The Thousand-Eyed Crow (#Wattys2020)

Chapter 7 (The Project Hall)

As far as the eye could see, the space was dark, illuminated only by the glow from what looked to be an infinite number of bright, white orbs. From above, the parallels between the endless hall and the night sky were uncanny; but the orbs did not move, instead remaining suspended in mid-air, unlike the stars in the sky that hurtled through space-time at speeds unfathomable and imperceptible to the human eye. Over each orb stood a statuesque figure peering down with unshakable focus. The entirety of the area was silent aside from the rhythmic clack clack clack clack clack clack of several footsteps on the inky black tiles below. As the figure approached, the crow god made no acknowledgement of its presence.

"You have made great improvements in your technique since last time," came the guttural click that was its voice as the creature paused next to Thronakkhar, admiring its work. "I was skeptical, but those hideous little 'humans' as you call them have outdone themselves. Not only have you been able to get them to destroy their own planet by their own devices, your way of bypassing the rule of not manifesting physically is quite creative."

The laugh that came from the creature's throat sounded like a malfunctioning laser, punctuated by a loud scratching noise that sounded like metal being drawn across slate. Some of Thronakkhar's eyes moved, training themselves on the creature that stood next to it, one of its yellow eyes making contact with the creature's small purple ones. The creature looked something like a boneless mass of sludge, its only limbs comprised of hundreds of hooves that clacked on the floor. Despite being mostly shapeless, its head seemed to extend from the rest of their body, its neck freakishly long and its head oblong, with a very pointed chin and jaw and spikes protruding from the back of its head. When it spoke, its long, serpentine tongue clicked against its misshapen, crooked teeth.

"Master Hrukhthar..." Thronakkhar replied humbly, closing all of its eyes. "It is my greatest honor to continue the sacred tradition of our race... To retain the order of chaos in the universe... Even if I should not be victorious in this cycle, I am pleased to know you think highly of my work."

"Open your eyes. There is no need for humility. I know some of your peers have opted for more peaceful utopias, but it is so difficult to cause chaos when everyone gets along... It is as if they entirely misunderstood the assignment... How sad they had to be vaporized, is it not? I feared your world was going in that direction as well, but you redeemed yourself when you used that false sense of peace to your advantage. Your work will change how we go about creating worlds, it is... revolutionary..." Hrukhthar continued, stroking the orb as the light illuminated it and vastly exaggerated its features.

Thronakkhar folded its thousands of wings and bowed deeply. Hrukhthar laughed its bizarre laugh again, the slime from its body sloughing off all over the floor and following it as it moved away from Thronakkhar, muttering about how the crow god had earned another cycle of not being vaporized, and Thronakkhar opened its eyes, not breaking them away from the beast's form as it left.

For a moment, Thronakkhar simply watched Hrukhthar as it approached another god close by. The other god resembled an ibex stood on its back two legs, with three horns protruding from its skull. Its two massive black wings rested at its side. When it spoke, it sounded like a low rumble, and it was far more pleasant to listen to than the ghastly clicking of Hrukhthar's speech. After a brief exchange, there was silence once more, before Hrukhthar tapped one of its hooves and the other beast seemed to shrink, before it collapsed into itself and disappeared entirely from sight. The glowing orb followed suit.

Quickly, Thronakkhar turned its eyes back to the orb before it. Hrukhthar moved onward toward the other gods, who stood over their own orbs in a way that only their faces were illuminated in the white light. Thronakkhar got back into position, claws gripping the sides of the orb as it looked down into the sphere with its thousands of eyes.