>>5316255You take a deep breath, and steady yourself for the more imposing and hostile of the two deities. You have questions for Punishment Incarnate, too.
“Lord Persecutor, what do you mean by purifying myself? Are there other ways to atone myself, besides… Killing the worm-woman?”
>WEAKNESS. You lack DEDICATION.You wait, nervously.
>…YES, I can help you purge your impurities—the mammalian taint of your grandfather.“Or his Reptilian three-quarters!” the Mother shoots back. “Why don’t you tell him how—”
>It is YOUR turn to be silent, WENCH!>I can remove your <appetite>, which has led you astray. I can give you clarity, strength… And as you cleanse your mind and soul, I can strengthen your body, and help you become the DRAGON your mother wanted you to be.“And yet she did not integrate the Green Dragon’s bloodline into him,” the Mother idly interjects.
>Out of LOYALTY and RESPONSIBILITY.“Maybe she just valued the unique perspective her partial-humanity gave her?” the Mother speculates, not without a smug satisfaction.
>She is ACTIVELY promoting our enemies, Boy! Listen to her! ABHORRENT!“You have surely noticed that you think and feel differently than your pure-blooded counterparts, though, haven’t you?”
You contemplate the Goddess’ words, but the Persecutor hastily interjects:
>I can FIX that, if you join me. I can teach you the TRUE way, of objective FACTS without such… FEELINGS.“Is all this elated to the ‘trails’ you both speak of?” you ask. “What was this trial my mother failed to pass?”
Both deities are quiet for a time.
“Each of us had a bet,” the Mother begins.
>We wagered how your Mother would choose to live… And to DIE.“I won,” the Mother of Dragons says smugly.
>WE won.“The Serpent and Beholder lost,” the Lady compromises.
>And Death, that self-satisfied, fat-bellied TRAITOR.“Yes,” the Mother sighs happily, in a rare moment of accord.
“What WAS the trial, though?” you ask, almost DEMAND.
Neither Dark God answers. They almost seem… Afraid to do so?
>We had an AGREEMENT.“We had a pact,” the Queen of Queens corrects the Judge of Judges. “It is more important, more BINDING.”
>We cannot say.“No,” the Mother concurs.
“But it killed my mother,” you reason.
“Yes.”
>Yes.“It was a good death,” the Mother says. “She bore you, and her time was done.”
>It was… DISAPPOINTING. But not unexpected. Purity won out over the impure… Even the BEST of the impure.You sense that neither will elaborate, and you relent. You have no leverage to press further.
“I am sorry,” you say instead. “I appreciate the guidance… But I cannot honestly and fully commit my soul to either of you.”
>HA! He is no creature of yours, Whore-Queen!“Nor your Antipaladin, Grandfather of Dusty and Ill-Remembered Legal Scrolls.”
>ENOUGH. This exercise was pointless.“You say that because I am winning.”
