"Welcome," the being begun. Its words directly resonated in Luther's head; its voice was a cacophony of seven voices. "Truly, I had not expected a day this old catacombs of mine would ever be satiated. You all must have suffered; being in such a war must have taken quite a toll."
Eh? Luther puzzled, how does it know I died from the war? Does that mean the rest of them too died from the war?
He was not the only one in disbelief. The others in the cells also pondered quizzically on the meaning of the being's words. Yet, none of them noticed their lack of tension towards the indistinguishable being.
It laughed in its seven voices. "Your curiosity amuses me. You have died, possibly in the several gruesome ways, yet your concern is the extent and accuracy of my knowledge. Feeble minds."
Even then, none of them reacted to the jeers of the being. They had not even registered its terminology, catacombs it had said. Alas, their focus beguiled their reason.
"Regardless of how I know," the being continued, "you had still died. It's time for your next life."
Again, their reaction were too mild. Indeed, this time they made a clamor, yet their concerns remain trivial. Religions and such, in the face of their reality, those were inconsequential.
The being muttered in silence, considering some factors that may have been overlooked in its abeyance. It raised its head and gazed into each of the cells and their residents. As if sighing, he waved his hand in resignation. Following which, a strange light engulfed the crowd.
Enshrouded by the light, their minds begun to patch themselves up, their previous negligence fading like distant memories. Instantly, sharp glints of vigilance returned to their eyes. They were soldiers after all.
Seemingly disappointed, the being resumed: "To think your deaths would leave you muddled, I worry for your incarnations. It's a pity I can't change the rules."
What rules? More than that, where am I? Who--what--are you? Luther began to retort. Now that he was no longer addled, he had more concerns for his well-being. After all, he is still the country bumpkin that unfortunately got dragged into war.
More than that, even without his ability, warning bells would be ringing in his head. The being in front of him was too much of an enigma to feel safe. It exudes a presence so powerful even if the entire human race amount to no more than ants.
"I suppose introduction are necessary," the being laughed again in pretense. Luther assumed he was not the only one feeling paranoia in front of something that can essentially be a god. "I am the guardian of Pezo. Right now, you are all candidates for its revival."
Luther had wanted to ask back but a mysterious bound him to silence--no, rather his instincts could not bring himself to interrupt.
"You see, Pezo is in somewhat of a dilemma. They've lost their war generals, their kings, their leaders, their heroes. They were in a similar debacle as you all have. Alas, such tragedies had not taught them anything.
"You're all here to amend that. Whether you lead one faction to the top, extinguish your enemies, declare peace between nations, or change their perspectives, that's up to you. I figure since you have been through a similar catastrophe, you would have learned your lesson."
The words of the being still didn't make sense. How were they to lead anyone to salvation without power? Not to mention, the circumstance of Pezo remained vague and dubious. They couldn't save their own planets, much less another on the brink of destruction.
"Of course, regardless of your success or failure, it doesn't matter. This just serves to fuel my amusement. There's no fun in erasing everything, and starting over," the being added, even as they try to piece its words together. An overwhelming, overhanging sense of derealization descended upon them. The vulnerability in front of that being crippled any impression of resistance to its whims.
"Let's begin, shall we?"
At that instant, an interface materialized on the glass wall.
Name:
Race:
Age:
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Title:
Affiliation:
HP
100/100
MP
100/100
STR
10
CON
10
AGI
10
DEX
10
INT
10
WIS
10
Traits
Skills
Spirit
Huh? What is this? Luther puzzled at the window. He wasn't clear on the meaning behind the words displayed to him. He was, after all, someone from the country side. Even when civilization had advanced to such a degree, differences in circumstances and preferences still separate individuals from a common knowledge base.
As he continued wondering what to do, a small figure appeared at the side of the glass wall. It looked like a tiny human, with two wasp-like wings. Its face didn't have any features whatsoever; no eyes, nose, or ears. Aside from its overall shape, there was hardly any similarities with Luther.
"Welcome," it had said, "I'll be your guide and help. If you have any clarifications, please feel free to ask. Shall we begin?"
Luther had no intention of answering without getting his bearings right. He looked around the hangar, at the different cells. Some looked ecstatic at the interface in front of them, some looked as confused as he is, still some looked indifferent to what's happening, even a few rolling their eyes at the tiny figures.
Seeing that there shouldn't be anything wrong, he inquired, "Well, first I think, what are you?"
The figure pondered its answer for a bit, then answered, "For all intents and purposes, please refer to me as Ahke, a Faes under the great Guardian. I, along with my brothers and sisters, serve as moderators of the system."
"Faes? Moderators? System?" Luther continued his inquiries. He felt he was lagging behind some of the others in hangar, as he truly had no idea what was happening. Furthermore, unlike the rest of the hangar, he wanted to secure himself first before jumping into the unknown, something he developed over years of heightened instincts.
"Faes are born from the Guardian's will. To some degree, we are an extension of His being. As such, towards the system of power he established, we are sent to manage and answer questions, as well guide each individual to make His game enjoyable," the Fae replied indifferently and accordingly.
His? That monster is a he? And what did it say, a game? This is all just a game to that monster? Luther felt sullen and resentful. He grit his teeth and nodding to the Fae to continue its words.
As if ignoring the hostility in Luther's eyes, the Fae continued its duty. "Let's begin, then? First, tell me your name."
"My name? It's Luther--" he stopped. He remembered how he ran away from home, and how he was already dead. He no longer has family. A glimmer of a tear shimmered in his eyes. "It's Luther. My name's just Luther."
You have obtained the title, "He Who Has Left His Family."
Huh? Luther stared foolishly at the words that popped up on the glass.
"You got a title? I didn't think you'd get one just by giving your name. Oh well," the Fae quipped, almost unknowingly mocking Luther's sentiments. "Let me update your status screen."
Name:
Luther
Race:
Age:
Title:
He Who Has Left His Family
Affiliation:
The status screen, as the Fae had called it, flickered for a while, and showed its updated values.
"How do I put this damn thing away?" Luther asked through his teeth. He didn't want to see his reality any more than he needed to.
"We're not done with it yet!" The Fae responded, again ignoring Luther's shaky emotions. "We have to figure out your race and age first."
"Hurry with it then." Luther wanted this over as soon as he can. At this point, he forgot to pay attention to the rest of the hangar.
Human
5 pts.
Elf
15 pts.
Half-Elf
10 pts.
Dwarf
15 pts.
Half-Dwarf
10 pts.
Giant
15 pts.
Half-Giant
10 pts.
Angel
25 pts.
Fake Demon
20 pts.
Half-Demon
15 pts.
True Demon
40 pts.
Dragon
75 pts.
Draconian
50 pts.
Phoenix
75 pts.
Phoenician
50 pts.
…
…
…
…
"Here are your choices."
By now, Luther should have been used to it, but he was still dumbfounded at the words that faced him.
"What are these? Are you telling me I can be a Dragon? And what do these points mean?" Luther confoundedly questioned the Fae.
"Huh? Oh right, I haven't given you your points yet." The Fae knocked itself on the head before saying, "Here. You have a hundred points. Spend them carefully, okay?"