Night Fury's Wrath

Chapter 59: Pursuit of Power [Part 1]

-Well, I'm back! Sort of. I'm starting to get into the groove of things again, but it isn't as smooth as it used to be. Some of you are sending me messages asking if I'm alright or if I need any help, and while I might not respond right away, I do see and appreciate each and every one of them. I'm not ignoring you; I'm just trying to 'internalize' some things, for lack of better words. I am getting better, little by little, and that's what matters. Be patient with me, and I'll get back to my talkative self eventually. 

Now, enjoy the next chapter!

-NFD

~~~

"And that is?" I asked Lumen impatiently.

"Von," he replied simply, rewarded with a gasp from Mom, much to my confusion.

I peered at my mother, then back to Moon and 'Von.' "Am I missing something here?" Mom never told me anything about a 'Von,' so I didn't know why the others were so surprised. Again, Stormfly appeared completely unaffected.

"Sometimes," Von rumbled, giving an embarrassed Moon a nudge. "Sæloon here calls me 'Dad.'"

I blinked, utterly lost. "Dad," I repeated doubtfully. "You do realize she created this world, right?" Now I was beginning to question this harbinger's sanity. Moon didn't have any parents. She was alive long before the first dragons hatched; nobody really knew how she was created or if she'd been there forever. A dead harbinger couldn't have possibly been her father. It was far more likely that this harbinger was spinning false tales.

"Of course I do," Von confirmed, peeking at Moon fondly. "But that doesn't change anything. She accepted her mother and me, so we named her Sæloon to make her feel more like part of the family."

"It means 'daughter moon,'" Moon mumbled faintly when Mom opened her mouth to ask. Her eyes remained trained on the ground. "He's... Dad's telling the truth."

I stared at the duo in disbelief as silence fell upon us. Moon herself said that this harbinger wasn't lying, but I still couldn't believe any of it. How could our god, the one that created all we knew, have a father that came into existence after her, whom she had created herself? And why would she allow that? Mothers and fathers had authority over their children, meaning Von technically had authority over our deity, the creator of all we knew. Judging by my first impression of him, mainly consisting of trying to kill me, that thought made me incredibly uneasy.

I narrowed my eyes on Moon's former avatar. "I don't like you." That was a massive understatement, but saying that I hated him could trigger a hostile response, and while I was confident I could take him, putting those I cared about at risk wasn't worth it.

"Of course not," Von replied dismissively. "I have power and skill that rivals yours, so you feel threatened. You can loathe me all you like, if you wish. My family is my only concern."

Moon cleared her throat awkwardly. "W-Well, funny you should say that..."

Von shot Moon a perturbed look. "What? Is he truly more powerful?" 

"Not exactly..."

I knew what Moon meant, a fact that I'd already figured out, which did absolutely nothing to change my opinion of the harbinger. I still despised him, and not because I felt threatened by his power, as he assumed. No, I felt that his power was a threat to my family. They've suffered enough under beings with too much power for their own good; we didn't need another power-abusive monster harassing us. I would do anything in my power to keep yet another one from lording over us, even if that meant destroying Moon's 'father.'