[Belys POV]

[High Realm: Audience Chamber]

'So Bor~ing.' Belys thought. She had come to the High Realm for the first time but had ended up being stuck listening to her uncle Telrok prattle on about the conditions the participants of his test need to meet to advance to the next stage. As if her father hadn't gone over it with her again and again when her uncle had let her participate.

She thought back a bit, biting her lip as she did. The trip hadn't been a total waste. When her father and her uncle kept her waiting for hours. That on it's own had been fun, making some of the sturdier ones grow and form benches, and some of the more vine like grow up to the ceiling or across and create a canopy or carpet. She'd always loved making plants grow, they were the best playmates. They always did what she said and she never needed to share. What had made it even greater though was the look on her father's face when he opened the door with her uncle in tow.

Her father had been quite upset and Belys knew she was going to get scolded but her Uncle Telrok had just laughed and said, "Let it be, Ort. She's a Dryad, she can't deny her nature."

And shockingly, her daddy just let it go. He'd never done that before, not even for her uncle. Belys knew something was up but she really didn't understand. 'Maybe it had something to do with why Uncle's laugh sounded so hollow?' she speculated. Telrok had said that she couldn't help it as it was a Dryad's nature to be flighty and airheaded, which she knew was true, but sometimes it frustrated her to be that way. Her frustration more than anything is what confused her, Dryads never got frustrated. Angry, sure, for the few moments it took them to act on it but frustration was something of an alien topic to them. The only reason she had any comprehension of what the feeling was, was because her father had told her what is was. According to him, frustration was almost a natural state for the Drus, the Dryad's male counterpart. She felt a shiver run up her spine. She couldn't imagine feeling like that all the time, so she decide to move on. If she needed to know something she was sure her daddy would tell her.

After that she had followed them into the audience chamber to await the other Celestials involved in the administering the test to arrive to receive instructions. While waiting the three of them played several board games together. She one a few of the luck based ones, but both her and her father always lost to her uncle Telrok in most games where thinking and skill mattered. She noticed her uncle smiling and felt the urge to scream, 'Wrong! You're doing it wrong, that's not how you smile!' at him. She couldn't put her finger on just what was wrong though, and she started to get frustrated.

Noticing her frustration, she took a deep breath and stopped thinking about it. Her aunts had told her she shouldn't waste time thinking about things that made her miserable, and she was pretty sure they knew everything. Frowning, she heard a small voice inside her say, 'They didn't know about frustration thought did they?'

Ultimately she decided that however true that may have been, they were sort of right in that it made no sense to intentionally make yourself miserable. In the end she let the thoughts slip away and just enjoyed her time with them, she would need to go back to the Low Realm soon enough anyway.

After the other Celestials finally arrived, her uncle explained for an hour what was expected of them during their participation in this test. Just as her uncle wrapped up and the others had departed, Belys felt one of the souls entrusted to her released from it's body on her Plane. Frowning, uncertainty painted across her face she ran up to her uncle giving a bit of a yank of his sleeve. "Hey! Hey! Uncle," she pestered, "I forgot, what am I supposed to do if someone dies during the test?"

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[Corvus]

[The Void]

Corvus found himself once again floating in the void. This time though he could still perceive the world below.

'Wonder where I was?' he thought idly. Unable to grasp any idea, Corvus gave up noticing another difference. That tree soul was already there, as was another he couldn't quite make out. Floating over the other's soul came into focus. It appeared to be some sort of sword, Corvus was still too far away to tell what type. The swords inner light was an icy blue color, but where it met the void it radiated a gentle pure light.

As he drifted closer, Corvus saw that the tree had one if it's branches extended out towards the other soul. 'That's what it did to me before sending me down,' he couldn't help but think. That other soul too, it seemed familiar somehow. Weaving forward, he crashed into a barrier that he hadn't seen. His form now stinging, he carefully hovered closer, observing in front of him. A nearly transparent green wall appeared in front when he was only about a finger width away. Testing it out, he eased himself against the barrier. It didn't hurt, however, he was still unable to pass through.

Corvus could only watch as the tree withdrew it's branch, and the soul inside the barrier shot down towards the planet. The barrier began to retract, the lower half of the sphere receding towards the bottom, while the upper went to the top. Completely vanishing when they were little more than points.

"Ah, you too, little soul?" the tree's voice almost sighed.

"Too? You mean that other soul is like me?"

Flickering brightly for a moment the tree seemed to become re-energized before confirming, "Yep, Yep. She's been placed in my care for the inheritance test, just like you. Anyways, let's get on with your judgement."

As one of the tree's branches reached towards his chest, two green lights shot out, one upwards, the other downwards. Corvus just watched as the green light spread out, forming the dome barrier once more. Once it reached a sphere shape, the barrier became invisible having lost it's color.

Feeling a warm, almost burning sensation in his chest he focused his attention back towards where the tree had been. Floating there was the most mystifying female he had ever seen. She had playful brilliant green eyes, and her hair that flowed down just above her breasts, had just a slight green tinged to it. Her skin looked smooth and was so pale it almost seemed to shine. 'Maybe it's because of the void but she's almost glowing.'

If he hadn't noticed a slight point to her ears, as they poked through her hair, the rest of her appearance would still have made him question whether or not she was human. That wasn't really what mystified him though, instead it was whether or not he should consider her a child, or a woman. She was shorter than he was, and he still hadn't finished growing before this mess started, but was tall enough it was possible she wouldn't grow any taller.

A thin book appeared halfway out of the center of his chest, and with one finger placed on the top of the book she pulled it out.

"Now, let's see ..." she muttered to herself, as if she had forgotten he was present. She pulled her legs up, sitting cross legged and placed the book in her lap. Flipping it open she began to read it.

Corvus watched as her face took on an exaggerated and somewhat forced looking expression of seriousness. 'Hah,' thought Corvus as he watched, 'she seems just like a child when she does that.' Really just about everything she said or did made her seem like a child, but if someone where to judge her just by her looks they would probably think she was a woman. There was just something ... seductive about her.  

'Gotta keep focused.' Corvus reminded himself shaking his head to break himself out of his reverie. He had questions he needed to ask and he couldn't do that if he kept on getting distracted.

"Ah, hey listen, girl-" he began.

"Girl? How rude! I'm a woman." she interrupted, scolding him.

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"Whatever, just listen for a moment," Corvus instructed, "I don't care about the inheritance, I just want to go home. Would you go tell my grandfather that, so I can?"

"No." she rejected.

Pissed Corvus spoke, as though he was doing so through gritted teeth. "Why not?"

"You're rude!"

Realizing he had been somewhat rude, Corvus apologized, "Alright, I'm sorry for being rude. Please, is there any way you can go tell him I don't want to take part in this test anymore. Nor did I ever want to."

"Hmmmm," she mumbled while seeming to examine Corvus.

With a slight nod she declared, "Apology accepted," apparently deciding he had been sincere.

"Ummm, I can go speak to him for you," she continued, "but I don't think there is much point."

Glad to be making some headway, Corvus frowned when she finished speaking. "Why?"

"Well, you see," she started to explain, "your body doesn't exist there anymore. Your grandfather dispersed it shortly after sending you down to me."

"What the hell! That shitty old man," Corvus cursed, "Fuck. Bastard."

*Whap*

Corvus' head snapped to the right as the woman smacked him with the book.

"Don't ever talk about my uncle like that!" she demanded holding the book ready for another swing.

'Fuuuck!' he groaned mentally. 'When's this shit streak gonna end.'

"Wait, wait, if he's your uncle," he spoke, rubbing his eyes with one hand as he put his thoughts together, "why aren't you taking the inheritance test? Hell, why doesn't he just give it to you, you're probably closer to him than any of us."

As she shook her head and went "Nnnnn,", Corvus noticed she had a genuinely serious expression on her face, "He's not actually my uncle, he's my dad's old friend, or boss. I'm not too clear on that to be honest. But he's known me since I was little more than a sprout, so he let's me call him uncle."

'Sprout? No, that doesn't matter right now.' Still Corvus tucked that bit of information away, before returning to the issues at hand.

"Alright, I won't. I hope you can understand why I did though, I've never even had a conversation with the man. The first time I even saw him was before that-" Corvus stopped himself from cursing the man again, "- before he sent me here.I starved as a crow for three days before being killed. Then I came here only to be told I can never go back to my life because he destroyed my body."

Corvus watched her, as she lowered the book, a look of consternation crossing her face as if she didn't completely understand. However, in the end she was apparently appeased, as she announced in a chipper voice, "Fine then. I'll forgive you this time."

"Haaa." Corvus' tension seemed to release when she said so.

"It isn't as though you can never go back though. You just need to reach my level."

"Your level?"

"Yep," she nodded clearly not intending to explain.

Deciding not to press the matter, Corvus moved on to the more important question. "How do I get to your level?"

"Ehhh, didn't you read the notification?"

'Notification. notification ...,' something tugged at his memory but he was struggling to place it. "Ahhh! You mean those windows? I only managed to read the Flight skill one."

"There was a snake nearby and they were blocking my vision, so I dismissed them. After that I wasn't sure how to open them again, and before I could work it out I died." he told her.

"Pfffft," the girl smirked before letting loose,"Pahaahhaahahahahahaa"

'C'mon it's really not that funny,' Corvus' thought to himself. He would have told her that, but he wasn't sure how she'd take it. Well, that and after he got with the book he started thinking being on her bad side probably wasn't worth it.

It took her a while, but eventually she stopped laughing, but still had a radiant smile as she apologized, "Sorry, my imagination went wild there for a moment, and the situation just seemed so hilarious."

"It wasn't." Corvus stated calmly.

"No, I don't expect you would think so. Then that being the case I'll explain the windows," she offered. "They are something your grandfather helped set up. Basically they are to help speed along the inheritance test. If you complete the goals presented you will eventually reach my level."

Placing a finger on her lips, she closed her eyes. "Let's see the windows are: Goal, Skills, Traits, Titles, and Status. If you want to open one, you need to think one of those words with the intention to examine the information present. If you don't intend to review the information the window won't appear."

"It was set up like that so that you wouldn't end up with your vision obscured during a critical situation," she explained the edges of her mouth curling upwards.

"I see." While he was still upset about the situation, he had already begun to resign himself to the fact the only way back home was to clear the goals.

"Satisfied?"

Wanting time to think Corvus answered off-handedly, "For now."

"Good. Now for your judgement."

Pointing her finger at him, she announced, "I judge your soul clean, and grant you the right of reincarnation."

Still trying to wrap his head around some of the information he had gained, Corvus snapped to attention when it became clear she wasn't intending to give him time to collect his thoughts. He felt a brief wave of energy pass over him, washing some of his mental and emotional fatigue away as it passed. Two small white petals shone on his shirt just as he closed his eyes and let the darkness take him.