Miguel sat on his dark throne, satisfied with how his reemergence had gone with his creation. ‘He always was a bit of an ass, wasn’t he?’ Miguel thought before laughing to himself.

  “What is it?” The Shadow Tyrant asked.

  “Nothing,” Miguel hissed before standing up.

  One of the shadowspawn looked at him. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to check on your brother,” Miguel said.

  “MY BROTHER?!?!” the shadowspawn in front of him melted as the Tyrant screamed in its echo-y voice.

  “Yes! You have to get over your hatred for him!” Miguel shouted back.

  “NO! I am all that you need! You do not need him! Control is key and only control! Just destroy him!” The Shadow Tyrant shouted angrily.

  Miguel walked to the edge of the balcony. “No. I need him for my plans just as much as I need you. Now, do you know where he is?”

  “I believe the Darkened One is holed up in the easternmost portion of the east wing. We haven’t talked in at least a millennia,” the Shadow Tyrant stated.

  “So you have been making no use of his powers of the last millennia? Ugh, you are insufferable. I should destroy you and remake you better,” Miguel said, annoyed.

  A ‘hmph’ was the Shadow Tyrant's only response as Miguel leaped down from behind the balcony railing. He walked down the long halls until the shadowspawn became stick-thin and their eyes glowed lime green; they were no longer the Tyrant’s. He reached a small chamber, the entrance almost unnoticeable in the pitch-black halls. In the center of the bare room, a faceless humanoid figure sat with its legs crossed, hovering above the ground. It was androgynous, with dreadlock-like tentacles emerging from its head. A single, almond-shaped void opened on its face as its eyelid retracted. It was pure green, just as its shadowspawn were.

  “Welcome father,” the figure stated, the voice emanating from the room itself. “How is Geoffery? He did tell you where I am, correct?”

  “He is just as annoying as ever. I forgot that you preferred my given names to his given titles. Have you done anything in my absence, Tyler?” Miguel asked.

  “I have not, father. I have been diligently awaiting new orders, while my swine of a brother has been making a mess trying to conquer the district lands,” the creature replied.

  “What about the other one?” Miguel whispered.

  “Owen is well, father,” Tyler responded at a normal volume.

  “He is still contained?” Miguel asked.

  “Yes, father. He has done nothing since you last unleashed him 3.2 millennia ago,” Tyler responded.

  “Have you or your brother been feeding him?” Miguel asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

  “No, father. Owen has not been fed since you left. I did not spend time gathering anything for him to consume,” Tyler replied.

  “Then he must be ravenous,” Miguel stated.

  “Indeed his is, father,” Tyler said.

  “Good. We will need his anger,” Miguel stated.

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  “Where are we going?” Tyler asked, incedibly curious.

  “We will find more of my variants and take their artifacts. I will prepare a simple force of beings that Geoffery has converted. We will become stronger, and I will expand the Core,” Miguel said.

  “Oh! Father, would you like to visit Owen?” Tyler offered.

  “Ah. Good idea. Take me to the containment chamber,” Miguel said.

  Tyler stood up, still hovering above the floor. He crossed his arms behind his back and floated out of the room. Miguel followed him, through various corridors, and watched as the number of shadowspawns decreased as they got closer to their destination. Eventually, there were none at all. That’s how he knew they were close. They eventually reached a door with about 15 security measures, all keyed or only known to Miguel. He quickly bypassed them and entered the room. Tyler stood back, around 15 feet from the door.

  “Hello, Owen,” Miguel greeted the writhing mass of ooze and glowing orange eyes and mouths.

  “K???L???r???e???n???R???M???T???V???N???s???f???U???v???u???b???U???V???t???3???v???b???#???V???u???t???b???K???U???J???b???U???g???b???G???u???r???i???e???k???v???v???g???b???u???,” Owen responded.

  Miguel laughed. “You are just as understandable as ever. Have this for now,” Miguel threw him a piece of a broken dagger.

  A tendril shot out of the pile of liquid and snatched the shard of metal in a swiftly formed mouth, before retracting it. It responded with “H???S???K???A???N???F???I???U???V???U???Y???I???W???L???P???P??? ???{???:???M???W???N???I???U???V???B???G???V???U???B???Y???F???E???R???C???Q???E???C???Y??? ???I???G???R???E???:???P???I???E???R???(???K???5??? ???U???#???6???^??? ???U???8???4???b???5??? ???H???$???3???8???H???A???S???F???Y???U???V???.???”

  Miguel walked out of the room. “Tyler, stand back,” he said.

  Tyler floated back a few yards. Miguel took a deep breath. He lifted both his hands and the world began to shake. He moved his hands in one swift fluid motion, and suddenly the throne room sat before him.

  “Cellular modulation does wonders,” he said to the Shadow Tyrant and the Darkened One. Screeching was heard from Owen’s cage.

  “Why did you have to put me next to the Devouring Void? He’s going to scream at me for hours now,” Geoffrey complained.

  Miguel hopped up to the balcony that held his throne, his crown shifting slightly as he did so. He did not mind the screams that came from the caged monster. ‘Music to my ears,’ he thought as he smiled.

  * * *

  X felt the submarine stop as the prison barge began moving toward them. ‘I can understand not wanting to waste fuel. Let’s just hope it doesn’t turn,’ X thought. Something else suddenly entered the range of the radar. It was getting closer to the submarine much faster than the prison ship.

  “Myriil! Something is approaching quickly!” X shouted.

  Myriil was so deep into his meditation that he barely noticed X’s shouting. He simply continued to sit cross-legged with his sword in his lap, silently humming to himself.

  “Dammit,” X whispered as the ‘something else’ got dangerously close to the submarine. “He doesn’t even give a shit.”

  X took control of the submarine's engine from the wires he was currently attached to. He tried to turn them on, but some kind of block was in place and they stayed shut off. Suddenly the blip was upon the submarine, and in an instant covered it completely. Something had eaten them. It felt like they had hit a large bump and they started moving perpendicular to the boat they were trying to chase. Myriil shouted as he fell over and nearly stabbed himself.

  X unplugged himself from the submarine wall and walked towards the exit. “Myriil, you’re coming with me,” X said as he began climbing the ladder.

  “Okay then,” Myriil said as he followed X up.

  X opened the hatch, and it was surprisingly dark. He hit a button on the side of his head. His eye shot out yellow light, illuminating the fleshy walls of their living cavern. Myriil emerged from the hatch behind him, looking out at the sea within the creature’s mouth.

  “Woah,” Myriil stated in awe.

  “We need to get out of this creature, follow my lead,” X stated.

  He began to spin around the metal rings that made up his forearm, and his hand retracted into his arm. He spun some of them the other way, and the sound of gears turning echoed through the mystery creature’s gullet. Suddenly a grappling hook sprung forth from his forearm. He tapped his forearm, and the shaft of the grappling hook unfolded into three sheets of metal connected at the seams.

  “Hand me your weapon,” X commanded.

  Myriil complied.

  X placed the weapon on the central sheet of metal that made up the shaft, then pressed a couple more spots on his forearm and the sheets re-folded and conformed to the shape of the sword. The blade would now prod whatever the grappling hook lodged into.

  X took a deep breath.

  Dream Sequences?