"Paternal, I am not... so if you want me to be Quant about it that will not happen you will refer to me as Father Ghost, I signed a contract with this boy and he will serve my Organization. you as his companions and family can choose your own paths."
" Yes, sir."
the kids seemed rather conditioned as if they had gone through such an experience. the kids loaded everything onto the ship. while that goblin found and ate the other core. I put it in the ring, picked that boy up, and began walking. obviously, I had slowed my steps for these kids, although they seemed to have no problems keeping up. I'm curious if I do say so myself. however, now was not the time to learn or understand why...
I made my way to the stables and ordered two mounts and a carriage. I noticed the look of the stables beastmaster.
" Is this boy wanted here?"
" Aye, that's not the problem, sir. I feel bad, but I don't regret telling him to get lost. he angered something terrible. But it seems his luck is no better, I mean no offense to you, sir. it's just that I can hear the whispering..."
" Oh, and what do these whispers say?"
" Don't let my words mean I'll, but I hear the Elements disown you as nature fears you. I am a veteran, sir, and even I know that my skill, if at all, can never fathom yourself. but will that child's luck survive what you would pit him."
I nodded...
" He would die from just the presence of such pits I can throw him in, but no, his luck, it seems, is already terrible. He met me and signed an agreement without hearing terms. so it matters not, and if he can not live up to my expectations, then I will just kill him myself."
I looked at his eyes, which seemed to be clear.
" Yes, sir. please give that boy this from me. I wash my hands of him, and I will inform the village that there were never any kids here. as for that sub Village, wasn't there any surviving?"
he handed me a small box.
" None. I am sorry Liam you know we can not act unless they commit the crime. this was the only time they were Braisen enough to commit them. but the nobles that will follow him to the afterlife as this coup continues will be... too much, in my opinion. anyways, be Careful Liam, at your age, it would take too much to heal. centuries ago, when we were young, we could do it all. if only you would have continued to cultivate. if only, if only."
" Aye, well, it's never simple. True We are not young men anymore, but what is the excuse for the children of that generation. they are worse than the demon guilds' entirety... I came to this planet to get away from the tragedy. All I've done is bring it here. brother, if you haven't already found the princess, I fear the worst. let me know if there is anything I can do. I would even bring mogo to help!"
" No, Liam, just settle down and rest assured. the royal covenant has established a safe place for them. we need not worry over the children but their parents... anyhow, this is no place to discuss the other half of this."
" Yes, Cro... CoCo, please don't be too harsh on that child he is a hard worker. he even had limbs removed but never let it bring him down. you know how I am. I expect a lot of my people!"
" CoCo. Lambs, what's happening! been a few years, man, how you doing?"
" If it's not little kiki, how is your father and mother, my dear boy."
" It's man. Now at least you old goat."
" How baahaad of you young man, To insult an elder. I dare say it's because of you that these damn brats turned for the worse."
kiki laughed at him, but his eyes showed a pang of guilt.
" Yeah, well, I am not all too blame that damn Empress raised demon children... it is only my fault they were not taught better. at the very least, one out of four, in my opinion, is not terrible..."
he was puddy in Liam hands as he Harumphed out speaking his peace.
" I am not too bothered by that, but it's a shame none of them are left. Tis both our faults, it seems. I have grown weak..."
that conclusion is not troubling me, but still.
" Old friend, this'll be our endeavor till we are, but dust left in the breeze. we have grown old by surviving, not by coincidence but by will and blood. don't let this define your actions. save more build thousands of sub villages if you must. This is an optional process as an exchange rate for tragic experience rather than slaving these people. I myself would bring you these souls to help... but it seems I found another that can help and carry on that legacy you made. although we won't be around to see that I don't think I mind."
" That's fine, CoCo. Please proceed with how you will. One day, when we meet again, I'll be ready to finish that agreement of ours."
with resolution in his eyes, i nodded to him, I got up on the carriage seat, whipping the velvet scale lizard. Kiki ran, catching up. I stood waving my hand to an old friend for what I hope is not the last meeting... but hope and fate are fickle mistresses for men like us. For we are haunted by the ghosts of our past sins.
the waves of those legends we create sometimes washes away the sins of those mistakes we make calling us heroes, is a misguided lie to appease our souls, but those decisions we made ruined our future generations. that leaves it up to us to correct them demons, or the Beasts maw will be clenched for every generation to follow.
" What are you thinking, CoCo?"
" A lot, KiKi... more than I need to in honesty. I am unsure about my way through life. I am a Transcendant grandmaster cultivator and a Grandmagister and an Emporer and a sect lord. the one thing I have not mastered is my parenting skills that shouldn't offend me."
he laughed at me as his eyes closed, leaning back in his seat, he made his point.
" So CoCo, you think we failed them too, huh? what if we succeeded in the thing we set out to do."
" What is that, my friend?"
" making peace."
" How do you mean?"
" What I mean is we made peace allowing our kids to have freedom eventually they would have found that trouble. but we had not died making the unnatural laws natural. thus, when we created that peace, we kept it. that allowed them to create unrest in that time, which is what led to the downfall of our grand kids. of course, there would be some who do terrible things, but because of us or our peace... we made those idle times allowing sins to progress, not martialing them or policing them. that is what led to such chaos inside and out. why now does this make a difference. because peace is over... I don't know when or why, but it wasn't just accidentally so. that is our true goal, no?"
staring at him as the lizards mozied along. I sat again in my thoughts, relishing along my journey and my mistakes, realizing that I was not alone.
" Hmm, yes, CoCo, before you say it would you appease me and answer in honesty. from the man who has to kill his grandchild to the man who is on the same mission with the same outcome. what do we tell the great grandchildren how we look them in the eyes. after the deeds we commit. why?"
the tears filled his eyes as he squeezed them closed, holding back his aura. I put my hand on his shoulder.
" I am guilty of sins, but those guilty of worse crimes against their own blood, against children, against their own children, against their citizens who looked up to them. even I can not turn a blind eye to the undoing of our kin. there will be repercussions of their crimes. I wish to absolve them of their sins as I cleanse their souls from the universe with every ounce of power I have. Their stories will only be remembered as whispers in our books that will be under our name as The Second Great Catastrophe. and may we and future generations pray that it is the end of such catastrophic behavior."
" I see you also have chosen to be at blame. Mm."
" No, I have chosen to share the Blame as a seat of the Majestic Realm Walkers. I will finish this mission and renounce my own titles. here and now is the last chapter we will write for those sins."
" I see. That means everyone has agreed to renounce. but what happens to the ones who don't want to give up those titles."
he clenched his fist as he looked at me, his eyes sharp and distant.
" That is dreaming, but it is a nice dream. i would love to see my greatgrands grow watching their children grow. I am unsure of everyone else's choice, but my own is well its my own. but a group can not be a group with only one person. the little things are to be enjoyed like the little fact that we have lived for a long enough time. we are here."
" I understand, I just have some old man regrets... what can I say? The closer we get, the worse the feeling becomes."
" Is it truly the feeling or the acceptance of the deed?"
he sighed, closing his eyes once more.
" I am going to get a bit of meditation done. It will calm me down, friend, because when that answer comes, we will probably be on opposite sides."
I nodded, keeping my thoughts to myself.
this truce has been as thin as the excuse we used to let the situation grow so horrible. our travels were quieter after that silent as our the objective grew closer. turns out it was driving me wild. Why was my wisdom of so many years feeling useless.
" Come now, CoCo, we are here together at arms. we must do this... I will accept more of this fate. when we are done here, I wish you follow my que. I will be that villain... our grandkids will not be remembered by slander. Let me take that burden and let me redeem some of our sins."
his eyes seemed like they were looking at something, but there was nothing in our view yet...
" Yes, friend, I think I can do that for you. I will not harm you in this endeavor until the end."
he nodded as I understood my unease.
It was not the perfect or even the best of relationships we had, but the length of time I had known this man was truly amazing. it seems so short in the presence of the present moment.
we crested the hill coming to a castled compound covered in metal and fortifications like spikes, cannons, and even a moat.
I cast my greatest love as shield magic. I covered five meters by seven meters in a black opaque matter, my mana. I call it Dark shield.
" My shield is firmed, I will summon my lich and wait about a mile that way. I will meet you when I sense it is done. we can proceed to the final stages..."
he nodded at me, jumping from a seating position. he passed my shield stepping on air as he gained momentum and height. I moved the shield with the carriage as I traveled to the field. This meadow was the center of this forest that contained the bunker that our sources discovered. it was being used by a few hundred people in horrid ways. experiments were just one of the few horrors we discovered. but those people found it fun to torture and breed those terrors. we found that demiraces and humans were being used to cultivate some sickness. what was their goal, do I truly want to know the reality of these sick bastards.
I arrived as I felt KiKi reach his peak. He'd hold his height with fire mana as he readied his blade. he sucked the mana out of the ground around the bunker. it seems a mana field is around it. we'll just be honest. That won't matter to him. Just watch.
he held his body with a fire jet from his feet. he took a stance as he held his hands at the ready, lifting them up as if holding a sword. He took a deep breath, and the mana turned solid as he now had a pure blue sword made of mana. he began to alter the elements as he shifted to Fire, then to lightning, then to plasma. it settled on a dark grey dull look as it sharpened. he spoke calmly as I am sure no one but the man he aimed at heard.
I listened to his mana message watching his grey flash fall. a purple Hue covered the world for a few seconds.
"My grandchildren, I am not all knowing... but even I must acknowledge these atrocities."
the shield fell into small green lights as it rained down. The bunker seemed to lose all color as the light centered the building, a small Black hue bent the horizon. a black hole began to form in the center of the cut, I saw my grandnephew as I felt tears in my eyes. he turned to my child's son his eyes of anger, which I felt burn in my heart the exact same.
I listened to him through the mana.
" Why Raven?"
" Don't act like you don't know twelth elder. you are here because we found that seal. We opened that door twelfth elder! we made a deal, and can you guess what we got in return!!!"
his breath and mine caught.
that fucking door again!?
" You said door? what door."
I felt his gaze latch onto me. "fuck."
" Yes Twelth elder The door opened allowing him to find freedom. and all we paid was a few thousand souls, hahahaha!! they screamed, but none of them matter whether it was them or not. I even tried trading my own children to get her back!! you are all to blame for cursing us casting us off onto Planets to face the hell you call being royalty for being nobles! you know nothing of the terrors we faced being besmirched on a planet we aren't from!! but that was the only thing we knew this morning. You shall seek to remember that we are kin and you are guilty of these sins. mine and yours are of one Twelth elder. you all failed to kill that demon. You all only locked away the devil. we asked him what it would take to kill you, and guess what twelth elder."
Flicking his hand, a small book hit the ground. I took a step using shadow magic. I instantly appeared next to kiki.
When I picked that book up, it said Only a few things.
[ Free me, I will do it!]
after that, it repeatedly said free me on every inch of the pages after that some in ink some blood and some in feces. I tossed it down.
" He can not be freed!"
without hesitation, I let my son grandson say nothing else. I took his head as his eyes grew dull his head landed a few feet from the book, and his lifeless head was staring at in glee, I sliced at the book watching it burn with black flames.
" Explain CoCo, and I better be satisfied by the answer or this truce we have will end with those children first. If you are to blame for this corruption, how could..."
" stop Kiki. it's not I who was tasked with destroying that doorway. that man was killed and his body and soul sealed... I do not understand. first elder Lou was supposed to destroy it. I watched him and ziva seal the body and soul of that wicked man. there isn't a possibility!"
" unless they are the same who let him live, right CoCo?"
I looked at him with sadness in my eyes.
" Yes, old friend. it seems we have been deceived. I think we might have some more to do."
" fuck CoCo why? why is it every time we grow closer, we uncover more about the people we thought were good."
I had no answer for that as we sat there silently, and the smell came, making my head hurt. the smell of blood was wrought about the area. burn this place, and we need to regroup.
" Ash it, and we will make plans later. if he is truly alive... if he is truly able to ever get back from that realm, then this universe has a fate worse than even the demon lords tyrant rein."
he burned the place with a golden flame as he finished. I exhaled my last thoughts.
" There is no need for a Marter, I feel like we're going to have something much worse than a simple war."