The Duke's Unwanted Wife

The fights between the gods raged on. If they met on neutral grounds, Maowry versus Uriel wouldn’t be a one sided beat down. However, Maowry’s powers were fading because Thiton and Madaline kept shattering the ancient barriers of the spirit world. Madaline also had to repair those barriers immediately so Thiton was able to get some blows in.    

    

“Why won’t you just roll over and die?! You have always been a pain in my neck and you keep making aggravating decisions that bring us to this point every single time! What is wrong with you, Madaline?”    

    

“The way you speak Thiton, makes it obvious that you are obsessed with me. That’s worrisome. I cannot let a disgusting creature disguised as a god profess his love to me that loudly. Why don’t you just die?”    

    

“You’re delusional. Your attachment to Nataroth even though you’re an ascended god just like us shows how much of a hypocrite you are!”    

    

“Coming from the person who killed me?! That’s laughable. You, of all people, are claiming to care for the other ascended gods?! I know damn well that they don’t know you’re here or your plans with Uriel. You two keep acting like you’re the only two gods in existence. It’s almost like…you want that to be the truth.”    

    

“You’ll say just anything to defend yourself, won’t you?!”    

    

“It must hurt because I’m right, Thiton. This is the spirit world. If you die here, then you get to reincarnate like me. You remember when you told me this? Now, irs your turn,” she grinned, throwing her sword. She met his saber with her hands, letting them cut through halfway. She wrapped her legs around his waist and secured that position with a barrier.    

    

“Do you know the one weapon that can weaken a god?” She smirked as he struggled to get out of that position. Her barriers prevented his shadows from reaching them.    

    

“Angel blood.”    

    

The broadsword descended from above and pierced his back. He cried out in pain, letting go of his weapon to try and remove the broadsword. As he did, more broadswords descended from the sky like rain, turning him into a pin cushion. He fell to his knees, unable to take anyone of them out.    

    

“THITON!” Uriel screamed his name. She tried to go to him but one of Maowry’s spirits sneaked up to her pelvis joint and detached her leg. She cried out in pain, hopping towards him.    

    

“I don’t know if it’s foolishness or bravery that makes you look away from a fight with me. Nevertheless, I won’t miss this opportunity to take you down.”    

    

Maowry took down the other leg but she kept crawling towards him. She found that she couldn’t continue crawling, realizing she was trapped in one of Madaline’s barriers.    

    

“You’d think they wouldn’t break in here if they weren’t confident enough,” Madaline sneered. Maowry looked at her with worry.    

    

“You’re…bleeding.”    

    

“I am fine. I am going to check on them and keep Non at bay. That’s where the real fight is at so please, look after Natalia.”    

    

“Madaline, she’s…never mind. I promise.”    

    

Madaline teleported out of the spirit world. Maowry stood in front of the barrier, looking at Nataroth. They didn’t have the heart to tell Madaline that it wasn’t Natalia any longer. They couldn’t feel her presence any longer, almost like their soul didn’t exist any more.    

    

“What do you hope to achieve from this?!” Uriel yelled at them.    

    

“We hope to make things right. You two get to pay for what you did and she fixes the world because it’s her responsibility. We have watched for long enough. I would no longer let this world be ravaged by greed and selfishness.”    

    

“You don’t get to talk about selfishness, Maowry! You’re still alive.”    

    

“Are you trying to make me feel guilty about not giving my life over to you? I hope you don’t think I’m silly enough to have emotions of guilt for such a thing. I am not as noble as my mother or as straight forward as Madaline. Just like you, I did what I had to do to survive.”    

    

“Then you don’t get to judge us!”    

    

“Judge you? I never did such a thing. Not only did you bite the hand that fed you, you created an imbalance in our universe because you wanted to become as powerful as your creator. If this does not show how insecure and greedy you are as a person, then I don’t know what else will. There is a reason Nataroth came to existence and there is a reason she allowed all of you to ascend. Don’t you understand? You’re the villain here.”    

    

When Madaline appeared in the dungeon, all the undead warriors had been defeated. The hostage Natalia brought was running loose but that wasn’t her problem at the moment. She checked on all of them to make sure they were alright before inspecting the dungeon.    

    

“What’s going on?” Marvis asked her.    

    

“I told Natalia not everything would go to plan but she asked me to trust her. She would be sad that her undead army got reduced to…this,” she gestured to the puddle. Sebastian turned to her.    

    

“So, you’re saying she’s the one who built this whole thing and brought those things here? Why would she do that?”    

    

“To contain Non, the god of death and destruction. To resurrect the gods, there are two gods she needs to keep at bay. Egerth, the god of nature and Non, the god of death and destruction. Non is a wildly unpredictable god, and he has the power to kill the original gods in their weakest points. You don’t have to fight him now that I’m here. Ironically, this is the safest place for you three. Because you are strong and have potential for ascension, you are targets for the angry, awakened original gods. I have to keep you here to keep you safe. I don’t know what she plans to do with you, Uriel’s saintess but your goddess doesn’t care about you. She also cannot save you because she has lost her legs and is trapped under my barrier. I won’t force you to choose a side. If you harbor hatred in your heart and wish for revenge, just know I won’t lie down and just take it from you. Now, let’s go.”    

    

Madaline opened the door in front of her and the dread they felt increased. Their instincts all screamed at them to run as far as they could from a surprisingly small boy. He looked like any random child one would find on the street, wearing a long black shirt. He focused his gaze on Madaline and his mouth widened into a wicked grin.    

    

“Sister. You’re alive.”    

    

“Non. You’re alive as well. I thought they managed to kill you then.”    

    

“Kill me? You and I both know she didn’t have the heart to just kill me. She sealed me here and I did live as if I was dead. But then, I felt her presence,” the boy pointed at Denitra. She looked confused, her bones rattling in fear.    

    

“I never expected you to just die and reincarnate. You even reincarnated as the thing you hate the most. It’s so…funny,” he said, cackling. He laughed until his stomach supposedly hurt.    

    

“So, where’s Uriel? I want to tear her from limb to limb and bathe in her blood,” he clenched his fist, a smile on his face.    

    

“Sorry. I got to you first. But right now, you cannot leave here.”    

    

“Why not, sister? Are you…trying to kill me too now that you’re an ascended god? Have you joined them? Have you betrayed mother?”    

    

“Of course not. It’s the first time in centuries since I’ve seen you. I just thought we could spar, like old times.”    

    

“With that weak body? I doubt you would last a second,” he scoffed.    

    

“You shouldn’t look down on me, brother,” Madaline smiled, pulling out her wings. She did so unflinchingly even though her back bled. In her hands, the wings became two broadswords with sharpened edge that glinted even without sunlight. No, they were like light sources of their own.    

    

“Very well. As your brother, it is my duty to play with you,” he smirked, waving his hand. A rapier two times his height appeared in his hands and he wielded it like it had no weight. Before they could blink, the two rushed at each other. Their first collison almost brought the dungeon to the ground.    

    

“I’m impressed. Maybe that body could even last a few hundred blows!” he laughed maniacally.    

    

“I said not to look down on me. When have I ever been weak, Non?”    

    

“True, you have never. That’s why I love you the most, Madaline.”    

    

As they clashed, the four of them had to seek refuge in another part of the dungeon. Denitra didn’t waste any time burying herself in Marvis’s arms as they ran out of there.    

    

“I thought you three said you knew the way out of here!” she yelled.    

    

“She’s our way out of here!” Marvis responded.    

    

“So, what now?!”    

    

“We find another way,” Fredrich says with conviction.