highest of the gods whose very being make the succession of life possible. Even destruction and periodic dissolution of laws is part of that fundamental order necessary for growth. The Tainted Ones, however, thrive on chaos. It is not a matter of what is perceived to be right or wrong, nor what is pleasant or unwelcome to humans. Many spirits enjoy strong emotion and energy without causing harm, just as much as we enjoy the smoke of burnt offerings. Those that would harm you I suggest you stay clear of. In the end, however, it is about what threatens the very cosmos and violates the cosmic laws set forth in nature.”
“I can’t say that the cosmos or any god in particular gives a shit about the human race from what I’ve seen,” she said. “Our world is completely destroyed.”
His laughter broke through the dark, and for one shining moment, a smile lit up his face. “Ah, the human assumptions again.” He clucked his tongue at her and shook his head with a playful pout, his ornaments swinging against his antlers. “Poor humans, your civilization has toppled like it has continuously over millennia, to make room through destruction for change so that something new can come forth. No doubt there was some god who fundamentally set the events into motion as their duty, but there have been gods and spirits that have intervened as it was their purpose. The rise of Tainted Ones, however…” He paused and frowned. “This is unprecedented and disturbs me. It can only mean that there are great changes to come that will be felt through the cosmos. Perhaps they have already begun, and I just didn’t see it for what it was at the time.”
He fell silent and lay back once more, his brow knitted in a puzzled frown.
“And the wyrm…?” Diana asked. “Are they one of the tainted creatures? Raskyuil seemed to consider them more like highly intelligent beasts. Just how fine is the line between what’s tainted and what’s not?”
“Many of the beasts and mortal beings, even ones with long lifespans, can become tainted. It is a fundamental corruption that begins at their core. For those who are sentient, it is more difficult. There needs to be a seed of darkness within them. Once they are tainted, it eventually wipes away the blessings of the gods, and they are forced to feed upon souls to sustain themselves. It makes them stronger, and those who have glutted themselves no longer age. Some of the worst among them cannot be killed but must be trapped and put into slumber.”
Diana shot up to a seated position and gaped at him. “Are you saying that people can become infected and turn into immortal monsters—like fucking vampires?”
“The analogy is perhaps accurate, although vampires themselves are not tainted—at least not to a degree that is problematic, as they consume blood and refrain from devouring souls. Though I don’t particularly enjoy their company,” he amended with a lopsided smile. “The wyrms are one of the most susceptible species due to the fact that they live deep within the earth. Some are favored among certain gods for their fierce protectiveness over places held dear to them, but that alone will not save them. Their nature as dwellers within the deepest caverns make them vulnerable, just as vampires have their thirst that makes them vulnerable, and mankind has qualities that make them vulnerable and turn them into terrible abominations.”
She chewed her lip as she considered his words. Rarely had she heard of a person that she could consider truly evil. In human history, it had been the exception rather than the norm. Even during the height of the crisis, when the ravagers burst from the underworld and created havoc on Earth before they mysteriously disappeared, she knew that the ugliness was from the creatures.
Only later did humans learn that not all ravagers were terrible monsters. Rather, the worst of the destruction had been carried out by humans in the grip of madness. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that there was probably a divine purpose behind it, or that a god might have willingly set them loose on the world.
Such a deity wasn’t one she cared to know.
All of that, however, compared to what was staring at her now… Soul-eating monsters that thrived on mass destruction, killing the living and devouring their souls to give their bodies life. This was far worse than the ravagers, and that was saying a lot,