A Guide to Kingdom Building

Oyue's Moon, Three years ago

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Oyue stared at the world below as the blanket of night slowly covered the land. She never realized how beautiful it was to see the sun's crimson light scattered at the horizon as it finally gave its way to the moons. The experience was cathartic, even for a goddess like her. Maybe it was because she ignored this scene millennias ago and was missing it during her stay underneath the labyrinth.

She gazed over the sun setting in the horizon and her sister's moon lighting up in the sky in contrast to the darkness of the night. It was almost time for them to convene once again and speak about the terms on her stay in the surface.

Oyue hated every moment of it. She hated the idea of her, a goddess and savior of the world negotiate the terms of her existence in the sky just because her beloved siblings suddenly became insecure with her presence.

Her brooding was soon interrupted by a hissing sound behind her. She looked around and saw her brother, Apholak appeared from a portal out of thin air. His stern face peered in the portal, before he stepped out from it.

"Fair greetings, dear sister." He placed his right hand in his chest and bowed slightly. "Are you ready to convene?"

Oyue greeted back and nodded. "Yes, I am, dear brother. Let's go!"

Apholak reached out for his sister's hand as he went inside the portal. Oyue shook her head and simply entered the portal without taking her brother's hand. She entered the portal and was immediately teleported to his brother's abode.

It was a nostalgic sight to behold. The golden floors lined with glowing flames patterned in squares overlapped each other creating a hypnotic crimson glow, like a sun setting under your feet. She looked around and saw how much of his brother's abode has changed. The once bustling home filled with Yldar servants was reduced to flame constructs constantly roaming around his home.

The golden garden his brother had bragged about before was no longer there. Only a dead golden tree served as a remnant of his once lush and beautiful garden. The golden fountain that once spurted liquid gold, no longer functioned and instead it just stood there like a reminder of the glory days of the gods.

"What happened to your beautiful garden?" Oyue asked her brother.

His brother paused his stride and looked back towards her. "Things changed, Oyue. Years came and went, beauty faded along with time." He sighed.

Oyue spoke no more of it. She could feel in her brother's voice how pained he was just answering the question. She quietly followed her brother into his hall where a stern-faced Chandara waited for them tapping her fingers on the golden round table in the center of the hall.

"Finally, you've arrived." She stood up and greeted them both with a slight nod and her right hand on her chest. "Fair greetings to both of you. Can we go ahead and speed this through? I have a moon to attend to."

Oyue wasn't sure whether to be hurt by her sister's hasty and insensitive remark or just go along with it. Either way, she wasted no time and took a seat at one of her brother's long golden chair. Her other siblings did the same and now, the three of them locked eyes on the table.

There was an eerie silence in the air, like a storm was brewing and about to land. Oyue wasn't sure what the discussion would be all about, after all, she was still confused on how her beloved sister acted towards her days prior. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she was too hesitant to ask.

Her siblings aura leaked from them like a small spring breaking a rock. Instead of an intimate reunion, it became more of a high-stake staring match were the parties are too hesitant to budge in fear of losing the game. Somehow, someone has to give way for them to start, and Oyue took it upon herself to open up first.

"Dearest siblings, what is the reason for this meeting?" She began. "I have just barely resurfaced from the labyrinth, and I have already gotten the notion that you do not want my existence in the surface."

"It's not that we want to keep you down there," Apholak sighed. "It's just—"

"It's just you're ruining the order of which we have built." Chandara interjected.

"W-what do you mean?" Oyue asked. "I-I…"

"It was because of you that the Age of Wonder was created. The ley lines that changed the physiology of every being on the planet and created the advent of magic became a problematic time for us. Wars, famines, monsters they all came out of that selfish mistake you did!"

"Selfish?!" Oyue tried to calm herself down by taking a deep breath. "How is it selfish saving you?"

"That was your problem," Chandara looked at her in the eyes. "You're too merciful. You should've done the right thing, and this wouldn't have happened. I would've done it differently if I—"

"I can't lose any of you anymore!" Oyue interrupted. "I saved you because you have to live. This world needs us to balance it! I cannot afford to lose any of you."

"And yet you afforded to stay under the ground sleeping and conniving with some Yldars to destroy the very world you have sworn to protect!" Chandara hit the table with her fist. "I was there, sister! I was there when our creations birthed their own creations. I was there when they discovered and used magic. I was there when they tried to kill each other! I was—"

"I gave them magic to help them defend themselves against the remnants of the Crawling Darkness!" Oyue raised her voice. "I cannot stand them being eaten by those—"

"Those monsters that you created!" Her sister pointed her finger at her. "The monsters you spat out from your mouth when you bit the Crawling Darkness!"

"I was trying to save—" Oyue insisted.

"You weren't saving anyone with your actions!" Chandara said. "That's why I never dared and spoke to you all these years it's because this world's suffering, was something you have caused! You're ruining our father's legacy!"

Oyue screamed and flipped the table away from them. "You take that back! I loved our father as much as you did, and I have never done anything to spoil his legacy! I am trying to--"

"Save our father's legacy? With what, sister? With your champions? Wakan? Haeberion? Or this other worlder?! You best not intervene! You have already caused too much suffering! I cannot afford to let you do any more of it! That's why I want you to go back to that labyrinth and sleep for all eternity!"

Chandara's words poignantly pierced Oyue's pride and character. It pained her to see how her beloved sister was treating her as if she was the problem. She only wanted to help her and save her from the Crawling Darkness that almost took her life. She looked at Apholak who calmly listened to them while sitting still on his chair. Her brother's eyes portrayed no emotion, and it made her felt uneasy looking at him.

She got her attention back to her sister. Who angrily stood up from her chair, sizing her up. Her sister wanted to prove her point through a grueling battle.  It was clear from the get-go that Chandara was prepared for a fight—Oyue wasn't. But she was willing to butt heads with her if that was necessary to get her sister to wake up from her trance.

"What if I won't?" Oyue asked.

Chandara's armor began to wrap around her body and her spear began to appear. "I am afraid I have to—"

"ENOUGH!" Apholak's booming voice shook the halls.

Both goddesses were surprised by their brother's sudden outburst. They took a step back trying to control their own anger from bursting.

"I thought it was a good idea to talk this out." Apholak sighed as he stood up from his chair. "But now it's clear to me that this was a mistake." He clicked his tongue all the while raising his hand and commanding the golden table to go back into previous position.

"I would have rather made you talk to settle your animosity, but that is something both of you could never do." He turned to Oyue and met her eyes with his. "Dear sister, I am afraid Chandara has a point. Your constant intervention towards these beings has caused a lot of problems in the past. I am afraid I cannot let you do that any longer."

"W-what do you mean, brother?" Oyue asked.

"You can no longer interact with the beings below. If you would like to keep you place in the sky, I would like to request that you no longer contact your chosen beings."

"But they need—" She stuttered.

"They just have to make do." He sighed. "I am sorry, little sister. Chandara and I have made an agreement after the end of the Age of Wonder to no longer interfere with the businesses of these mortals. To avoid the cataclysm that happened during the Yldar's wake. If you won't agree with it, I swear on our father's legacy, that I shall personally send you back to labyrinth or worse." Apholak slowly unleashed his weapon, their father's spear for Oyue to see.

Although she cannot agree with his brother's decision, Oyue was far too weak against his brother and the spear. She silently nodded as she repressed her frustration from showing.

"I am glad that you agreed." Apholak smiled and tapped the spear three times on the ground. "Very well, we are adjourned. Good night, dear sister." He bowed and snapped his fingers to summon a portal for her.