July 13th, year 024 Angels Descent

It was the evening after the race had officially ended, and the surviving racers were all at the hall of one of the great western lighthouses enjoying a feast for those that managed to finish the race. The hall itself was divided between Angrathond and his motley crew, the class and their team and the two teachers that had brightly painted undead all shambling around aimlessly.

“I greet the great racers on behalf of her most august majesty Lady Crozonia,” a voice announced. “Unfortunately, her majesty could not attend this feast due to being too busy with her duties. But I, the Sinful Lord of Pride, shall greet you in her stead!” Maxwell immediately paled at the sigh of his father stepping onto the stage and waving to the crowd.

“For the winner of the race Lord Angrathond of the Ruby Mountain in the Dragon Nest Mountain Range, I award to you the cup of victory!” Angrathond, who had taken human form for the party, approached the stage. His form was as large as a titan and covered in battle scars from countless battles. He accepted the trophy and held it aloft, to which his section roared in triumph.

“WOOOO!!!!!”

“RAGHHHHHHH!!!!!”

“MY LORD, CHEERS!!!!”

“Along with the trophy go the spoils. Your treasure has been divided up as you have requested. Ten percent to Admiral Bearington, Ten Percent to his trusty translator, and the final eighty percent to a Swimming Paul.” A fresh round of cheers sprang up from the crowd who celebrated their victory.

“Why did he give Paul so much?” Bea asked, unable to fathom why anyone would give away money willingly.

“Apparently, he said he owed him for teaching him how to swim. So repaying a kindness,” Mel replied.

“I thought dragons like to hoard treasures, though?”

“Common misconception,” Maxwell answered. “Dragons like to collect things people value. Obviously, many people value treasure, but some dragons like to focus on different things. Apparently, Angrathond likes to hoard experiences.”

“Oh, like Sithy and his books,” Alex said around a mouthful of food as he sat down at their table.

“Next up in second place…” Silvers began as he read the crew list before freezing. For the first time, he looked at the class’ team and realised who the embers were.

“The crew of the Trouser Surprise.”

Senior rose and walked onto the stage, and accepted a small silver medal and a bag with some coins, before returning to the table.

“Don’t know what you kids did, but he is giving you lot the stink eye,” Senior whispered.

“In third place we have… just get up here!”

To the class’ surprise, Yuu rose up and stepped onto the stage to accept the bronze medal. She held it aloft, to which the artists gave a cheer while the undead gave a joyful groan.

“Why didn’t you go up, sir?” Tasha asked.

“Same reason you wouldn’t. I still want to deck him for what he did.”

“With the awards given, I officially announce this year's race is over!” With his final words given, Silvers hastily left the stage and out of the hall, not even glancing in Maxwell’s direction.

“Screw him… family are who you make them,” Alex declared, holding up a mug for a toast, to which most of the people at the table returned it.

“Cap’n, may we return to the start?” a shambling bag of bones asked as he shuffled up to the table.

“You sure you don’t want to stick around and be purified?”

“No, Cap’n, we have too much fun every year in the race. Hell, we won it five times…. No idea why people forget that.”

“So you stay undead to keep racing?” Daisy asked.

“Indeed miss… nothing like the thrill of a life or death race to get your heart pumping…. Not that I have one anyways!!!”

“Yes, yes… I suppose you can go… if you can avoid the public routes, though. Don’t want to rattle anybody,” Alex’s order was met with a salute.

“You get us, sir. I assure you these grins are intended!” the skeleton crew gave one final salute before leaving the hall.

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The party continued for a few more hours, with everyone enjoying their drinks and all the food offered, stuffing themselves silly. Not a surprising reaction considering many of them only had simple rations to tide them over throughout the duration of the entire race.

Looking over at Angrathond, who had gotten completely smashed on the hard liquor provided, the class watched as he began to transform into his full-sized body, only to be stopped by Sir Bearington.

“Raghh!”

“My Lord states that we should take this outside.” Angrathond, in response, nodded before staggering outside, closely followed by the giant bear-like man and his butler.

“Apologies…. Is there a Lord Guntherian here?” a nervous-looking priest asked, stepping up to the table.

“That’s me,” Alex answered, eyeing the priest up and down suspiciously.

“My Lady has ordered me to bring you to meet her. She currently is in a guest room just down the hall.”

“And who is your lady?”

“I cannot say.”

“Cannot or won’t?”

“Cannot… I have been bound to not utter her name. I understand you have been trying to contact her for some time, and she is here to respond to your enquiries.”

“Very well, I shall meet with her,” Alex said, rising from his seat before pausing. “No following… I want this to be clear. You do not follow me.” The members sat at the table that were still conscious nodded as they watched him walk away following the priest.

“You sure it’s ok to let him go alone?” Daisy asked, anxiety building at the threat of losing someone else. She knew a war with the Theocracy was on the horizon, so her teacher going off to meet someone connected to a priest was scary enough.

“Wana follow?” Yuu asked.

“But he said not to follow?” Tasha pointed out.

“Eh, he should know that the best way to get someone to do something is to tell them not to do it. Besides, I’m here. He would no doubt know I would follow him.”

Ignoring anything else the class had to say, Yuu stretched her arms rose from the table and began to walk off in the direction Alex had gone. Shortly after, the rest of the class followed.

—-----------------------------------------------

Alex entered a side meeting room where sat in a comfortable chair was a woman who looked like a complete mess. Her hair was a tangled mess of knots that looked like they would resist even the most well-made of combs.

“My lady, I have brought the human,” the priest said before prostrating himself on the floor.

“Yes-yes… off with you; you are no longer needed,” the woman said as she gave a flippant dismissal with her arm showing off sleeves with frayed ends.

“To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?” Alex asked as he sat on the chair opposite hers.

“Who do you think I am?” the woman asked with an amused eyebrow.

“Well, you are a complete void… so some kind of deity,” the woman nodded with a smile at his observation.

It was a rarely known fact that gods and beings above them held no presence. They had no aura and came across as nothing more than mundane beings. Only the most perceptive of people knew to recognise the void as a sign of divinity, as even the lowest of beings still have a sliver of aura.

“Knew you were going to say that… I am Lady Fate,” she explained, giving a big grin.

“You have been ignoring my letters!!!”

“I… I’ve been busy!” Fate stuttered, looking panicked at the sudden accusation.

“With what?”

“Reading your letters mostly… my various subordinates have sent complaints about you harassing them.”

“I’m…” Alex began before trailing off in disbelief. “They are the ones bullying a mortal child!!!”

“Yes about that…” Fate began looking awkward. “Truth be told, while they are fans of his, they have not been altering his fate thread. Not even I can alter threads of beings, and I am the first divine being that came into existence.”

“You’re not screwing with Kline?” Alex asked in disbelief.

“Yes…. I mean, no… I mean… listen, do you know how the loom even works?!” Alex shook his head.

“Every being has a thread,” she began taking out a glowing thread to demonstrate as an astral loom took shape in front of her.

“The point of their birth, the thread is added to the loom… after that,” she let go of the thread, and it began to snake and wiggle all on its own. Its movements let it go around other threads on the loom weaving itself.

“Mortals are free to do what they wish to. I am not the arbiter of what is to come. I am only the one that pulls the lever,” Fate explained as she pulled a lever creating a fresh line of cloth.

“I lock events in so they have come to pass, and my husband takes care of the rest. The future is undecided and constantly in flux. You might be killed in the next instant, and all the futures you are in would cease to be, and the pattern would unravel.

“That is still not explaining why Kline is always picked first, though?”

“Yes, that is an odd one… call him a statistical anomaly.”

“You do realise how statistically impossible it is for this to happen to him?” Fate nodded.

“It is unlikely I agree… but the odds are not zero, and in the infinity of the universe, nothing is beyond the realm of possibility.”

“So the fates, the norns and the various other gods?”

“Cannot do a thing. They love that boy's reactions, and it is not unusual for them to start to enjoy one mortal or another. Trust me, though, if someone were messing with the loom, they would no longer exist.”

“Guess I’ll have to break the news to him then,” Alex muttered.

“Oh, don’t worry about that…” Fate said with a smirk looking towards the door. “I’m sure he got my little lesson himself.” Alex let out a long sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Kids?” The door to the room opened, and Yuu proudly marched in, tailed by the rest of the class.

“So, Miss Fate?” Yuu began. “When can I get drunk again?”

“Yuu, she just said she cannot control the future!”

“About four years and seven months. Your livers currently are beyond normal mortal capacity, but the organs should fully replace themselves after that time frame.”

“I thought you couldn’t control the future?” Alex asked, turning an accusatory glare at the divine.

“I can’t… doesn’t mean that I can’t see the patterns. If I drop an apple, it will fall to the ground. Does knowing that mean I control gravity?” Alex shook his head, giving her a look to say he understood her point.

“Big Chief, you only wanted to know about drinking?”

“Gunter I am a dwarf. Staying stone-cold sober is a hellish punishment.”

“I got a question then,” Maxwell said, stepping forwards.

“I’m not the oracle kiddies; I am under no obligation to answer mortal questions. I will be off now… and you, Od… I mean, Oddball, stop writing letters.” With a flash of light, Fate vanished from the room, leaving the class and their teachers behind.

“Well… sorry, Kline, I tried…” Alex said, turning to Kline, who just gave a weary shrug.

“Get some rest, guys. We can use the gate network again to go to Greed’s domain.”

“Why are we going there, sir?” Tasha asked.

“Tasha…” Alex looked at the elf before blinking a few times. “We are meeting your parents next….”

“Oh yeah… still not sure why we are going to Greed’s domain. I’m from the Ironwoods.”

“Gods above, is the elf puberty thing again?!”

“Tasha honey… the Ironwoods are in Greed’s Domain,” Daisy explained.

“OH YEAH!!!! I knew that! I was just testing you… very few people know that little secret… Glad I have such clever friends!!!”

“Now I’m worried about going to a place with elves like her,” Maxwell muttered.

“Well, I’m tagging along as well. Gorm sent me a message that Elissa would meet us there with the rest of the kids.” At the mention of Elissa, Alex immediately lit up and looked like a child on Winter’s Gifting.

“Dammit, why do they have to be so strict with the gate schedules!!!”