Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 4

In a Jealous Rage

"I think we all have a few questions that need answering."

They all sat in a circle surrounding Lord Celex sitting in the middle. Over the past few months his human face had become something of a norm, older but well aged, framed by a well maintained halo of technicolored hair and a neatly trimmed short beard. Sometimes Adam found it hard to reconcile that with the fuzzy little ball of fur he had once held peace talks with. Had he known then what ht knew now, maybe he wouldn't have found the fuzzy little creatures so amusing.

WHen they had first met the celex, the fluffy little aliens had been no more than a joke, and celex himself hadn't exactly put the fear of god into anyone. To a human he was nothing more than a plush toy with a brain, but the more Adam was learning about celex, the more questionable things seemed to be.

"I don't remember it if that's what you are asking." he said, crossing his arms over his chest." In this form, the deeply tanned skin of his forearms were lined with muscle and the occasional wiery vein. When he blinked his very inhuman eyes glittered. At this moment it wasn't hard to remember what the man was currently capable of.

All around them, the others shifted nervously, all except for Sunny who had nerves of steel. She stood just to Adam's side, feet planted and both sets of arms crossed over her chest. WIth his ability now to telepathically connect with others, Adam knew that there was some measure of resentment in Sunny, for what pregnancy did to her. She prided herself on her aggression and warlike nature, and was struggling not to overcompensate for its temporary loss, though no one else was likely to notice. On his other side, Krill floated in a similar posture simply to used to stupid and strange revelations to care.

On his other side Maverick looked almost relieved.

It seemed as if she wasn't the only one with a sordid Maker past.

Adam, Ramriez, Nairobi and Katie found this all to be a little bit more questionable.

"How do you not remember, you're a maker again.

Celex shrugged, "I haven't been to revelation yet."

They waited for a better answer.

He rubbed his beard thoughtfully for a moment, "I have this feeling that, if I got there I will remember everything."

"Than why haven't you gone/" Nairobi asked, hands resting on the hips of her grease stained jumpsuit.

Celex paused staring down at his hands for a long moment before looking up, "Would you if you were me?" There was a long silence, "We don't know how any of this works. We don't know if we will be punished for our actions, perhaps we will, and if that is the case perhaps I am afraid to go back because I don't know what is waiting for me." It was a strange moment to see the man admit to being afraid of anything. In life he never would have done so, but his experience with Kazna and Kelly had really changed him. It seemed to be for the better, but sometimes, that was hard to tell, "And then if what kazna said is true, I have not always been an ally of yours or even of the maker. It seems I have consistently made the wrong moral decision for most of my life and undeath." His voice was thoughtful but not necessarily regretful. In any other situation he was not usually a man to shy away from the things he's done."

"Remind me again what exactly it is he did?" Nairobi asked

"Supposedly he-"

" started a secondary rebellion against the architect in order to claim his throne."

There was silence around the room until Ramirez popped upm "You got some big brass ones on you."

Celex gave a grim smile, "Not only that but I did blow up a planet during my lifetime.... I can't imagine that that is particularly laudable by maker standards."