The dragon's harem

Knocked unconscious, the two Terrors lay on a large magical circle that Merlin had drawn in the past hour. This magical circle was a spell, one that locked them, making it possible for them to exit the labyrinth without getting fried by its barriers. Since the whole labyrinth was designed after dungeons, Merlin made sure that it wouldn’t break and spill monsters outside, which means a powerful array to kill them.

Right now, there is only one monster that can walk through the barrier, endure its punishment, and remain unharmed. He was going to carry those two outside. The spell would just, cover them and make it impossible for the barrier to directly target them.

****

Outside the labyrinth, Kali was sitting in front of the golden door, her legs crossed and her six arms resting on her knees and hips. Pristine divine light flickered beneath her closed eyes, raging with power. Each beat of her heart made Hati’s small world shudder, terrified at the grim reminder that she was still alive inside it.

The goddess of destruction had grown more worried with each passing second. The world knew that its end grew near the more agitated she got. Like a ticking bomb, it might not take Kali long to blow up, seeking to drag Arad and everyone from inside the labyrinth by force.

But… that was what the world, a soulless existence, felt. The mere spirit of an object failed to grasp its own life, let alone the complicated emotions of a god.

Kali knew that Arad would make it out; she knew that because the fates didn’t show up, those triplets are as fickle as the strands of starlight they weave. It was thanks to their power, their permission, that her destruction could rip the fabric of fate, the domain which they rule over. If not for their power, she wouldn’t have been able to test the limits of Arad, ripping several realities from existence to preserve his life and the life of his wives while still showing the extent of her power.

This golden door it’s made from the same divine magic that her great statue is made from, except far less pure. Merlin’s talent, she wove the destruction blessing into the whole labyrinth in mere hours, allowing it to absorb mana from the adventurers that enter it, from their magic, their life, and strife.

Such a feat was astounding, she had underestimated her a lot. No wonder that Yog kept a close eye on her. Merlin was a genius, with the power and resources to fully push her ambitions forward.

Kali frowned. Had she known this would happen, she would’ve restrained the power she gave to Merlin, made it less malleable. At first she thought since Merlin is a wizard, it’s best to allow her to incorporate the destruction into spells. But that was a mistake, she gave a genius mortal a weapon that can challenge the gods.

Suddenly, Kali felt someone sitting on her lap. Someone small, delicate, and fragile. A kid? No… no kid would possess such unhinged darkness, vile thoughts, and infinite magic. She opened her eyes and looked down.

Yog was lying on her lap, a pleasant smile on her face. She yawned and then stretched her arms. “Amaterasu’s lap feels better than yours.”

“Then get off.” Kali looked at her, but Yog shook her head, “Maybe later? I came to tell you that I helped Merlin fix the labyrinth.”

A smile appeared on Kali’s face. “And… I have to take the power I granted her, to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Yog swung a kick upward and smacked Kali’s beneath her chin, “No, dumbass. The Gods give, but they don’t take. What kind of stupid god can’t foresee the results of their actions?”

“Me.” Kali replied, not bothered by Yog’s gentle kick. To her, this little menace was like an aunt. She remembers when she used to play with her thousands of years ago. In fact, Yog helped Kali master her Destruction power.

“Yes, that why I’m here to wipe your ass. That’s what parents are… wait, I’m like an aunt to you, doesn’t matter…” Yog sat up, “I helped Merlin control the power, gave a power of my own, and a few special… let’s call them privileges. She can keep the power you granted her.”

Kali frowned, “This… some gods might try to attack her.” But Kali’s smile quickly assured her that it’ll be fine. “Tell me, what happened to the last god who tried to get past me?”

Kali remembered, the god was called Mystíria, the God of Mysteries. A powerful master of a holder of many secrets, many of which belonged to the arcane arts. Yog at the time made it clear that she knows everything about magic and that she is the one who decides what mortals can learn and what they can’t.

The God of Mysteries played his own game, tried to hide spells from mortals, and sometimes also tried to teach the arcane arts that Yog forbids. Like Merlin, he treaded the line of her patience, but unlike Merlin, he didn’t keep a respectful tone, he didn’t try his best to play by her rules.

Yog… one day walked into his domain. His angels tried to stop her, but they all failed to move. She simply walked into his house, slowly, ate him alive, and his screams could be heard throughout the heavens.

While most of the gods had clear powers, Yog was a wild card. No one really knew what she could and couldn’t do… Kali asked the triplets of fate about her, and they called her… the one before the stones, the architect of the loom, and… she who plays the clown.

“Want to know what I am?” As Kali expected, Yog knew what she was thinking about. “Can you tell me?”

Yog seemed to think about it for a few seconds and then shrugged, “Probably.” Her eyes looked around, glowing with green magic. “Destruction died, and her power was passed on. Same for creation and the other primordial concepts. Even the fates perished and their power got passed on for several generations.”

“And you?” Kali looked at her.

“I’m AO’s first creation, made in the image of his brain. My sole purpose was to have enough knowledge to entertain him with jokes and riddles. I have a copy of his omniscience, I’m the omniscient guardian of the gate.” She looked at her with a smile, “So, say, what do you want to know? But be wary, knowledge always has a price.”

“What is going on?” A simple question came out of Kali’s mouth, but its answers were endless. Yog had to condense them into one word, another riddle.

“Nothing.”