Yohg! Explain! Now!

Now is not the optimal time to explain the situation. The details would be better kept for after you’ve secured Woody’s assistance in building the village.

What do you mean it’s not the time?!? Why is there a 3rd Elenore??? Did you send me to the future?!?

As I said previously, you were not automatically revived the first time you died. I can assure you; it was not my decision. You were left unconscious for a few generations as the City-States began to war with each other due to the suspicion over the ‘Minionborn’ and a conspiracy that spread around the planet that claimed you were the ultimate life form that was stronger than the very Elder Gods. This claim would become useful to our cause by creating mass chaos throughout Perdita, leading the Old Gods into warring with each other to find and claim the lost Elder God’s Essence and use it to their ends. While reviving, you were asleep for 80 years. That is why it is 80 A.C. After Caster.

Caster shook his head, unable to bring himself to mentally respond. He waved the grey box out of his mind and returned to the real world.

Clever – Knowledge is Power, Activated! +1 Arcane!

Elenore was still staring at him, waiting for him to shake her hand. He did, slowly.

“So… the Elenore that I knew was your grandma?”

“Sure was!” Elenore the 3rd gleefully shook Caster’s hand.

80 years… so much time… gone. For what? Are the City-States to start killing each other? I thought I was supposed to be fighting the Elder and Old Gods, not making some poor village suffer. No, it used to just be a village, but now it’s Casterville. Now that I’m alive again, I’ll make sure they don’t have to deal with my absence anymore! And I’ll start by getting Woody on my side!

Caster let out a determined sigh.

“You’re the spitting image of her. I could have sworn you were the same person.”

“Nah, Meemaw was a shorty. My dad and grandad were both giant-folk, so I’m a lot taller than she was. Believe it or not, I’m the runt of the family! Youngest too!” Elenore stood.

Is she sure she’s Elenore’s granddaughter? There’re literally identical.

“You said she ‘was,’ does that mean…”

“She passed about a dozen years back or so, sorry. But she had a good life! In fact, once The Great War started, she went back to the Blasted Hills, and eventually, they realized she was one of the strongest of them all. Soon enough, she wound up as the queen! Then she had my dad, and my dad had me.”

“Oh. That’s… sad. Well, I’m glad to hear that she had a nice life.”

I can’t believe it. She was my friend and I left her out here to live alone. She probably thought she failed me. Damn you, Yohg!

“Do you know what happened to Keith? And The Agency?”

“Well, I’m not too sure about Keith. She did mention him, but he’s not really a part of the common tale that’s told about the Minionborn. I guess history kind of forgot him.”

He probably cut himself out of it on purpose.

“As for The Agency, they’re still around kinda. They used to settle all disputes with the Arena, but these days it's more of a sport for fun. The Agency was made up of the Old Gods from each City-State, but since they went to full-scale war with each other, it's kinda a joke now.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“That’s… also sad.”

How did everything here get so much worse!?

Caster shook his head again. He knew what he had to do.

“Well, I’m back to finish the war everyone else started over me,” Caster said, puffing his chest out.

“Oh golly, the legend is real! Say, you wouldn’t mind showing me how to do that laser beam thingy of yours sometime would you?” Elenore grinned.

“Well, I don’t think I can to be honest,” He’d barely finished his sentence before Phoebe stepped between the two of them.

“Lord Caster is on a very important mission to persuade the legendary Woody to join our cause and establish a new empire that will siege and destroy all others. Do not waste his valuable time with this nonsense.”

The blind girl’s bold and literal no-nonsense tone made both of them step back.

“I ain’t joining no empire, no city-state, no king, no nothing. I’m retired. I’m sick of you yellow belled Gods and your trifles mucking up my fine works.” Woody shook his head, not bothering to lift his head to look at them.

“Such insolence toward the Elder God!” Phoebe raised her hands.

Caster was quick to grab her wrists, and slowly push her hands down.

“We’re not here to fight.”

This guy is old. I bet The Great War has ruined a lot of his work. Why else would he mention ‘trifles mucking up my fine works.’ But Casterville’s walls can’t be sieged if I’m around. He’s also one of the only people that didn’t instantly bow down to me like a weirdo. Maybe I should try a different route.

Caster cleared his throat.

“I’ve seen what the others have done to this planet. Both Elder and Old Gods alike. That’s why I’ve come to put a stop to their madness. You were there after the end of the third age when we finally had peace. When the Gods weren’t destroying each other and their cities for nothing but more tiny fragments of power. I want to return Perdita to that state.”

Woody stopped working on his duck whittling project for a moment. His eyes were drifting off somewhere in the mid-distance. His mind was drifting into a better past.

“But I can’t do it alone. It would take an enormous amount of work, time, and people. I’ve only been back for a day and the Elder Gods have already sent Lord Griffin after me to test my strength. That’s how badly they want to stop me.”

Woody’s head picked up after hearing Caster’s last phrase.

“You said, Lord Griffin? That fire brat? Why, if I got my hands on him. He’s destroyed more stables and fine cabins than I can count!”

“Yes, the same. I was able to defeat him easily, but I’m not worried about my safety. These two are only a small example of the villagers across the entirety of the Badlands that desperately need protection. You’re one of the few men left on this planet whose skills I can count on to help me achieve my goal of making sure the Lords and Gods of Perdita no longer lay waste where they please.”

“Hmm…” Woody looked down. He took a deep breath and sighed. “And what happens if you’re lying? You could be just like all the rest,” he said.

“If you joined me, you’d be free to leave at any time. You’d have full reign over city architecture and defense building.”

“You girl, you’re a cleric, yes?” Woody looked to Phoebe.

Phoebe nodded.

“On your faith of whatever idea, God or tree you worship, can you vouch for what he says?”

“I can. His Essence is overwhelming, it is like standing on the surface of the sun. He has treated our people with nothing but goodness. He has protected us from vile oppressors and even lightened our workloads. He has taken the form of the lowest of creatures and instructed us to refer to him as Caster, as we would a friend. He is, without a doubt, the one that will save Perdita.”

Phoebe spoke with such stern and assured passion; Caster wasn’t sure which one of them was trying to convince Woody harder.

“And you boy?” Woody nodded toward Abel.

“Mr. God is pretty cool.” He smiled.

Woody sighed once more, then pressed on his knees. His spine cracked a few times as he did so. He was tall, but even he was at least a foot shorter than Elenore.

“Fine. But I ain’t calling ya’ nothing but Caster until I see how you are for myself.” Woody groaned.

Yes!

Objective: Find and employ someone who knows how to build things – Complete! Next Objective: Build Basic Defences Around Casterville!

“Oh, thank the good lords we're finally leaving this place," Elenore cheered.

"Oh, the girl's with me. Paid the Blasted HIlls for a bodyguard to keep travelers away from me so I could live out the rest of my days in peace. She's terrible at the job."

"Well now you're just bein' mean," Elenore folded her arms.

"You're free to go home. I doubt I'll be getting much peace for the foreseeable future. Got one last city to build."

"Wait, come with us! I'd like to hear more about what happened to the Elenore I knew. If you don't mind, that is." Caster interrupted.

"I was hopin' you'd say that. I don't really call the Blasted Hills home anymore. But, I can explain all that to you on the way back."

"Sounds like a plan, Ellie!" Caster smiled.

It wasn't the same as his first taste of what being in a party was like, but somehow Caster knew he'd come to enjoy this one even more than his last one soon enough.

"Abel, lead the way!"