A snap echoed throughout the room.
In the palace of the Dimensional Void, the world where Gill Lapis and his minions had their lair, the Conqueror himself, Gill Lapis, placed the Vessel of Worlds he was holding onto its shelf. It was the only one with two plaques: “Re-Earth” and “Protopaterpolis.” One was very old. The other had been added recently.
It was a small room, with a single entrance, a sofa, and a fireplace. The wall illuminated by the fire was decorated with dozens of Vessels of Worlds—half of them filled. They were conquered worlds: Gill Lapis’s private collection.
—Never would I have expected there to be hidden portals in plain sight leading to Sandora and Millennia in a place I had already visited before —said Gill Lapis, brushing the dust off the Vessel of Worlds from Protopaterpolis—. I’m going to have to revisit all the conquered worlds in case I missed other portals.
—That was fun! —said Ashwyn, entering the room. She still had blood on her clothes
—Closer than I expected —said Gill Lapis.
—Not really! Anyway, finding a portal to Sandora is very useful, considering that Thoth himself was the one who tried to invade this place, this void, and thanks to that we have access to Sandora... thinking we had one so close infuriates me with joy! Now, we can try to break the seal entering Sandora in secret. Can I do that? —said Ashwyn.
—Not yet. Thoth is still useful. I’ll tell you when —said Gill Lapis.
—Ok. At least, the fight was fun. And bringing Thoth along… made things so much bloodier with that pincer attack —said Ashwyn.
—We couldn’t have known. The worlds of the High Gods of Valhalla are too well protected, too well hidden. It’s magic that even rivals my own. We should consider it a victory —said Gill Lapis.
Ashwyn laughed.
—A victory like the one those so-called "heroes" think they’ve won against us? —Ashwyn said, still laughing.
—You’re the one who wanted to entertain yourself in an already conquered world, Ashwyn —said Gill Lapis.
—It’s fun watching them fight to stop the Conquerors, without knowing their world is already part of the collection. I wish I could see their faces the day they find out —said Ashwyn.
—As long as the trickster is on our side, none of the conquered worlds will ever know —said Gill Lapis—. Right, Echo?
Echo shrugged, sinking into the sofa. His gaze was empty, as it always was when they returned from a conquered world where he had used his magic to deceive everyone into believing they were still free.
—I don’t like lying to my friends —Echo said in a faint voice.
—Friends? You have no friends, trickster. You deceive and lie. How could anyone trust you enough to be “your friend”? If anyone ever found out what you’ve done to all those worlds… If anyone discovers the true you… —Gill Lapis shook his head, leaving the sentence unfinished.
Ashwyn leaned over Echo, baring her teeth.
—I’m just waiting for the day you’re no longer useful to Lapis —she said, licking her lips. Echo pressed himself against the cushions, trying to get away from her.
—Leave Echo alone —said Gill Lapis—. Don't you know who he descends from? From the great Lumia! He is from the royalty!
—And why should I care? No one does —said Ashwyn.
—I do —said Gill Lapis, laughing. He was being sarcastic.
—Don't bring my family into this —said Echo.
—Of course. You don't want to disgrace their memory. A little late for that, I'm afraid —said Ashwyn—. Why don't you just let me take him out and be done with it?
—Because I have work for him. And for you. Go find Helen, Ashwyn. I want a long talk with the witch. I’m quite interested in this synthetic alchemy. And take a shower: you smell like a wet animal — said Gill Lapis.
Ashwyn flipped through the air and left the room, mocking them with her tongue out. Gill Lapis sat by the fire, contemplating his collection.
—Why did you play along with the people of Protopaterpolis? Why did you let a few days pass, making them think they had time to prepare, when you could have attacked them at any moment? —said Echo.
—Because it was more fun that way. Where’s the pleasure in conquest if the defenders have no hope? It’s hope, Echo, that drives people, that turns ordinary men into heroes and losers —Gill Lapis looked him up and down— into… well, whatever it is you people become. Their hope lifted their spirits, allowed them to show me the best version of themselves.
—But… then… you… did they ever had a chance? —said Echo.
—What a nonsense. Of course they didn’t! I gave them time to prepare for my own entertainment. For purely selfish reasons. I’m a bad person, if that’s what you’re thinking. I don’t hide who I am, unlike you —said Gill Lapis.
Echo said nothing but lowered his head. Gill Lapis nodded, satisfied. He always got what he wanted, one way or another. Stretching, he casually threw an arm over Echo’s shoulder.
—Whatever. As soon as Sun Wukong returns, I want you to go with him to Millennia —said Gill Lapis.
—Why don’t you go yourself? —Echo asked. Being impertinent had earned him physical punishments before, but this time, Gill Lapis only laughed.
—The worlds of the High Gods are protected by magic seals placed by them. And those seals only affect those of us who have… let’s call it… Ragnarok’s power. That’s why, until the seals are removed, I can’t go unharmed to conquer those worlds. The seals also prevent me to find them by traveling randomly between worlds. That’s why they’ve eluded me all this time —said Gill Lapis.
—But you already own Yomidgard, the world of the High God Satan —Echo said.
—Yes. Conquering it was one of my greatest successes. And I had the help of Helen to do that, that’s when we became allies —said Gill Lapis.
—Was that what Ashwyn said before? —Echo asked.
—Correct, my trickster —said Gill Lapis.
—And you want me to remove the seal in Millennia for you? —Echo asked.
—No. That’s Sun Wukong’s job. You have to do the thing only you know how to do —said Gill Lapis, snapping his fingers—: make everyone believe you’re one of them. Make it easy for me. You know what will happen if you don’t.
Echo nodded, head down. Gill Lapis sprang to his feet and left the room, leaving him with his thoughts. The Conqueror walked thru the palace and entered his private chambers, where, on the table, lay a copy of a hand-drawn map, with multiple worlds represented in colored sketches. They were the worlds of the gods: Olympia, the world of Zeus; Sandora, the world of Thoth; Millennia, the world of Kaguya; Asgard, the world of Odin; Asakna, the world of Genshi Tenson; Shalkai, the world of Shiva; Yomidgard, the world of Satan; Sky Round, the world of Deus Ex Machina; Utgard, the world of Loki; and Seiz, the world of Athenia.
Yomidgard was crossed with a capital "X," while Sandora was circled, and Utgard was marked with a "?". Gill Lapis drew a circle over Millennia, and continued drawing circles over it, laughing, until he was satisfied.
—Kaguya’s world… How ironic that the next High God world of Valhalla I’m going to conquer is hers —Lapis said, laughing again.
