Smoke stung his, no, her nose as she looked at the scry screen directly at the fire of the ship. Damage icons sprinkled the massive kilometers long ship. Officers all around her barked reports to each other, but she stood firm, like the eye of a hurricane. The calm in her storm. Below her lay the chunk of rock that would eventually become the world known as Eryn, the smaller consciousness of Akamori realized. Another explosion rocked the ship hard, and she staggered, gripping the golden control sticks tightly for support.

The ship’s orbit was decaying, and if she didn’t act soon, it would be lost forever. She channeled a spell that allowed her to roll out the flow of time and actions. The accompanying consciousness of Akamori recognized it somehow. This was true godsight.

Aeryn unraveled the flow of time in all directions, looking for any way to make the best of this. The war was lost. She would die this day. Those two elements were certain. The void armies had seen to their task well. But perhaps she could give the future a fighting chance.

She touched a hand to her chest, where all her magic would have swelled. The drawback of maintaining a body into godhood, but it made interaction with the plane easier. That and she’d begun as a mortal with a body and couldn’t see a more fitting way to end. In the distance, all existence buzzed. The keening approach of a god.

Aeryn rose and placed a hand on her best friend’s shoulder. She fought back the moisture building up in her eyes. “Order all survivors to the escape pods.”

“But Aeryn… we’ll die down there. There’s nothing but rock.”

She gave Rozien a lopsided smile. She’d settled on a plan of action. Sacrifice now to invest in a thread of the future. The future was fluid, but the threads of now were all but certain.

“Everything will be alright. Now go. Before I stuff my boot up your rear.”

Rozien snapped off a crisp salute that looked vaguely Federation like to Akamori as he watched through Aeryn’s eyes. Rozien’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. He nodded stiffly to her and took a step back.

“I won’t let them forget. I’ll make sure we stay prepared.”

“This isn’t the end.” she said.

“Simply the dawn of a new epic.” Rozien finished.

And then he was off. She turned and faced the scry display again. Once the last escape pod ejected, she summoned her divinity about her. Sheer willpower made manifest. A blink of the eye later, she was in space. As large as a star.

She rested a continent sized hand on the damaged spell ship she’d dedicated her life and godhood to. This war hd taken so much from the fleet. From her people. From her. She wove an elaborate series of runes and attached a final spell to the ship. And then it was off, to safely rest until it was needed once again.

“Goodbye, old friend.” She whispered softly. Behind her, the glittering specks of light that were the escape pods descended below to the surface. The keening buzz of reality grew until it finally ceased and a man shaped nebula appeared before her with a sword so black it devoured all light. The Godslayer. An ancient weapon.

“What are you doing?!” the man shaped nebula cried in a magical voice that defied physics. “This confrontation shouldn’t be taking place for centuries. You could have run. Hid. Anything!”

Morfayus was confused and shocked. Good. Maybe the idea of finally confronting her destiny made him uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure how much of him was still in there after Sauridius latched his claws into him.

“Yeah, well, I never enjoyed farting about. So let’s get this over with, yeah?”

Akamori liked her attitude. She reminded him of Morwen.

Thanks. I think? Aeryn thought back to the small presence riding shotgun in her mind. Akamori abruptly ceased all thought like prey in the light. Oh, don’t be shy. You’re just along for the ride. So see what you need to see, and enjoy the show.

Akamori’s disembodied consciousness nodded, he thought, and Aeryn’s focus returned to her spell weaving. On and on she wove. Air, Water, Earth, Light, Void, Fire, Soul, and Mind. The spell was so complex Akamori couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Though he felt confident Amara could figure it out if she were watching. He also got the impression this was something she could have easily handled by just channeling the magic with her will.

Oh, I could. But hardcasting is still fun. And besides, it reminds me I used to be mortal ; she thought to him.

“What are you doing, little godling?” Morfayus asked, his arm holding Godslayer firmly, but relaxed.

“Simply placing my bet on the future. That’s all. A present sacrificed for the hope of a future.”

The dream lord stayed his executioner’s hand. He allowed Aeryn to finish weaving her spell, and then she finished. “It is done.” She said with a pleased smile, looking at her chest. In the exact spot Godslayer plunged the very next instant. She grunted as the blade carried her down to the soil. She crashed into the barren rock of the world. Then her hands reached up to grip the blade, even as it sank down into the soil.

All the aspects and planes of magic rippled out of her body and out to the barren rock behind and around her. The magic washed out over the landscape, terraforming it. Massive trees sprang up from the soil along with rolling grasslands. Rivers, lakes, and oceans bubbled up. Clouds and clear blue skies emerged. In a few minutes, the moon was a habitable lush world, creating a new home for her crew.

The scene and light faded, leaving himself there before a glowing orb in a blank void. Aeryn then appeared, holding a crystal. It glowed a soft, whitish yellow, and she held it out to him. “You’ll know what to do with this later.”

He took the crystal and something within in clicked into place. A missing piece that had finally been restored. Within him he could see a grid of 8 laid out in a circle, with himself standing in the center. Glowing crystals floated in the locations he’d infused with magic. Air. Water. Void. Light. That left 4 more. He could feel tremendous power swell within himself.

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“Yes, you can feel it, can’t you? That’s good kid. And unfortunate.” Aeryn frowned.

“Unfortunate?”

Aeryn nodded solemnly. The glow she emanated subdued, like her tone and mood. “Fate has a way of grinding us down. Stepping on our dreams and planting itself like a weed in the garden. Only it can’t be pruned. It grows larger and wilder. Incapable of being ignored. Already it has left its mark on you. No doubt as she’d intended. But you’re no standard mortal, are you?”

Aeryn folded her arms and drifted closer to him. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him, and he felt himself wither under her gaze. It was like having a parent scrutinize you after coming in dirty from playing outside. “You’ve seen it, haven’t you? Whispers of what was and what will be. You have the stink of prophecy all about you. Her doing, no doubt. I can’t say the name, but this smacks of her handiwork. Keep your wits about you, and you may yet see another sun.”

He had so many questions, but before he could ask any of them, it was over. He blinked his vision back into focus. He’d been seated in a lotus position by the pool. He pressed a hand to his chest to see what magic he’d been infused with.

System Info: Magic gained. Blessing of Light. This will prevent your soul from being bound or your aether from being corrupted. This makes you immune to a number of binding and magical corruption attacks.

He frowned as he studied the system missive. He understood the basic benefits of the magic, but he was a little disappointed he didn’t get more magic. Being able to heal injuries would have been nice without depending on potions. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, though. He inspected his gear, noting the whitish golden streaks in his azure armor, and the extra few inches his blade had grown.

Empowered , the blade thrummed. As you grow… I do too.

“Oh. Interesting. So uh… what do I call you? Sword or blade just feels clumsy.”

Thanaton .

Simple enough. “I’m Akamori. Looks like we’re partners.”

Soulbound , the sword thrummed back. Was the blade annoyed?

“ Yes !” it hissed back. He could actually feel the agitation in the blade. Er-Thanaton.

Gain more magic, grow in strength, and I, too, grow.

He examined the blade, and a number of runes and etchings were highlighted. The air infusion had enhanced its ability to channel air magic. The void infusion had given it 1 point of armor piercing and the water infusion had given it 1 point of defense to apply to his total. He whistled softly, pleased. Initially, he’d worried about the blade growing longer and making it unwieldy. However, he found the weapons’ balance and handling comfortable, almost like a memory.

You remember your previous incarnations. Like me, you have traversed the realm many times in the past. Like me, you will grow in your power.

Akamori peered down at his blade curiously, contemplating the words but quickly dismissing them. “That’s a lot to process from a talking sword. So I’m gonna carry on. We’ll revisit that idea later.” Or never.

He stood up, noting that the headmaster was no longer here with him. He wondered how long he’d been in his trance. His scabbard clacked against the floor as he went to stand and he had to shift it from his belt to mounting on his back. He tested the draw on it several times, taking the opportunity to get familiar with the changes in his equipment. As he drew the blade and assumed his stance, the blade thrummed its approval. Each time he drew the blade and took up his combat stance, he could see the air magic dancing up and down the blade freely now.

Clumsy, but you will grow. We will grow.

He concluded his practice after several more iterations, confident the action wouldn’t feel too clumsy when he needed it to count. “Are you casting that air magic yourself or is that your innate stats kicking in?”

My own magic. My own store of magic.

“Wait, you’ve got your own AP now?”

Yes. I can add my aetherpoints to your spells.

He liked the sound of that. “So strikes and spells can hit harder? I like it.”

The sword thrummed its pleasure and excitement about the increased potential. He looked up the winding stairway and began his ascent. A few months ago, he might have fed the armor some magic and just flew up. Maybe it was reverence for what he’d just been through, or maybe it was just his increased endurance paying off, but he didn’t feel tired making the climb back up.

The headmaster had been waiting for him at the top of the stairs and gave him a nod. “I can’t speak to what trials you’ll face when you leave. But know you go as prepared as I can make you. The rest will fall to you.”

Akamori bowed to the headmaster. “Thank you. And let Cenine know I’ll be back to finish my training. I promise.”

“See that you do, peasant. I’ll not have it said that I leave my protégé’s ill trained.”

He sighed, swallowing down the urge to give her some kind of biting retort. He knew in her own pompous way that was her expressing concern. So her social skills needed work. It wasn’t exactly like he was the easiest to get along with, either. Reluctantly, he stuck a hand out for her to shake. A peace offering.

“I’ll be back. Wouldn’t want anyone to besmirch your reputation.”

She glanced down at his hand before looking away. “Don’t die,” she said stiffly as she walked away.

He ran a gloved hand through his hair. “I don’t think I’ll ever get on her good side.”

“That would assume she has one to get on. But such as it is. She’s not happy you’re leaving. She sees promise in you.”

“Really?”

Avreone nodded. “That’s why it’s difficult for her not to restrain her disappointment in you abandoning your training mid way through.”

Damned if I do. Damned if I don’t. “I’d love to stay if I could. But I have to go.”

Avreone gave him a ghost of a smile. “I know that. To some extent, so does she. That doesn’t mean she has to like it. No master ever likes to leave their work unfinished. Now go on then. Return, so that we might finish what you’ve begun.”

He bowed one final time and spun to leave. He boosted high into the air and angled off towards the star port.

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