My god. I re-read some of my older chapters. I feel like I could do them so much better now… *Sigh* Too late for that I guess. If I edit them now too many people will not want to re-read. Guess I’ll just have to fix it in further chapters and hope for the best. I’ve been reading a lot of other stuff lately. Before I kind of just read it for fun but now I can actually appreciate what other writers are doing and actually pick something up while reading their stories and that… makes me happy... more happy than it probably should. As a minus to that the speed of my releases has slowed down quite a bit so I wanted to apologize about that again.
Anyway. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
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High above the continent of Krepath where End currently resided there was a floating island. The floating island was something the gods created for the Celestials who were once their fateful servants after they had descended to the mortal world together with the other races. There were several islands. They weren’t mobile but each continent had at least one floating above it. In the case of the bigger ones there were more. For example above the continent of Krepath there were three but it was the southernmost one which was incredibly busy lately.
On that island was a woman who looked around her twenties. With beautiful golden hair tied in a ponytail and sapphire blue eyes she stood behind a desk of high quality wood in a room seemingly made of white marble while looking over some documents with her wings folded. As there was a knock on the door she put the documents down before speaking.
“Enter.” (???)
As the door opened a male Celestial entered. Probably to report something else.
“Lady Sophia. We have found traces of them in Lestil.” (Celestial)
“Lestil? That’s all the way on the edge of the kingdom neighboring Astrain. *Sigh* Anything else?” (Sophia)
“About what we are to do with the lord of Karpas…” (Celestial)
“… Let him go. We can’t keep him locked up any longer.” (Sophia)
The winged man bowed deeply before leaving the room and the still sighing Sophia behind. She was many things but she was not an idiot. But in the end they could find no proof against the lord of Karpas and keeping him locked up for such a long time was already going pretty far. She didn’t know why but she knew that he was involved somehow. Her brother had thought her better than to dismiss something as pure imagination as instincts could actually be right quite often. Right. Her brother. The one she had left behind when she had died. Not all champions of the gods were reincarnated directly and among those who are even less managed to retain any memory at all about their past lives. Even she remembered very little and even the parts that she remembered were hazy.
She felt how she admired her brother greatly. She felt how he was also fond of her. She felt that her life was not all great but was still better than most. She felt that that was also due to her brother. *Sigh* To the current her it “felt” weird. She had no idea what to make of this past brother of hers but the fact that she always thought about him when she was frustrated meant that he either did the same or that he often saved her from it. If it was the latter she wished her was here for her. In the end other than remembering what she “felt” about him she remembered only two things. Her name and that her brother was amazing. She hadn’t talked about it much about I with Eirene. She had only mentioned it once when she didn’t want to take a new name.
*Sigh* She shook her head trying to get herself together. She had better stuff to do. Lestil was a port town which meant they could have went god knows where. She needed a better lead than that. She needed to find out where they were headed.
*END*
It was the morning after I was tested. I needed to wait two more days but I had no idea what to do so I was just lying around on my bed in my room. There was a knock on my door and I knew who was there. I could even guess what she was here for.
“Come on in Lily.”
As the door opened it was indeed the human girl that stood in the doorway with an awkward smile on. I could tell that what she came for would be a bit uncomfortable to talk about for her and me both which only cemented my belief as to why she was here.
“Mind if I sit down?” (Lily)
I shook my head and she took a chair to sit. There was actually a table with two chairs in the room. The inn was probably the best we’d stayed in since coming to Helia. Scratch that. The best we’d stayed in ever. Even the beds couldn’t be compared to the ones we’d been sleeping on.
“So? Knowing you, you already know what I’m here to talk about right?” (Lily)
“Wouldn’t be fair if I said it would it?”
Lily looked down and sighed as if preparing herself for what is to come. I also prepared myself.
“It’s about Cel.” (Lily)
I nodded. As I thought she wanted to talk about it. She hadn’t stopped trying to get us alone for quite some time so I had figured that she would eventually do this. She probably figured that now was a good time since we had reached our destination. I didn’t say anything and waited for her to continue. Lily let out another heavy breath of air.
“You know how she feels right?” (Lily)
I nod.
“Then why aren’t you doing anything about it.” (Lily)
And I sigh.
“If you understand me so well then shouldn’t you know?”
Lily looked at me with a serious expression.
“I have no idea. I just don’t get it. I know you’re not the type of guy to push her away. Hell you slept with her already when you found us so then-“
“It’s not about that!”
I interrupted her. I was starting to get angry and even sad. She hit me where it hurts. But that wasn’t because it was true. But because it greatly missed the point.
“It’s not about whether I want to accept her or not… What do I accept when she isn’t even looking at ME.”
Lily opened her mouth to speak but her eyes opened widely just as she was starting as she seemed to have realized what I meant.
“You…” (Lily)
“Can you deny it? Can you tell me right now while looking me at the eyes that the one Cel treasures is not me but one of the fragments I was constructed of?”
I was really getting heated up. This was the one thing that could make me lose it like this other than the atrocious activities of bandits, slavers and the like. Why was it that I was getting so heated up? It was because I was seeking acceptance and understanding. I was created in order to grant the desires of my three fragments. That didn’t mean I don’t have a will of my own. But that is exactly why this was such a big deal to me.
Stolen story; please report.
“Is there a difference?” (Lily)
And that pushed me over the edge. I was now in the territory of anger so intense that it actually calmed me down.
“Lily. Tell me. If there were three broken down boats. And a carpenter took a few usable planks from those three boats and built a new one out of them. Would that boat still be the boats it was built out of?”
Again Lily widened her eyes and instantly looked at me apologetically before turning into another awkward smile.
“End I… Okay… I got that you’re also thinking about it. But isn’t it fine? Even if you’re a different boat you still have the same design.” (Lily)
I widened my eyes as well.
“What? You’re trying to tell me that it’s not that she still loves Kenos but loves me because I am like him?”
Lily nodded before getting up.
“Sorry about that. Think on it for a bit. Just… make sure to think on it.” (Lily)
She walked through the door after opening it. *Sigh* This love business is though work. I guess… it doesn’t matter does it. When I think about it me and Kenos aren’t that different. Actually none of the three of us are too far apart from the other. All of us hated slavery and injustice. All of us enjoyed reading to a degree. All of us… No… I guess there is no us anymore… I should stop that. There is only I. I had already accepted the legacy of the three who created me. I should have accepted all that they were and did. I guess I wasn’t there yet. But no longer.
I will save MY sister. I will protect MY loved ones. I will complete my wishes. Until now I had treated them as something that I was supposed to do because I had accepted the legacy of the three before me but I was wrong. It is because I accepted the legacy that I wanted to do them. Lily and Cel were Kenos’ loved ones. Thus they were my loved ones. The tyrant’s sister was my sister. Cel’s love for Kenos was love for me. I would accept it all I said. I was a little late in doing so. I had to thank Lily for making me realize what I should have been doing. I let out a breath of relief. After I let that out of my system I suddenly felt lighter which astounded me. Did I just become even more powerful than before?... No… I guess that’s just the feeling of having a weight lifted from your shoulders. Huh… I never thought it would literally make me feel lighter. I laughed a bit at that. Maybe I should invite Cel to go around the city after the competition.
I spent the rest of the day lying around in bed but decided to go out for a stroll the next one. As I walked through the town I reveled in the beauty. The elves really made their towns feel like the sun just because of all the bright colors. It felt lively and happy. Well… there were dark corners as well… I passed through the common district. Quite a few people looked at me curiously but then proceeded with their own lives.
Only a few buildings really stood out to me in the city. The adventurer’s guild which was made completely out of wood. And the temple for Solaris, the god of the sun, which was made of a smooth stone painted in different shades of white, red, yellow and orange. In the end what stood out the most was the royal library… but… that was probably just me wanting to get in there. Unfortunately it required a pass. Now I NEEDED to get in good with the royal family. Just think of all the books I could read. I could barely contain my drool while thinking about it.
I had gone from the common district into the noble one. The guards did not stop me this time as well. That was where I saw the royal library. The temple was in the common areas. As I thought the commoners weren’t really banned from the noble section but were just shunned. As for the guards that stood between the two parts of the town… I had no idea why they were there… to look intimidating maybe?
The noble section itself was full of people. Some looked like the stereotypical pompous noble douchebags while others less so. I hoped the king of this country wasn’t of the former type as that would warner another relocation… and I was tired of those. At worst I would take over the country. In truth I have already come up with a possible way to stop the gods from interfering too much with me without killing them. I remember Zahrah and Eirene told me that in actuality gods were unable to manifest their power on the mortal realm. That’s the whole reason they needed champions to do it for them. So in the end. Wasn’t all I needed to do to break connections with those champions? Sounded simple enough to me. But it needed a bit of experimentation so I would wait on it.
Upon returning to the inn in the afternoon I saw that Cel was exiting the restaurant in the inn. That’s right. Not a mess hall but a restaurant. Normal inns served food only in the morning and at night but this place had a restaurant built in. I just waved at her with a smile and we went up towards our rooms together. It was a bit awkward after all. You could say I lacked a bit in social skills. But that only encompassed things involving in romance.
“Hey Cel...”
Cel looked towards me a bit surprised that I said anything at all. Usually when it was just the two of us we both kept quiet. I had no idea how to say this… Ugh. I just bit the bullet and said something.
“Would you like to go around town with me? I have the competition tomorrow but maybe the day after?”
Again she looked surprised but tilted her head cutely. I had to admit. If I ever were to be loved by someone. Then someone as cute as this would be nice. Yup. It would be great in fact.
“Didn’t you already go for a walk today? Did you not see enough of the town?” (Cel)
Oh dear… for once… we have not a donkan protagonist but a donkan heroine. Great. I stifled my laugher at that. Take a hint Cel. Please. For me.
“I would actually like a walk with you.”
She seemed confused a bit for a second but she seemed to have realized that that meant that we could have some time alone so she nodded happily. *Sigh* I feel like I could’ve done better with that but at least I did it. As for the contents of our outing… I’ll think on it later.
For now… I’ll test that interference for the gods. Imagine how confused the races will be when suddenly their gods go silent. My awkward mood from before had completely evaporated as I changed the smile on my face to an amused smirk. Funnily enough my smirk was quite similar to that of Zahrah. Only… it was much more dangerous. I smirked even more widely at the thought. She would get what’s coming to her. Everyone will… and I’m not talking about only the gods. It would be just a matter of time before I would change this world for the better.