and they hugged all the harder.

The steward was the one who finally herded them back, and then, it was the turn of the soldiers, the workers, and all the rest in the city, many of whom Daneel was seeing for the first time. Their sorrow wasn't any lesser or greater than that of the children; they only showed it in different ways: in the way that they looked at his face as if they wanted to imprint it in their minds, in the way that they clasped their hands so tightly that the veins bulged, in the way that their faces hardened, and their eyes swam with tears that were quickly hidden away.

The king embraced them all equally, patiently taking care to not ignore even one of his children. The oldest went last. They included the steward, and the three dwarves who had controlled those formations in the cave below.

He whispered something to them, and although Daneel could have easily heard what he was saying using the system, he didn't even think of doing so. They repeatedly glanced at him as they talked, and when they were done, the giant got to his feet once more and addressed everyone.

"Children. We don't know whether we've have been a good father… but we've always tried to do the best we could. Each and every one of you have made us proud in more ways than you can imagine. You have all guessed it; we will be leaving you, now. We know that we cannot ask you to not grieve for me; in fact, it makes us happy that we are so loved that tears will be shed in our memory. All we ask is that you remember us by all those times when we laughed with you, feasted with you, sang with you, danced with you…and almost brought the ceiling of the city down on us. Still… weren't we a good dancer?"

A murmur of assent rose up among the dwarves, as many were still too distraught to talk.

"We die with almost no worries as the dream we have dreamt for the longest time has been fulfilled. There is just one other thing… we always wished that we could have seen Graiton grow into a proper city. We will be watching… and we hope it happens. A city where everyone can walk with their heads held high, proud of their vocation, proud of their heritage, proud of their home. It is said the dead cannot take anything with them. But with us, we take all of your love. With us gone… always look to my brother if you need anything. From here on, he is your father. He is your king. It… is time. Steward… please take them away."

Almost all of them wailed their disagreement, wanting to stay, but the king was strict. The steward herded them forward for one last hug, and then, it really was time to go.

They kept turning back, eyes not wanting to leave the one entrenched in their hearts forever. But one by one, they followed his command and stepped into the dome around the town, disappearing from view.

At the end, only Daneel and the king remained. He still stood on his feet, grand and imposing, unwilling to bend down to the fate that awaited him. He turned to look to the horizon, again, where the sun had almost sunk completely. Daneel strode forward to stand beside him, and in a low voice that still rumbled, the king said, "And so it ends. The sun sets over the land and over our life… but what awaits after? It is time to find out. Fare you well, brother. Fare you well, King. I could not have asked for anyone more worthy of the title. Fare you well."

And just like that, the man stopped breathing. Daneel's eyes were fixed on him, so he saw his chest suddenly fall still, and his skin begin to flake away, as if the will that had been holding it until now had disappeared. He refused to cry even though the tears struggled up to his eyes; it was obvious that the giant had wanted to die as he had lived, so giving him the dignity that he deserved, Daneel watched as only a bony skeleton remained soon, which also crumbled into a heap with the gigantic skull sitting on top, still facing the Mainland.

He didn't know for how long he stood there. He just kept looking into those sunken hollows, replaying every memory that he had with the man, and with each second, the doubts that he had had before were resolved.

He knew what he had to do now. In fact, he had known it even then, but it hadn't been as clear… so he repeated his aims to himself, setting them in stone and knowing that he would make them happen.

'He wanted to see a city rise here. I will make it happen. No Graitonian will ever be enslaved, or controlled. I shall make your dreams mine, brother. Rest easy. Rest well. For this will happen… and I will grieve fully only after it does.'

With that, he walked away, his steps as confident as ever, his head upraised, his eyes on the future only he could see.