Donte had his eyes closed as a layer of crystal encased his outstretched arm. The crystal core of the Preateritum remnant was shining brightly as energy flowed into it. Fortunately for Donte, no needles or blood was needed this time, only his innate talent.
While Donte was focused on giving power to the crystal, the ethereal form of Mare drifted close to me. Her features were nonexistent in the everchanging wisps of smoke but somehow it seemed like she was peering at me with a big grin.
“We have a few minutes to talk before the halfwit figures out he cannot fill an ocean with a teacup. He will be too distracted to hear us until then,” Mare said as she floated up a couple extra inches so that I had to look up at her. “It is so strange seeing you even shorter than me. It is really funny.”
“Have we met before?” I asked in confusion at the comment.
“Yes and no. I don’t feel like giving you an explanation, shorty. For now, just listen. Right now, you are caught up in a web created by two people capable of seeing the future. The one that just entered the realm may be your more immediate threat, but she is nothing compared to the one who set everything in motion four hundred years ago. You are dancing to their tune with every step you make. I plan to change that.”
“Oh? And how is a girl, dead for more than ten thousand years, going to help me?”
The figure of Mare crossed her arms as she peered down at me in a way that radiated confidence. “I am a scar on the world that will never heal, a shadow that their sight cannot pierce. My actions cannot be divined. Therefore, within these walls, you are safe from their sight. My actions might be limited, but even the smallest change can completely unravel the web. I will prove that the ability to see the future is far from absolute.”
“Now that is interesting,” I said as I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, “If you really are hidden from foresight, we might actually be able to sneak up on Berith, or even set a trap that she would normally never fall into.”
“The little Demons are not important! Stop focusing on the war for once.” Mare shouted. Her disembodied voice echoed throughout the room. “Listen, I know you want to protect this realm and your family, but right now you are just walking back into the web I pulled you out of. If you truly want to protect everything, you must do as I say. Otherwise, the moment you step out of those doors, the new future will be divined by your enemies and nothing will change.”
I paused for a moment as I looked at the shadow. “I get what you are trying to do. My enemies will not be able to divine what I plan to do if you are the only one that knows what it will be, but do you really expect me to blindly follow your orders? I trust you about as much as I trust a Demon not to stab me in the back.
The sound of a sigh filled the room as Mare floated down to the ground. “I did not want to do this, but I cannot risk you doing something stupid and ruining a hundred years of work.” As Mare spoke the smoke and mist in the room gathered around her hand until it formed an object, a book. Mare looked down at the book and cleared her throat. “I decided to start keeping a journal today. I know it is silly and old-fashioned, but I think it is important to write everything down, a record for the future, my Chronicle. My name is Tressa and today we discovered-”
Mare’s words were cut off as green flames filled the room and nearly consumed the wisp of smoke that she was made of.
“How do you know the opening lines of the Chronicle,” I growled as green flames gathered in my hand before moving to surround the crystal core of the Preateritum remnant, “You had better speak before I shatter this core permanently.”
“Do I really have to explain it to you?” Mare said as she stepped away from the flames that nearly consumed her, “Only a member of the Aevus family can read the Chronicle. Even a telepath cannot rip these words from our minds. I cannot explain everything to you now, but this is the only way I can think of to prove my intentions. Will you trust me?”
I bit my lip as the green flames filling the room began to dim. As the last of the fire flickered away, I slowly nodded. “I don’t have much choice, do I?”
“We always have a choice,” Mare said as her ethereal form recovered from the damage I inflicted on it, “We do not have much more time before the halfwit wakes up, so I will keep this brief. If you truly want to save everyone and escape the web you are stuck in, the first thing you must do is announce your rebirth to the word.”
“Are you joking! If I do that, Sebastion will come for me. He will leave the protection of Ater-Albus and the Demons will…”
“Trust me.”
I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the translucent figure of the small girl. “Do you have an ability of foresight as well?”
Mare shook her head. “I do not. I have no idea what the consequences of these actions will be. However, if you truly want to disrupt the web surrounding you, it has to be an action that impacts everyone it is connected to. This is the only way I can think of.”
I fell silent as I considered the possibility of facing Sebastion before regaining my strength. Worse, him dying to an ambush from the Demons would be an end to the Novus Kingdom and the strongest bastion in defense of this realm.
“I just have one question I must know first,” I said as pulled on my hair nervously, “There are only five living people including myself that bear the Aevus name, and I know you are not one of us. So, who are you?”
The shadow shook her head and floated over towards the crystal in the center of the room. “I am nothing more than a shadow of what could have been. Now, I am only the memory of a shadow. Who I was is no longer important. Do not worry about it too much. The Aevus family will go on with or without me.”
With those final words, the mist in the room began to fade and the color returned to its normal soft blue light. The image of Mare faded with the mist but I could swear she was smiling at me up until the last moment.
Only a few seconds after Mare disappeared, Donte started gasping for breath as he pulled his hand free of the crystal encasing it. “How am I supposed to do this!” He shouted angrily as he kicked the podium holding the crystal. Immediately after, Donte started hopping around in pain, cursing his stubbed toe.
“Did you really expect to fix a Preateritum ruin in a single day?” I asked with a sigh.
“No, I just did not think it would be so ridiculously exhausting,” Donte grumbled, “I squeezed out every drop of energy in my body and I can not even tell the difference! I might have well just thrown a few wind blades wildly into the air and gotten the same effect… and will you stop mocking me!”
“I did not say anything,” I replied as I placed my hands on my hips.
“Not you,” Donte said as he pulled at his hair in frustration, “Mare, can you not hear her? How can one little brat be so loud?”
The room dimmed slightly and a small arc of static electricity jumped from a nearby wall and shocked Donte right on his butt. The boy nearly jumped halfway across the room in surprise as he yelped in pain. The room pulsed with light in a way I could swear was laughter as Donte rubbed his sore behind.
“I don’t think she liked you calling her that,” I said in a futile attempt to hide the smirk on my face.
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“I don’t care if she does not like it. I’ll say it again, little brat, little brat, little brat! When I fix this core and gain full control, the first thing I will do is teach you a lesson.”
The room dimmed again and Donte fell silent. His face paled as more than a dozen sparks of electricity zipped across the walls. I could not help but laugh as Donte was chased out of the room by an angry invisible specter.
Knowing that Mare would not do any actual harm to Donte, I left him to his well-deserved punishment. I hesitated for a moment in front of the doors that led outside. My hand rested on the smooth white stone and I wondered if my enemies would know my every move the moment I stepped through.
Before I could make up my own mind, the door swung open on its own and I felt a slight breeze at my back, pushing me forward.
I smiled and stepped out into the brisk morning air. After a few deep breaths, I decided to stop worrying. There was nothing I could do about those that were undoubtedly spying on me, but I was about to throw them for a loop.
----------------------------------------
After a long walk across the city, I found Svend in the encampment by following his booming voice as he threw a burly soldier to the ground.
“You have improved quite a bit since I last saw you. To think so many of you have already reached silver rank in the Divine Body. I can feel all the hardship you have suffered. As a reward, how about a tax cut of one month for each silver rank?”
“Thank you, Chief Svend!” The burly soldier shouted excitedly,
Svend laughed heartily as he helped the burly soldier up. “With winter just around the corner, you will be the heroes of the village for the next decade after this. Make sure and sire lots of little kids with all the women that will throw themselves at you.”
“We will sir!” The soldiers replied with a big grin.
Seeing me out of the corner of his eye, Svend excused himself and walked over. His massive body cast a shadow that completely blocked out the morning light.
“What do you think of the soldiers I have cultivated these fifty years, Wren?” Svend asked as he beat his chest in pride.
“Could you be any more obvious in your goals?” I replied while shaking my head, “What is the point of teaching them the Divine Body? You, of all people, know what will happen when the Seventh Division finds out, how they view their march towards divinity.”
“It wasn’t working,” Svend said with a low sigh.
“What?”
“Every generation of the Divine body is supposed to be stronger than the last. When the Divine Emperor was born, it was touted as proof that the system worked, but in truth, he is nothing more than a freak of nature. Our growth has been stagnant for more than a hundred years. Each new generation is the same as the last. The people have not figured it out yet, but as an Elder, I knew the truth. We have reached our peak. The divine path is flawed.”
“Well, of course. Did you really think there would not be a limit?”
Svend chuckled a little and shook his head. “That is indeed what our people believe… what I believe. However, I am not blind. I knew we would not be able to achieve our dream if things continued the way they had. Modifying the process to create a Divine Body is punishable by death. It is already supposed to be perfect after all, but once I knew it was flawed, I could not just sit idly by and watch my people stagnate.” Sven looked down at his hands and gave me a small smile. “I was my own first test subject. It was a complete failure. Thanks to my status, I was able to play the mutation of my body off as an accident but many people had their doubts.”
“You mean you were not always a giant monster of a man?” I asked with a smirk.
“No, I was actually very slim and handsome in my youth.”
“I do not believe you. There is no way that mug of yours was ever handsome.”
Svend laughed loudly as he reached down and patted my head. “You really know how to hit a man where it hurts. Regardless, because of my failure, I gave up on the idea of modifying the process for many years. That was until I met the Brute Calamity. To others, Samson might be a heretic of the highest order, but to me, he was a ray of hope at the end of a long night. Sure, Samson’s Divine Body is flawed, but a first-generation creating a body comparable to a pureblooded elder? It was unheard of. It reignited the spark I long thought dead.”
“You have a funny way of showing gratitude. How many times did you try and kill us? I know of at least five.”
“Seven actually, Azreal slaughtered two of my regiments before they could even get close.” Svend said with a cough, “You were just in the way. I wanted to capture Samson alive so I could study him. I thought that I could convince the other elders of the potential he possessed. I was wrong. They only wanted to execute the man.”
“And so, you helped us break him out.”
“I did. Afterwards, I contacted the Fifth Division and Michael helped me fake my death and escape the wrath of the Seventh Division. He sent me here just as you were closing the doors between the realms. Hidden from the other realms I resumed my research. All the soldiers that stand before you are of my own creation. Each one perfecting a different variation of the Divine Body I modified specifically to match their bloodline.”
“So, these people are just your gunnie pigs?” I asked as I placed my hands on my hips.
“No, they are my legacy,” Svend said as he stretched his hands out wide. A giant smile was plastered across his face. “They are proof that the modifications work. They are the hope and dreams of my people. My methods might not be accepted at first, but in time everyone will see the light. The Divine Body will be spread across the realms, no longer bound to a single division. I might be executed for my actions here if I am caught, but one day, it will be my variations that will create a true Divinity!”
“Not bound to a single Division?” I asked.
Svend smiled. “That’s right. I have been using the Sending Crystal Michael left us to contact people I trust in each of the Divisions and even realms outside of their control. I never understood why the emperor hoarded such a blessing for only our own people when we were fighting a war for survival against the Demons. There will be no more Holy Empire, only progress. Knowledge once spread, cannot be quelled.”
“The Seventh Division will lose its mind. They will declare war on everyone, guaranteed.”
“And will be far too busy doing so to look for me and the paradise I have created here,” Svend said with a big laugh.
“You are definitely insane, but I do like the idea of the Divine Body spreading across the realms. I look forward to seeing if you can actually create someone stronger than your emperor.”
“I will. I know I will.”
Svend stopped laughing as a new group of recruits entered the encampment. I followed Svend for a few minutes as he met with each of the soldiers personally and tested those that had broken through from a bronze body to a silver one.
I was surprised to see a high level of discipline among the recruits despite the disparity in the disharmonious groups. It seemed like Svend’s presence inspired each group to try and best one another with how they were performing. I saw no fear in anyone’s eyes, only respect. It was so different from any army I had commanded where they knew I would turn them into undead if they fell in battle. My ability might be useful, but the stigma attached to it never allowed me to lead troops like these. I could not help but feel a little jealous as I followed Svend through the lines of admiring eyes.
Many times, as we marched past the tents, I wanted to tell Svend the true reason I had come out here for. Each time I hesitated as I wondered if this was really the best course of action. I understood Mare’s thought process, but it could just as easily end with everyone dead as it would if we played along with the plans of our enemies. This was why at least one precog was usually attached to each Division so that they could counteract the abilities of anyone trying to manipulate us. Unfortunately, I did not have that luxury now.
Finally, after nearly two rounds of inspection while following Svend around, I pulled him to the side. Taking a few deep breaths, I blurted out what I need to say all at once.
“I want you to spread the word of my resurrection to all the people and kingdoms!”
Svend blinked a few times as he processed my words. He then knelt down, his giant hands grasping my shoulders.
“And you say I am insane? Do you have any idea the backlash we would get if I did that? Forget marching towards the Demons, we would be lucky if every nation on the continent did not unite to fight us. You should at least wait until you can control an undead army of your own before even thinking about something like that.”
“I know, I know, but you have to trust me on this. I still have many allies across the realm it is time they knew I was back. Even if the nations declare war on us, it will probably take at least a month before they can mobilize an army to march on us, longer if they want to create a coalition. By then I will have regained much of my strength and should be able to scare them into submission.”
Svend shook his head. “This realm is not the same as it was when you left it. Every nation is led by a Domain level powerhouse. That is not even considering King Sebastion. What do you plan to do when he hears the news? You know his innate talent better than I do. There is no way I can protect you from it.”
“I will use an undead puppet to pretend to be me in public. I used to do it all the time to avoid those horrible formal functions people wanted me to attend. If Sebastion really shows up I can hide and all he will kill is a useless corpse.”
“You know he will not give up with that.”
“I know!” I shouted angrily, “Call me crazy but I need you to do this for me… please.”
Svend sighed as he rubbed his head in frustration. “Fine, but just know I will only help within my limits. If things go south and Cyra’s or my life is ever in danger, I will not hesitate to abandon you and run.”
“I know.”
“Alright then, when do you want to do this?”
“Tomorrow,” I said softly, “I need to tell my family about my decision first.”