Voice of Order began showing some real emotion then. Curiosity plain to see on his froggy face.

There was some clacking from the Unconquered Sun as well and the giant limbed serpent next to her joined in.

Living Stitches blew some bubbles from his mouth. Looking mildly interested.

"Now then." The frog clapped. "The reason why I have brought her here is so that we can have an alternate point of view for our dialogue. Do not mistake me, Tyrant. Like you, I also consider myself a good person."

He waved around.

"I believe we all think such a thing about our own persons, to be honest. No one here has the same outlook as the Seeking Drake. No one here would enjoy violence for the sake of violence. I do not believe any of my friends here enjoy strife and needless suffering."

I quirked an eyebrow.

"Define, needless."

He burped.

"Self-inflicted strife through challenges one takes on does not count. Entering an Instance is a form of self-sacrifice in order to grow stronger and wiser. More potent in the use of Psy. I do not think the Dragon enjoyed your little arranged trip to the… what was it called?"

He tapped an amphibian, webbed digit to his lower lips. An odd reaction since he had no jaw bone.

"The DMV? Yes. I do believe that was it. He did not enjoy his time there, I think. But I also think he would not have hesitated to go back there for more gains if you gave him a more difficult version."

Living Stitches let out a cackle.

"Well, maybe he would have hesitated a little bit."

His words were waved away.

"But we're getting off-topic again. The point I am trying to make is that you are not unique, Solomon Carter. Oh, Mad Tyrant that you are. We all want a utopia, or as close to a utopia as we could possibly get."

He paused and the Balanced Scales spoke up next. A tinge of regret in her tone.

"But we must also temper our wants with morality. With duty and honor. The scales… must be balanced."

"They don't think our way of going about things is morally justified." Living Stitches summarized.

"I am the epitome of what a Shifter can be, but people, and I use that term very loosely here, like the Seeking Drake, would disagree. He would be of the opinion that we should all become as vicious as possible until one reigns supreme through natural selection, because that is the way of nature out there in the natural, Psy-less universes. He wants us all to hunt and kill and feed and grow so that we are all no more than vicious animals seeking perfection. Much like himself."

The salamander rolled his eyes. For my benefit, I suspected.

"I disagree with him in turn. I believe Shifter, in the later stages of development, is a cry for help. It is nature trying to break free of the cycle of violence and become something more. Something that does not need to hunt or kill or conquer in order to survive. A… and pardon my language… Perfect Drake, as he would put it. One that does not need to fight in order to live on. One that is life, perfected. Life that does not wane against the hostile nature of entropy within reality. Life that does not need to be about bloodshed and the constant fear of being overtaken by predators, sickness, or merely the relentless passage of time. I wanted life to be something more beautiful than that."

I found myself nodding along. While Puffin continued to glare at me, then at him too.

"Personally, wanted a utopia where everyone, regardless of birth or station or species, could have access to the best Symbiotes that I could possibly make. Companions that would love their wearers unconditionally, as my contemporary creations do. Not only that, I wanted them to always be a moral guardian for their bonded hosts. To always present new ideas and ways of going about life. To always be there to act as diplomats and find a way to avoid needless conflict like inter-species wars. To always push their hosts deeper and deeper into personal challenges so that they became the best versions of themselves that they could be."

He opened his arms and his face donned an expression that was very human to my eyes. One of pain and deep, personal longing.

"Imagine it. A multiverse where everyone would have a friend that always had their back no matter what. That always turned them away from anti-social behavior and self-sabotage. You need to steal in order to eat? No, you don't. My darling babies can help you digest just about anything and turn them into nutrients. You think you need to kill someone out of jealousy or because they somehow infringed on your honor? No, you don't. My babies will explain that such violence leads to permanent repercussions and needless suffering. That they will always be there for the host and that any insults, real or imagine, will be meaningless tomorrow. You think you need to go to war for more resources because your population is growing too quickly? No, you don't. The Labyrinth is connected to a nearly infinite number of Instances that can be exploited for resources and there are an endless number of planets out there for your people to settle within any one universe."

Honestly, it made sense. Buddy could already do a lot of those things and he had been with me through thick and thin. He was, well… definitely more than a suit or a pet. At this point, he was like family.

"My darling babies will help you grow; will help you survive in those planets. Will help you and your family live long, happy lives. If you are hurt, my babies will heal you. If you are sad, my babies will make you happy. If you are unloved, my babies will love you. If you are hungry, they will feed you. If you are thirsty, they will give you water. If you cannot breathe, they will be your lungs. If you are young and foolish and lost, they will be your teacher."

He closed his eyes. Almost as if longing for a future that would not come to pass.

"But Buddy never led me away from violence." I noted. "He was curious, but he never tried to get me to spare a gnome. He never told me to sit there and take it while people like Randall were planning to make trouble."

"Yes." Living Stitches sighed. Again, for the benefit of my human sensibilities.

"The Symbiotes I wanted to make are not the Symbiotes we have today. I wanted to make them wise teachers as well as helpful friends but… sadly… such actions also have consequences. They have been tried, but they resulted in the death of the people involved. Not the physical body, mind you, but the spirit. The individuality of the people. It was a lot more pleasant to let the Symbiotes make the decisions, as they would always seek to maximize social cohesion, societal good, and personal satisfaction. Not through Telepathy but through a wide network of localized eusocial communication. Mainly through hormones. Listening to the Symbiote would always lead to more happiness than thinking for yourself. The fact that the Symbiotes I made then were so much stronger than the baser versions I distribute to newbies now certainly didn't help matters. What ended up happening was that I created a society of parasitized hosts. Unthinking meat puppets for the Symbiotes to lead on. They were happy, to be sure. And the little societies that sprung up were, in a way, perfect. Devoid of crime, homelessness, addiction, cruelty, corruption, senseless violence and exploitation. But…"

"But they were not societies." The Balanced Scales finished. "They were terrariums filled with pets at best. At worst, they were no different than all the poor fools trapped within the Drake's Living Castle."

"Free will is more than an ideal." Voice of Order added. "It is a sacred aspect of life that must be protected. Otherwise, we may as well be a bunch of petty despots ruling over drones."

"Or slaves." The Unconquered Sun finished.

I suppressed a wince.

Puffin shook with rage.

Living Stitches sighed. Acting in a human-like manner again.

"So, there you have it. I'm sure you are smart enough to know where this whole business is going, young friend. My utopia was, inherently flawed. People need to have some level of autonomy in their lives. In their surroundings. People need to have some kind of struggle to overcome, but they also need to have a way to rise above those struggles. Leaving people in a society with no upwards mobility, one where everyone keeps pressing down and down to all the poorer folks below them is no better. Everyone needs a chance."

"A fair chance." I interrupted. Now feeling more than a little annoyed. "I seem to recall that a certain Deketer had many, many more opportunities for growth than, say, a certain Sky Heart."

"And see how that ended up?" Balanced Scales asked. "Sky Heart is still alive and well."

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"Both of them are." Voice of Order spoke. "But I do not know if you can call what Deketer is going through living. What with your plans for her."

I cursed internally, but then again I supposed I shouldn't have been so surprised.

"Hostages are a normal part of negotiations." I answered. "At least by the Labyrinth's standards. Better than what the Dragon tried to pull at the very least. That, and she remains perfectly safe and unharmed. If Singing Metals agrees to my demands, I would be more than willing to have her released within a certain time period. I would even be willing to negotiate as to how much time she spends in our care."

Balanced Scales barked out a laugh.

"Oh, that is so funny! You humans refer to one another as snakes or serpents when the other is being overly cruel and treacherous! And yet here you are, before a serpent like myself, stating that you would be willing to return the last remaining child of the woman Singing Metals loved, if only she would agree to murder her master!"

She blinked at me, and it looked rather odd with her slitted, reptilian eyes.

"I wonder which of us would be the greatest serpent? If we were to ask your parents?"

"He's a monster." Puffin spoke at last. Drawing the attention of everyone present.

She pointed at me. As if to strike me down with her finger.

"He had everything from the beginning! He had a nice house that never leaked and never let in the cold! He had parents that always loved him and always put food on the table! Mom and dad taught him everything about being a good, decent person! And he pissed it all away! He spat in their faces! He… he…"

She choked on her next words.

"He turned them into slaves!"

"Well, that's a bit unfair."

Voice of Order shushed me. The big bulbous frog actually shushed me.

"Forgive me, oh Tyrant, but I would ask you to speak less and listen more. Especially after we've gone so far as bring her here to hear what she has to say."

I cursed internally.

"He's just like the masters." She continued. "Just like Hakon and the others. He says he has to bring order to the world because otherwise people would be too stupid to know right from wrong. So, he leashes them and collars them. Forces them to do what he wants them to do or else."

The corners of her eyes began to water. Memories flooding into her mind.

"It's just like… it's just like the masters that ran the brothels and the pleasure gardens! The ones that use drugs instead of whiplashes to control people! He forces changes on them so they act the way he wants! No one is allowed to think for themselves anymore! No one is allowed to make mistakes or to be free! He… he takes it all away. Everything they are! Until they're only puppets! The masters back in my home planet were bad enough, but he is worse! Because at least some slaves escaped into the wastes back home! At least there was some hope of escape someday! But the people he enslaves don't even have that! They're chained more tightly than if he'd clapped them in irons!"

I allowed her to cry a bit more. To shout a bit more. I let her say what she wanted to say and I let her tire herself out.

I waited. Patiently.

Until it was my turn to speak.

"Funny you should say that." I began. "Worse than Hakon, you say. How very quaint. I suppose that you have forgotten your earlier years. Your former life."

I looked straight at her.

"I didn't forget, Puffin. I can never forget. Not the cruelties that were committed against you. Nor the cruelties you observed. I cannot forget the cruelties that Hakon committed either."

I called upon my Psy and, for once, the Tall Man appeared without trouble.

He had four heads now. Four burning crowns and four pairs of majestic white wings that remained still as the Veiled Prince floated mere inches above the ground. Slick, dark oil dripping from the feet and down onto the obsidian.

"Create an illusion of the memories I show you." I commanded.

The thing obeyed.

At once, a screen appeared for all to see. Right behind my position.

There, in a deep, dark pit, lay Puffin. Surrounded by cots on all sides. All of them filled with men and women and boys and girls. Young and old, it made no matter. They all wore chains around their necks. Collars made of various metals. Some where made of simple banded iron and course leather, but a few were wearing collars of brass or burnished bronze. Decorated with other, softer materials like wool where it might chafe the skin.

Many of them shivered. The desert outside being blindingly cold during the night, despite how stifling the heat was during the day.

None of them spoke. None of them dared.

The guards outside were slaves as well, but they wore collars of steel, adorned with colored cloths. Their tunics were of a better make and they were allowed to wear simple armor of iron.

And the weapons.

One could not forget the weapons.

They had wooden cudgels. Devoid of spikes, but still hefty enough to bruise with a little tap and more than enough to shatter bone with enough force.

Puffin shivered throughout the night and then she got up listlessly as soon as dawn broke through the windows at the top of the covered pit.

They all marched out from there and went up to the lower sections of the colosseum where she'd be working this month. From there, she and the others began to make their rounds. Feeding the animals in their cages and making sure the masters in the high seats had all that their hearts desired while they watched from their boxes.

We all saw Puffin and another, admittedly prettier girl serving an old, bald fat man. Who was so fat that it was a wonder the men who had carried his litter didn't immediately snap in two when trying to get up.

The memory showed Puffin staring. Not at the arena, but at the fat man.

Looking at him with a mask of respect on her features, but with eyes filled with trepidation. She and the other girl both simply stood there and served him food and water, despite their grumbling stomachs and despite how parched their throats were.

Yet they never took their eyes off of him. Every time they moved, they made sure to do so in a way that kept the fat man within the corner of their vision. As if he were a polar bear instead of a person. A heartless carnivore that you weren't sure was fed and satisfied.

Down in the arena, a youth of thirteen years slashed the throat of another.

The victor had entered the arena wearing a suit of chainmail, a spear, a sidearm in the form of a short sword, and a steel shield adorned with a family crest.

The loser had entered wearing a dirty, unkempt gambeson. Holding a wooden club that was far too big for his skinny arms.

The audience roared. The fat master roared with them. Excitement plain to see on his features.

Then, suddenly, he reached for the other girl there with Puffin. Dragging he into his lap. He fed her. Gave her water. And when he left, he made sure to have a talk with an attendant. The girl left with him.

And Puffin counted herself lucky. Because she knew the man. Him, and the rumors that swirled around him.

I shut off the memory.

"Hakon, was not an anomaly either." I said calmly. "Let's take a look back there again, shall we?"

There was a large bonfire in the middle of the camp. It's embers licking the edges of the circle of stones that kept the flames at bay. The people around the fire, those bound by ropes, screamed. The men around them laughed.

Over by the side, my friend was struggling. My friend. Luigi. He had never given up, even when all seemed lost. He was still fighting to free himself from his bindings, even as his Psy was being drained. His head bobbing up and down as he struggled to stay awake whilst standing at the precipice.

A gaunt man, Scab, approached him from the side. A blazing hot poker held firmly in his gnarled hands. The red-hot end pierced Luigi's muscles. Starting with his thighs and trailing up until the metal rod reached his right ear.

Puffin averted her eyes.

"Do not look away." I said.

With a level of calm that chilled even me.

"If you are going to argue for freedom, then you must see what freedom costs. Do not look away."

She flinched, then turned her head slightly. Her teeth biting into her lower lip and drawing blood.

In the memory playing out, Luigi was brought out of his stupor at once.

Screaming.

Yet that only made our captors laugh harder. He writhed in place. Trying desperately to free himself from bondage. Trying to summon a bolt of fire or force that he could use to free himself or to fight back.

It didn't work.

He only drained himself fully once more. His head collapsing downwards for half a heartbeat before the pain forced him upright.

The man, Halkon, approached dad.

"Tut tut. Reggie. It isn't polite to fall asleep when someone is talking to you." He spoke in a sickeningly sweet tone.

His words eliciting another round of laughter from the audience.

"Please…" Dad wheezed. "You don't have to do this. You need people for the monster waves…"

Halkon sighed theatrically and pressed another hot poker to dad's skin.

"That is where you're wrong Reggie. Of course I have to do this. You defying me would have been one thing. I could forgive that. My boys would have had their fun with you and then your people could have joined us as normal. Secure in the knowledge that my way, was the only way. What with you having served as an example. But now? After killing off so many of my good boys? After doing whatever it is that you did to all our Telepaths and leading us around for almost a month as you hopped around from island to island? After all the people we lost to bosses after you got them all riled up? After all the folks that lost limbs to your traps?"

Halkon shook his head.

"No. Reggie. I can't suffer such insolence. Not only did you fight back. You fought back well. All while I had promised my boys an easy ride through this Tutorial. You made me out to be a liar. Worse, you made me lose respect. That, I cannot have."

He sliced off an ear, eliciting more screams.

More anguished cries.

I did not move a muscle.

I did not even fucking blink.

Taking in the memory I'd seen over a dozen times in my predictions, and then after the fact.

"You see, Reggie. Monsters come and go. But they're not a threat. Not truly. They're like, the weather. It comes and goes and comes again. Sometimes you lose a hut to a hurricane, sometimes you lose a foot to a crab, sometimes you lose one of your slower fighters to either one. It happens. But people…."

Halkon raised a finger.

"People are not so easily handled. No sir. A leader requires a strong, firm hand to provide for his own supporters, as well as a mailed fist to handle dissenters. Why, if the herd of sheep you ferried around kept getting away with their disrespect, then me and my men look foolish. We were made to look like idiots who can't impose a proper sense of law and order. And that, my feather-brained friend, is how masters are undone. First, a whisper, then a word, then, a gathering crowd."

Halkon stood up.

Grabbing dad by the hair and pulling his weeping head upwards.

"I told you all of this when we first met. Reggie boy. I can be a gentle overlord. But I don't have to be. You made your choice. All the people that followed you made their choices."

He spat down at his captive.

"The blind leading the blind. The weak following the weak. You were all too stupid to see that you needed a real man to take the reins. Too craven to do what was needed to make up a strong host. If anyone here is to blame, it's you. Reggie boy."

Halkon smiled a sharp, sinister smile.

"And boy, is it going to cost you."

He drew back. Laughing.

"Now then lads! Ten extra rations and five extra turns with the prettier ones for the lucky fellow who can make Reggie here scream the loudest! Be careful though! If he dies, then the last person to hurt him loses a day's worth of both privileges."

Halkon raised his arms up high. As if he were signaling the start of a day's bloodshed at the arena.

"Tell me! Who will be the first to try their luck!?"

The illusion faded. The memory ended.

"There are a million, million Halkons across the multiverse." I said evenly.

Now facing Puffin directly.

"Every day, a new one is born. Whether to the Kenari or the Foxxans or the gnomes. It. Does. Not. Matter."

I turned to face each Divine in turn.

"This has been a cheap show of theatrics." I said to them. "I know what my actions have wrought. I have seen the cost. I know the cost. No one better."

I took in a deep, calming breath.

"I have also seen the suffering. And I have made my choice."

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