-----------------------Chapter 9------------------------

-------------------------Riptide--------------------------

1

No words, I did not know what I could describe this as, but a journey filled with power and bloodlust was what we were going on, magic, something that only manifested at the very end of someone's life, to harvest and use it...

"Hey hey snap out of it" a slight ringing of metal made me refocus, the sound of Jupiter's thick gauntlets clapping "We aren't doing this to kill, we'll find another way, and she... is our way" he placed a hand on Europa's shoulder, and her mouth curled slightly into an uneasy expression.

It seemed that the world rested on the shoulders of this slip of a girl, although I was told I held the world in my hands, and I could only imagine Jupiter taking on the world. My eyes adjusted, against a newly formed world, with the power we have... surely it was a far off dream, I blinked again, vision returns.

"I don't have any plans for the world you know... I haven't even seen all of it..." I blurted, if I had to hold the fate of the world I felt like I should know what it was like first.

"It's on the way"

"What, the world?"

"Yes"

2

It was a bit more complicated than that but the essence of it was a group of 14 locations all across the world, whatever was housed in each would supposedly help me come to my decision, I still wasn't comfortable with all this resting on me, but I wasn't about to voice that now...

"Are you sure that by the end I'll know what to do?" I had dug my hand into the soft dirt, carving the image of the locations into the ground, and lines between them.

"If you don't do anything, you won't, but no matter how bad this plan might go, you can make up the difference with effort"

That wasn't very reassuring, effort could be directed in any direction, would he really be okay if I came to destroy the world as long as it took effort to make the decision?

I thought I should not push it, I was at the beginning of the journey, no use worrying about the end...

"What's the first step?"

"Why don't you consult that map you drew"

Jupiter's words made me realize I was still drawing the symbols and lines in the ground, at some level I could understand the nature of the world, but there was still much that I couldn't see.

I stood up as the others circled around the map, First, a shrine dedicated to the God of the Just, its deep within a forest under the overhangs of cliffs.

The second point, a vast city with a grand tower at it center housed the shrine to the God of Laws, it was a great distance from the last point. The next was far below the surface in jagged ashy caverns, the shrine to the God of the World Turned Downward, a maw of the earth seemed to surround it, I knew that this is where all demons came from.

Fourth was another shrine to the God of the Just "Why is there two of them?" I crouched to get a better look at the two. "There are two Gods that have that title, you'll soon find out why, as for how I know... I can't tell you right now"

It wasn't surrounded by anything, just a shrine in the middle of a field, but it marked halfway to the other side of the world, something about that felt significant, how large was the world?

The next and fifth shrine was at the top of a mountain of mountains, it's peak reached far above the clouds, to the God of Power. I only knew of a legend that wandering souls gathered to the top of this mountain, but why hadn't those of the graveyard gone? perhaps it wasn't true.

The God of Movement was next, its shrine was in a salt flat with mountains on all sides, almost shaped like a bowl with the shrine at the bottom, each of these shrines had to have been built by somebody... did they also travel down this path to make them?

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On the other side of the world there was the shrine to the God of the Creations, I decided not to continue looking past, I would be a different person by the time I reached the other side of the world, it was a scary thought. The only thing that marked this shrine was a small cabin, was it inside? or was it the shrine? I would find out eventually...

If I would... then what was the point of hiding anything?

3

Why didn't we go the other way?

For a moment the thought crossed my mind, somehow I knew we could do it, something like intuition guided me when I thought of the world, it was like I knew it inside and out. But none of this information would reveal itself to me, only out of the corner of my eye or straining my ears did secrets come to me. Sure I could wait till they revealed themselves to me, but I couldn't wait, something like an itch kept me from finding peace in not knowing.

"Hey can you keep an eye out?" My thoughts were interrupted by Jupiter and Europa talking, I could see her lift one lens away from her eye before dropping it back on "Ow ow, no good it's too strong here" "Got it don't push yourself" I decided I wanted to know what she was talking about too...

"Er.. Europa, what is it that hurts?" I had to know, an itch told me to take her eyes for myself "No why would I do that?" I said to myself

I noticed that the both of them were looking at me strangely "I won't take your eyes" I decided to reasure them

4

"I told you I'm fine you don't need to see here if it hurts" I protested, I was told to sit here while Europa looks over me again. "Don't worry we've picked up a few ways to deal with this" Europa began digging around my armor, trying to take it apart at the joints, to no avail. I had no idea the sturdiness of this armor, nor even what it was made of, but it was clearly built to have no exposed parts, in some respects it was like a cage... what was it built to keep in? another itch...

"There!" A glint in Europa's eye shone as she reached a third, completely magical arm, through my chest. I looked up to Jupiter, he muttered something under his breath and his pitch black armor seemed to blot out everything, almost like it grew, with a mind of its own, it was hard to look directly at it but if I didn't it would disappear, another itch... I wanted to know what it was

"I can't... reach" Europa struggled and strained against my armor, as if trying to reach deeper, I didn't feel anything strange yet, it was all silent. "It's stubborn, it clings to your life Elias" Jupiter began to analyze, maybe he had experience with something like this, or magic was always like this.

"What does that mean?" As I asked Europa gave up and pulled her arm out, it faded away quickly outside of my body.

"The soul doesn't let go easily, if it was unfulfilled in life it may drive those who take its magic to fulfill their desires, Elias, you want to know our secrets right?" Maybe I was easy to read, but how quickly they found out my desires gave me a sense of unease "Yes, it's like I can't help but go looking for answers"

Europa gave a playful scoff and knocked her hand against my helmet, of course it did no damage "First you gotta stop being so dense" she put her glasses back on, and Jupiter's influence seemed to vanish as well.

Jupiter added on soon after "In other words we can't tell you, maybe you can't see it now but deep down you understand why" Jupiter then cracked up a little, a small laugh before sighing and looking at the ground "or maybe you don't know yet, figuring it out is your job after all, I'll await your answer"

I could feel an almost newfound purpose, I wasn't being lied to, I was being challenged.

I could rise to a challenge, I could do that.

"Hey Elias"

A somber voice called to me

"..."

"If I die you can have them"