As the magic of her Goddess turned the barrier back to its usual opaque white colour and blocked her view, Caethya reluctantly removed her hand from its surface. Up until now it had been distressingly invisible, revealing the world beyond as well as the gashes that seemed to keep tearing into reality itself. After the mortals she had been with had started to bleed from their ears and nose, she had done her best to use her own body to shield their view.
She had gotten a headache when she had looked at it, but nothing more. Probably because of her blessing, she thought to herself as she turned around.
Her magic was no longer needed, as Aperio's had retaken control of the barrier after a few hours. Perhaps these guards will fare better?
"Do you truly not know what she is doing?" Fel'Erreyth asked. The Dragon had woken up almost a day after Aperio had taken the crystal from him, and had immediately called for a few guards as well as someone she presumed to be a doctor. The group she had briefly known, still bleeding from their facial orifices, had been gently led away while Fel'Erreyth had remained, surrounded by various Dragonkin as well as a large Serpent-Dragon.
The Serpent-Dragon, who for reasons Caethya did not understand was wearing a large robe that covered most of its body, was pushed aside by one of Fel'Erreyth's wings as the Dragon continued. "The mana density beyond the barrier — I can feel it. It's already sufficient to wipe out the entire continent."
Caethya sighed. She could feel it too, of course; but she could also feel Aperio's pain, her ever-shifting emotions. The problem was that she couldn't answer Fel'Erreyth's question. She truly did not know, especially since her attempts at contacting Aperio kept failing.
She could still feel the overwhelming presence of the All-Mother looming outside her mind, experiencing it as an unwavering guiding light. The Demigoddess had not thought that knowing what Aperio felt and being unable to help would be as distressing as it was. She was well aware of the feelings of the All-Mother, but seemingly not all that it entailed.
"I don't," she finally replied. "All I know is that she will need time to sort things out, and might be… agitated once she is done."
"But what is she doing?" the Serpent asked, its mouth unmoving as the voice simply entered her mind. "And who is she?"
"The All-Mother. The Creator. The First," Fel'Erreyth said, raising his head and glaring at the Serpent. "I thought I had known what would happen, but it appears I was wrong."
Caethya sighed as she tried once more to reach out to Aperio. Her efforts, as had become usual these past few days, went unanswered, but surprisingly this time they did not go unnoticed. She could feel the All-Mother react, the presence that loomed at the edges of her mind shifting a little, the small movement already threatening to overwhelm her.
So she can't control her strength right now? Caethya thought to herself as her hand brushed against the barrier again. Aperio had felt stronger the last time she retrieved some of her memories, though Caethya did not know how exactly an all-powerful being could even get stronger. Perhaps more concentrated?
"All we can do is wait," Caethya said, setting herself down in front of the barrier. Thanks to her recent advancement to a Demigoddess, she no longer had to worry about sleep, food or drink; neither did she have to fear being removed.
Fel'Erreyth would likely not have tried to take her away, but even if he had it would likely have ended in failure. If she was judging correctly, she was currently the strongest present after Aperio. More powerful than even a Dragon. Father will be proud.
Though she still very much wanted to introduce her family to Aperio, suddenly coming home with the All-Mother in tow was likely not the best of ideas. Maybe it would be helpful for her, though? It was possible that Aperio needed a chance to see that not everything was bad, and the city Caethya's family called home was a good choice for such a venture.
It had been at peace for centuries, and slavery had been abolished since before the Night of the Second Sun. A quiet place, with people who were not bothered by much: the perfect location to help Aperio learn to live like a mortal.
Caethya sighed, closing her eyes and focusing on guiding her mana around her body. It might not be technically needed, but purging further impurities from her now-immortal flesh still seemed like a good idea.
She also didn't have much else to do. The questions the Serpent asked, and still seemed to distantly be waiting to be answered, were mysteries she wished she could say were solved. But they remained unanswerable. Focusing on something else was exactly what she needed right now to take a bit of worry from her mind.
Her efforts would not amount to much, Aperio's healing having already removed almost all of the small impurities that remained, but it was something to do that would help her to not go mad and try to find a way past the barrier.
If Caethya had learned anything, it was that time meant little to the All-Mother. In all likelihood, she would have to wait a few more days before she could see her again. At least I can still sense her.
The Serpent — Aveo, apparently — asked her another question, only to be reprimanded by Fel'Erreyth. He had seemingly figured out that there was a bit more to her relationship with Aperio than she had verbally admitted to.
She did not hide her affection, and the All-Mother had been surprisingly open as well. Caethya had assumed that any public displays of affection would be met with refusal, but Aperio had reciprocated most of her advances.
There was, of course, the possibility that she was forcing herself to accept them because she thought it was the right thing to do, but Caethya doubted that. She knew how her Aperio felt, to a degree at least, and there was no sign of her not enjoying it.
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The appearance of another strong presence caused Caethya to stop her attempt at distracting herself and turned around. Stepping out of the gate was a Beastkin with cat-like ears that were poking out through holes she had cut into her hat.
Her black and gold fur reminded the Elf of someone, but she could not remember who. The same was true for the longsword the woman carried on her back, the weapon bigger than she was. Adventurer?
The woman only gave her a glance as she walked towards Fel'Erreyth, taking a knee once she had reached the dragon. Caethya paid her no more mind as soon as she started to report on what was happening in the city.
Probably the captain of the guard. Her curiosity thus satisfied, she returned her attention to the barrier, and to Aperio still floating in mid-air beyond it. Please be safe.
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Aperio's eyes snapped open. The storm that had surrounded her had disappeared, absorbed into her body and well. A thin fog of mana continued to cling to her skin and a bit still flowed from her eyes, but she did not mind.
The onslaught of memories had been most helpful. Not only had she learned something about Moria and her own past, but some knowledge of the System had returned. How she had made it. In part, at least. Its nature was not what she had expected, far more of an extension of herself than she had initially believed.
Before she did anything else, Aperio reached out to Caethya as carefully as she could. Her disciple might be able to handle her communication better than most, but with the amount of mana she now had idly flowing through her veins, even she might be in danger.
There was a pause that seemed to stretch far beyond the fraction of the moment it really took, but as soon as Caethya had replied, Aperio twisted reality apart and brought her disciple directly into her arms. She wrapped her wings around Caethya as well, holding on as tightly as she could without injuring her. Holding back as much as she did still annoyed her, and took away from the moment, but she was grateful for the moment nonetheless.
A thought stopped the magic that held her aloft, gravity readily taking hold again and dragging her down. As they descended, another thought allowed the hall that Fel'Erreyth had called his home slowly began to rebuild itself; the molten rock that flowed below them slowly solidifying into the black marble it was before.
Before she touched the ground, Aperio used a touch of her magic to slow herself down, all the while holding onto Caethya. Even though the All-Mother logically knew that her disciple would not leave, the worry was still there that she would once Aperio had fully remembered her life as the All-Mother.
She only let go when she noticed the redness creeping up Caethya's face as she mumbled the words, "Your dress."
Reality itself had not been the only thing ripped apart in the storm. Her dress had not weathered the experience, and was now little more than tattered rags. Luckily, making a new one was an easy task. Just a tiny drop of her mana and a bit of concentration.
Dark blue fabric came into existence on her form, molding itself to fit her body as it flowed across her skin. She left the designs mostly unchanged, simply recreating what she had worn before with the exception of the bindings for her chest. Those have to go. While they were not uncomfortable per se, Aperio felt much better simply adjusting her dress a little further to offer the support she needed.
Upon recreating her skirt, she realized that it had been a bit restricting before, not letting her move how she wanted without constant help of her magic. Easily fixed, she thought to herself. While she concentrated on flaring out the design of her old dress a little more to allow for better movement, a small touch of her magic caused another piece to form. The dovetail skirt sat neatly overtop her normal dress, extending behind her down to the middle of her calves while remaining short in front.
The same silvery armour that extended over her chest and shoulders also formed on her hips, offering some unneeded protection for the upper part of her thighs.
Satisfied both with her new attire and with the knowledge that reality had been repaired in this room, Aperio let out a breath of misty air. The sensation of air forming in her lungs so she could go through the motions of breathing it out was a weird one, doubly so when her mana clung to it. That also needs fixing.
"I apologise," she said, bowing her head lightly as the final pieces of her armour settled onto her form. The mana that had clung to her skin had felt almost identical to her dress. "I was happy to see you, and had not noticed my clothing's state."
"It's fine," Caethya replied, unconsciously biting her lip as her eyes flicked over Aperio's now clothed form. "I didn't expect it, that is all." She opened her mouth again to speak but closed it again quickly, shaking her head.
Aperio tilted her head at the words. While she had a tendency to ignore or not understand most social cues, it was clear that Caethya had something else she wished to say. If her assumption was correct, her disciple would be disappointed once she asked.
The All-Mother smoothed out a few nonexistent wrinkles with her hand, the silky fabric feeling oddly pleasant against her fingers.
"It is still unbecoming," Aperio said with a sigh. "Imagine what would've happened had I just removed the barrier." Good thing I had to fix… reality before.
"But you didn't," Caethya said, placing her hand on Aperio's cheek. The All-Mother leaned into it, enjoying the warm touch of her disciple. "You know what I feel," she continued. "This is not a problem. Understandable, even. I cannot fathom what you might have gone through; forgetting a bit of modesty is okay."
Aperio folded her wings around Caethya, using them to draw the Elf closer to herself. "I remembered Moria," she said, wrapping her disciple in a hug. "She was like a mother to me, and now that I know more I fear she only behaved that way because she feared retribution if she did not.
"I gave her a title that lets her remember her previous lives," Aperio continued, holding Caethya a little tighter still as she buried her face in the Elf's hair. "Please tell me I did not do something similar to you; that the blessing doesn't matter to you. That you like me for who I am, not what I am."
Caethya did not reply immediately. She wrapped her arms around the All-Mother instead, embracing her. Aperio leaned into it, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm herself.
With every breath Aperio took came Caethya's scent. It was a mix of flowers she did not know, fresh air above the clouds she had come to enjoy, and more things she could not verbally describe besides identifying them as Caethya.
After a moment Caethya pulled away, and it was only the fact that it was to see eye to eye with her that kept Aperio from immediately worrying. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't like you," Caethya said. "The blessing has nothing to do with that, I am sure. I would have likely felt the same way had I met you under different circumstances." With a smile, Caethya brushed a few strands of silver-blue hair back behind Aperio's ear. "Right now, I'm just waiting for you to find out how you feel."