Two lives left: Prologue

A tiny galaxy in the Tenzrin universe

"No!"

The single crisp word caused a dozen asteroids that floated around to disintegrate, but the massive purplish cloud just laughed in a cacophony of disjointed voices.

"Poor Basrodon… But you have noooo choice," the cloud keened, then giggled again.

"Xium, your suggestion will make your side far too powerful," a bald, silver-skinned giant of a man snapped. His four eyes radiated like stars as he scowled with his wide mouth.

"So? You are the underdog here! Remember?" Xium said, followed by a bout of crazed laughter.

Basrodon's eyes flashed brighter, and another asteroid vanished in a gust of powder that whisked away in the darkness of the surrounding space.

Xium's laughter fell quiet as the cloud inched towards him. "Stop that," it hissed. "Or-"

A sad sigh caused all of the light to seem to dim. Xium fell quiet, and Basrodon turned to the one that spoke. It was a flat floating slab covered in tiny glowing runes that changed color constantly.

"Enough. I wish to return to my own verse sometime this millennium. Xium is right, Basrodon. You are here to learn a lesson, and this pet universe of yours will either be handed to Xium as-is, or you may try and save some of its inhabitants to relocate. The demands set by Xium will likely let ten percent of the population survive for you to take to-"

"Ten percent? How can both of you speak of life this casually?" Basrodon roared.

The entire asteroid belt around them disintegrated from the energy released by his roar while the surviving particles were blasted away.

The rune-filled slab glowed for a moment before speaking again. Its voice was now cold and spiteful. "I am not casual about life, but you should have realized the possible consequences before your transgression. Now, do I need to make a ruling here, or will you agree to Xium's demands?"

Basrodon's blinked, causing the surrounding area to darken momentarily. He lowered his head a fraction. "Why not a normal battle?" he asked. "Why these games?"

"Where's the fun in a straight-up fight?" Xium screeched. "This way, there is a chance of something exciting happening!"

"Fine," Basrodon said wearily. "I'll send a minor deity to each of the main civilizations. They will wait for one of your… offshoots to determine the-" he growled in distaste before continuing. "Rules for that world."

"Don't act so sad," Xium said with glee. "You might find that you enjoy this! It's exhilarating seeing these little mortals fight and grow stronger than having all their desires squished when they are killed! The taste of their souls after is... intoxicating!"

Basrodon didn't respond but turned to the slab.

"Loupiundesr, I hereby accept these terms if each world gets only bloodline choices. No changing of species! I don't want to be left with only a single type of being in the end."

"This seems reasonable," the slab said happily as all of its runes turned bright orange and flashed twice.

"Now, the deal is struck and propagated to the council. I'll remain here for the few decades that this will take, just to make sure neither of you two break the rules," it said.

Basrodon just snorted, and the fabric of the reality of the universe shook as he ripped a hole in it and disappeared without a trace.

"So ruuude," Xium crooned, letting out an evil laugh. "Are you sure we shouldn't just-"

"Enough, Xium," Loupiundesr said, sounding bored. "You've had your fun at his expense. But he isn't here anymore, and I have no patience for your antics. Go play your games -have your fun- then we can return to more important things."

The purple cloud dulled slightly, and the mass of eyes glared at the rune-filled slab. Then small, gleaming holes appeared in reality, and the cloud slipped through.

"Boring," a soft hiss lingered before the last of it disappeared.

Loupiundesr, the Rune slab of Abadon and coordinator of this section of the Deityverse, didn't react but remained where he was. He hovered in the empty and desolate area of space at a location that had once housed a sprawling asteroid belt content with waiting for as long as it took.

The milky way, a tiny solar system not far from Earth

A green-skinned woman with a long mat of leaves across her back stood on the dead, brown world, glaring at the four-eyed purple cloud that hovered before her.

Beside them hung a mass of silvery runes, glistering and complex.

"No," she snapped, having no clue that she just echoed her older brother's words.

"If we change the whole planet into what you suggest, less than a percent will survive!"

"So?" the cloud hissed with glee. "A percent is more than these ants deserve! This and the-"

"No, and that's final. You wanted that ridiculous class-based system, and I abided. Then you wanted to add experience instead of normal skill progression, and I agreed again. But this is too much. Only a small amount of the population knows the rules of this game, but you still change them in such key elements! And now you want to withhold the details plus change the whole world? No, I say. Either you agree to a fourth of the planet, and in set areas, or I'll not agree, and we can call Loupiundesr to mediate!"

"Gaya, just because you are Basrodon's sister does not give you extra rights," the purple cloud said, the hilarity in its voice fading.

"Ten percent, that was the rule. These changes will make that impossible," Gaya said, crossing her arms in front of her chest and growling her canine teeth at the cloud.

"Fine... but then there will be one more rule," the cloud hissed, as its tone suddenly turned to joy again. It brightened, and the silvery runes beside them changed, another area added.

Gaya looked at the runes, then blinked. "You have to be joking."

"No," Xium's aspect said, laughing again. "If you want safe havens, fine, but they will shrink as time commences, and eventually, chaos will spread the globe!"

"Yes, and you added that they can only gain class-shards inside the danger areas!" she shouted.

"Why are you so angry?" Xium snorted. "This will make it so the strong become stronger faster, and they might even be able to protect the weak. Who knows, more than ten percent might survive like this!"

Gaya gnashed her teeth as she looked at the silvery letters, then she cocked her head. "On two conditions," she said.

"Which are?" Xium's aspect asked, its eyes narrowing.

Gaya waved her arm around, and a tiny line appeared below the texts.

Xium stared at it for a while, then turned its eyes on her.

"The strong may save a number of others based on attained levels... and a tutorial which grants one life? … Odd. And if I agree to this, we may start?" it asked in a slimy voice.

"If you add an explanation of the rules," Gaya said with a nod.

Xium hissed, and his eyes glowed, causing a few of the runes to rearrange and new ones to appear.

"Happy?" he growled, seeming in a rush.

Gaya examined them, and her face fell as she saw more was changed. "I-" she said, seemingly ready to complain.

"Don't push me," Xium screeched, thousands of voices in line with his own as the entire world darkened.

Gaya froze, then nodded. "I agree," she said through gnashing teeth.

"Fine," Xium screeched in glee, its purple glow expanding. "Then let us start!"

A wave of purple and green energy surged away towards the solar system, which had only one inhabited planet. From far away, it seemed like a nebula suddenly appeared, engulfing the planets.