“There is no morality in this world, save that which we above decide,” said Germal. “And you, cedo, are no ally of Chaos. You are, in fact, the furthest thing from it.”
Morgunov paused. Hmm. There was a lot to unpack there. “What makes you say that? I’ve been spreading chaos all over the world my whole dang life! Go on, ask anyone!”
“Ah, but now it is you who is using misleading language. You spread ‘chaos,’ yes. But not ‘Chaos.’ In fact, for all your knowledge and experience, I suspect you hardly know what true Chaos is.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy with the insults there. You’re not seriously trying to tell me that I’ve secretly, unwittingly been an agent of Order this entire time. Because frankly, that has to be the silliest darn thing I’ve ever done heard!”
“You truly do not understand? How short-sighted. Yes, you may not be of the Furies, but you incite them to move. You spur them on. Inspire them. And frequently, you do much more than that, don’t you? You often allow them to live when you could easily end them. You even feel remorse on the rare occasions when you put one down. And of course, some, you teach directly as your students. Help them refine and grow themselves.”
Morgunov had a lot to say, but he remained silent, because it seemed like this guy wasn’t done yet, and he wanted to hear the rest.
“The mere act of inventing--don’t you see? That, too, is making Order from Chaos. Taking the natural, beautiful Chaos of the world and twisting it into inert knots. That is the ultimate goal of all your efforts, whether you realize it or not. Whatever amount of Chaos you might bring--it is incidental and fleeting. Soon chased away by Order. You claim to be a gardener, as we are, yet you do nothing but plant and grow weeds.”
Morgunov could stay quiet no longer. “Excuse me? Weeds? You think inventors, the brilliant and beautiful minds of the world, are weeds? The people who spend their lives advancing technology, pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and potential, usually at great personal risk to themselves--those are the ugly things you want to uproot?”
“Ah. Perhaps you do understand.”
And for the first time in many, many years, Morgunov was struck dumb. With utter incredulity.
How could anyone believe something so obviously moronic?
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every night at midnight PST by ~400 words.
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Page 3571
Germal chortled again. “Ah, but in that case, it should honestly be I who is thanking you. Without your intervention at that time, I am not sure that I could have returned to this realm.”
“Oh yeah? Well, you’re welcome, then. But you sure have a funny way of demonstrating your appreciation! Tryin’ to kill me ‘n all!”
“Kehe. Don’t act like you were not already planning to come after me again.”
“That’s hardly fair! Just because I’m planning something doesn’t mean I’ll follow through with it! Do you know how many things I have left on my to-do list?”
“A real shame, that. Anyway, have I answered to your satisfaction? I wish to take my turn, now.”
“Hmm! Almost! Just one little thing I want clarification on!”
“Yes?”
“If you’re all beings of Chaos, then what’s your beef with me, huh? I’m a reasonable fellow. In fact, I would’ve expected us to be on the same side! I happen to love Chaos! Everyone knows us Abolishers are big fans of the Void, of which Chaos is merely one aspect!”
“Calling yourself reasonable has to be a bigger lie than anything than I have ever uttered.”
“Now you’re just being hurtful. Sure, my enthusiasm can get away from me, on occasion. But I genuinely think that you and I could have arrived at some quite amicable terms, many years ago, if you’d just tried to reach out. Explained your position a bit. Heck, maybe we still could! Wouldn’t that be neat?!”
“You would have almost certainly tried to capture me.”
“Well, yeah, of course I would have! But I’m tellin’ you: we would have eventually arrived at a place of friendship!”
Germal fell briefly quiet again. “Keheheh...”
“Somethin’ funny?”
“You do bring something out of me, Demon. I’ll grant you that.”
“Oh? Happy to hear it!”
“Unfortunately, that was not a compliment.”
“Aww.”
“I am tempted to play your game here. To indulge your offer of friendship, even. And continue this exchange elsewhere. But no. You are too dangerous to leave alive.”
“Mm. Heard that before. Real shame, coming from you. Was hoping you’d surprise me. Spice things up, somehow. But I guess in the end, you’re just another of those morality-obsessed do-gooders, eh? Despite so much evidence to the contrary? Talk about a letdown!”
“A morality-obsessed do-gooder? Now that is an interesting interpretation. Kehe. I fear you are still quite confused, my ‘demonic’ friend.”
“Am I? How so?”
“Oh yeah? Well, you’re welcome, then. But you sure have a funny way of demonstrating your appreciation! Tryin’ to kill me ‘n all!”
“Kehe. Don’t act like you were not already planning to come after me again.”
“That’s hardly fair! Just because I’m planning something doesn’t mean I’ll follow through with it! Do you know how many things I have left on my to-do list?”
“A real shame, that. Anyway, have I answered to your satisfaction? I wish to take my turn, now.”
“Hmm! Almost! Just one little thing I want clarification on!”
“Yes?”
“If you’re all beings of Chaos, then what’s your beef with me, huh? I’m a reasonable fellow. In fact, I would’ve expected us to be on the same side! I happen to love Chaos! Everyone knows us Abolishers are big fans of the Void, of which Chaos is merely one aspect!”
“Calling yourself reasonable has to be a bigger lie than anything than I have ever uttered.”
“Now you’re just being hurtful. Sure, my enthusiasm can get away from me, on occasion. But I genuinely think that you and I could have arrived at some quite amicable terms, many years ago, if you’d just tried to reach out. Explained your position a bit. Heck, maybe we still could! Wouldn’t that be neat?!”
“You would have almost certainly tried to capture me.”
“Well, yeah, of course I would have! But I’m tellin’ you: we would have eventually arrived at a place of friendship!”
Germal fell briefly quiet again. “Keheheh...”
“Somethin’ funny?”
“You do bring something out of me, Demon. I’ll grant you that.”
“Oh? Happy to hear it!”
“Unfortunately, that was not a compliment.”
“Aww.”
“I am tempted to play your game here. To indulge your offer of friendship, even. And continue this exchange elsewhere. But no. You are too dangerous to leave alive.”
“Mm. Heard that before. Real shame, coming from you. Was hoping you’d surprise me. Spice things up, somehow. But I guess in the end, you’re just another of those morality-obsessed do-gooders, eh? Despite so much evidence to the contrary? Talk about a letdown!”
“A morality-obsessed do-gooder? Now that is an interesting interpretation. Kehe. I fear you are still quite confused, my ‘demonic’ friend.”
“Am I? How so?”
Monday, April 22, 2024
Page 3570
“You are setting quite the precedent here,” said Germal. “I will be quite demanding with my question, now.”
“Ha! You really don’t know me very well at all, do you?! How delightfully surprising! Unlike you, Germy, I do not obsess over keeping all my knowledge to myself. In fact, giving lectures about the secrets of the world is something I quite enjoy!”
“You certainly do love to listen to yourself talk.”
“I won’t deny it! If only there were more who were bold enough to listen! Now tell me. How do you define yourself?”
Germal took a minute to answer. “...Truthfully, Demon? I define myself as one who would return this world to order. The way it was, long ago.”
“Order, you say? Interesting! Now do you mean ‘order?’ Or do you mean ‘Order?’”
“I am confused. What is the distinction you are referring to?”
A lie, for certain. Perhaps the greatest of all the lies the Liar had yet told.
Which was no surprise, of course, but this time was special. This time, Morgunov found it intensely annoying. “Confused, you say? Why should you be confused? Ah! Perhaps because you do not wish to acknowledge your great nemesis, hmm? To hear it named truly?”
Germal fell quiet at that.
Morgunov decided to let the silence linger for a bit. In truth, he’d been holding a few things back this whole time. A few memories. Locked away for safekeeping, just in case Germal started getting uppity with his mind reading again.
But those memories were now beginning to unlock themselves. As per their locking conditions, no doubt. A timed trigger? Hmm, unlikely, considering time seemed to have largely stopped in this strange space.
Ah. An emotional trigger, then. Related to his long-held ruminations on Order and Chaos.
Yes.
“You Primordials are beings of Chaos, are you not? Your great enemy, therefore, must be Order. So it makes no sense that you would seek to ‘put the world to Order.’ Unless, of course, you were using deliberately misleading language, and your idea of ‘order’ means something totally different, eh? Perhaps even the exact opposite thing! Eheh! But I’m sure a stand-up Gentleman like you would never do something like that!”
“...You remember more of Bellvine than you have let on.”
“Mm! Perhaps I do! But y’know, I feel talking to you is also helping me to remember even more things, too! So thanks for that. Maybe you’re not such a bad guy, after all.”
“Ha! You really don’t know me very well at all, do you?! How delightfully surprising! Unlike you, Germy, I do not obsess over keeping all my knowledge to myself. In fact, giving lectures about the secrets of the world is something I quite enjoy!”
“You certainly do love to listen to yourself talk.”
“I won’t deny it! If only there were more who were bold enough to listen! Now tell me. How do you define yourself?”
Germal took a minute to answer. “...Truthfully, Demon? I define myself as one who would return this world to order. The way it was, long ago.”
“Order, you say? Interesting! Now do you mean ‘order?’ Or do you mean ‘Order?’”
“I am confused. What is the distinction you are referring to?”
A lie, for certain. Perhaps the greatest of all the lies the Liar had yet told.
Which was no surprise, of course, but this time was special. This time, Morgunov found it intensely annoying. “Confused, you say? Why should you be confused? Ah! Perhaps because you do not wish to acknowledge your great nemesis, hmm? To hear it named truly?”
Germal fell quiet at that.
Morgunov decided to let the silence linger for a bit. In truth, he’d been holding a few things back this whole time. A few memories. Locked away for safekeeping, just in case Germal started getting uppity with his mind reading again.
But those memories were now beginning to unlock themselves. As per their locking conditions, no doubt. A timed trigger? Hmm, unlikely, considering time seemed to have largely stopped in this strange space.
Ah. An emotional trigger, then. Related to his long-held ruminations on Order and Chaos.
Yes.
“You Primordials are beings of Chaos, are you not? Your great enemy, therefore, must be Order. So it makes no sense that you would seek to ‘put the world to Order.’ Unless, of course, you were using deliberately misleading language, and your idea of ‘order’ means something totally different, eh? Perhaps even the exact opposite thing! Eheh! But I’m sure a stand-up Gentleman like you would never do something like that!”
“...You remember more of Bellvine than you have let on.”
“Mm! Perhaps I do! But y’know, I feel talking to you is also helping me to remember even more things, too! So thanks for that. Maybe you’re not such a bad guy, after all.”
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