...Wherever I sent you. Hopefully purification isn’t too painful. Now, hurricane.
After lifting and thoroughly scattering the massive pile of ash that the burnt out pyre left behind to the four winds, I turned my attention away from distant lands and back to the message that Uriel provided. “Alright. Show me what you’ve come up with.”
Uriel buzzed again.
I tapped my foot, then crossed my arms. “Hmm. And how do I go about doing any of that?”
Uriel buzzed once more.
I blinked. So… I can’t use Gretkarn’s lair and energy?
The system answered this time.
Okay, fair points. But why do I need to kill the deity? Aren’t they based at places with high mana concentration so shouldn’t that be enough? And if not, couldn’t I just convince one to help?
Uriel took over again.
Nothing’s ever easy. I clicked my tongue, and used shifted steps to pop back into the castle.
I’d left False Witness leaned against the wall in Calden’s room, but as the kid was now fast asleep, I was able to appear silently enough to not wake him. Ester on the other hand was very much aware of me.
“My Lord! You’ve returned!” She abandoned her son’s bedside to throw herself at my feet, though I stopped her before she could start lavishing kisses upon them again. I whispered. “I’m not staying long. In fact, I’ll likely be leaving in the morning, so his protection will be up to you from here on.”
She froze, pressed her head to the floor, and proclaimed. “As you will!”
I then used my domain traversal ability to depart from the world and completely enter my own space. My personal, ruined, dust covered, slice of never ending trauma and regret.
I appeared in front of my broken throne and the all encompassing anomaly waited just behind it, watching my every action just like it always did.
Unlike last time, I felt more at home here. Maybe it was the fact that I accepted this place as my own, or the fact that it was filled with the mysterious power that destroyed blight, but the all consuming dust didn’t bother me as much, though it was still a constant reminder of my eternity alone, and that would never be appreciated.
The anomaly was silent as well. It was never very talkative, but I half expected it to say hello or welcome back, but it didn’t and I got tired of waiting for a reaction, so I sat down.
The cold stone I expected to sit on was not what I felt. My throne was warm, almost comfortable, and I felt that at ease as power passed into and through me, circulated like blood.
Uriel said to just leave it here, but there’s gotta be something more I can do to speed things up. And even if there isn’t, getting some practice in isn’t a bad idea.
It took time. A long time, but eventually, on instinct, I knew how to do what I wanted. It was like remembering something I’d forgotten more than learning. Like sitting here allowed the power of this place to scratch away the mental walls keeping me from… myself? Anyway, it was a weird sensation to focus on so I held my staff in both hands, layed it across my lap really, and then I extended the warmth within me to spread out through it.
Out of one hand, through False Witness, and into the other.
It was a simple circuit, but given how violently blight and my power react to one another I needed to be extremely careful that my walking stick wouldn’t burst into flames or explode. Thankfully, it remained intact, though it trembled violently in my grip, threatening to leap away the second I slacked off.
But I endured, and so did it.
Slowly, carefully, I worked my energies back into the wood. I felt the blight resist at every step, like sludge or sediment blocking a river from its proper course, but with time I knew that it would give way and disappear.
With my task complete, I changed focus to commanding the power of this place to maintain this flow without me needing to manage it. I never considered automating magic or this energy in the past, but I couldn’t stay here and wait, and as more buried knowledge was gradually uncovered, I understood that I didn’t need to either.
It was honestly a bit like using my mana control ability to influence the mana outside my body. Once I got it started going the way I wanted, I could just sit back, and let the power continue all on its own.
Hesitantly, I released my hold on Witness, but instead of flying off like I feared, the steady tide of ??? power kept it roughly where it was, though it did float up a few feet to hover above where I sat.
I sighed, and slouched in my seat. “Okay. One job done with progress on the second. Now then, I guess I need to go find a terrestrial deity to off. Though I should say goodbye to everyone first.
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I returned to reality, back into Calden’s room right where I’d left, though instead of a sleeping boy and his phantasmal mother, I found the room being attended by a few maids making the bed.
Oh. It’s morning. Lucky me.
Silent as a ghost, I used shifted steps to head over to the lavish private dining room where I saw the groggy group of my traveling companions and their family had gathered. Unlike the maids who failed to spot my sudden appearance, everyone seated at the table noticed the second I arrived and seemed to come alive at the sight.
Well, the table’s set but the food hasn’t been brought out yet, so maybe they were expecting it instead of me?
What caught me off guard was that their reactions weren’t as dramatic as I had grown accustomed to. Not to complain, but no one even called out to me. In fact, most of them simply bowed their heads, though Ysdra ran over to hug me in silent sobs.
“Oh, sweetheart!” I knelt to catch her, scooped her up, held her tight, and all but rocked the poor girl to sleep in the next few minutes. Once she’d relaxed, I offered a quiet “Goodmorning.” to the room, which Ygvarge answered.
He stood, and the rest followed. “Goodmorning, oh generous benefactor. Thank you for all the care you’ve given to my sister, and to us all for that matter.” He tentatively glanced at the surprisingly still gloomy Calden, then found his courage and continued. “At risk of sounding rude, is there anything we can do for you? In my experience you only ever appear when something’s about to change.”
Heh. So that’s how you see me. Fair.
“Well, you wouldn’t be wrong. Though, the only thing I’d ask of you is that you take care of yourselves and each other.”
Calden lowered his head, and shut his dark ringed eyes.
Okay, now I know Ester found a way to tell him I’d be leaving, probably in his dreams. And from Ysdra’s reaction, he might have told her too.
Carmella clutched a little silver charm of a tree she’d picked up from somewhere, and asked. “If I may, where will you go?”
I combed my fingers through the golden locks of the nearly nodded off tigress and smiled. “I haven’t decided just yet, though I was thinking of either going to investigate Marquis Palaesheck or check in on Mattweirden and see why she’s been so distant to you all.”
And hopefully it’s not because she’s been corrupted by the Ascendants. Though I’m afraid that that’s the case.
Ygvarge bowed. “Your consideration is far more than we deserve. At this rate our debt to you will be bottomless.”
I shook my head. “I don’t help people because I expect something in return. I helped because you needed it, and continue to help because you need it still. If you want to repay me even knowing that, then do as I have done and help your people when and as they need it. That will always be enough.”
Carmella wiped the beginnings of a tear from an eye. “Words to live by.”
Then Ymir drew his sword, placed the tip to the ground at his feet, and knelt. “We hear and obey.”
I refrained from cocking an eyebrow at their reactions. Carmella’s opinion of me has been blowing hot and cold for a while now, and Ymir, well, he’s been overreacting ever since I… uhh… shoot, overreacted. Note to self, don’t be so harsh when educating lunkheads going forward.
“Oh!” I shifted Ysdra’s weight from one arm to the other. “I guess I could use some directions too. Which way is it to Matweirden’s place?”
Calden finally looked at me. “She claims most of the empire as her territory. So it tends to overlap with other terrestrial deities, just as this part did with Gretkarn, among others. But her main residence, Lord, is a glade adjacent to my family’s own holdings.” He pointed across the table and out a window. “Further North, and a bit to the west, right on the empire’s border.” He awkwardly clutched his arm. “You can’t miss it, it’s… it’s the most depleted of the estates in the region.”
I warped over to him and rustled his hair. “Thanks! And don’t look so glum. It’s not like you’re never going to see me again.”
Oh. So that’s where Ester was. Head pressed to the floor at her son’s side… At least she’s leaving me alone… though I do feel bad for subconsciously ignoring her.
He brightened and rubbed his damp eyes on a palm. “Y–yes. You’ve given me more than I could ever hope for, and I have a lot of work to do here.”
I put Ysdra down beside him, since she’d mostly recovered from her brief drowsy spell, and whispered in one of her fuzzy ears. “You’re gonna take care of him for me right? Make sure he doesn’t get overzealous and work himself crazy, okay?”
She sniffled, nodded, and half-smiled. “Only if you stay safe too.”
I let out a throaty laugh as I rose. “Hah! Kid, who do you think I am?”
My heart fell into my stomach the second the words left my mouth. Almost every set of eyes in the room sparkled at my question, but even Ygvarge’s doubt was paper thin at best. Oh, joy, more misunderstandings. Though are they misunderstanding, or am I? No! Don’t you think like that Anon! Don’t let the system trick you!
Afraid to continue the conversation, I winked, and cast shifted steps, followed by feral form.
Cold morning air enveloped me as I appeared as a pudgy gray pigeon high above the castle. It wasn’t even the slightest bit uncomfortable thanks to my resistance ability. Down below, the city was waking up, its people heading out of their temporary shelters to return to the constant task of restoring the damage that Gretkarn had done. Unlike past days, their faces were bright, Calden had returned to them, a new Count was in power, and the hovering threat of assassins had passed.
I did a lap or three around the city, spiraling out from the castle, and doing one last sweep to guarantee that the dangers to this city were absolutely over with.
And I found none, though there were several pleasant surprises, and I did take the time to heal the injuries of those my eyes fell upon.
The first surprise was that merchant we met at the gates, Maximus, if memory serves. By the look of things he’d been busy. Though I’d lost track of him with everything that’s been happening, he kept his word and leveraged his trading company’s resources to not only assist with the consolidation and acquisition of food materials from nearby, but also increased their flow into the city from beyond. Sure, it took days to see the effects, but now that lines of carriages were rolling toward the gates, I was pretty sure everything would be fine on that front.
My second delight was that Iskel had really come into his own. As a priest who had little to no power or confidence when we’d met, he was already out leading his flock in their restoration efforts. I found it particularly gratifying that while I was healing the city goers, a large swath of the slums around his church didn’t need any intervention from me at all.
The third thing that I noticed was that Soaria had arrived, and now, dressed like a nun of all things, she worked alongside Iskel as some sort of bodyguard, aid, and porter. She never complained, didn’t hesitate to help, and even smiled at the people she encountered.
It’s a little terrifying that hypnosis can change someone so completely, but she did accept it in the end so I don’t feel as bad as I would. Oh! And is that Galviston? Maximus’ son tailing after her like a lovesick puppy? It’s kinda funny that they’d meet like this, funny but somehow appropriate. Two lost souls, finding their way back. Perfection.
The last surprise was Silvia. She’d assumed the guise of a regular sized owl and patrolled the skies above the slums. She eagerly took to following me when I drew near and I telepathically asked. ~Anything to report?~
~Master Boss! Silvia has been watching the dangerous human, but she hasn’t tried to do anything to the priest-man or anyone else!~
~Good. Keep up your watch, and make sure to protect this city and the area around it. I’m going to go investigate some things for a while, though I’ll be sure to call on you when needed.~
~Yes Master boss! As Master Boss wishes!~ Silvia tried, and failed to salute me with a wing, plummeting a few dozen feet for her effort, before correcting and returning to her patrol.
I shook my feathered head, and flew outside the city’s bounds. Now, where to? Palaesheck? Matweirden? Or do I look into the other local terrestrial deities first?