The Primordials: A Joyless Life (Book Two)

Chapter XVI: Divided

      After making it into the building, we all gathered in our usual private dining area and spent a couple of hours eating lunch with my parents.

      I explained to them that what happened was just a sparring match between Michael and Tymon gone wrong.

      My dad, however, was more fascinated by the chemistry between the two. He seemed to completely ignore the fact that had they not been stopped, everyone there could have died...

      "It all worked out," he had said. "Being involved with such magnificent beings comes with some risks."

      He expressed that he was more disappointed about not being invited to see the match himself.

      "That was a rare opportunity to gather real combat data from them," he conveyed.

      To make him feel better, I promised to invite him to the next sparring match any of them may have while we were home.

      "I'll hold you to that," he said as he and my mom left to attend to other matters.

      Once they were gone, we all sat quietly in the office.

      "What now," Trik asked.

      "Naomi, could you listen for Avarice and tell us what he's up to," Tymon asked.

      "I've been trying to do that for a while now, but I can't hear anything," she responded as she made a smiley face in the frost building over the glass table. "I think he's insulated his lab as a contingency for me."

      "Great. Of course, he already knows about your abilities," Tymon remarked frustratingly.

      Tymon looked at me.

      "Any ideas for stopping Avarice and his forces? What does Viraa say?"

      "Viraa doesn't intend to interfere too much, you know, with the whole time thing and all," I replied. "And I have no solid plans yet. I know we should keep Trik close at all times, though. With his new sensors, he's the only one who can detect if Avarice sends any High Gods to spy on us, even if they suppress their energy. Other than that, I haven't come up with a way to counter them or where to start an attack of our own. For now, I've just been more focused on gathering everyone."

      "Well, I've been thinking of where to begin," Tymon stated. "If we want to limit the number of casualties this war will bring, we need to start making things difficult for them...starting by getting rid of the Holders. We do that, and we'll cut their numbers drastically while also preventing unnecessary deaths. Then there are the High Gods; if we team up and do this strategically, we can take at least one out without a huge fight; if we're lucky, maybe more before the others catch on and retaliate. Then once the fighting begins, our biggest problems would be Avarice and Verin. If we can come up with a way to trap them, we can imprison them, which will help us avoid having to kill Verin and upset the balance."

      "What? Why does your plan involve killing everyone unnecessarily?" I asked, opposing his plan. "It's too soon to resort to something that drastic. Perhaps when everyone's gathered, a better plan can be found."

      Tymon shook his head in disbelief.

      "Each of Avarice's High Gods is just as powerful, if not more powerful, than Za'Fia, Michael, and myself in our hybrid forms. And that doesn't account for Verin or Avarice, who are in leagues of their own. How do you expect to beat those odds without fighting with the intent to kill?" he asked as he grew more frustrated.

      I was beginning to feel myself tremble slightly as I grew anxious. I never did like arguing. When I quickly glanced around the room, I saw Michael and Za'Fia watching me and Tymon intently while Naomi observed, looking nervous herself.