The Deck Master.

by ArkKane

Chapter 2.5: Natural Therapy.

The room was almost silent, the only noise being the rustle of leaves, and the soft hum of energy that came from Viridya’s apparition. A quick glance to my right revealed to me that in fact two of my Windweavers had come to investigate the commotion. I had considered having them come in to assist me and put this off...

… no, I need to do this alone… I message to them before I turn to the Skylord in question. So, let’s talk, how about we start with how you let the rage of others become your own?

As she heard that she scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Of course, he just had me come here to try and have someone convince me he was in the right-”

Just because I said you fucked up, doesn’t mean he hasn’t made mistakes either, I’m not picking sides, I’m trying to show you both that you have issues, and it was your miscommunication and personal vices that stopped them from being resolved.

“I am not manipulated by nature, we share a bond, it is my father who was too petty to see the lives he took.”

Kind of like how the giants were ‘petty’ when they killed your mother? I added with a venomous tone, causing her to flinch. I know it was nature’s influence that caused you to hate Brannoc, not your own morality. You had only recently made contact with the forces of nature, but your father was always a man of the forge, yet before the giants destroyed your home and killed Meanen, you were a happy family. Despite what Brannoc believed and what the books say, you did not hate your father because of the weapons he made, it was too easy to see he was a man in grief, Meanen may have been your mother, but she was Brannoc’s Wife.

No, what made you angry was how your perception was twisted by your link to nature, seeing him burn countless trees and logs to forge weapons drove the forests into a rage that fed into you.

“That is not true! My anger was my own! They were there for me when no-one else was, and when I saw what he was doing to them-”

If it was only your fury, you could’ve controlled it.

“Then let’s say your theory is true, what would I have done?”

You would’ve spoke to your father, you would’ve gone up and seen the heartbreak and emptiness in his eyes that would set the road to healing from the loss of someone dear to you both. I saw her about to speak up, but a simple clap of my stone palms silenced her. I wasn’t finished, as you both confided in each other about the pain you felt, you could’ve possibly drawn him away from the forge, show him the friends you had met that had helped you in your darkest moment, he may not have gained a connection like you had but he would have been sympathetic to what they had done for you. Again, the forge may have not been quiet, but a new routine would be made, no cut trees but the logs of the trees that have passed on through age or lost branches, the ashes would be collected and used to fertilize the next generations of plants, the remains of these dead trees used to fight the giants and then feed the trees that live on.

Viridya was silent, some part of her tried to believe what I was saying was false but she knew that could have been a real possible future, especially now that old memories of her childhood returned to her, memories of times when she smiled along with both her parents, how in her curious youth she found herself fascinated with her father’s forge and how he used it.

Fascinated, not sickened…

“But… but even so, my father’s actions as a Skylord showed me I can’t care for him again, uncaring for the Mortals, only caring to find his Masters, the Gods.”

You mean the same Gods he had infected with the Twilight Curse? She immediately turned to me in shock. Yeah, that threw you for a fucking loop, didn’t it? You never learned because you were busy losing your battle with the Soultree, and was banished from the forge. Turns out, your dad didn’t care about the position of Skylord nor his title as Master of The Forge, all he cared about was the power of the forge itself, he wanted to know the secrets the gods kept so that he could resurrect Meanen, which was his first and only goal.

“You mean… he just-”

My best guess was that when he revived your mother, he would make her a Skylord as well so that your family could be reunited, Moon was never his lover in any way and was not meant to replace your mother. Unfortunately for Brannoc and the gods, their only secret was they were just as strong as Skylords themselves, their only powers coming from the forge and the faith of their followers, and Meanen had already faced her demons and passed through the gates in the Wailing Lands a long time ago.

“I… I could’ve.”

Could, should and would but now you can’t, stop whining about it! She flinched again. We can never alter the past, to do so would be to invite death and ruin, all we can do is work on the present, no-one really knows where the souls of the dead go when they pass the gates, so possibly in this multiverse we may see her again, but for now… Brannoc wants to make things right, to fix the damage he’s done, to be your father again in more than just name… can you meet him halfway?

“I… I don’t-”

Bear in mind, neither you nor Brannoc are perfect, you let nature cloud your judgement while pain and vengeance clouded his, the soultree possessing you and him pushing everyone away with his fiery rage perfectly mirrored the influences that began your fall… don’t let that happen again.

“I… I think I can try… thank you, Skylord Mawp Mawp.” she said with a smile… and a suppressed giggle, before slipping back into the deck-box.

Now I could have gone to the deck to check the new card I got… but despite everything it was still the middle of the night, and so I just went to bed, one thought passing through my mind.

My memory’s hazy… why did they not question my bipedal appearance… wait, were they bipedal? Can’t seem to… remember… zzzzzzzzzzzz...

Author's Note:

behold, more Mawp Mawp!

and now a question, since my previous chapter was vague enough to allow it...

should this be an anthro-verse?

Comments

[Confused Horse Noises]

I don't really care for anthro ponies tbh.

[ArkKane]

9452824
I get that much, it's just in some cases I find it easier to write the scenarios if everyone is of a similar stature.