Still observing me through her iron mask. Dryden was motionless atop the dessert sands thinking about the question i just proposed.
'When does god forget mortal hubris?'
Shaking her head she couldn't conceive an answer, finding the question too heavy for her to answer. Instead she focused on something else that she could answer, "will thineself need aid in finding the ones that committed this sin?"
"No, Thorn and i have it handled. Plus i have my apocalyi don't forget." I said gesturing to the naga spirit made of ink. Dryden saw him kneeling at my side as soon as i pointed at him.
"Will you finally ask more of our aid, my liege?" Taul asked with his hands clasped together and tears forming in his silver eyes. "The ink-spirits are your eternal servants. You need only speak and we follow. But none of their piety will ever match mine, my lord!"
Staring down at Taul's black serpent head i really underestimated his fervent attitude of faith being a little taken aback and left in silence.
Scoffing Thorn chided the naga, "this is coming from the same bastard who once tried to steal pisspot's body for himself. How incredible."
"It was my greatest privilege in life to be found by the lord!" Taul said, completely ignoring Thorn's insult making the raven on my shoulder annoyed.
Giggling at the clashing personalities Dryden enjoyed the short show while Teuxer strutted over with Zhan across the dune.
Pouring the sand out of his sleeves Zhan spoke, "thanks for the help fixing Ben. I don't even know what triggered him to suddenly go wild. We were on our way to the sand tides when he suddenly went berserk in the car and we started fighting on the bridge. The burst of power he got as well... it was equal to a seventh ring sequencing tier like myself. Its freaky."
"It was someone else's power trying to possess him. Not actually his power." I said easing Zhan's worries. "Should be fine for you to continue training him as you have been thus far."
"Won't happen again, oh mighty solar marshal prince." Thorn mocked as i finished speaking.
Frowning his face Zhan didn't like being reminded of that old title. Picking Ben up by his shirt and started dragging him off into the dessert. "It would be nice if you got a better personality, wraith."
"Its still better than yours~!" Thorn shot back with a grin but Zhan didn't argue back. Only walking deeper into the desert and making Thorn disappointed. "That asshole still doesn't know how to have fun."
"Cut him some slack." Teuxer asked of Thorn. "Even though i wasn't around for the Star-born's war against the CGA. Even i know what Zhan tried to do to stop an intergalactic war of that scale. Killing his own father and bringing down the very empire he was supposed to inherit with his own hands must still be weighing on him."
Glancing at Teuxer i was surprised he knew about this. "When did you learn about the Solar Animus era?"
"I was messing around on Felcrii a few hundred years ago and found Sathuna's records on the event when i was looking for something to read. What Zhan went through was tragic and all but if anything he definitely did the right thing by killing [sun of conquest] and stopping his madness. Even if the Kralscell of Corruption was behind the entire war."
Intrigued that he even learned about that. I wondered what Sathuna wanted by letting Teuxer read one of her personally written History books.
"Hey, not our fault when someone decides to be a megalomaniac wanting to conquer the whole fucking universe." Thorn huffed back. "Should have stayed in his own galaxy rather than picking fights with exalted spread across the universe."
Not giving a rebuttal Teuxer nodded his head in agreement with Thorn. What Thorn said basically summarised the history of the
"Thats that then." I said, noticing my chance to leave. "I'll be wandering around aimlessly per usual. Trying to figure out why this happened to those kids, though i doubt I'll find anything."
"Why not stay and enjoy the sun with Dryden and me? Could be a nice change if pace." Teuxer asked as he leaned onto Dryden.
"My wife will castrate me again if she finds out I've been staring at women in bikinis other than her." I sighed getting an irked response from Teuxer but a knowing nod from Dryden.
"Vitrena hasn't actually done that to you before has she?" Teuxer questioned. His boar skull mask pointing down at my crotch.
"She certainly has." Thorn groaned, putting his wings over his own crotch. "It was not a pretty process."
Taking advantage of the awkward atmosphere i quickly crafted a [mach void] spell on the sand at my feet as Taul disappeared into my shadow. "That got awkward quick. See you two around then."
"Safe travels, Strife." Teuxer waved.
"Blessings of safety to thine curiosity, lord kralscell." Dryden curtsied in parting.
Letting go of the energy anchor. My body shot up with Thorn into space going somewhere random as the currents in the void carried myself and Thorn without any resistance.
***
"Heavenly father, [memory of swords] has found the kralscell of sentience's traces on this world."
"Thank you, apostle. I'll be there in a moment." Placing down the glass of wine i had in my hands i stood up from the wooden chair i was sat on before exiting the large tent i was in to be basked in the light from the yellow sky. "Take me there."
With a quick bow mixed with his two palms pressed together, the whitely dressed soldier led me through the military camp. Passing by several men and woman in similar angelic white uniforms as himself before leaving the camp and walking into a ruins of what was left of the city.
The soldier left silently after arriving and walking around on my own i soon arrived at a circular formation of lights all illuminating working in tandem to construct the headless hologram of a person wearing a black coat and a bandaged right arm.
"You've arrived."
A voice said and twisting my head i spotted its source coming from a slightly bulky man wearing a casual leather jacket with the insignia of two hands holding a world on it. Though the most noticeable part of him being his almost shaven head. He was Joto, the kralscell of Control.
"A pleasure to see you again, kralscell of order." I said coldly.
A sword was quickly pressed against his neck. It's radiant edge brimming with rainbow light while its wielder scowled at the man. Glaring through her locks of blue-tipped blonde hair. Sage, the Kralscell of Memory.
"You know better than to reveal each other's identity so recklessly in front of the believers, Kralscell of control." Sage scorned.
"Kralscell of memory. Step back." I ordered and Sage removed the sword from Joto's neck with a relenting scoff. "He has already removed everyone from the area. There's no need for kralscell's to be so hostile to one another currently."
"It was an honest mistake." Touching his neck Joto removed some blood from his neck wound before wiping it off on his leather sleeve. "You two are the only kralscell's still hiding their identities unlike the rest of us. According to
Furrowing my brow my attention swapped from him to the hologram in the middle. "...is this the Kralscell of Sentience's echo?"
Grinning to himself the Kralscell of Control answered. "Yes, it is. Thanks to the Kralscell of Memories powers over time, and the Zorain of Gold's reconnaissance on the Traveler's movements. They managed to locate this echo as well as several of his dream feathers that haven't dematerialised."
Boorishly sitting atop a rock in the ruins the Kralscell of Memory's eyes landed on the corpses of several
"You know what will happen when the temporal echo is finished i hope." Joto said.
Answering him i said, "Of course i do, Joto. Traveler will be able to speak through it and even materialise here for a time. Just as all constructs in his image result in."
"Its not something he's ever happy about." Joto muttered while taking several steps back. "The last time someone did this. He immediately started a war against one of the most notorious Hell-King's the universe has seen and won in eleven days. Making the conquerors the conquered. Hence why it's customary in the Shattered Faith for all statues of the Kralscell of Sentience to be made broken or imperfect on purpose."
"Why are you explaining what we already know?" Sage asked angrily, pointing her sheathed sabres point at Joto from where she sat.
"I'm merely ensuring you know the errors of doing this. Before Propheira left she asked that i follow your whims in the cleanup but make sure that
"Coward." Sage mocked.
"Thats a compliment coming from someone Traveler once killed thirty-thousand years ago." Joto shot back, getting an eye roll from Sage. "All i am asking is that you think this decision through. Traveler is probably in an aggravated state after collecting an empyrean and trying to calm his insanity still. He's not someone you can simply order around to your whims."
"Your concern is appreciated." Stepping onto a device beside one of the lights. The hologram began to finish constructing Strife's head. "But i just need to speak with him."
The hologram finished and a perfect replica of Strife was build. Showing him walking down an alley with nary a care in the world but a golden light flashing behind his eyes.
The holograms head twisted to me without warning and was still for a moment. Before swinging his arm around aiming for his own chest.
[aspect: refracting palace — redirection]
Strife's arm got bounced off his chest as i used my power to make his body made of light completely invincible for the moment. So that he could not kill himself and leave.
Trying to thrust his own hand into his chest again Strife sighed when it failed. "...as far as stupid idea's go. This is pretty out there. Even for you, Neveah. You should already know this version of me is just a fragment of myself connected to the original whose currently on a direct course for a digital world to wander on."
"Just let me ask you this, Sir Strife." I begged and quickly spoke. "What have you been doing the last 7000 years? There's barely been a trace of you since you... since you murdered Ishtar."
Twitching angrily Strife's projection rapidly started walking towards me before stepping out of the ring of lights and stare down at me. Boring his silver eyes gaze on me while i simply stared back wanting an answer.
Leaning slightly down Strife spoke demeaningly to me, "thats none of your business, wannabe god. Just because the real 'us' isn't here does not mean 'I' am incapable of harming you. It's almost like you haven't grown up with how you still act like the child we met in
Clenching my fists i wondered where Strife's anger rose from. "Please just answer me. All I want is whats best for you, Sir Strife. You're my saviour, i cannot just let you lose yourself like this. Following the whims of a witch who want nothing more than to take advantage of you. Let me help — i can free you from her."
A loud scoff spat in my face. "You mean like how you freed us from our wife by threatening to destroy her entire kingdom?" Strife asked back with fierce snark. "Face the truth for once in your life and stop looking at the answer you made up from nothing. We never cared for you, all you were to us was a tool to escape
"Am i wrong?" I asked firmly, not at all afraid.
"Hehe. They say with time comes wisdom. Yet for you it seems like it made you more proud in your nonsense, i wonder whose fault that could be?" Strife joked. "The witch and i have a cordial relationship. She indulges our entertainment and I acquiesce her abuse of my name in whatever schemes she executes. Your just too proud to admit that we found you boring with your methods of righteousness."
Frowning to myself. The temptation to strike this fake Strife was massive, but instead i opened my arms trying to hug him.
Strife stepped back to dodge my attempt and started walking away from me. "Here's some free advice, Neveah. Grow up and you'll understand why i abandoned you."
Golden light gathered in Strife's left hand and the holographic body he spoke through began to disintegrate.
"Finally. This was boring as heaven." The hologram said with a grin before he completely disappeared. At the same time all the holographic lights shattered and broke. Making it impossible to capture Strife's echo again.
Tightening my fists the aether around me was beginning to converge so i could lash out.
"Uhm... excuse me." Frightening me out of my rage a little girl appeared from behind a wall making me release all the aether in my grasp in my shock.
Sage and Joto both wore aghast expressions as well after not sensing the girl with their aether sense until she got so close.
Jumping down from her seat Sage hid her sword behind her back and stepped in front of me. "Who are you, girl?"
"Ah - uh. I'm sorry if I interrupted. I'm a traveler, a worshipper of the kralscell of sentience of the shattered faith. From the wandering sect." The little girl who looked no older than thirteen said meekly. "I uh... got separated from my group meant to take refugees to a spaceport. Could any of you help me find my group please?"
Too enraged to deal with this little girl i simply stormed off leaving Joto and Sage behind to deal with her.
"I'll handle her." Sage said with a huff, vanishing her sword. "Take my hand, little traveler. I'll take you to some soldiers who can help you."
With sparkling cyan eyes the little girl quickly grabbed Sage's offered hand. "Th-thank you, nice lady! I'm really sorry about the inconvenience. I just got kinda... lured here, i think. Hehe."
As Sage took the little girl with cyan eyes and an amber scarf away, Joto snuck up behind me to whisper, "I told you. Traveler won't cooperate with your vision. He can't be ordered around no matter how you try to control or convince him. Maybe you should take his advice and grow up, Kralscell of Order."
Joto left before i could gather my angry thoughts to speak back to him and now i was just left amidst the ruins of the city seething in silence.
"One day... one day i will. Save you from yourself Strife. I promise i will help you no matter how much you despise me in the process."