Xystus the Swift

Xystus the Swift, the Messenger God, spared the briefest thought for mortals as he stretched his wings of quicksilver and soared over the land of Gofwath. He could barely spare more than a nanosecond of pity for such slow and short-lived creatures. Xystus the Swift could travel farther and wider in an instant than any mortal could in a lifetime. Besides, he had much to do and little time before the Platinum Council convened on the Astral Sea. Such an event only occurred once a millennia in mortal years.

Despite all this, Xystus supposed he could condescend to answer a prayer or two. He was already on this plane on other business and he might as well. Xystus blessed an explorer who prayed for a swift journey and a young athlete praying for swift feet, then called it a day.

Not even the most perceptive mortal eyes could have witnessed the silver streak of Xystus’ wings across the sky. And still he flew faster. A thunderous boom cracked the clear skies over the land of Anoria as he broke the sound barrier.

He felt the Circlet of Velocity around his head sing with power as it activated, surrounding him in a field of magical isolation. The Circlet of Velocity was forged by Phyxbus himself, the God of Artifice. Without it, Xystus’ unfathomable speed would be deadly to everything and everyone in his path—even for a god.

The Circlet of Velocity burned with power as Xystus flew faster. In a thrill of speed, an exhilarating rush he never grew tired of, Xystus accelerated, becoming an entity of pure speed. He circumnavigated the planet 5 times per second, then 6, then 7. As Xystus approached the speed of light, he felt the knowing presence of Rhydona, Goddess of Light, touch his mind.

“In my domain again, Xystus?” Rhydona asked.

“Just passing through,” Xystus said.

“You know, I can see you whenever you go this fast.”

“Of course, my Lady. How else am I going to get your attention?”

“You are such a flirt, Xystus,” Rhydona laughed. “Come see me before the Platinum Council convenes.”

“On my way."

This conversation happened at such a speed that it transcended time.

Xystus plunged into darkness as he pushed himself beyond the speed of light, a state at which he could jump instantaneously to any physical location in the multiverse. He willed himself from the Physical Plane to the throne room of Rhydona’s palace, a radiant sphere of pure gold at the center of Celestia. Xystus knelt before the towering throne of Rhydona, folding his quicksilver wings behind him.

“At your service, my lady,” Xystus said.

“That was quick,” Rhydona said. “Do you complete every task with such haste?”

“I know how to take my time,” he said, winking.

Rhydona laughed. The sound was beautiful beyond description.

“My procession to the Platinum Council will depart soon,” she said. “Have you procured refreshments for those of us on the pantheon with more… exotic tastes?”

Figs from the Tree of Replenishment were coveted among the gods as one of their few vices. The nectar of these figs sent any god who consumed it into a powerful euphoria unlike any other. The mystical and eternal Tree of Replenishment grew on the border between the realms of Order and Chaos, itself in a state of constant entropy, death, life, and rebirth. So close to the domain of Chaos, fetching its fruits was dangerous for all but the fastest or most daring gods. For the last several Platinum Councils, Xystus retrieved a bushel of figs from the tree and sold them for favor or boons from other gods under the table. Strictly speaking, this was forbidden. But Xystus knew no one could catch him.

“I was on my way to procure some special hors d'oeuvres before coming here, my lady.”

“Good.”

“Will that be all?”

“No.” Rhydona said, rising from her throne and approaching Xystus. She stepped down from her dais in a gown of woven sunlight and diamonds and approached Xystus.

“Stand,” Rhydona commanded.

Xystus stood. Rhydona traced an ebony finger along the ridge of his jaw and held his chin. “I want you to save some for the two of us,” she said. “I want something to look forward to after the Council’s proceedings.”

“As my lady commands,” Xystus said with a smirk.

“On your way, then.”

In a flash, Xystus was gone, once again approaching the speed of light. Xystus felt elated. He’d had his eye on Rhydona for centuries, but his place in the hierarchy of the Pantheon prevented him from chasing her. Until now.

Xystus propelled himself beyond the speed of light, and hurled himself to the farthest end of the domain of the Pantheon of Chaos. The Tree of Replenishment came into view. The size of a mountain, the tree’s branches stretched out in great arcs across space. Xystus flexed his wings of quicksilver, flew at impossible speeds toward the tree, then lost consciousness.

When Xystus awoke at the base of the Tree of Replenishment, a red devil with horns of gold smiled down on him.

“Hello Xystus,” the devil laughed. “You’re looking a bit slow these days.”

Xystus’ instincts were to flee, but he found he couldn’t. The devil before him held up a large crystal decanter in his hands and shook it. The decanter was full of mercury.

“My wings!” Xystus exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, little godling,” the devil said. “I just want to talk. It’s hard to pin you down long enough to get a word in.”

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“I am Zerlotl. Consider me as your counterpart in the Pantheon of Chaos. I deliver messages. And I have a very important message I would ask you to deliver. Here,” the devil tossed a satchel at Xystus’ feet. The satchel fell open to reveal a cluster of figs. “This is what you came for, right? Consider it an offering of good faith.”

Xystus lifted the satchel and replaced the figs that fell free. He examined the satchel, the figs, but saw no dangers or tricks.

“Still don’t trust me?” Zerlotl laughed.

“No. But I will hear your message.”

“Fair enough. There are a few of us among the Pantheon of Chaos who wish to parlay with the Pantheon of Order. If you agree to take this message to the Platinum Council, I will give you your wings back.”

“Assuming I agree to deliver your message, I give no guarantee that the Council will do anything with it.”

“Of course.”

“They may even decide it is in their best interest to ignore it.”

“I understand. All I ask is that you deliver this message. I expect nothing more. Do we have an accord?”

Xystus tried to see the deception in this agreement, but could see none.

“Don’t take too long to decide,” Zerlotl said. “The Platinum Council convenes as we speak.”

Xystus examined the figs in the satchel once more. They were real, untampered with.

“Very well,” Xystus said. “We have an accord. Now, release my wings.”

“As you wish,” Zerlotl said.

The devil unstoppered the decanter and the quicksilver held within soared out in a stream of liquid metal and formed into two wings on Xystus’ back. In the very moment that his wings were returned to their rightful place, Xystus took off, fastly approaching the speed of light, the Circlet of Velocity thrumming with power. He accelerated up to the speed of light as fast as he could so he could make the jump beyond it and travel to the Astral Sea where the Platinum Council convened.

Once he reached the speed of light, the familiar gaze of Rhydona fell upon him.

“It’s not like you to be late, Xystus,” Rhydona said.

“Apologies, my lady. I will arrive shortly.”

Xystus arrived in the Astral Sea at a speed far beyond the speed of light inside the chambers of the Platinum Council. Within a fraction of a fraction of a second after his arrival, Xystus knew something was horribly wrong with the Circlet of Velocity. Instead of placing him in magical isolation, protecting everything around him from the raw Celestial power of traveling at such speeds, his powers were amplified. As Xystus came to a stop in the council chambers where a pantheon of gods convened in Celestial glory, he watched as a shockwave of power exploded outward from him, vaporizing everything in his path. The flagstones of the chamber were reduced to the finest particles of matter. The gods nearest to him upon his arrival that could not react fast enough exploded before his eyes. By the time Xystus came to a full stop in the chamber, half the gods in the room were eviscerated by the explosion and the rest were injured, hurling across the Astral Sea.

Pure horror arrested every nerve in Xystus’ body as he gazed over the destruction he’d unwittingly caused. He removed the circlet from his head to see a line of Abyssal runes written on it.

“Thanks for delivering our message,” came a voice from behind him. Xystus turned slowly to see Zerlotl smile back at him. Behind Zerlotl, a flood of devils emerged from a magical portal, armed for battle. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”