A new day had begun, Marcus had woken up a little later than usual to get a few extra hours of sleep. Normally he wakes up when the first rays of the sun barely come up but this time he made the exception because after all he deserved some extra rest after remembering a whole sea of information just to "orient" his counselor. He got out of bed and proceeded to change and get ready, it was a day that could go for a quiet one or a very busy one, depending on how the situation turned out.
He was quite hungry so he went to the kitchen for breakfast; he planned to have his usual breakfast: a type of salad that we now know as "Greek salad". It was an unusual breakfast, quite light and at first it left him too hungry, but it didn't take him long to adapt to this strange diet. When she reached the kitchen she was surprised to find Damos there, he was dipping a piece of bread into a cup of coffee; he was more simple and practical when it came to putting something in his mouth.
Damos took the first bite of his bread, by pure chance his gaze fell on where Marcus was standing and due to the surprise of seeing him there so late for their respective schedules, he lost his calm and started to choke on some of the food he had in his mouth, he coughed exaggeratedly and when he managed to feel better he was still puzzled — M- Marcus! What are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be an early riser and start your homework earlier?! —Damos stopped for a moment, thought of something quick and continued — ... Or did you come here for a snack, which is strange coming from you —.
Marcus repressed the urge to laugh at Damos' reaction. He coughed a little to hide it and then kept his cool —Damos, you're not the only one who can go against his principles from time to time. I can also give myself the liberty to pamper myself a little and rest a few extra hours —He looked closely at Damos' coffee cup and it gave him a slight annoyance — I've already told you a thousand times not to drink that stuff — Marcus said irritated, referring to the hot drink.
Damos was a little startled when he remembered that Marcus repudiated coffee, he turned to look at his cup of hot coffee and with a shaky smile answered —Oh, well, what happens is that I needed some energy and- —He couldn't finish, he was interrupted by Marcus.
—The body by itself collects energy as long as you give it the right hours of sleep, you can also collect energy by drinking water when you wake up or you can eat an apple. Whatever is much better than having to drink that —Explained Marcus as he looked with revulsion at the cup and its contents.
—Well... And considering that you just got up later than usual... I assume you'll be unusually unoccupied today, right? — Damos asked, arching an eyebrow as he took a small puff from his cup and then took a sip. He tried to change the subject to get Marcus and his disdain for coffee off his chest.
— I thought we leave topics that are none of our business out of knowledge and question, unless they are self-confessed or made known purely by chance — Marcus replied between small chuckles as he walked over to a basket of vegetables. He took out the ones he considered suitable and perfect for his breakfast, placed a tomato on a board and continued talking — Nah, don't believe it, I'll ignore that you asked me and I'll tell you on my own, but it will be a short answer —He expressed while cutting the tomato with a knife —If circumstances allow me I'll do some things outside Michina, it will be something for personal purposes —.
Damos knew that Marcus was quite reserved when it came to himself, he wanted to ask and inquire more, but he knew that would not be a wise thing to do— Can you cook?, I thought I was the only one—He asked to continue the conversation as he saw Marcus preparing his breakfast for himself.
—My breakfast per se doesn't have much complexity behind it, but yes, I know how to cook several dishes. Funny you didn't know that since my mother's personal maid taught me when I was 10 years old, several years before she took the throne —Marcus paused for a moment with the cuts and was silent for a moment. He thought this would be a good opportunity to remind Damos of a few truths that would bring him some fun time and incidentally he could bring out his unusual objectivity to put it to useful use later on— And believe me, that definitely came in handy because I have yet to find someone as good-handed as Martha. You know, had I known you were going to come out with your nonsense I wouldn't have let her off so easily! —He put the knife aside and then Marcus burst out laughing uncontrollably as he banged the table.
Damos didn't expect that at all, he felt intimidated with Marcus' mocking laughter and simply passed his right hand towards his face with irritation and embarrassment — Don't start now please —.
— Okay, sorry, sorry, sorry! — Marcus put his hand over his mouth, tried to control the urge to keep laughing and had to calm down to speak lucidly — Let's be honest, overall your case is literally pure comedy and the good kind. Had I known you had "nice, immoral feelings for Arceus" I definitely wouldn't have let my maid and her services of the highest quality go so easily. For starters, would you do me a favor and recite your golden oath? —.
—No, Marcus. I will not... I already lost the right to pronounce it since I had my dishonorable feelings— Damos said with shame at the top, he did not feel brave enough to repeat again that sacred oath that he did not obey by whim and for all that it entailed.
—Oh come on, remember this is only secret of three so you shouldn't be afraid; after all, Arceus outside of his little "diplomatic" meetings still calls himself perfect in the public eye of those who adore and know him... Even though he's messing with a human more than what he himself declared as "tolerable" —.
Damos thought for a moment, he knew Marcus would scoff even more but he was also partly right in his words. He sighed and with the hand that covered his face he raised it weakly to his side in a trembling manner, while the other he placed on his chest — I, Damos Gaspar, swear to carry high the legacy left to me by inheritance and to fulfill faithfully the function that is being ceded to me. I promise to be aware of my place in this existence as a human being and with humility admit that I do not deserve the pious favor of Arceus and the other gods... I am only an imperfect human, one more among so many humans and for that reason I should not believe that I have the right to ask for more than what my destiny has prepared for me; I will fulfill with honor the mission of life that has been entrusted to me, I will respect my position in this plane, I will give faithful worship, complete respect to my deities and my complete devotion... — When he finished reciting his oath, Damos had simply lost his breath due to the embarrassment of reciting it; he paled for it and proceeded to simply take his roll and take a bite that barely managed to separate the piece of bread he was about to ingest.
As Damos went through this crisis, Marcus burst out laughing loudly; he had gotten the joke he so desperately wanted to hear his twisted form of humor. When he was finally able to calm down he continued with the preparation of his breakfast— Wow! I'm really impressed that you did so well, it's good that you still remember it—.
- And according to you, why is it good that I still remember the golden oath? - - It's good because you still hold your position on this plane high, because you still have in your head what you are, because you are internally aware that for someone like Arceus you are almost the lowest of his creation because of your human nature... And for the best of points, because then I can laugh at the memory of that great irony! - Marcus finished preparing his breakfast, sat down next to Damos and continued very animated with the chat— Awww, I still remember how your succession ceremony was; your face full of illusion to fulfill your great duty of life, the energy with which you pronounced every word of your oath and when you told me that you were willing to make history for your legacy by being able to establish a friendship that would change the barriers already established. Believe me, if anyone had told me you would go too far I would have taken them for crazy— Marcus mentioned the latter to refer to himself and how he thought he was losing his mind for imagining such an unrealistic situation that ended up being real. He then picked up a fork and proceeded to eat from his salad, after taking several bites he continued with his awkward/funny (however you want to look at it) conversation—Now on to the second part of your comedy; this one although still part of it is more...Mmmm... Unfortunate for the one involved in this disaster, although it still has its touch; look that cheating on your wife with a god is something new and strange because if something I understand is that in other mythologies things are usually the other way around—. —Well... If I'm honest, my feelings started even before I met Martha —said Damos, crestfallen and almost whispering. Marcus was surprised to hear that confession, now things were getting even more interesting. —I can't believe it, Damos, you just gave me a new perspective on all this... If what you tell me is true, then why did you marry her in the first place? — Marcus questioned, as he continued to eat his delicious salad like popcorn, while waiting to hear his partner's answer.
Damos meditated for a moment, he remembered his time of attempted oblivion and denial, still saddened he answered the question with a little more confidence. Something about Marcus always gave him a strange confidence to comment even things he should take to the grave, that charisma of his was effective—... I guess it was my idiocy... I tried to push that blasphemy away from my thoughts, I tried to follow my oath and go towards what destiny had for me... I took a piece of advice from you desperately... " In the hypothetical case that I was in love with someone I should never have given my attention to, Martha would be an option for you to forget that hypothetical someone " ...You hit the mark and I believed that assuming my fate, hiding things and waiting for everything to magically fall into place was going to work —.
Marcus first swallowed what was in his mouth and then gaped, he gawked at Damos for a moment, he didn't remember that advice until he mentioned it —Butterfly effect... It was the beginning of a big, disastrous butterfly effect... I mean I already knew that I am very influential and "that my word can change the lives of others", but according to me that was only in my position as emperor of Michina — After expressing that, Marcus suddenly gave Damos a light smack on the back of his head, as a sign of disapproval — Damos, you know what sarcasm is, don't you? because knowing me very well I'm sure I said that as a joke or if I was serious then I was talking about a VERY HYPOTHETICAL CASE , I didn't think I was talking about something close or serious— The topic became too shocking even for him; he took the last lettuce and slowly directed it to his mouth and chewed it slowly. All this while analyzing the panorama still with the surprise of the new information.
—It was a desperate decision OK?! a spark came to my mind when I heard that from you! I didn't have much choice after all! I just tried to follow what destiny had for me and get out of my way everything that didn't agree with the plan and what was acceptable! — Said Damos raising the volume level of his voice, realizing that he kept a long and tedious silence- I'm sorry for that, I shouldn't have done that... —He finally expressed shyly for having spoken in such a way to his partner.
Marcus didn't mind the latter at all and in fact even found it adorable; he proceeded to swallow the lettuce leaf he had in his mouth, placed a hand that was on Damos' side on his shoulder and patted him in a friendly way—-It's not good for you to be mortified. Your sentimental desires were stronger than that unbreakable reason you tried to keep and for that I don't blame you; but despite being justifiable it is still something unforgivable and a senseless waste of time —He lowered his hand from Damos' shoulder and continued talking -Because let's be honest, yours is nothing more than a nice momentary affair that will come to nothing; this is not going to continue because you are nothing more than a filthy human who is already committed to continuing his lineage and Arceus simply won't be able to suddenly expose that his so "sacred perfection" turned out to be a sham and send his god-like position to the trash just by lowering himself to something that even he doesn't have in his grasp ... So why not make this waste of time worthwhile? —Marcus questioned and then looked at Damos shrewdly.
—And what do you think would make it worthwhile? — Damos asked curiously, but at the same time somewhat unsure.
Marcus smiled upon hearing such a pleasant question —Listen, now that we are in confidence I must confess to you that I sent Martha on the remaining expedition to the island of Alola because her absence and her return will be very beneficial for both of us. Her absence will give you some extra time to continue earning Arceus' trust and do what you have to do with him; if the former goes excellent then he will give you the jewel or at least lend it to you for a while longer and that's when I come out with my benefit! — Marcus stood up from his chair and expressed with a lot of pride and motivation — Michina will be safe from hunger forever! And when I get her back and we start trading with all of Alola we will have many resources to offer, the economy will grow even more, we will be able to extend the empire further in territory, we will be a powerful nation and above all, the people will be assured of wellbeing!... Besides, a big piece of the great Archestian mythology will be added to the complex puzzle—.
Damos was quite uncomfortable with the way Marcus was talking about "the benefits", not only because he was showing that opportunistic human side that had been so much instilled in him as something to avoid, but also because nowhere in the conversation was it mentioned if Arceus would get anything for this. —And tell me, what does Arceus get in return? Because he's already made enough of a sacrifice without asking him to make a bigger one just like that without even giving him a compensation... It's literally like he's lending us a vital organ! —.
That comment took away Marco's good mood and the determination he had had when he got excited about his dreamed future, with a forced smile he tried to disguise it — Damos Gaspar, I am the one with the politics and I only see what is more convenient for the people I have under my leadership. What has to do with the gods is only up to you — Seeing that he still didn't have his companion very convinced he began to improvise on what he could - I don't know... Maybe his benefit would be that now he was getting out of the routine, that for the first time in his life he will have to take care of himself a little more, that now he has more excuses to go on with his rest for having created the universe and having saved us... —.
Damos looked at Marcus with disgust, he was realizing that something was wrong —Marcus, I'm serious. If we are supposed to benefit from this, then Arceus also deserves something in return, because he will be the one to bear the negative repercussions and we are not talking about something banal or passing, we are talking about his life—.
Marcus on hearing that wanted to throw in his face that he chose that god over his people and loved ones, but his analytical and affective side did not allow him to do so. He did not resort to an argument with Damos because of the possible end of his plans and because he did not want them both to end up like their respective mothers. Marcus esteemed Damos as one of the most important people in his life, he was his lifelong companion and friend. He had already lost one mother and to some degree several other people, he didn't want to lose one more and certainly not in a way that his sense of duty would have involved.
" Sometimes it is wiser to resort to what the heart needs to express than to a very planned and reasoned act " ... Those were wise words from a great actress and close friend of her mother.
With that memory in mind she determined that this was the best she could do in such a situation. So she proceeded to sit back down next to him and speak to him in the most sincere way she could, keeping away that sarcastic attitude and sly smile— Damos,my friend... I'm sorry if my intentions seem evil to you, but none of it is done with malice. I have a people to answer to and I'm only trying to seek a greater good for my people and believe me, I take our god into account, but if I'm honest, now that I know the truth I've lost a certain degree of respect for him and you know I'm no longer a devotee since that attack... But I have my priorities and Michina falls into that category. Besides, why are you so vigilant for someone who surely has nothing but pity for you? Maybe this is the opportunity to find out the truth, don't you think? —.
Damos ate and finished his breakfast calmly while listening to Marcus. He was anything but a bad person, yes he was a bit intimidating because of the tremendous confidence he always carried but all the time he was always thinking about how to help or look out for someone else. He was just a desperate leader who even in spite of everything was thinking about him and his most recent statement confirmed it. —Marcus... I don't know what to say... I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, I really don't know how I could have misunderstood you like that—.
Realizing that his answer was correct, before he was weakened by tremendous honesty, he resumed the role of a meticulous calculator with great confidence—I don't want power, I don't want riches and goods for myself. The jewel of life will be for all the people of the village that by blood I have the charge to lead it, that's all. The only thing I want is that you do WHATEVER IT TAKES so that we can have it in our hands for a longer time or even permanently and so that based on this request you can find out if the god you venerate so much really has reciprocal feelings or if this is just an elaborate performance caused by the pity of a divinity. That is all I ask of you—.
If Damos accepted, he would be making an agreement with one of his dearest friends and with the entire village that he would do everything in his power to get the jewel of life, even if he knew that Arceus would be the one to bear the brunt of it all. The other option was to refuse and leave things to the fate of whether or not they happen and make himself look very bad to Marcus, who for his perspective was not someone he wanted to look bad to (or at least not look even worse in his eyes anymore).
—Well, I'll accept... I told you a while ago that I would try, but now the agreement I assure you seriously; but I must clarify that this will be complicated for me, just to think that Arceus will be weaker I am horrified by such a thing so I do not assure you of anything ... Another thing I must ask you in connection with this is that I want you to promise me that if Arceus refuses to give us the jewel of life, you will peacefully accept his decision without reproach to either of us —.
For Marcus, the agreement was ironically fair. Both he and Damos would only try to live up to their agreement, but they were not really going to compromise. The only unfair thing would be that Marcus didn't mention that under the table he was planning a plot in case things didn't go his way.
Marcus with a smile that had a degree of mischief in it extended his hand towards Damos to shake it and make it official, "Sounds good to me, I guess it's a done deal".
Damos was still apprehensive about what he was doing, but something in his head was urging him to accept -Yes, it's a deal- Then they both shook hands.
-Well, before I leave, I would like to ask you now... What do you plan to do?
-I have invested a lot of my time and effort in completing a puzzle that at the moment is impossible to complete, my head has worked a lot and now I would like to... Something more physical," Damos answered, thinking about it, he knew Marcus would not like what he was going to hear from him.
-You mean you're going to work in the field, right? -asked Marcus with annoyance.
Damos was silent for a minute, —Oh come on, Marcus! You know that's a worthy job and a good hobby for me—.
—It's curious that even as a priest of the sacred Archestian religion you still dedicate yourself to it on your own and more than you should, in theory you should only take it as a very occasional occupation—.
—Your mother was a volunteer nurse, Marcus. It's the same thing... I just like to get my hands a little dirtier—.
—That's true, that's something I admire a lot about my dear mother, her sense of duty towards Michina was so great that she even wanted to voluntarily serve the community... The difference is that she did that when she was still a princess, after that she stopped being just a volunteer nurse and became a leader who could make a real change... Besides, can you imagine an empress working as a volunteer nurse while her people are stuck?... That's not cool at all and it's the same with you—Marcus pointed at Damos with the tip of his index finger— You look very bad preaching that every being in this world has a function, a status and a role to be represented high; a spokesman of the gods deserves and should yearn for the highest; after all isn't that what your dear mother taught you? —.
Damos did not answer, he remembered that his mother, Kenya Gaspar, always tried to instill in him to take his position as an "exceptional human" in the best way she could. He was a descendant of one of the most important humans in history, a human chosen through his blood heritage. He had to show humility and natural philanthropy to evidence the benevolent side of humanity to the gods, but he also had to imitate them on a human level as much as he could since he was their spokesman, therefore he had to carry part of their grace, he had to yearn for what was worthy for his position and try not to degrade his reputation with a bad image.
After that, Marcus had noticed something and lowered his finger pointing at his colleague— You know what? Forget it, that doesn't matter anymore, the only one who had the word to tell you any comment already lost that right so do whatever you want from today onwards— Marcus said sarcastically— Well, it was VERY fun chatting with you, Damos , but as I told you I have some things to do and I wouldn't like to leave my dear bodyguard waiting— He said goodbye happily and carefree.
Sadly for Marcus, he could not convince Damos to be completely with him, but at least that was a step forward. If Arceus refused the most logical thing would be that he would break down completely, not even the little faith of a believer he still had left would keep him standing to at least have loyalty to him because of his divine position. If it came to pass that he had to use his extreme measures, then Damos could go from being a hindrance to a great ally.
Marcus walked quietly down a desolate alleyway until he came to a room where the jewel of life was located. There his faithful bodyguard was serenely waiting for him, in his hands he was holding two well folded black hoods and he was also carrying a small flask with a liquid of dubious origin, while he was looking at the jewel that was kept in the base that he himself had made.
—Sorry for the delay— said Marcus.
Acomfire turned in his direction —Oh, emperor, I was just about to go look for it—.
—I ask you a great and heartfelt apology. I overslept and had a late breakfast, besides I stayed with Damos for a moment to talk — Marcus said cordially, in theory it was not supposed to be necessary for him to address her that way and apologize, but he didn't care about that.
—There is nothing I can forgive him for, he made me wait a little longer than necessary, but anyone can make a mistake. Believe me, compared to your predecessors you are one of the most punctual with all agreements of all kinds and that includes the unofficial ones—. Acomfire said so that Marcus would not worry—Besides, I am partly to blame, after all, you spent your valuable time to clarify certain things for me—.
Hearing the last thing Marcus felt relieved, at least he had her completely on his side— Well, I see you finally brought what we need, we can finally execute our emergency plan— He said while his gaze was directed to the folded hoods and the flask she was carrying.
—Yes, it was quite difficult to get the hoods since I had to look for them in a store in another city, mostly to feel safe and avoid problems because of the possibility of being recognized— Acomfire confessed with shame, she knew that it was impossible for anyone to have the slightest suspicion that something was wrong just because the emperor's bodyguard bought two black hoods in a random store. But whatever it was, his unnecessary strategy gave him more security than the practical and simple option— For you I got you one of the highest quality and for me one of standard fabric; in the case of the potion it was easier, I could find someone who could do us the favor of selling it to me and from what I could observe it might be someone who would support the cause if necessary—.
Marcus didn't ask, anyway he got what he asked for and that should be enough; he took the best quality hood and started to manipulate it— Interesting, I'm glad to know that you are already thinking about possible sponsors for plan B, but as you know, three executors are not enough. By the way, thanks for taking the trouble to give me a quality hood, it wasn't necessary but the gesture is appreciated. How much would I owe you? —.
—You don't need to pay me anything, my emperor—.
Marcus was confused to hear that statement— why do you say?, that was our agreement. You would buy them and I would give you back what you paid.
—I know, but I want to be honest with you. At one point in all this I thought of not following your orders and lying to you with my silence in not telling you that I had managed to get them… But yesterday's conversation made me see that… It was worth helping you, for you, for Empress Olga and mainly for my people —He conloyalty—So take this as a help from me to you and as an offering of apology for my terrible lack of loyalty —.
Marcus did not expect that, he did not know how to act in front of such a thing. Marcus already knew that she was hesitant to help him, but lying to him for a while to avoid her advance was already something serious; he had to consider that she had the confidence to come clean with him and tell him what she came to think, but now he would have to put a little more severity to his orders to make sure that she would not commit such a fault again and he would have to be more aware of her attitude since she was no longer as reliable as he thought she was.
—Well, I will appreciate your sincerity and accept your gesture, I guess it was worth the trouble to guide you to the right path— He began to put on his hood, took off the crown from his head and put it next to the base that held the jewel, he arranged his red hair so that it was not visible —How do I look? —.
Acomfire looked silently and carefully from bottom to top at Marcus—Well, my emperor. I could have sworn I wouldn't recognize him, if it weren't for his voice and face—.
—That would be relatively simple, we both just have to cover our faces severely and take the potion you bought. Remind me how it works? —.
—The Pokemon who sold it to me said that it was enough to take it and think of someone's voice, not utter a word for 5 minutes and then our voice would sound like the voice we thought of. To go back to our original voice we just need to take it again, wait a minute and it would go back to the way it was in the beginning—.
—Splendid, any other instructions or warnings? — Marcus asked as he took the vial and began to open it.
-No, just that—.
Marcus was about to take the content of the small vial, he thought for a moment and decided not to do it, now unfortunately he doubted and nothing assured him that it was a harmless potion. He took the vial away from his mouth and directed it to Acomfire— Would you do me the honor of starting first? —.
Acomfire hadn't expected that, and the gesture puzzled her, but she didn't protest. She thought of the voice she considered convenient, took the bottle and began to direct it to her mouth.
—Before you drink it, could you tell me who you are going to play and why? — Marcus asked curiously.
Acomfire thought about whether it would be a good idea to tell him, but not for long as she considered that question an order and she had to obey —Ava Gaspar, of course. She was my first human friend, through her gift she helped me to understand and coexist with the local humans and pokemon... I haven't heard her voice for more than three hundred years, I still remember what her voice was like, believe me that just by listening to her it was clear that she was part of the lineage of the chosen ones— Acomfire said with a sweet nostalgia.
Ava Gaspar was the one who helped her fit into society and start a new life there. Despite having been a fierce warrior who served the high elite, she was afraid of being rejected and harming someone for not understanding the new world she was willing to take as her new home; Ava, through conversations with her gift could calm her down and teach her in a calm and safe way how she could coexist with new worlds, as she later did with the regions of Kalos and Hoenn.
Marcus didn't have much to say, only that he was surprised by the fact that his first friend was a Gaspar, he believed it was Stephen, there were still many things to discover about her —I see, do it, it will be interesting to listen to that voice that was already lost to time—.
Acomfire took the vial, directed it to his mouth and took some of its contents while he remembered that voice he heard in his mind and heart. When she finished, she directed it to Marcus, he accepted it as he saw that she had done it first without a problem. She thought about the voice of her choice and took the potion.
Five minutes of eternal silence passed, with awkward glances. The first one to speak up was Acomfire —Well, the 5 minutes are up, I don't sound so bad— The voice was strong, with a lot of energy, melodic and hypnotic -It's nice to think that because of things like this a person is still alive through the memories of loved ones-.
—She had a nice voice, not even up to my mother's voice, but that's something—Marcus said in his new voice.
Acomfire was surprised to hear the voice Marcus chose—Emperor Alexius voice, really? I thought you hated him—
—I didn't have much of a choice, besides I don't hate him, he's like an uncle to me. It just bothers me that he tries to be my father and that's every time we have an interaction—Marcus said in disgust.
—You shouldn't be so hard on him, he means well and he would be able to move heaven, sea and earth for you. Even when he is not obliged to do so— Acomfire said, sweetly and with a certain harshness in his voice, something that was in stark contrast to his original serious voice.
Marcus was somewhat hurt by that, he felt as if his advisor didn't care about his feelings on the matter —You know that your treatment of me changed when she died... I don't need anyone's pity, least of all the one who can barely take care of himself and the one who refused to help us at the most worrying moment for my mother. I could have sworn that your lack of empathy made a difference in her health... And I could have sworn that you are being very unkind to me right now as well—.
That took Acomfire by surprise, her duty was supposed to protect him from anything and hurting him in any way was beyond what she would be able to do to him—Not at all my emperor, of course I empathize with your feelings, I was just trying to calm your frustration talking about what I consider not so bad... I just wanted to show that Emperor Alexius is not someone with bad intentions towards your person— Acomfire said trying to explain herself as she could, she did not want her intentions to be misinterpreted.
Whether it was because Acomfire's words were convincing or his new voice really helped to reassure both pokemon and humans, he managed to calm him down from that state of anger and alertness —I didn't have a father and I never needed one, my mother was enough to form me into what I am now and if he still carries the guilt of my attack and the betrayal of my mother, and he thinks he can redeem himself by assuming that role then that's not my problem… But I don't hate him, I just can't tolerate him sometimes—.
Acomfire just kept quiet, there was nothing to object to.
—Well, now that everything is ready I say we start in the south of Michina. That's where most of the electric type Pokémon live, the only ones that will be useful to us—He said seriously, and the tone and voice he had intimidated Acomfire, since Emperor Alexius (despite being an emperor with a fragile body that miraculously was still alive) had a voice to be feared, something that benefited him to prevail his authority and his image was not taken as that of a weak leader.
After Marcus left Damos alone, Damos could only think for a moment about what had just happened. Even after all he was still in his internal debate about which side he should support, whether to the side of Marcus and his intentions to seek good for his nation at the cost of giving a terrible evil to a god who almost died for life on Earth and yet gave a part of himself to help them at a critical moment; on the other hand there was the option of choosing his relationship with his deities and therefore also to that god who saved them from two deadly misfortunes and to whom he lowered himself to be their lover with motivations of dubious veracity at the cost of potentially endangering his own instead of guaranteeing them prosperity.
All that became his main concern, the most important things about him were compromised in that dilemma; his loyalty, his morals, his relationships, his image before those involved, the way he would be remembered in the history of his lineage and the beliefs he served.
Despite all he had done, he still believed in that concept he called "perfection," even though the one who called himself the ultimate exponent of it had sullied his own purity for him.
From his earliest childhood he had been raised to pursue it as far as his human limitations would allow; people should see him as a human worthy of being personally called by the entities of excellence, a human who should respect his position as a divine representative and show it off, he should be the exemplary human of how to control negative nature to give a functional order for a good society, a human worthy of having the chosen blood and without objection he should fulfill that important role.
However, perfection was the basis of a philosophy that he was also to abide by as much as possible. During his time at sea, Ava Gaspar had devised the philosophy of "virtuous destiny".
Ava's philosophy was based on an analogy that said that every existing being was born in a current of the high sea of life and that through the events that were presented in that sea, a calm flow and a rough one were presented during the journey of this current.
The calm flow represents a positive journey, with comfort, tranquility, prosperity, moments of happiness and almost no worries other than those that were presented along your journey, but always this flow would take you to the desired "virtuous destination".
While the brave flow would take you to complicated moments, of worry, alertness, sadness, discomfort, moments of tension, stagnation and negativity. Normally this path condemns you to an unhappy destiny for you and those around you
Some currents have a preference for a certain flow or due to circumstances have certain moments with calm or rough flows; but when you have the opportunity to choose the calm flow or you have the fortune to experience it naturally you should only let yourself be carried by this current, no matter if the rough flow for moments seemed to be also calm; you always had to give preference for the calm flow until you need to look for this flow again or you have to face a natural but temporary rough flow without being defeated by the tide….
But he wasted and swam against natural calm flow, he was fooled by the rough flow and the consequences were in front of him; his current was so calm and his destination was clear, he did not even have to look for the desired current as others of his predecessors did. His calm current was directing him to a practical and worthy destiny, he only had to be the "savior" (because really he considered it to be the other way around) of Arceus after he succored the earth, humbly accept the jewel of life given out of gratitude, favor and compassion; meet the agreed return date and ensure the continuation of his lineage. END! THAT WAS IT! THE ONLY THING HE HAD TO DO WAS THAT! While the philosophy of virtuous destiny spoke of it being okay to pursue one's desires and be driven by one's choices, it also warned that you should always know when to stop, find a safe current and try to steer into it if your desires are somehow pulling you away from your virtuous destiny.
But he had to complicate things, instead of heeding the signs that this friendship (which had been longed for as long as he could remember) was already going too far, he preferred to take things to an unacceptable level. It was not a good sign that his god preferred him not to get down on his knees in his presence, he had to worry the moment he and Arceus drastically dropped the formality, he should have given himself pause at the moment when his god had "relaxed" more than what was expected of a friendship of his kind and above all, he must have paused when at the moment of getting on his knees at night and praying to him, instead of fearing him, asking and thanking him for mercy for his kind, what he did was to pronounce how wonderful it was to know him from such a close angle that he wanted to take him by the hand and ask him to allow him to have a deeper connection, not one of a spiritual nature but a more intimate and personal one…. From the moment he lost such respect worthy of a deity is when the seemingly calm flow of the brave flow took him off the path.
Worst of all, if anything Marcus kept reminding him of the possibility that even some of this fault might not be worth it in the end. It was possible that Arceus had heard his confessions and instead of having mercy for mankind, at this moment was having mercy on him with that burden, which were those feelings that were not even to be imagined. A god so wonderfully kind that he even sacrificed what was most important to him and stooped to his level just to help him, an unworthy member of a prestigious lineage who needed pity for the disgusting desires of his heart.
Well, there was nothing left to get worse and he could no longer break what was already broken. If his father taught him anything useful, it was that when everything went to hell or he was consciously making a big mistake, the best thing he could do was to take his tools and get to work in the field and do something minimally useful in the midst of all the conflict... Besides, he liked that activity since of all the community jobs he cooperated in that was his favorite; working in the fields, sowing seeds, taking care of those crops and harvesting them that brought good to his community and to him was something that fulfilled him since it was the closest thing he had to a simple life. It is not as if being the representative of the gods bothered him completely but sometimes, leaving aside the honor that this entailed and the opportunities that only in that position could be presented; the truth is that his thing was not really in protocols or rules that he had to follow for his good image and he preferred to replace them with common and quiet moments, where he did not have to take care of how he behaved.
With that in mind, he changed his uniform for more comfortable clothes, took the things he was going to use, left the temple and went down the stairs of the temple. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he went to a piece of land that was already conditioned to be used for cultivation. That land belonged to his father and with the product he extracted from his work he would leave it for his family or for sale. Actually, since Damos was a priest, he usually gave part of his money to maintain those crops and use them for his own sale and consumption; but sometimes he gave himself the liberty of allowing himself to practice the trade for his own pleasure.
Damos began to work on it, it was heavy, but somehow it gave him calm and peace. He spent about two hours on it, decided to take a few fences and take a rest for a moment. Taking advantage of his solitude, his mind began to talk to himself out loud as it helped him to better reason his deepest and most complex thoughts.
He looked carefully around him and without realizing it his mind began to wander and his lips began to move.
Working in the sun is exhausting, but if I'm honest this is preferable to sitting at a desk and doing analysis of ancient writings. It's great to read other people's analysis and findings, but doing it yourself and even more so if it's something as important as trying to connect Alola and Archestian mythology is really tiring because nothing is fully confirmed yet, too many pieces are missing and I can't afford to take advantage of my situation with Arceus to make it easier.
No, that's supposed to be my duty.
Come to think of it, none of this post was how I imagined it, I thought life would be as simple and easy as speaking in front of an audience what it takes to be functional on this plane and be better human beings, set an example that humans and Pokémon can get along and be in harmony, help someone with problems that oppose their path of imitating perfection, learn about the beautiful qualities of Pokémon through my gift, do community work, occasionally get away from possible fights with those of the diamond and pearl clan and if I had the enormous fortune, then befriend a god or at least have an encounter with one of them to learn something valuable from their enormous wisdom and power.
But I never saw it in all its splendor, to be a Gaspar is not only peace, tranquility and speeches; it also means image, status and behavior highly cared for to be a true representative of the gods. Had I known that this would happen, that being a priest of Arceus would be a bit too much for me, that to some degree I would long for the life of the unfortunate ones who did not have my luck… Maybe if I had listened to my father and not accepted the position I would live as a humble farmer and without so much hustle and bustle; but no, normally one as a son always leads the contrary but I did not want to do it and decided to listen to my mother and my heart… No?...
I mean, this is the right thing to do, I was born for this, I have chosen blood running through my veins, I am the only one who could carry on with my god Mew's project, I was prepared for this for so long, my mother's only son, her only pride, I was born with a mission, with a purpose and if I didn't do it who else would. I couldn't just abandon my destiny and duty because not everything in life is as you want it to be… Even if you just seek calm and tranquility, sometimes you just have to be grateful for what fate gave you
Damos looked at a bush that gave berries, he went to it and took a few, he looked for a moment at the berry and realized that one was not the same. All of them were round, juicy and with a flashing red color; but one of them stood out since in the middle it looked very red, about to explode and with a lot of juice while on the other side it became of an opaque color, its juice was gradually being spilled through a small hole and because of that it was somewhat deflated.
It's as if the berries berry was giving up on being colorful, round and tasty and decided to let itself be dragged down by the rot; never mind that the other fences followed that exact standard.
Something in Damos said that this berry deserved help, it was somewhat understandable why its state but rotting was not something he considered "right". He took that berry, as he could he removed the rottenness of the berry and also removed the other half with all the excess it had, leaving a center that contained a small seed and traces of the two previous halves. When he realized this, he decided to eat the other berries quickly to have both hands free, when he finished he took the seed and planted it in a safe space that he managed to locate.
Very carefully, without removing those leftovers from what were her halves, she sowed it in a small hole.
Oh little one, you shouldn't have tried so hard, it's okay not to be like your classmates if it's not your thing, but it's not right for you to stray so far either, that can do you a lot of harm. You'd better start over, a new path with both sides, a delightful and cute one but also a bit misaligned… You know? Life is complicated in itself, but now you still have time to understand it… I think you will understand it faster than me, and that literally all my life I was told that life is based on making your function in this world correct, not to cause problems with the others that inhabit this plane while superior beings judge you for your horrible nature and try to guide you… But it is costing me so much to be a participant and witness of so many things that even I am not completely sure that life really works like this
Damos lightly patted the small mound of earth that covered the hole where the seed was, stood up, took some water and watered it on top of it.
Calmly he watched as the water fell towards the pile of earth, when it finished he appreciated for a moment that area and before he could do anything…
—Damos Gaspar! —A huge high-pitched scream was heard through the undergrowth, the bushes and plants revealed an annoyed Pili. —Damos! Where were you? I've been looking for you like crazy for the last five or ten minutes! —.
—Can't you see?! You found me already! You don't need to ask where I was when you already found me — Damos answered annoyed —You didn't need to shout, believe me your voice is sharp enough to hear you from meters away without having to have a very developed ear — Damos said annoyed, while rubbing his ear as a sign of the pain in his eardrums caused by the Pokémon's call.
Pili seeing that she went a little overboard was embarrassed, she didn't think she was too outrageous _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I got a little overexcited. But I'm justified, someone came to see you—.
—And who is it? It must be someone very important for you to be looking for me so urgently.
—Pili kept a tense silence for a moment, she was getting ready to give a great and terrible revelation —Damos… A FOREIGNER IS LOOKING FOR YOU —.
At that moment Damos went into a shock that left him speechless and he felt a slight coldness run down his back —It's a joke of yours, isn't it? —.
Pili slightly shook his head from left to right —No, Damos… A foreigner claiming to be from Kalos is looking for you—Pili answered calmly so as not to make the situation get out of control.
At that, Damos' fear turned into annoyance, he ran his hands over his face and lightly pulled the skin under his eyes as a sign of his enormous displeasure— Dammit that explains everything—.
Normally foreigners coming from the other regions travel to Hisui to visit other cities with much more to offer (speaking both in entertainment and political and economic alliances); but the few times someone comes to Michina it is usually for two reasons out of the ordinary in other places that particularly can only be exercised in Michina:
1.- That foreigner is someone who seeks guidance for the complementation of their spirituality since Archestianism and its two derivatives (which come from the diamond and pearl clan) despite sharing several things in common also have many differences in beliefs, values and philosophies; which confuse outsiders and often ask for help to be able to choose one of the three ways to give tribute to the gods or worship the gods independently (something more common than is believed).
2.-They do not have a genuine interest in what is preached, but rather what they seek is to have a close look at the lifestyle of a Gaspar; a lifestyle that foreigners define as "decent, elegant and strict". Foreigners (especially those from Kalos) are attracted by that lifestyle and taking advantage of the fact that a Gaspar by decree is obliged to attend to someone who needs it personally, they come with the facade of being interested in the religion, when in reality they are only trying to be close and learn from that exotic lifestyle as long as possible. Which wouldn't be a problem if it weren't for the fact that they do it in a very intense and uncomfortable way, unlike the foreigners from Hoenn who are more cautious.
—It would be better that during the journey you try the sign of the ring of Arceus so that at least you will be lucky to be touched by a calm foreigner or better yet, by a genuine believer who seeks your help — Pili advised to calm the tension a little — But don't worry! You are not alone in this, I myself will do this with you during the journey and I will continue doing it for a long time after I see you—.
Pili nodded happily—One question before we go, will you leave in that state?— She asked when she saw Damos' obvious disheveled state.
Damos had forgotten that he wasn't even wearing his uniform, for a moment he was worried, but immediately after that he didn't care— Nah! For one day that I'm not in uniform and "presentable" I'm not going to kill anyone… Maybe this will make my elegant image go down a bit if I don't handle it in the best possible way… But, hey! At least I'll make the foreigner realice that even I can have facades and maybe that will allow him not to get so excited about my "D.E.S.L"—.
—And what does that last one mean? —.
—It's short for " Decent, Elegant and Strict Lifestyle—.
Pili thought for a few seconds while connecting the wires about the strange abbreviation, but then she hit the nail on the head and showed her clear understanding as she looked Damos in the eyes with a smile —Ah! I get it! —.
—Good, now that everything is clear we see what's in store for me with that foreigner—Damos said as he slowly directed his hand to his chest to start making the so glorious symbol of the ring of Arceus.
Pili accompanied him and began to do the same with her small hands. All the way up the stairs they traced rings over their chests and shoulders, and the closer they got the more shaky and less clean those rings were, especially those of Damos who was getting more and more nervous.
As they finished climbing the stairs and reached the main entrance of the temple, they both stopped.
—Behind those doors there is someone waiting for you—Said Pili in a low voice and pointing to the huge door with her free hand.
—Do you have anything else to tell me about this foreigner? – Damos asked without taking his eyes off the door.
—Yes, I didn't want to tell you on the way, but I think he's one of the intense foreigners… But not the way we're lying—.
—Why do you say that? —.
—He arrived very serious but it is evident that he is someone demanding and with a certain status by the way he dresses as he is very similar to the powerful people there; I couldn't find out much as he refused to talk to me… He didn't even accept the sweets I invited him out of cordiality! But I have a feeling that he is someone you should have a lot of respect and/or fear for… So be careful and give him whatever he wants and when he is satisfied he'd better go away—.
Damos turned to look at Pili with an expression that was a combination of fear and uneasiness —Pili… What the hell is going on? You just told me that just when we arrived? _.
—The thoughts in my mind are an enigma, I don't know why that happened to me, I went into a kind of trance the whole way there—.
Damos turned to look at the door again —Well, thank goodness you told me… I guess it's better late than never…— Damos took a huge breath —Wish me luck—.
—As soon as I'm out of here I'll keep praying for you, that's for sure… Whenever you can or need to talk you know I'm available before my departure time—.
—Ok, thank you—Damos then pushed one of the huge doors and they both entered discreetly.
To be continued…