Standing under the flickering streetlight, i looked down at Silven's dead body as he laid among piles of trash bags. Bleeding from the waist with a book drenched in his blood on the floor.
Silven's grizzled dead face showed a story of agony in the wrinkles across it. One i had watched complacently. Just like another had.
On his knees the silver knight looked at the corpse of his past self. Clasping his hands together offering a prayer for the departed soul in silence.
"He surprises me every time." I muttered. Seeing that the current Silven, the man in the angelic knight armour, was not grieving or lamenting, but kneeling in remorseful respect.
We had watched his original life, before all those strange events first brought us together, and i felt like i had learned just that bit more about him than I originally knew. Surprising me, when it was once this mans memories i lived through when i was nothing but a thought in the abyss.
"Please, rest well... me." The knight spoke politely and smiled softly behind his helmet before getting up from the blood soaked floor leaving slowly. Headed for the coronation ceremony where the queen was likely looking for... well. Him.
[skill: hollow void — abyss unveil]
Ceasing my hiding illusion i walked out into the proper world for the first time in earth's 27 years with Thorn on my shoulder.
"So whats supposed to happen now?" Poking Silven's corpse with his tail feathers Thorn got worried. "His soul is still here. Isn't he supposed to reincarnate as that Cayde bastard?"
[aspect: taken devourer — take the spirit!]
"I guess thats where we're supposed to come in." Reaching my hand out i pulled a glowing squid-like blue orb from the dead body and held it in my right hand. "Looks like we have to do the reincarnation ourselves."
"...say what?" Thorn marvelled with a deep sense of perplexity. "Hang on, this one is supposed to be reincarnated as Cayde. Who then also dies, and has his soul stitched onto yours by that Incursik asshole." Thorn thought for a moment making sure he was correct. "Now after we've been dragged backwards through time. You're the one ensuring the reincarnation even happens? When you don't technically even exist yet?"
"They do say time is relative. I'm a glitched existence to begin with, but thats a paradox for you." I joked while tucking Silven's soul into a pocket within my autumnal black jacket.
"So if... then that must..." tossing his wings up in the air the ghost raven groaned loudly trying to make sense of the circumstance. "Urgh! How the fuck did this even start?! Don't say it's because you're a paracausal existence. I hate it when you say that, pisspot. "
"I'm as curious as you are but we're the only clues to that answer. Paradoxes are paradoxical for a reason, don't waste your breath." Picking up Thorn in my hand i placed him onto my shoulder. "Let's just get Cayde reincarnated and be on our way. I'm not interested in his life."
Sighing loudly Thorn relented. "Fine. You know the way to Laegii from here?"
"Roughly." I stated seriously, making Thorn headbutt the back of my neck with his white horns. "Relax. We already visited once an eon ago. Remember when the
Before leaving the alley i picked up the bloody book and vanished it into a hidden space. Thorn in the meantime recalled past events. "Oh yeah. When volcano boy punched the
"The [Sinner of Sloth] got some benefits out of it as well since it was his world." Walking out of the alley i started constructing the [mach void] spell to leave Earth but then a thought crossed my mind. "Hm. I should check in about that just in case."
[you have sent a message to deity; witch queen]
[witch queen, conveys her surprise to hear from you after 7 years of silence]
[witch queen, chuckles while asking why you want to know this?]
"Its a mild matter. You already know how i think." I answered the messages.
[witch queen giggles while saying 'fine, keep your secrets, Traveler from the future']
[a quest file has been sent by witch queen]
As the golden-yellow screen expanded into a single page document for me to read, i mumbled under my breath. "You really love to test me sometimes, Sathuna."
+
Quest File: open
Type: document
The zorain of gold has been placed under strict house arrest and temporarily relieved of power under the high empress of
Corvus is currently being watched by the Zorain's of red, brown, and purple after multiple failed attempts to leave being repeatedly caught by the black pillar. AKA; the kralscell of control.
Just what is it that has Raum's inheritor, Corvus(real name unknown), makes them so interested in this single undeveloped world?
+
"She added that last bit in before sending it i bet." Thorn chimed in, aligning my thoughts with his own.
"Sathuna hates it when others keep secrets from her, yet she has so many herself." I stated matter of factly and the [mach void] spell finished beneath my feet. "It wont take her long to find out with her spies everywhere."
Releasing the energy tether from my palm my whole body got jettisoned into the void after being shot out from a pillar of amber light. The black and white nothingness quickly passed as i traversed past galaxies in seconds before reaching my destination.
Exiting the void as my body crashed against what seemed like a cracked pane of glass, i was sent hurdling through space before crashing feet first atop an invisible barrier keeping me from entering Laegii's atmosphere.
[
[planet will be available for; pilgrim sponsorship in: 7 years 439 days and 13 hours]
Furrowing my brow i got annoyed. "Damn world barrier.
[
[Undoing
A hole in the world barrier opened immediately and i dropped down through the atmosphere plummeting to the larger of the two continents surrounded by the vast sea.
Once upon a time this world had three continents instead of just 2. Because of an alien invasion, the
It was a quick reaction from the CGA, sending one of
So the
Burning through the atmosphere i headed for the snow covered north of the largest continent like a falling meteor as aether shielded me from the heat before i burst through the atmosphere. Crashing down in a forest with enough force to quake the entire northern continent.
"Nothing like some artificial earthquakes to stretch the legs first thing in the morning." Thorn announced heartily before sucking a deep breath of the frigid air and exhaling happily. "Ah~. Its been eons since i've been back home. Last time i was here i was still a dragon and not some weird wraith."
"We could head to where Cayde found you as an egg if you want?" I offered dryly. "It'll give us something to do after placing Silven's soul for reincarnation."
"Ehh~ no." Thorn affirmed with not a hint of hesitancy, surprising me somewhat. "Even if i wanted to be a dragon again you know me. I find it more romantic to live in the present than watch the past."
"You say that like we weren't just stalking a man in the thirty years we watched his life for."
"Hush, princess! The path to ecstatic perturbation calls to me! Onward! Yah!" Jumping on my back with his talons repeatedly Thorn urged me forwards.
With a single step forwards [mach rush] carried me across the forest and land before i arrived atop the outer wall of a stone city bustling with life. "Since you said so."
"Ooh! Cayde never did take me to his birthtown. Its weird seeing it for myself." Excited atop my shoulders Thorn jumped around seeing the medieval attire of all the humans, elves and few dwarfs roaming the cold streets of the city. "Oi, pisspot. Let's snag some coins and buy a few snacks on the way over."
"Sure thing." Walking down a staircase into the city i passed a happy couple chatting to each other and swiftly snatched their bag of coins from both their belts without them the wiser using my telekinesis.
Once i was at the bottom of the stairs i quickly walked further down the street and soon after I could hear the man and woman panicking about their money.
Tossing the two pouches of coin up in the air i snatched them back into my hand. "Any food you looking for specifically, Thorn?"
Looking at me with a disgusted expression Thorn reprimanded me mentally. 'For someone dressed like a noble with that fancy shirt and long jacket. You certainly are nimble with your fingers.'
"What can i say? You know better than anyone I'm a taker down to my soul." Walking up to a street vendor i quickly exchanged some coins with him and got two meat skewers. One for myself and another i handed to Thorn's tail. "Besides. All that treasure stored in the
Chowing down quickly Thorn ate the meat and the wooden skewer it was on within 3 seconds flat. "You know exactly why I don't trust my possessions to you. The last time you touched my stuff you hyper-inflated an entire galaxies economy just to spite the thunder slut."
Laughing quietly as i ate the chewy skewer i recalled that time perfectly in my memory. "Hehehe. Zeus really doesn't know how to appreciate the fact his brother has friends."
[skill: astral third eye - anomaly sight]
Turning around i looked into the distant sky south from where i stood. My aether sense had located Cayde's parents but at the same time its located something quite surprising with a blue aurora only I could see rising in the sky.
"Hey. Whats got you looking like a bird fished out of water?" Shoving his beak into my cheek Thorn tried to force my attention onto him like an egotistical cat before i turned back around.
"I guess we're luckier than usual today. So many activities." Turning to the left down the street i spotted the Barbaten household that would soon give birth to the greatest war criminal this world will have ever seen.
A humble house made out of stone and wood being rather compact but with two floors. Just like every other building down the busy street on both sides.
"Doctor! Doctor!!" Rushing out the house a pot bellied man with a distraught expression started yelling as he ran right by me while yelling. "Doctor! My wife! My wife is going into labour!"
Thorn and i watched him run down the street yelling for the doctor together with a conjoint expression of amazement.
"He really was a loving father, huh." Thorn muttered randomly. "Makes you wonder how that turned Cayde into such an asshole."
"Come on." Carrying Thorn over i walked into the house as it's door was still open and knocked. "Hello~! Is there a pregnant woman upstairs by any chance?"
"Urgh! Yes!!" A pained shriek broke my ears and made Thorn fall off my shoulder while startling multiple bystanders on the road. "If your a thief get out! But if you're here to help then hurry!!"
Thorn shook his head off while climbing up my back again and asked. "Was Cayde's mum a devotee to the Kralscell of Songs or something? Such a loudmouth."
Stretching my jaw the ringing in my ears dulled. "Not as far as I remember. She was the one he inherited the ability to become a mage from though." Reaching my left hand into the air i pulled out a bright pink beanie placing it atop my dark silver scalp. "We're coming up now."
More pained yelps and groans echoed throughout the house as i climbed up the staircase onto the second floor. When i entered the bedroom i saw a woman with burgundy red hair lying in bed doing a breathing exercise while baring with the pain of childbirth. "Ah, thank god! Are you a doctor?" She asked.
"No, but i am a traveller who just watched your husband run down the street shouting for one." Walking up to the bedside i did a little light show as silver light emanated from my left hand while scanning over the bulge in the woman's stomach. "I can tell he's quite affectionate."
[skill: astral third eye - detects]
Using my aether i gathered information on the child in the womb, but what i discovered was cumbersome. The baby was stillborn, strangled by the umbilical cord in the womb.
Acknowledging this information i just learned i reached into my jacket and pulled out Silven's soul. Catching the mother's attention but telling by its peaceful light it was nothing dangerous.
My hand pressed against the woman's pregnant womb, and i directed the soul into its new body to be reincarnated as a replacement soul for the dead baby. It just needs a little push to get his heart beating now.
"Grit your teeth." I commanded.
Thorn quickly jumped from my shoulder and shoved a piece of bark he tore from the wall in the woman's mouth with his tail as i began.
[skill: autumn kings conquest - jolt!]
The pregnant woman bit down on the wooden piece in her mouth and screamed through her teeth as amber lightning sparked around my palm pressed on her stomach for 2 seconds before vanishing. The baby's heartbeat resounded in my ears along with its mothers making me smile for a moment before I remembered who it was i just helped be born.
Spitting the bark out of her mouth the pregnant woman asked. "Ah... what was that for?"
Picking Thorn up from the bed i ceased her worries. "Just something for the baby. I eased the nerves in the lower half of your body to help dull the pain as well. It'll feel weird for a while but you'll be back to normal by tomorrow morning."
"Thank you... thank you." In much less pain the woman's breathing got more stable and she relaxed.
Before anything else happened i left the house just in time to see the pot bellied father practically dragging the doctor along far down the street as i hid into the crowds like i was never there.