First Demonic Dragon

775  Last Resort

Abaddon was currently trying to defend himself against an overtly aggressive Valerie.

Fending off drunk wives wasn't something he would say that he did a lot, but he did it enough that by now he knew how to direct her attention elsewhere.

"My love, have you noticed that some of our children are missing?"

"Come to the restroom with me and we can make a few more~"

"…"

Sometimes, when she wouldn't even give him an opportunity to redirect her attention. That was usually when he knew it was time to take her home.

'Shall we make our exit, my loves?' He asked his wives.

Eris looked down at baby Odessa and saw that she was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. Lailah looked at Bekka and saw her finishing the last of the cake that was supposed to be for everyone. 'I guess it would be fine if we decided to head back now.' Erica thought. 'Should we make an announcement, or-'

'Sneak out like vagrants.' Everyone said at once.

Erica honestly didnt know why she expected their answer to be any different. "Are we leaving the kids?" Lisa suddenly asked. "I don't see why not.. They're young, you know? They've got a lot more energy to party than us elders do." Audrina chuckled. Ordinarily a few members of the group would have objected to being labeled 'elders' but Audrina was just so attractive that none of them cared. "I'm sure the kids will play nice with each other while we're gone." Abaddon stood up with Valerie's hand already working it's way into his pants. "Bashenga and Straga seem to have stepped out of the realm though.. Where do you think those two went?" Tatiana asked- a hint of worry in her voice. "I'm not sure, but it should be fine. Those two are more than mature enough to come back whenever they're ready."

Bekka gave the sea goddess' butt a firm squeeze and it became all too easy for her to take her words as irrefutable truth. "...You know what? I'm sure that you're right."

-

"We should really keep talking about this more!"

"You have done enough talking! Now I will see to it that you meet your end!"

"Exactly what is it that I said to prompt this kind of reaction?"

"EVERYTHINGG!!!"

Straga ran across the surface of the ocean while his brother rained down death from above.

Meteors, great balls of flame, enormous bolts of lightning, Bashenga was pulling out many stops to impale his brother. "I'm not going to fight you!" Straga yelled as he flipped over a shooting star.

"I don't want you to fight, I want you to DIE!!!"

Bashenga lifted up a massive tidal wave in front of Straga; blocking off his current escape route. "You're being real uncool here, bro!" Straga complained.

"Then just DIE and you won't have to worry about it!"

Bashenga held out his hand and summoned a very large and ominous black sword. Straga almost went pale. "I feel like this is taking a more unfriendly route with every second that goes by!"

"Finally, something you aren't completely wrong about!"

"Come on, man... this isn't conducive to a helpful conversation!"

Straga caught Bashenga's blade between his hands and narrowly avoided getting a very severe shave. "I just feel like you should know that if you mess up my face then our moms are going to be super pissed at you for ruining the work or art they made for nine whole months!"

"Oh, how I weep at the thought!" Bash spat.

"You're such a dick sometimes..."

Straga quickly checked his surroundings to make sure that they were far enough off-shore before making a decision. He grew a second set of arms right underneath his first and gave his brother a 'light' right hook.

The shockwave that rippled out from Bash's jaw caused an enormous geyser to erupt around them. Bashenga was rattled, and the momentary lapse in focus allowed Straga to throw his arms around his brother and restrain him. But to Bash, it felt like a hug. Bash didn't like hugs. "Get off of me, you dog!"

"Not happening, buddy! You're stuck with me until we talk this out!"

Bashenga drew his head back and struck his brother with his skull several times in quick succession. But Straga had been getting hit in the face for thousands of years due to his interest in close quarters techniques, so they would need to be here all day before he actually started to feel a bit of pain. "Damn *Wham!* you! Why *Wham!* won't *Wham!* you *Wham!* just *Wham!* DIE!?"

Straga had already developed a bloody nose, but he didn't seem ready to let his brother go just yet. Consequences be damned.

"Because *Bam!* I *Bam!* need *Bam!* you *Bam!* to *Bam!* know *Bam!* that *Bam!* your *Bam!* family *Bam!* loves *Bam!* you!"

Bashenga roared as he continued to smash his head into his brother's with no end in sight. And then... the two of them kind of just disappeared. And the ocean around them returned to normal in an instant.

-

Currently, Bashenga and Straga sat beside each other inside of a small wooden home that they knew all too well. "Now, I'm almost certain that your father of all people has imparted into the two of you the importance of acting with discretion whenever you find yourselves outside of Tehom..."

Asherah placed down two tea cups in front of the pair of brothers. Straga had tissues inserted up his nose, while Bashenga had a cool towel on the top of his head. "Leaving at all is highly unlike the both of you to begin with, but now I see you've been hitting each other too? What do you think your father would say if he heard about this?"

Bashenga snorted. "He encourages us to hit one another all the time. I don't understand how this should be any different."

"You know very well that his encouraging you to train is nowhere near the same as what you two were doing. He has always encouraged you to build each other up, not tear each other down." Bashenga looked away from Asherah and the tea she offered.

Straga on the other hand was much more apologetic and lowered his head in guilt. "You're right... that's our bad, Granny."

Asherah sighed underneath her veil. This was quite the unusual occurrence for her. She didnt know whether or not she was supposed to tell Abaddon about this, or just try to handle it in-house herself.

"...Why were you boys fighting in the first place?" she finally decided to ask.

"We were having a small disagree-"

"Bash has low self esteem and I was trying to fix it."

"You ingrate, that isn't true!"

Asherah didn't really need to ask how Straga had come to that particular conclusion. Bashenga's reaction just now was telling enough. "I... right then. Straga, will you return home for a while so that I can speak with your brother?"

"Eh?"

"Sure, granny." Straga did as she asked without a second thought and left Asherah and his brother behind. Asherah and Bashenga had a small staring contest with no victor. "Won't you drink?" She pushed the tea towards him.

"I believe that I would prefer to return home." Bash stood up. Asherah locked the space before he could go anywhere. "Please, stay with me for a bit. I'm but an old woman who could really use the company."

"I am but a proper houseguest who doesn't make it a point to linger."

"Such short patience, even with me. Have I not done enough to be entitled to but a few minutes of your company?"

"I don't need you to dig around in my mind."

"And I never said that I would. This is simply a conversation between some old gods. Nothing more, my boy."

Bashenga finally sat down begrudgingly. "...Not as if I have a choice anyway."

"I'm pleased you could see things that way."

"Just do not expect me to talk. I find all of this to be dreadfully unnecessary."

"Your disinterest is duly noted, dear boy."

Now that he had to stay, Bashenga thought that there would be no harm in drinking a little bit of tea.

And while he was drinking, Asherah was the one who did the talking.

"You know... In the prime timeline, your father also had some issues with his self esteem. It made him very unreachable once he finally became... well, all that he is today."

'Riveting storytelling...' Bashenga thought that maybe instead of trying to kill his brother, he should have killed himself. But of course, being Nevi'im meant that he couldn't die even if he really wanted to.

"I see that history seems to be of little interest to you, so let's try a little bit of current events instead. I hear you have a new baby at home. How is that?" She asked.

Despite saying that she wouldn't talk, Bashenga still found himself bellowing out an answer. "She is... fine. She has no health concerns other than the fact that she seems to be mute."

"I see... It must be exciting, no? Children bring joy wherever they tread, you know?"

"So everyone keeps telling me... I've yet to see the reason for all of the fuss."

"Perhaps you aren't really trying to look."

"Perhaps there is simply none to be found."

Asherah had forgotten just how difficult other gods could be. But now she was clearly remembering why she and her husband decided to leave the job of dealing with them to Abaddon.

And maybe he would have been the best person to deal with this situation, but there was something that Asherah wanted to try first.

"Ah.." Asherah stretched her body completely unprompted.

"I tell you what, I don't believe I've left the garden in ages… Maybe it's making me a bit restless."

Bash raised a brow.

"There's somewhere I believe that I might like to go… will you do me a kindness and accompany me?"