"I didn't have him this morning, I only created him in the last hour. After how that meeting went, I wanted to make sure I had a child who could protect our family wherever they may be and against a enemies I couldn't stand against on my own. Even I was surprised with this bundle of joy though, one star, seven digit stats and blessed by his namesakes."
"What do you mean, made it in-"
"Him, made him, he's my son not just a creation..." Carl's demeanour changed and Tiamatael backed-off.
'He said to stand against foes he couldn't on his own... If he's backing off, does that mean it is confident Carl could face me alone?' The idea was a cancer in Venusiah's mind, rooting itself deeply from its inception.
"Sorry, what do you mean by made him in the last hour? We have a member skilled in creation but I can't imagine the amount of divinity it would take to make a lifeform like this. The fact he was born with one star and showing no lim-... Sorry again, I wasn't spying, I let curiosity catch me with surprise..."
"No need, people taking interest in my creations and children always brings me pride in myself and joy for them. I would say stay and take notes, but the Lugarian climate really is bad for them in their state." Carl smiled.
"One last thing... I thought I'd be walking in to a den of elder gods..." For the first time Carl's features flickered with with a hint of being caught in a lie and the variant's lips began to curl at the edges.
The instant Carl saw the movement in her face, lasted a lifetime and then she closed her eyes for a sarcastic bow of respect. A victory for her cut short as two massive black gateways rose from the ground.
[ FACTION MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM LILLIM : IT'S ACTUALLY HIM, ACT CASUAL AND PLAY ALONG WITH WHATEVER HE DOES. BE YOURSELF THOUGH. ]
Carl only glared at Lillim and the doors...
They stood about fifty metres tall, seeming to writhe and had an aura of totality. The sight of them was painfully familiar and Klaire moved to Carl's side, collecting Squidge on the way. As she took her love's hand though, it was tenser than she had ever known it to be and she gave him a peck on the cheek to try and settle him.
When the doors creaked open with unnatural ease given their size though, the rant Carl had given about his family, bubbled to the surface.
When the lion-headed figure of Nergal stepped out, ready with his improvised interruption, Carl immediately began unloading what he had already made clear to the others.
"I thought I made it clear I didn't give a damn about my origins! My family are the ones who helped me grow, the ones who helped me get this far, the ones who are actually their when I need them to be!
You watched me from the distance, you kept your damn secrets, when I asked for help you sent a book and left us to figure it out, then a dead woman I never knew decided to tell me a whole lot of fucking nothing and expected me to just accept it.
Don't show up one time and expect it to mean that all that is forgotten. I have enough going on and don't really want to sit here and have to deal with this right now! Who even told you you could show up whenever you wanted?"
The barrage and relentless rant caught everyone off-guard, most of which stood slack-jawed. Nergal was not only an elder god, but one of the oldest, a god respected by even those at odds with him and a god of death which mortals naturally feared.
Watching a one-star nobody-mortal yell at him, that was more than any of their individual consciousnesses could take and most simply stopped functioning.
Nergal looked around, his eyes coming to a stop on Lillim, Kyubi and Faylorna, who were all very much deep in thought.
'I said "play along' not lead the dance you two left footed idiot!'
'Well I'm surprised, but can't say I'm exactly shocked by this...'
'So that's why she fell for him... They both like starting fights they have no hope of winning.'
Nergal's eyes continued to scan as he tried to rethink his improvisation, resting on Carl a long moment as Venusiah looked on impotently at what she assumed was Carl's sudden suicide attempt.
Nergal's head then turned towards her and she felt her soul trying to escape her...
"Sorry, it seems I interrupted something. Hello Venusiah, you're looking well for a human several centuries old. Most of you are... bonier, at your age."
"Lord Nerg-"
"Nergal please, Carl is the "Lord" of this land, I'm just a nuisance guest... As you just saw..." Nergal's eyes fell to the ground with bemused defeat at his scolding. "Please don't tell the others about this, it's a family matter, I'd rather keep it private."
'What the hell does he mean!? "Family matter"? What family? Does he actually consider Carl family!? What the hell is happening? Carl's an eighteen year old boy. Why is the oldest god of death accepting a scolding from him?'
"Of course, Nergal...Lord Carl... If you will excuse me, as you say the Lugarian climate wont be good for these two." She opened a portal, which took a surprising length of time, made even longer by the several glances over her shoulder.
"Need some help? You seem distracted and I still feel bad about interrupting." Nergal offered.
"No, thank you. Just... Sorry Carl and you as well Klaire, for my actions and words this morning." As she finished her portal finally flared into life and she rushed Matthew and James through, carrying the lifeless bodies of the ones who had got them into that mess.
Before Venusiah left, she gave another bow, this time no hint of sarcasm or confidence remained. As she cleared the portal, Nergal forced it shut to be on the safe side, then turned back to the crowd still staring slack-jawed at Carl.
"First... Apologies for my uninvited entrance. Second... I do sincerely apologise for any perceived attempt to force a familial bond. Third... I'll be on my way, take care you two, you have done splendidly so far." Carl didn't speak, his words might have erupted on their own, but they were all genuine and all he had to say to him at that point.
As Nergal walked back through the gates and closed them, they receded back into the earth, then everyone began to charge them.
Quickly finding their path blocked by Tiamutael's tail, since he sensed at least a little lethal intent. "Dad, one of them wants to kill you... A little bit?... Wait, now Mum does too..."
Carl raised a hand as if to say "I got this one", then turned to Klaire and started explaining. "I really wanted you to meet your new baby properly this time, but then she asked about the soul and I figured I had best show what it was used for. I'm sorry, Klaire. Let me introduce you to your newest baby Tiamutael, the Celestial dragon of chromatic order."
"That's not why I'm mad dummy, well it is, but why did you stop? You had so much more you wanted to say and you should."
"I didn't want to have a proper spat in front of an enemy, but I promise I will..."
"Err, Dad. The lethal intent over here is getting stronger."
"That's your great-grandma, just let it happen."
Klaire hugged him and double checked he was okay, then started gushing over her new baby.
As she did, the dragon took the form of a small boy and welcomed the coddling he received.
While that happened the others rushed Carl, some check on him, some scolding him and the rest just asking what the hell happened.
It went on for quite a while until Klaire suddenly made a declaration.
"Everyone that's enough. Carl, you head over to Haven and get a place ready for us, We can't live at HQ indefinitely and I want a place we can have the family night that we deserve after all this."
Everyone backed away from him quickly, accepting how true that sentiment was. Whether they understood it or not, they knew that Carl truly accepted his creations as children, on top of that he just got his mums in the faction and hadn't even properly had a night of peace with his wife since they reunited.
"Agreed. I can scold him another time. Carl and Klaire, meet me on Archyon tomorrow morning, we're starting your aura training immediately.
Carl nodded then headed off with Blanc to portal over to Haven, taking Omedra so he could scout from the air for a good spot.
The place he eventually chose was coastal, he figured the the spot would be great for summers and relaxing but Klaire would also enjoy the mist that rolled in from the ocean.
The building itself was large, not out of grandeur, but necessity for everyone to have their own room. It wasn't lost on him what Klaire asked for, a place for them. That meant there was a room each for Squidge, Levi, Kitsunoko, Omedra and Tiamutael, a guest room and the master bedroom for Carl and Klaire.
Carl made sure each room was the exact same so there wasn't any arguments, but gave the designated occupants freedom to decorate and equip it along with a budget.
"Omedra, can you think of anything else this place needs?"
"Open air baths, rather than enclosed ones like we have at HQ."
Carl sighed, after everything, his biggest issue might be how much he'd spoiled everybody with the volcanic springs on Lugaria.