I stood by the newly formed teleporter waiting for Nemesis to come when my message screen blinked twice quickly. I opened up the menu, and I saw that two new messages were waiting for me.

 Kairos, 

  Hey, thanks for reaching out to me. I'll send you the coordinates to the guild HQ. Just put them into your teleporter and save them. That way, you don't get lost on Sangilla. Anyways, I will see you when you get here! I'll be waiting!

  Thalmius.

I glanced through the message and saw a string of coordinates attached to the bottom. I selected the coordinates and moved them over to the teleporter and saved them under guild HQ. Now that I have the coordinates saved, let's see what this new message is.

 Kairos, 

 I see that you have selected the Path of the Oblivion Remnant. Welcome to the fold, however, let me make one thing clear. If you fall off the path and let oblivion consume you, I will kill you myself. 

  Also, here is your elemental companion.

 The Watcher

That did not seem reassuring in the slightest. But I made this choice so now I will stick with it, I suppose. I clicked on the icon on the bottom, and a wave of nausea overtook me. I felt the room start to blur, and pain began to build in my chest. I fell back, and I felt a flicker of movement within my body. I glanced down through blurry eyes, and I saw a black portal appear from my chest.

From that portal came a tiny hand with long claws that absorbed all the ambient light that touched it. It had smooth flesh that was as dark as my own. Next came a tiny head that had a pair of eye sockets that kept flickering in and out of reality, and darkness dripped from them like flowing pen ink. Its overall head was shaped similarly to mine. Where the edges of its flesh touched the air, it vibrated quickly and rapidly. It pulled itself out of the portal, revealing a small skinny chest and lanky arms. It pulled itself further out and fell from the portal and hit the floor with a quiet thud and let out a silent mew.

The whole ordeal was mortifying. I never expected to be treated like a guinea pig to a scene from some of the horror films I watched growing up. The little creature picked itself up and stood on long skinny legs and stared up at me. It opened its mouth, revealing a bottomless abyss, and it let out another mew and raised its arms towards me. Did it want me to pick it up? I reached out my hands towards it, and it grabbed hold of me and started to climb up my arms. Its limbs shrunk down, allowing it to climb up my arm easier, and it settled down after wrapping itself around my neck.

This little elemental was quite cat-like, and it was cute in a very twisted way. Though I couldn't say much, I created a monster looking race myself. I felt the little guy shift around my neck once more before it went still. I let out a sigh, as much as I wanted to crawl back and escape from what I just witnessed. I also have realized that I am growing used to the day to day occurrences of stuff like this.

I reached back and gave the creature a soft pat, and I felt it vibrate a little in an imitation of a purr. Yep just like a cat. I need to figure out what I needed to name this little guy. I needed to take a break from naming things for a while. I racked my tired brain for a name that would fit an oblivion elemental. I wanted something dark and foreboding. I thought about it for a moment longer, and then a name struck me. Alaric. It seemed rather dark and fitting. "Hey, little guy, your name is Alaric now." I felt it shift once, and then it stopped. Maybe that was it accepting its new name. I saw a new notification on my screen, and I opened it.

You now have the oblivion magic affinity. You have unlocked a new skill. Please visit your status page for more information.  

A new skill, I am curious as to what it is, but I'll wait till I get back from Sangilla to worry about the final things I need to do. Once I dismissed the notifications, I glanced towards the doorway and saw Nemesis walking towards me. Her halo was nowhere to be seen, and her wings were hidden. She looked like a human. She flashed me a brief smile and gave me a bow. "Hello, father."

I gave her a nod. It was slightly unnerving to be called father, but I should get used to it. "Hello Nemesis, are you ready to depart?"

"Yes father, though Helios told me to inform you that you need to wait a moment before you do. He wishes to speak with you." As the words left her mouth, Helios walked into the room. He wore a set of royal regalia, from his time with the angels, that gave him a regal look.

"My lord, before you go, I recommend that you set the world to fast forward and to reduce the speed slightly. That way it will still progress, but not far enough ahead to where it will knock you out of your protection period." I nodded my head in agreement and reduced the fast forward speed down to just a fraction of what it would typically be. I confirmed the change and implemented an alert system that would halt the fast forward once the species started to hit the prerequisites, which in this case would be when all of the species on Ouradia had discovered iron and their population began to stabilize, and cultural reforms began. I confirmed the changes and glanced up at Helios.

"Alright, that is done. I will leave you in charge of Ouradia until I return, keep it safe for me. Also, update Steve on what's happening if you see him. Don't forget to add themes to the control room, either." I told him as I brought up the coordinates in the teleporter.

"Yes, my liege. Stay safe on your trip." He gave me a wave before spinning on his heel and walking back out. Now that was out of the way; I could visit Sangilla and get everything situated with my guild.

"Are you ready, Nemesis?" I asked her as I confirmed the location, and the portal started to swirl faster.

"Yes, father," She told me as she laced her arm around mine. I nodded my head and took a step forward.

"Please remember to keep your species quiet. No one needs to know that I brought your species back yet. Also, try to keep a cool head, I don't want to make any enemies at the moment."

She looked at me for a moment before she replied, "Yes, father, I will do my best."

I steadied myself for a moment and took a step into the portal with Nemesis following closely behind me.

At first, we were surrounded by total darkness; then, just as suddenly as it came, it was replaced by a blinding light. Once the light faded and my eyes readjusted, I saw that I was standing in front of a large building. The architecture was truly flawless. Massive pillars rose miles into the sky and were colored like gold. Each piece seemed carefully designed and hovered inches from each other. Mana connected each piece, and they were constantly shifting and floating, yet they never touched.

In the distance, a large building sat surrounded by a wall with the same architecture as the pillars. Large turrets sat on the uppermost parts of the wall and were constantly shifting and scanning the skies.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

The barrels were just as fractured as everything else but radiated a dangerous aura. Nemesis and I took a step forward, and the walkway rushed to meet our feet. The tile shattered into hexagonal shapes and rose with every single action we took. Each one pulsed from black to blue with every step we took and settled back down into the ground once our feet left it.

"Father, what is this?" Nemesis asked as her eyes scanned the surrounding area taking in the view.

"I'm not quite sure. It seems like a much more advanced form of the angelic architecture than what I have seen." I told her honestly as we approached the gate.

Hearing the word angel, she rolled her eyes. "Angels are so full of themselves. The only good angels are the ones that live in your world. The rest belong on the end of my blade." Her eyes started to spark with the familiar zealotry.

"Nemesis, calm down. I told you before, don't judge an angel or demon strictly by them not belonging to me." I chastised her as we kept walking. "Try to keep a cool head. I don't want you going gung-ho on anybody."

She drooped and muttered under her breath. "Yes, father, I'm sorry." I reached over and gave her head a quick pat. For a zealot, she did seem rather cute. Mostly in a daughter sort of way.

I glanced over to the surroundings as we continued to walk. The ground was flat for as far as the eye could see. The very dirt itself looked like a circuit board and small pulses of power shot through large wire looking mounds at a regular interval. So this was Sangilla. This place looked like one giant machine, though that's not surprising since Alpha was an A.I.

In the distance, I could see large towering buildings that reached ever further into the sky then the pillars that we were strolling by. Some looked like giant pieces of glass, while others seemed to be giant computers. However, the most eye-catching thing that I could see in the distance was an enormous building that sat above everything else. It rose into the sky and dwarfed everything else.

Looking at it reminded me of some of the ancient Greek temples that I saw in my history books, but yet it seemed more Roman than Greek. A large staircase descended from it and held a countless amount of steps. I couldn't even begin to imagine walking up that thing. I could barely make out any details on it as is. I wonder how high up it went.

"Halt. State your purpose." A deep voice tore me from my thoughts, and I saw two human figures dressed in what I could only describe as futuristic Roman armor.

I froze and glanced at Nemesis, giving her a look that I hope she understood as ‘watch yourself.’ "My name is Kairos, the Silent Overseer, and I am here to see Thalmius. I am also a member of the Breath of Creation guild."

The guard looked me over for a moment before he spoke again. "Thalmius okayed it, go through. He will meet you at the entrance. Don't start any trouble." The guard stepped back and made a quick motion, and the gate fractured into four pieces and opened like a maw allowing us to walk through. The turrets that were following us shifted back and started to scan the skies once more. This place had a lot of security. If this was a guild H.Q. looked like, then I'm curious to see how my control room is going to look once I get far enough along.

Once we made it through the gate, I saw that the pillars started to decrease in number. Small walkways that led to gardens that were contained by hovering platforms dotted the enclosed areas, and I saw a glimpse of a few people milling about and talking to one another. With a glance, I identified them all as angels due to the halos that sat just above their head, Though the wings themselves were nowhere to be seen. I wanted to learn that so I could hide my wings when I wanted to.

As we approached the entrance to the guildhall, I started noticing the furtive glances from the various groupings of other Administrators. I shuffled my wings slightly, and Nemesis spoke up quietly. "Just imagine drawing your wings into your body. They will pull themselves inside of you. Do the same with the halo if you don't want that showing either."

I nodded my head and went to work doing that. I felt my back ripple for a moment as I imagined pulling my wings in and a weird feeling coursed through my body. It felt like an army of ants was marching through my veins. A few moments later, the pain stopped, and my body felt off balance. My first step afterward felt slightly off, but my second step felt more natural. I'm glad that I managed to recover rather quickly from that. I decided to leave the halo as it was and went up the flight of stairs to the door.

There, waiting for me, was a man that had blue flesh and long black hair that swept back behind him, dressed up in a fancy suit. His jaw jutted out slightly, and he had long teeth that protruded from his lower lip. He had eyes that were sunken in slightly, and his face seemed somewhat chubby, but it wasn't too noticeable. As I got closer to him, I saw that he was just as tall as Nemesis, but something seemed off about him. It seemed to terrify me a little.

"Kairos, I presume. Welcome to the guildhall!" His voice seemed rather jovial and light-hearted compared to what I imagined it would be. He reached out a hand, and I noticed long, sharp claws that extended from his fingertips.

"That would be me. I assume you are Thalmius." I replied as I took his hand. He squeezed my hand, and I felt like it was caught in a vice grip. Thalmius looked muscular, but damn, this was something else entirely.

"That would be correct. I am the co-leader of the Breath of Creation, and I am in charge of the military branch here. I'm guessing you are here to discuss your future in the guild?" Thamlius asked me as he released my hand, spun around, and pressed on the gold-encrusted door.

"Yes, I have decided on the path I wish to take, and I wanted to inform you," I told him as we entered a massive lobby that had a few scattered sitting areas. Some balls of light hovered throughout the room, and on each side of them sat three doors of various types.

A handful of other Administrators were under a skylight having a quiet conversation. They were all fair-skinned and had pointed ears. I thought they were a variant of elves, but I wasn't sure.

"Ahh. Yes, that is right. Let's go get a few drinks and talk it over somewhere private." He led me through the lobby and past a few different seating areas to the furthest door on the right. This one looked much like the gate. It had a central point that all of the mana was concentrated at, and small tendrils that snaked out from it. The door was solid gold, with small flakes of red dotting its surface. He waved his hand over it, and it shattered and flooded back into the door frame.

"Father, when will we get stuff like this?" Nemesis asked me as she gazed in awe at the door.

"Hopefully soon, once Ouradia gets further along in its development," I told her as we stepped into the room. A small desk sat in the center of the room. It was a wooden desk that looked freshly polished. On the surface sat a pile of papers that were neatly stacked together. Next to that was a small container that held various pens and pencils. The room was a far cry from the building it sat in.

The walls were composed of polished wood, and the floor had a simple red carpet that brought the overall appearance of the room together. Thalmius walked over to his desk, and gestured to the chairs that sat across from him. He sat down, opened up a drawer and pulled out a large bottle that held a clear liquid.

Nemesis and I sat down on the ornate chairs. She crossed her legs and adjusted her tunic while I settled in. "Alright, so, we can discuss this over drinks." He told me as he brought out three shot glasses and poured the drink. "Fair warning this stuff is probably stronger than anything you may have had. Us trolls do not drink that weak shit that other races call alcohol."

He then slid the glasses over to Nemesis, and I, surprisingly, the glasses stopped just shy of the edge. She leaned forward and smelled it, and I saw her face scrunch up in distaste.

"By the heavens, what is this? This is the foulest thing I have ever smelt." She exclaimed as she let out a cough. I brought my glass over and glanced at the liquid. I swirled it around the shot glass for a moment when a thought occurred to me. I have never actually opened my mouth. Now that I think about it all the time I have smiled, I guess I only imagined it.

I let out an embarrassed cough, "Uhh Thalmius; I have a confession, I'm not sure what happens when I open my mouth. It would be a first for me." I told him as I kept swirling the liquid around the glass.

He raised an eyebrow at me, and I felt the familiar feeling of someone peering at my soul for a moment before it stopped. "Ahh, you are a spaceborne hybrid. Crack your mouth very slightly. Any wider, and there will be disastrous consequences." He told me as he threw his shot back and released a groan of satisfaction.

I swirled the glass once more and pressed it to where my lips would be, and I very slightly cracked it. I felt the air in the room rush to my lips, and the liquid was pulled from the glass. I quickly closed my mouth. Strangely enough, I couldn't taste anything. I couldn't even feel it. I instinctively swallowed, and I felt warmth travel down my throat into my stomach. A moment later, a wave of vertigo hit me that quickly passed.

"What was that?" I managed to slur out as the last bit of vertigo left me, and the world stopped spinning.

"That is good ole fashioned grimgold, manufactured on my capital world—some of the most potent alcohol in the galaxy, my friend. This shit will kill most mortals. Except for us trolls, and higher-tiered beings." He sat back and closed his eyes for a moment.

I heard Nemesis gag as she threw back her shot, and I saw her face turn pale, sweat starting to bead on her forehead. Her eyes glazed for a second and then returned to normal. "I really don't like how this feels." Her words started to slur, and she dozed off in the chair next to me.

"Will she be okay?" I asked Thalmius as I watched her slump into the chair and passed out.

"Yeah, she will be fine; she appears to be a deity, so her body will metabolize it quickly; not many besides Administrators can handle this kind of drink." He sat forward and opened his eyes, and his joyful gaze changed into a more serious look. "Now that she is asleep let's get to the serious stuff."