"I said no," a familiar deep voice said, "You cannot see her Oscar-Blaine. This is the price you paid for abandoning our family in the time of need, you selfish gold digger."
"I'm a gold digger now?" Oscar responded calmly, "how is that? Because y'all chose to adopt me? I didn't ask for that, I didn't ask to be abandoned either. The only thing I have honestly ever asked from you and mom, is to see Daisy. It has been five years."
"Her name is Blaire, she is not your mother," Blaise snapped, "you made the choice, and with your choice, you lost your privilege to see Daisy. She doesn't even want to see you anyways!"
Oscar took a calming, deep breath This is not the time, he thought to himself, this is not the time.
The dream shifted to two years ago when Oscar was 25. This was nearly 7 years since he left the house he was raised in. When Ob realized what this dream was, he got very sad, and guilt started to plague his emotions.
"How long have you known?" Oscar asked quietly. He was on the phone in his studio apartment; he had just gotten back from a workout when he received a text from his eldest sister. She apparently really needed to talk.
"I just found out," his sister replied in a shaken voice, "Just like you, I assume, once I left the homestead they were furious and cut all communication off. I loved her too Ob, just as much as I loved you. You understand why I also had to leave, right?"
"Yes, of course. I am not angry with you, Tracy, I left the same reason you did. You saw how awful Blaise and Blaire are."
"Uh-oh, I know that tone. Ob don't, don't do it, please."
"They are going to pay, they are going to pay. Whether they killed her or she died tragically. Whatever the actual reason is, I aim to find out. I aim to find out how long she has been dead."
"Oh, I found that out. She has been dead for 7 years." Tracy's voice trailed off slowly as she said the words. She had known that was just around when Ob left. It was around the time that he told her to come with and she said she would be fine. Just like that, she was gone almost as quickly as he was gone. "Ob Ob, are you there?" there was a long pause. She only heard one word, spoken so softly, so broken, the way the word came out it was as if his heart had shattered.
The only word was "Daisy."
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Ob woke up crying. He hated that memory; he had stored it up in a lock box in the depths of his memory. He did not want to be reminded of how he failed Daisy. How HE let her die. If he hadn't left home, she would still be there. He was convinced his adoptive parents did something to her, maybe not intentionally, but definitely something to lead to her death. Daisy and Tracy were the only two members of the family to whom Ob really connected. The oldest and the youngest, he chuckled at that. They were some weird generational trio, with Tracy being 15 years older than Ob. Ob is 7 years older than Daisy, and Daisy is 22 years younger than Tracy. The three of them would hang out often as Tracy pretty much took care of Daisy until she was 5. That was when Tracy left; she couldn't handle being at the homestead anymore, and that was the last time Daisy ever saw Tracy.
Ob wipes his eyes and clears his head. He was in the goblin prison. They had been brought here to the city, and he heard some goblins call Crexding. The Great Goblin City. It was here that he guessed several races of goblins lived, not just the maroon ones that ambushed them. He had recovered from the battle; it was a few days ago. He and Vincent had been getting fed plenty and were given plenty of water to drink. Vincent said it was a way to make sure we weren't too stringy to eat.
"I think that we may be in these cages without exercise and eating all these fatty foods for a while. I think they want us to be more fat." Vincent had explained in a low whisper to his prison mate.
"I don't think we will last that long." Ob responded, "That lord grinly wants to make a big political move, and I am thinking that will be soon. Stop eating the food; if you can, we can let Eclipse out, and she can eat it for us."
Vincent nodded. He had recalled hearing about the lord's plans to be the new acting king of this kingdom. He remembered the stories he heard about the maroon goblins when he was growing up. His family would always warn him before he went on hunts, "be weary of the maroon little beasties," they would tell him. He had gone on thousands of hunts, thousands, and he had never encountered them before. He was sure it was just a myth as he was getting older and successfully completing hunts without any interference, not even a trace of the little beasties.
While sitting in the cell, he couldn't help but think of his family. He missed them. His grandmother talked about how proud of him they all were. How he was the one who had done good for them. He was carrying their legacy. That is why she had gifted him the legacy bow, after all. He loved how his mom would always care for him. Vincent was an only child. Unusual for hunters to have only one, but there were complications with his mother and his birth. His parents then decided to have only one, and they were okay with that. Vincent was well-loved and well-trained. His father was a gruff man, but he always showed him love. He wondered how his father would react to him getting caught, how he would react to not running and saving himself but his team.
He had replayed that moment over and over in his head. Was that the right thing to do? Was that the move he should have made? He was a hunter, after all; he could find them should they have taken them. Perhaps he could have even freed himself. "No, Vincent," he thought to himself, "that is too many unknown variables. With Ob, I am sure we can figure something out." he turned to see his friend in his typical meditative state. He did that a lot, especially in this prison cell. He would sit and practice his aura and soul skills, "The man is a hard worker; I will give him that."
After some time, Ob sat up and looked Vincent in the eyes, "Could you have escaped?" He asked him
"Yes, yes, I could have," he replied.
"Well, thanks for staying." Ob said, "I was watching as we went down here. I think they open a portal. Not entirely sure, though, but I am pretty sure that is what happened."
"So I wouldn't have been able to follow you guys?"
"Likely not," Ob said, shaking his head, "I think that is why the leader was fine being cocky about Eclipse leaving; he knew that there was no following."
"But he has no idea-"
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"None and we intended to keep that way." He said sternly.
Vincent liked Ob, he was brilliant, and he seemed to understand this world a lot. He wondered what he was like before he got here. Ob acted calm in almost all situations; it was rare, but it was cool. Even now, in the face of being eaten, he is calm and thinking things through with logic and precision. He looked back at his friend, who had continued to meditate again. "Don't beat yourself up for staying; that was the right call, Vincent, strength in numbers," Ob told him before his eyes were closed.
You have leveled up Aura Manipulation. Aura Manipulation is now level 5
You have leveled up Soul Manipulation. Soul Manipulation is now level 6
Your soul's power has increased. Hades has gained the ability to perform spiritual attacks. Hades can now be conjured with soul usage.
New attribute unlocked
Integrity
Integrity is an attribute that controls the power of the soul. The higher the level of integrity, the more damage spiritual attacks do. This attribute also has a capacity pool similar to manna. The lower the pool, the less max damage.
Integrity 250/250
Status: Celestial transition - completed
You have completed the transition to be a celestial. You are no longer a human. Your aura makeup will now be read differently. By reaching a high enough Aura and Soul level, you have unlocked the new attribute, which has completed the entire transition.
New Ability Unlocked
Celestial Force
Being a Celestine is a rare and powerful honor. With the ability to manipulate souls, aura, magic, and the physical world, you have reached a harmonious state. By achieving the perfect balance, you can release a harmonious attack that will deal significant damage to whatever it hits. Destroy enemies, destroy gates, destroy anything if you use this ability on.
Ob's entire body started to glow bright light blue. You could see the light interact with another brown light. The two were swirling each other in a lovely helix. As the light first appeared, you could see more brown. As the process continued, the brown light disappeared, and the light blue started to become more prominent. Eventually, the light blue had completely taken over and was the dominating colored light inside Ob. He felt strange. Not strange, different. He felt a connection to the world around him.
He could now feel the air a lot more; he could feel things he had never experienced. It was as if everything had an aura. Everything was producing levels of magic. He could feel the magic; he could feel the power in everything. It was as if he was one with the world.
"Whoa," Ob said, staring at his hands in disbelief, "this is a wild feeling. This feeling is, insane, I feel everything. I see everything, I sense the magical potential in things. How is this possible?"
"Congratulations, you are no longer human." Vincent said, shaking his hand, "Humans have some of the more basic perception abilities. Celestines have the highest amongst mortals."
Highest amount of perceptive abilities, Ob thought, and even more training I have to do. "I see," he said, "I know how we can get out of here now. I even think I know a way we can find and get Abigail."
"Really?! How?!" Vincent asked, perking up.
"I can now sense the magical potential in the bars that they used. I think I can spend time understanding what it all means. It'll take some practice but I am sure I can learn to understand. What I am thinking is once I learn, I will be able to break us free of these bars. Then I will also see if I can expand my perceptions to sense an elf. Her magic potential will feel differently than all these other goblins." Ob explained to Vincent.
"Do you know what different potential feels like?" Vincent asked.
"I think so. You know how you can identify someone with their potential. I am thinking that every magical race has their own magical potential makeup. Abigail has a lot of magical potential and hers is very specific. It should feel unlike everything in here." Ob stated.
"She also has three powersets as opposed to none that the goblins have. That could significantly increase her potential," Vincent added.
"Correct." Ob said, "Okay, let me spend some time training and understanding."
"Do what you have to do, Ob," Vincent said and began taking a nap.
Ob sat in his meditative pose. He began to breathe slowly, controlling every breath. With every controlled breath, he became more calm. He started to project his senses. Magical potential looked like little bits of energy that would flow around an object. The prison bar cells were solid gray and made of some kind of tough metal; Ob could see a small maroon light that looked like a small stream flowing up the bar. Each bar had this tiny light. Ob guessed that it was enforced with some sort of magic to make it stronger.
As Ob continued to push out his senses, he looked at Vincent, Vincent's magical potential looked like 5 sizeable orange light streams that flowed around him. They were the size of a rattlesnake in thickness and in length. Their flow was rhythmic and calming. Ob guessed it was because he was also rhythmic and calming. Ob tried to push his senses out any further but was unable to sense anything in his immediate mind that would show him any magical potential.
Ob tried to push his senses out really far to see if he could find something, anything that would allow him to sense Abigail, but no luck. He figured she was far and likely on the other side of the castle they were imprisoned in.
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Vincent began dreaming of Abigail. He really loved this elf. He had since he was 15. He remembered what it was that caused him to fall in love with the tall, beautiful elf. They were walking around the castle walls.
"I am not sure I want to run the kingdom, Vin," a young Abigail, walking on a stone wall with her arms wide for balance, said, "I want to travel the world. Mother says there is not much out there for a women like me."
"What is a woman like you?" a young Vincent, walking on solid ground next to her, said.
"I am not sure. Perhaps one who is prim and proper. Who have learned perfect ettiquet and has had all the diplomatic training I have had. It is so boring! Vin, I cannot stand any of those lessons. I got my magic, I am an enchantress. I have to be able to explore and use my powers to save the world, not sit in a castle."
She paused, looked at him, and grabbed his hands. His heart skipped a beat, and he looked at his friend's eyes. Her forest green eyes stared back at him with excitement. His heart started racing, his hands getting a little bit clammy. He felt like there were knots twisting in his stomach. The way Abigail had looked at him had unlocked something deep inside him he had been pushing down and hiding. He was absolutely totally in love with this elf.
"You and I, Vincent, you and I will travel the world and form our own crusader party." she let go of his hands and leaned against the stone wall she was just walking on. "The world is full of beauty and wonder, Vin." She said that as her long white hair was flowing in the wind. She looked like a model leaning against the wall. Vincent smiled a deep, genuine smile.
"Then let's explore together Abs. You and I, together." He said softly. The dream shifted, and he saw the older Abigail. She was covered in filth and in a muddy prison cell. Abigail, he thought. She looked up directly at where he was perceiving seeing her. She looked up.
Vincent's eyes shot open. "Ob," Vincent said, "I know where she is."