Chapter Two: She who sees all

I was floating in a world of absolute nothingness.

All around me, in every direction was a bright white that engulfed all. I tried to move at first, tried to make sense of my surroundings, but it felt like I was swimming in honey. To move one hand required all of my strength and didn't seem to make much of difference.

Eventually, I gave up completely. At the very least, the pain was gone. I raised a hand to my chest to feel the scar that marked my body from Marwen's Angelis and instead felt nothing but smooth skin and muscle. Hmm, strange.

I began to examine my body in greater detail, the time it took to move my head was quite lengthy, but in my current predicament, I had nothing but time.

As I brought my head down to allow my eyes to view my chest I noticed that I was a lot paler than usual, which was worrying. I was quite sun tanned because of the amount of time I spent outdoors. Being constantly on the move and marching almost guarantee's sun kissed skin. But now I almost looked like a ghost.

God, I hope I wasn't dying.

Ha, that was a good one.

With a rye chuckle I finished my examination and came to a rather sound conclusion. This wasn't the body I was born in.

And as I realised that, I also realised I was stark naked.

My dick was on display to everyone and by everyone I mean the nothingness that had become my life. At least it was a decent size, silver linings and all that.

It also appeared as if I was a lot younger, possibly in my late teens, but without seeing my own face I had no way of telling, it was possible I was an elf... nope, rounded and very human ears.

In the world I had just departed I was a human, technically, so I was supposed to live a healthy sixty years and pass away. But the difference between me and ordinary humans was the magic I wielded, immense in it's scope and scale. Humans were the weakest generally when it came to mana and had very little talent for it as a race. I suppose I was the exception.

I had long ago found ways to prolong my life beyond the means of a normal human being. I simply had to try and alter my body to allow mana to naturally cycle through it, much like an elf cycles mana to gain their naturally massive lifespans.

But even then, it was wasn't true immortality. I wasn't as physically strong as an elf, nor as fast. I would only live half as long as one and I wouldn't look like I was in my early twenties for thousands of years. I would still die when I grew old enough and could still be killed by a sword or magic.

Evidence enough of this fact was that The Angelis could kill me, and the magical half-alive dagger sapped my strength long enough for it to accomplish that.

As I thought of The Angelis, my mind flashed back to Marwen and Valant. I unconsciously felt my fist's closing and my fingernails digging into the palms of my hands. My teeth began to grit against each other as tears filled my eyes.

The questions I asked myself merely filled me with more questions. I already realised that Valant was not lying about believing that nonsense story and it seemed Marwen had been convinced as well. Perhaps Cinder was used as some kind of trigger for her. She had always had a soft spot for the young vampire and had taken her under her wing. It didn't take long after that for little Cin to take her place as one of my General's. Her determination and focus were second to none. As was her bloodlust.

It had always scared Marwen, how a child could be so ferocious, and she had taken it upon herself to teach her the ways of the world. Who and who not to kill. I was roped into it as well to be, as Marwen put it, a 'responsible elder'. The reason for that was Cin looked up to me, treated me like an older brother.

I loved Cin, I loved Marwen, why would she think I would do this?

“ I believe I can answer that question, Rebel King”

The voice that spoke came from everywhere and nowhere at once. I began to turn my head from one side to the other, my heart beating a mile a minute, searching for the source of the almost transcendent tone.

“I can only be seen if I wish to be. This is my world.”

I stopped my squirming. It seems that the voice was in control for now and, curiously, it seemed to be able to hear my thoughts. I couldn't even tell if it was male or female.

Curious, very curious.

I opened my mouth to respond to the presence but for some reason, no words emerged. It was as if there was no breath in my lungs.

“You will speak when I allow it, Corus. We have much to discuss.”

As those words finished forming the world began to grow dark around me. Only at the edges at first and then a sea of darkness closed in on me from all sides. All I could do was bring my hands up before the dark hit me like a war hammer and I felt my grip on consciousness slip away.

* * *

I awoke with a startled cry, looking around in a rush. My breath became fast and heavy as I tried to gather my thoughts.

Wait, breath?

“Hello!? Is anybody there!” I cried and immediately became startled at the almost musical and youthful tone of my own voice.

Ha, seems I could talk again which was a lovely realisation, even if I did sound like some kind of young noble brat. I took a moment to examine my surroundings.

I appeared to have woken up in some kind of forested area, a clearing. The tree's that encircled the small clearing were rather short compared to the forest that surrounded Ellai, but I wasn't complaining. They seemed to glow with an otherworldly light. I then noticed a small and well-trodden path off to my left, that led deeper into the forest. I couldn't help but feel an ominous tingle creep up my spine. This place was almost too perfect.

It was hard to notice at first but everything seemed too colourful, too full of life. From each blade of grass to the flowers, to the tree's, everything seemed to glow with vitality. It made me feel a little uneasy. I had seen such places before but never on this scale. It would be fair to say that Ellai itself was a smaller version of what this place was. A construct of magic.

While much of the stone that made up Ellai had been heavily enchanted and even placed with magic, this place seemed to have been fully created. And a being that was capable of that was one I didn't want to meet.

“Unfortunately Rebel King, you have no choice”

I took a step back as the voice once again called out from all around me. This time I could identify it as female. A light and easy tone that would put me at ease if I wasn't already so on edge.

“Who are you?” I whispered, my eyes scanning the tree line.

“You know who I am. But you don't know what I want... Follow the path.” she replied.

As the voice faded yet again I half expected to get knocked out. But after several seconds I decided it was safe.

As I began walking I fell over, my legs slightly longer than I remembered.

'Of course they are, this body is as new as my surroundings' I thought to myself with a grimace.

I quickly stood up and took slow steps forward and backwards, getting used to my new body and trying to understand why I was still naked.

This woman can create an entire magical forest from pure mana but can't seem to find me any clothes.

Well isn't that just fucking peachy.

I walked down the path for quite some time, taking a moment to enjoy the scenery of this new and beautiful world. It seemed like I almost skipped across the surface of the ground. This body, once I had gotten used to it, seemed far superior to the previous one. That was strange in and of itself as my previous body was almost as strong as an elf's.

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My senses also felt much more potent. I could hear the rustle of leaves from quite some distance, see for around a mile and my sense of touch seemed to be overloading with all the new things that brushed against my naked body as I walked. Not that this information helped very much. No matter how hard I looked or listened the world remained an expanse of tree's. With no further recourse, I continued on my way.

I heard her before I saw her. A voice was singing softly, so soft in fact that I had to strain my newly enhanced ears to catch the almost whisper like tone.

As I rounded the final bend in the path I came to a small slightly raised bridge that crossed a tiny stream. Beyond that was something that I never would have believed.

It appeared to be one massive flower garden, spreading further than the eye could see. A million colours assailed my eyes, shades of red, purple and yellow that I didn't know existed and even some colours that I couldn't name at all. The sky's blue colouring seemed to be so light as to be almost white and not a cloud could be seen. For the first time in a while, the sun assailed my skin and I allowed myself a moment to close my eyes and take a deep breath.

Peace.

A rare thing for a master of war.

I chuckled. It was one Heilvol's sayings whenever we had a moment to rest. The quietest of my Knight's, Heilvol was a man of few words, but whenever he spoke it was always to give a life lesson.

I was distracted in my reminiscing by the singing voice. I turned and followed the path for another two minutes before I came across a peculiar site.

A large white open-sided pavilion stood before me, nearly engulfed in beautiful flowers. Sitting at a small ornately made table, in a similarly ornate chair, was perhaps the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Her hair was so blonde that it seemed as moonlight. The silver dress she wore revealed her pale skin tone and voluptuous b. There was not a single blemish on her and believe me, I checked... Thoroughly. Her lips were slightly parted and her eyes were closed as she continued to sing in her quiet voice and I watched, astounded, as all the plants seemed to respond. They drew closer to her, as if to draw in some of the energy that she released into the air with each word she sung. I watched for quite some time, utterly entranced by her performance.

She finished her song with a flourish and opened her eyes to smile gently as all the plants retreated back into the garden, satisfied with the large meal of mana they had received. She then turned her gaze on me and the smile dropped from her face, becoming a thin, pursed line.

Her smile dropped but my smile grew very wide indeed. I knew exactly who this woman was. Vitriss, Goddess of the True Flame and Protector of Light.

The woman who had cost me everything.

“Hail Corus, King of the Rebel Court.” She spoke lightly, her words betraying none of her emotions.

I carefully began to draw in mana, from the forest to my left and the vast garden to my right. It was abundant here and I needed to be prepared in case she tried to annihilate me.

“Hello to you too, oh Goddess.” I said with a smile that did not reach my eyes. “So you are the one responsible for my death. I'm surprised, I thought that the tale of the great Vitriss was a fable told to little children to keep them faithful. Suppose I was wrong.”

I began to walk towards her slowly, the smile never leaving my face, my nakedness forgotten.

“Perhaps you best take a seat Corus, we have much to discuss.” Said the Goddess as she gestured.

A chair appeared out of thin air, identical to her own, and stood at the opposite end of the table from herself.

“No I don't believe that will be necessary” I replied.

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Because now Great Goddess, I'm going to kill you.”

“A laughable prospect-”

Vitriss never managed to finish her sentence before I unleashed the mana contained within my body in the form of a massive wave of flame that swam forward. The fire consumed the Pavilion, blocking my view of everything inside but I continued to pour more mana into the fire element manipulation spell.

Known as Inferno, this attack was one of the most basic for any Mage to learn, but required a lifetime to master and control.

Fire as an element was the hardest for a mage to shape with his will. Most fire orientated mages were the type to specialize in scorched earth combat, merely unleashing the flames and letting them consume what they will. Only a true savant could fully control the flames.

Not bragging, but I am one such mage.

As the flames continued to burn brighter and hotter I raised my hands and began to turn them, commanding the fire to intensify and rise, swirling, to become a tornado. It only took a few seconds for me to hear the laughter from within the flaming twister. A laughter that shook me to my core. A howling comparable to a demons.

I suddenly felt my control of the flames ripped from me by an unseen force and could only stand there as the fire took the form of a large snake with glowing white eyes.

With a roar the titanic serpent sped down towards me, maw open and ready to feed. I raised my hands and drew in more mana before unleashing a roar of my own. The earth around me erupted as large pillars of ice rose to meet the serpents charge.

As the the two elements met, a huge cloud of steam burst forth and covered everything, obscuring my view of the raging beast. I felt something smash into my chest with tremendous force and I was sent off my feet and flying backwards, clearing the large patch of steam by a considerable distance as I repeatedly bounced off the ground.

I felt my bones break and skin tear as I skipped along like a pebble on a pond. It was then I cast another spell, aspect of earth, my will drawing the strength of the ground itself to become mine to control. I felt my body grow denser and significantly heavier. I dug my hands into the dirt and managed to stop myself from going further, even as I released the spell and managed to stand shakily on my feet.

Aspect of Earth was extremely tricky to cast as one had to truly understand the element and it's nature. But with the enhanced strength and durability comes a price. Limited stamina. If I kept Aspect of Earth constantly active I wouldn't make it more than an hour before I would faint from exhaustion.

Another beautiful thing about magic; everything has a price.

I was breathing heavily, but on my feet. I already began to pull in mana and use my new visionary clarity to try and get a bead on Vitriss.

Fuck, she was strong. I was still feeling that blow to the chest, I think she caved in my lung and I have no way to heal it now, not without her taking advantage of my weakness.

All mages were naturally stronger than those without magic. Many could lift blocks of stone that weighed many tons and I was no exception. The Aspect of Earth ability merely magnified this ability to much higher levels and made the body much heavier, making it invaluable when you want stop your momentum.

But this Goddess. That little love tap had almost killed me and my strength among mages was seen as unnatural.

“Come on Vitriss, is that all you've got!?” I shouted, throwing a laugh in for good measure. I took a small moment to allow my healing magic, an advanced form of water element manipulation, to seep into my chest and repair some of the damage.

It was a quick fix, but it was all I had time for.

“Ha, you really are very amusing. It's seems Marwen was right.” Her voice seemed to echo across the forest and garden as she emerged from within the steam. I'm not going to lie, I was a little pissed off.

She wasn't even scorched! Not a single fucking mark on her fucking skin the fucking bitch!

But then again, she is a Goddess, did I expect anything different?

“Marwenna said that, did she? And would you care to explain to me why you decided to have me killed? Why you used Marwen as a weapon?”I spoke with measured words, not wanting to continue until my wounds had at least closed. My bones were setting even as I spoke and it was extremely difficult to be calm as pain flooded my body.

“In truth, Marwen is an exceptionally talented mage. Beautiful, powerful and intelligent. A woman after my own heart.” Vitriss said with a smile. “But why I used her to kill you is because you trusted her completely. I merely showed her a few lies, tampered with her brain a tiny bit and gave her a dagger of my own design to sap your considerable strength. It isn't hard if you know what strings to pull”

The anger overtook the pain, but my face remained impassive.

She used her, manipulated her, turned her against me... But to what end?

“You still haven't told me why? Why go to the trouble of killing me? The Rebel Court and your warped little piece of shit church have been at this for centuries. Why act now?”

She merely smiled in response, perhaps a smirk would be a more appropriate word.

“You will know all as soon as you take a seat.”

With that she snapped her fingers and the steam immediately dissipated, revealing a still in tact pavilion with table and chairs... The grass wasn't even singed.

“For fucks sake!” I cried as I put my hands to my eyes.

I was really having a hard time with knowing my flaming inferno spell (which I had worked on for around nine years by the way) didn't even hurt grass. It was a lot to take in.

“What is this place made of, Garalthum!?”

Garalthum is a type of metal favoured heavily by the dwarves in their forges. It makes the best weapons in Vita apparently, but only the dwarves knew how to truly forge it, as the metal was seemingly indestructible.

Vitriss began to walk towards me, a twinkle of humour in her eyes that wasn't present earlier.

“No, it is not. This is my shard of reality. I am fully in control here and everything in it is at my beck and call. It's called The Ever-Garden, my home.” She stopped a couple of feet away from me, all I had to do was reach out and squeeze...

“I wouldn't recommend trying to choke me either Corus, this is my world. You are merely a guest.” She said

“Sure, a 'guest'. I'm really honoured and all that but you did have me killed... and turned my best friend against me... and had Valant turn up and be a shit. Why that ass-hole out of curiosity? Why was he made your champion?” I asked.

At the name Valant, Vitriss rolled her eyes and sat on the grass, her arms splayed out behind her in support. I tried very hard not to notice her extremely large breasts, but it was hard not too. And from the look she gave me, she understood full well what I was looking at. But with another sigh and a shake of her head, she answered my question.

“Valant... He's eager and capable. But he can be a pain sometimes. As his master, he has a direct connection to me and each prayer he sends my way is put at the forefront of all the others. Honestly, it's been getting pretty annoying. He speaks to me almost constantly.” She sighed heavily again before a smile brightened her face “But if nothing else, he managed to bring me you which was something I thought was well beyond his capabilities. I felt for sure that I would have to come and get you myself. But it wasn't necessary.” She seemed almost happy for a moment and I took a second to appreciate just how young she seemed. Almost like a woman just reaching her twenties, innocent, and without the worries of life to weigh her down.

I could feel my anger and bloodlust seeping away, like it was...

Without hesitation I kicked towards Vitriss' head.

She laughed as she easily dodged the blow before jumping to her feet and skipping away.

“I'm amazed! You managed to see through my attempt at control! Your Marwen fell to my power almost instantly.” She said happily, clapping her hands. The humour in her eyes remained but the gentle persona of the young woman was gone and a Goddess stood in her place, radiating a golden light.

I had to be wary of her power over the mind. It was an advanced form of air magic, something to do with manipulating words but I had never studied it. Controlling the minds of others always seemed... wrong. My fury reached new heights but I could do nothing. From the previous exchange it was clear that she was my superior, at least in this world.

“What do you want Vitriss.” I asked with a firm tone. This woman had destroyed my life and the life of the one I held most dear. She would pay, but I was smart enough to realise that I was not her match... not yet.

She gave me a rare genuine smile. At least I think it was genuine.

“I need you to help me protect Vita, Corus.”

I stared at her for several seconds with squinted eyes, trying to discern if she was lying.

“And why would a Goddess of the mortal realm need my help? What would you have me do?”

Her grin became carnivorous.

“It's simple really... I would have you kill a God.”