Bloom

Vex stared out at the broken landscape surrounding her castle. The view from the tower of the castle’s central keep was breathtaking, if not particularly good. Scraggly bushes along with boulders littered the desolate landscape until they petered out at the Wasteland edge.

Trapped in this section of the Shattered God’s Plane for the last several millennia, many of her associates had lost themselves. Even with her unlimited lifespan, a world without any life was still mind destroying. Among the Seven, she was the only one remaining with enough sanity to grasp the chance when the Tree arrived in the wasteland.

Talking to Dryad about their adventures allowed Vex to understand a part of what had occurred after Heaven’s War. Apparently the universe had split into an infinity of different ones, similar to how a broken mirror created shards. Considering that some of the weapons that had been used in the War were so destructive, it was no wonder.

While the Tree was slumbering, a paltry invasion force of humans from the edge of the Plane attempted to storm the castle. Vex had long suspected the Tree didn’t simply sleep without protecting himself, and the destruction of that annoying high priest proved her right. The loss of the High Priest was a crucial blow that shattered the human forces allowing her daughters to feast. The stolen life force, souls, and blood essence were a boon that would go a long way.

It wasn’t mercy that caused Vex to hold her hand from attacking the Tree either, in their first encounter she had tried to drain the Tree. A glance at her inner right arm revealed what a costly mistake that had been.

Considering how small the Tree was, it was strange how much power flowed within the tiny trunk. The feeling of draining the Tree was akin to the feeling of drinking an ocean of life force, no, of pure energy. Energy that was so pure, so unlimited, the very act of attempting to drain it caused harm.

When channeling a drain against the Tree, her body suffered a massive backlash, similar to what occurred when lightning struck. So much energy, so freely given, quite literally began to burn her from within. Only by concentrating the damage to her right arm bone could Vex manage to avert catastrophe.

After that experience, she had spent time talking to Dryad, and after finding so many things alike, decided to make the Tree an ally.

His blatant destruction of the felines Vex had bred to pass the time in this prison was completely unexpected. Although, she learned later, that he understood his mistakes and diligently made up for them.

Vex took a moment to pet her favorite Shadow Kitsune, while staring out at the landscape. With the advent of the incredibly loyal canine archetypes the Tree gifted her, Vex had no doubt she might be entertained for years to come.

Even though the Tree was sleeping for the last few years, his dreams affected the world around the castle, and even the castle itself. The room that he’d placed himself in grew larger than the laws of space would normally accommodate.

However, the true gem gifted by the dreaming Tree lay directly in her line of sight.

A single patch of green barely thirty meters away from the castle wall stood alone against the desolate landscape. The tiny patch of grass and shrubs ignored the world around it, as if declaring how minor such a thing as a lifeless place was.

The words spoken by Dryad last rang through her mind, “With enough time, even nothing can be influenced by Chaos. Perhaps this plane, nay, this prison might even shatter. Since we are both close to immortal, does it matter how much time we might need for a miracle?”

Vex decided to bet on her new allies.

“Servant.”

Instantly the kneeling monstrosity that first brought her news of the Tree appeared in front of her throne. His very atmosphere exuded servitude, even with the increase in his rank.

“Mistress?” the servant said.

“Send a portion of the prisoners to Dryad for the Tree to experiment on later. In the meantime, while he slumbers, let’s go acquire more material for him.” Vex said, her eyes blazing.

“How many…samples…should we get?” the servant asked, still kneeling.

“All of them servant, all of them. There is no reason to allow others to live, if there is a chance to break this world asunder and escape.” Vex said, her tone colder than elemental ice from the center of the Plane.

Ignoring the servant as he departed she turned her attention back to the green patch of land.

Staring at it ignited memories of a world long crushed beneath the boots of Divine madness.

Soon, soon we will return from our exile. Soon we will repay those who banished us here. I will watch as my Kin take their green worlds for our own. Vex thought, petting her Shadow Kitsune as she drifted off to a bloody dream filled landscape of revenge.