Jacob remembered Hethara, “My lady, my love.” Jacob could still feel her watching him even now. He felt the presence drawing ever closer. It felt wrong, it was something his mind and soul raged against as his body was helpless to fight it.

A great battle between the gods had broken out between the gods but not between good and evil. Many gods of good and evil had rose up to bring an end to Jacob Ashwin. They found him to be one earthling they could not tolerate.

Carthus, Hethara, Koranum, and Athes stood together against the other gods. They all stood up for Jacob with one reason or another for it. Love, a contract, a new age of undead, the salvation of millions from starvation. However, it would be foolish to think that even their might could stand against so many other gods.

Hethara seeing her lover losing hope she cried out, “Don’t you dare give up!” Her voice filled his ears. He voice filled with grief and pain. She was a lover, longing for the return of the one she had loved and lost.

Jacob could see her fighting, but he felt his time had come, so closed his eyes, ‘Is this the end? Is this where I truly end?’ The presence was upon him now. He felt his soul beginning to unravel.

“I beg you! Please save him!” Hethara wailed begging those who held her, and the others back. ‘My Lady? She is still fighting?’ Jacob’s mind grew muddled, even still he could hear those he knew fighting for him. ‘Even as I fade, she still fights will all her might, they all are.’ He could hear all four of them shouting for him to hold on.

“Keep fighting…” spoke the world. Its voice stirred something within him. From the darkness stirred something long forgotten, so old even the gods had forgotten it, save for one.

Passive Skill: Fighting Spirit has been obtained...

Jacob remembered everything that had happened to him since he had arrived not long ago. He remembered all that he had accomplished. “I didn’t give up when the odds were stacked against me….” His voice was growing stronger, “Why would I give up now!”

Athes summoned mighty undead from his untold legions fending off the holy strikes many gods. His mind raced trying to find an answer. “I cannot afford to lose him!” Athes proclaimed, surprising even himself. This one mortal had stirred within him excitement, and intrigue.

Long had it been since he had felt such things. He would get back that man, no matter the cost. The lord of undeath recognized the man, he was not just another man. He was Jacob Ashwin!

The undead god’s mind raced for an answer to the problem, and the world conferred unto him an answer, “Turn back…”, “Never!” the god cried out, though it went unnoticed by those he was fighting. Once more the world spoke, “What happened before he turned back the clock?” For a moment, the mind of the undead god froze.

‘Before?’ Athes became mist to avoid a blow, flying backwards he reformed and concentrated. ‘What happened before he changed things!?’ Athes screamed in his mind, and then he found it. A new child of night had been reborn into his family, Sarah he believed her name was. He reached out but he felt no connection to her, she must yet live.

Athes’ eyes widened as he came to realize the answer, “Where one must be, one must always be!” Athes roared with a genuine smile upon his face, making him to resemble the joker. The god of undeath concentrated and stretched out his hands reaching for that dark place.

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A great purple spectral claw swept in from the darkness above him, coming just short of grabbing his form in its clutches. Athes was pulled away, they would not allow him to save the man, but they did not know his plan. The spectral hand stretched out two clawed fingers and scratching a long tear into both of them. No sooner had the claws ceased to touch his body and his soul did he fell a great pull.

Jacob opened his eyes, he felt not the beating of his heart. He felt not the need to breath, nor did he feel the cold of the place he was in. He was beyond those things now, he was undead. He felt only the feeling of the flame within him growing ever hotter.

Jacob was confused as he felt the all-encompassing presence that had been pressing upon him recede. Once more the void spoke, “Who are you? Oh child of the night father?” Jacob shook the ice from his body, and for a moment gazed upon his stars who he felt were starring back at him in turn.

The gods looked on is shock, even Athes had not expected his attempt to buy time to work so well. Hethara shook off those who were too stunned to continue attempting to restrain her. She ran over an embraced Athes, the night father, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Athes looked even more shocked that the other gods as he rubbed the cheek where she had kissed him.

The four gods looked on in a mixture of shock and awe at Jacob the now undead cleric of Hethara.

“My name is Jacob Ashwin. I am the lover and Champion of my lady, Hethara. I am he who endured agony untold to make right his mistakes.” The void rumbled with what he assumed was the void going, “Hummmmmmm.”

For a long moment, the void rumbled around him before it ceased and once more the void spoke, “Again I ask, why did you make them?” asked the void. As he did those basketball sized stars huddled around him seemingly afraid. A single pale flame rose up.

Within the flame he saw one he had thought lost, the Pheonix. He reached out his hand saying, “Will you still take me?” he asked the immortal bird of flame. “Always!”, and no sooner had he said it than it was done. Jacob felt something lost restored. Like a part of him had found its way back. “I am still missing two spirts. Can you please help me find them?”

No sooner had he said it than he felt the all too familiar paw upon his chest heat up. His back burned as if for the Roc to say, “I’m still here too.” Jacob felt as the toppled tower of his totem set reaffixed itself in place, each spirit finding its appropriate place.

The void spoke for the final time, “What is it that you desire?” Jacob spoke without hesitation. “I want to go home to Hethara.” Jacob sensed as something changed, a ripple in the fabric of this place. Jacob watched as the void split apart revealing the street of StoneHearth.

Hethara weapt, touched by his words. 

There he saw his party trying to reassure Hellen who was on her hands and knees, head to the ground praying it looked like. They did they even as their hearts too wept. Jacob felt the breeze from the open doorway. He moved toward the door, but something held him back.

Jacob turned back to see the twelve small stars there before him orbiting each other in a ring. He stretched out his hand, and though he knew not if it would work it was better than leaving them here.

“Hethara…” Jacob paused awaiting the pain, but none came. “I love you. I would never hurt you.” He heard her reassuring voice and continued. Jacob smiled as he continued, “Hethara, I offer unto you these 12 stars that you may use them to light the world as you have lit mine!”

For a moment he knew the stars looked upon him and then they shined ever brighter expressing their joy. They shined until all at once they blinked out. “I will gratefully take them my love.”

With nothing left to hold him back Jacob spoke unto the void with a great smile and tears of his crimson blood, “I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” With those parting words Jacob Ashwin, the Vampire Cleric of Hethara goddess of love, stepped from the void onto the sun light street of StoneHearth.

The doorway closed behind him and for a moment he took in the sight his crimson tears still flowing. He turned his attention skyward to the noon day sun. Even though he was a vampire, the sun harmed him none, ‘Fire Immunity rocks!’