Good morning. New chapter. I know that I am much slower than at the beginning but it takes time for ideas to come and mature. Otherwise, I would say we are between a third and half of the story.
One more thing and it's final: Galactus is not part of this story.
The fight between Galactus and the Celestials is in "Earth X", "Universe X" and "Paradise X" (which I honestly invite you to read if you don't know. I promise you it won't be wasted time).
For Guest: "MLP preference"? I don't understand.
For Dragon King of the west. Yes, but hybrid with what? This is the million euro question.
For CRUDEN: Thanks.
For Lufonzi: the gods of Falmart have not said their last word. Even Odin, who recognized the Celestials superiority, did not hesitate to fight them.
For DOOT76: no, not at all like Dormammu.
For OnePunchPlayer: ?
For AMTT94: You have no idea how much this kind of compliment makes me happy.
Now we move on to the chapter itself.
REBIRTH AND DEATH
A few days after the return of the Princess and the others from the Gate.
In Italica, a rebirth, followed by a massacre, took place.
From the cocoon where Aurea was transforming into adulthood, one of her legs emerged, followed by the other.
For a few moments, you could see the spectacle, both horrifying and comical, of a cocoon on two walking legs, then it was the turn of the arms to get out.
Then Aurea tore off the rest of the cocoon, as one tears off a mass of cobwebs.
She now looked like a 16 year old girl, completely naked. The clothes she had previously worn had cracked as a result of her growth.
It was then that she looked at the "food" around her. The Count had installed all kinds of farm animals in the room in anticipation of the moment when she would emerge from her cocoon. He had predicted that she would be hungry…. And he was right. Alas for the poor animals in question who were howling now, panicked, sensing danger but unable to flee like lambs in a slaughterhouse.
Their screams wouldn't last long.
The snakes on Aurea's head, which she used to absorb spiritual energy from her food, which was fatal for the food in question, suddenly extended in all directions, hitting every animal present.
Less than two minutes later, all that remained were dried-out carcasses.
The two guards who had been assigned by the Count to monitor Aurea's awakening were terrified. Working at the castle, they had already seen the Medusa feeding but such a massacre in such a short time…. The infantile and predatory smile of the young woman, who was no longer a little girl, did not reassure them in the least.
"Could you open the door? Please ? I have to speak with the Count."
"He…. He gave us orders. I…. I have to go and warn him first. You stay there to watch while I go and inform the Count. » one of the guards said to his colleague as he started running.
"Waits…. But…. No, don't leave me alone."
But the other guard was already running, in a hurry to do his duty and go and warn the Count, or rather in a hurry to get away from the snake-haired monster as quickly as possible.
The remaining guard was becoming more and more afraid. Her life was not in danger, but the hissing of the snakes on the monster's head added much to her anguish.
-O-
Yao Ha Dushi faced a stupid and very real problem: she didn't know how to reach Alnus since the city was floating in the air.
Yet she knew there was a way in and out since people had been coming from the city lately. Mainly merchants.
His people didn't know what to make of it. Alnus was described as a sort of paradise where everyone was treated like a noble. At first, rumors spoke of a powerful magician and then of a new god. At first, the Elves did not believe it, but the number of testimonies to this effect only increased and the details of the stories were constant, especially those concerning the crystal women.
With their people being attacked by a Flame Dragon, they had nothing left to lose.
So they decided to send an emissary. Yao had been chosen. She had to get in touch with the forces in Alnus, whatever they were, and convince them to come and save them, hoping that they were really capable of it.
For this his tribe had offered what it could. First a diamond the size of an Elf's head and Yao herself would become the servant of the magician or whoever could truly save her people.
Now she was stranded for a ridiculous reason: she was unable to fly. Was it his legendary bad luck again? Manage to come this far only to be stopped at the last moment for the stupidest of reasons?
Rumors spoke of a "path of light" which provided access to the city. She had indeed found a ray of light which descended from the flying city to the ground. Quite easily in fact, that was essentially what she saw from afar at night to reach the city.
When she was close enough to see Alnus up close, she was surprised. She had imagined walls and houses built on clouds, instead it looked like a transparent half-egg resting on a giant piece of metal.
Once the surprise wore off, she was now desperate. How to take "the path of light"?
At first, she said a prayer and then entered the aisle, not knowing exactly what to expect.
Nothing had happened.
She had multiplied her prayers, begging, imploring, crying, pleading her cause hoping to be heard and get at least an answer.
Nothing.
She was now on her knees, completely desperate and tearful, not knowing what to do.
Then a figure came down from the shelf. A young girl holding a book and a stick was walking down the path of light to Yao.
The Dark Elf mistook the apparition for a divine messenger or something. An Apostle perhaps?
Regardless, she knelt down again, face down.
"Oh, noble envoy. This humble servant thanks you for coming to answer her prayer. » Yao said hoping she was saying the right thing.
Lelei La Lalena was surprised. She had simply come downstairs with the Goddess Oshtur's magic book to practice some of her spells in a space that seemed more suitable to her and now a Dark Elf was prostrating before her as if she were an Apostle or something.
"Um…. Excuse me Miss ? Do you need help with something? » she asked simply.
For Yao, in her fragile psychological state, she interpreted Lelei's response as acceptance of her request. The line was one sent from the gods come to answer his prayers. She then explained who she was and the reason for coming to Alnus.
Lelei, who understood now that the girl had taken her for a divine messenger because of her appearance in the light of the energy field which allowed to enter and leave Alnus understood that it was now time to clarify things .
"I am not a divine messenger. My name is Lelei La Lalena and I am a simple magician in training. »
" But…. You came down the path of light after my prayers?! »
"It's just a coincidence. I went down to practice some magic exercises. For your request you should contact Celestial Amiek. »
"The Celestial Amiek?" »
"The creator of the city. It's not difficult to talk to him. Take the path of light and it will take you to Alnus. From there you will find….. "crystal women" who serve the locals. They will inform Amiek of your presence and you can speak to him. He is the one who has the power to help you. »
Yao stood up, understanding that she was dealing with a young magician and not a messenger from the gods.
"Thank you, but how to meet him? I can't fly. »
"You just have to enter the energy flow and an antigravity system will carry you to the city".
" Eh ? said Yao who didn't understand what Lelei was saying.
"Step into 'the column of light' and it will transport you on its own. There is nothing to be afraid of. »
"I already tried but nothing happened."
It was Lelei's turn not to understand.
" Really ? Could you try again? »
Yao then entered the passage of light and again nothing happened.
" It's strange…. I'll have to ask the Celestial for an explanation. »
" SO…. There is nothing to do ? the Dark Elf asked with a hint of desperation in his voice.
" I did not say that. Luckily for you, I'm a magician. I'll go up to the city and take you up with me. A simple levitation spell will do the trick. Give me your hand and hold on tight."
Yao took Lelei's hand who whispered a few words before entering the energy flow again. She then began to climb back up with Yao floating next to her. Shortly afterwards they were again at Alnus.
After the shock of the means of transport, Yao having never flown in this way, she was now breathless by what she saw around her.
Everything was so…. Weird…. And beautiful at the same time.
The towers and other buildings were strangely beautiful beyond anything she had imagined. People were flying through the air everything was smooth and immaculate. It was truly the city of a deity.
A crystal woman approached, as she always did whenever someone left or entered Neo-Alnus.
"Miss Lelei, are you back already?" Did you encounter any problems down there? asked the crystal servant.
"No, not the least. I met this woman on the way down and she wishes to meet with the Celestial Amiek to present a request. Lelei replied.
"The first designer Amiek should be back tomorrow, according to the information he gave us. However he also informed us that this was subject to change depending on the situation he is currently facing. Where is this woman you met? We will set up a residence for her in the meantime. »
" West…. ?! Well there she is, next to me. I'm talking about this Dark Elf. What's your name again? » asked Lelei, turning to Yao.
"I am Yao Ha Dushi. » Yao said simply to the strange transparent woman.
"Miss Lelei, who are you talking to?" » replied the crystal servant who did not perceive Yao's presence.
"?! J But…. I…. Don't you see this woman right in front of you? » asked the young magician who, for once, was frankly surprised.
The crystal servant then observed the space indicated by Lelei. She used all kinds of means of observation and analysis based on technologies created by the Celestials themselves. Whether visual observation, analysis of the light spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet, the density of the atmosphere, the movements of energy flows, including those of mystical origins, all the results were clear.
"Miss Lelei, apart from the two of us, there is no one here. » affirmed the crystal servant.
-O-
The sun had been up for two hours now.… But the two occupants of the room deliberately remained in the dark, refusing to open their eyes just yet.
Saying Delilah was depressed was like saying Hardy's well was deep. That was an understatement. She hadn't left her room for days and kept trying to sleep to forget her depression.
"Why? Why, why, why but WHY must it be that wherever there are Bunny our destiny is to disappear? What could we possibly have done to the gods or the Celestials to deserve this? »
When she asked what had happened to the Bunny on the other side of the Gate, Amiek had kept nothing from her. It hadn't occurred to him to lie to her, anyway, why would he?
Delilah had hated the explanations. She would have been happier not to know. Were her people really that savage? Was there really no other possible destiny? Was there really no hope for them?
Persia, who was present in spite of herself, would also have preferred not to know, which is why she had not asked if there were members of her species beyond the Gate like Bunnies. She had decided that perhaps ignorance was better after all.
Although the crystal maids had offered them a room each, the two maids were used to sharing the same dormitory and Delilah was not so happy about the idea of being alone in this metal palace. Under other circumstances she would have been happy to have her own room, but not here. That's why Persia stayed with her.
Normally, she would have served "Lord Amiek" every moment of the day, but she quickly realized her uselessness. This city maintained itself. Even the crystal servants, 100 times more efficient than any living creature, were not really necessary for its maintenance, at least on a human level.
"Hey? You sleep ? » asked Persia.
"I'm trying. » replied Delilah.
"Sorry, I'll let you sleep then." »
"No, continue. I'm resting but I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep. »
"You slept well ? »
"…. No. »
"Nightmares ? »
"No, but emptiness. I wish the darkness of sleep would come back and take me and never let me go again. »
"For what it's worth, I sincerely sympathize…. »
"It's not your fault but thank you for the compassion…. »
"What are you going to do then? »
"What could I possibly do? Sir Amiek doesn't need us as a servant and I'm not in the mood anyway. I want to dig a burrow and bury myself there forever. »
"I was talking about what he said about….." Persia didn't dare finish her sentence.
"About the extinction of my people beyond the Gate? What do you want me to do ? All I can do is try not to think about it until it passes. Sleeping helps a lot. »
"And after ? »
"After ? I don't know. I will fulfill my role here to the best of my ability and I will remain loyal to the Formal house all my life. What else can I do? I guess I should consider myself lucky compared to all those who died. Me, I am still alive, at least for the moment, and well treated moreover".
Persia could understand this feeling.
The conversation continued for another hour until the two girls found the courage to get up and go explore the city. They had only seen the treatment clinic and their room for the moment and therefore wanted to explore this place a little better, strange certainly, but not as much as the world of the Celestials.
They had plenty of time today because Amiek was away for the day.
-O-
If Delilah was deeply depressed for her people, at the same time, Tuka Luna Marceau was…. Ecstatic. « Her » Celestial was realizing her dearest desire. She didn't dare believe it. In the end, everything had been so…. Easy.
In her mind, she had pondered all sorts of ways, evidence of devotion and faith, possibilities on how to convince Amiek to resurrect her people. She had lost sleep because it. Which wasn't really a big deal since her body could now go for days without sleep.
In the end, before she could even think of a remotely realistic plan, Amiek had summoned her. Of course, she complied immediately.
Aboard the strange pyramidal vehicle, Amiek had taken her to the ruins of her village, destroyed some time earlier by the Flame Dragon. Ashema was also present. Not that it was necessary because she could very well have observed everything remotely by telepathy with part of her mind, but she still wanted to be present, for the symbolic aspect.
During the journey, she had not dared to question her lord about their destination. A servant does not question her master. However, she couldn't help but wonder where the two human-form Celestials were going and why Amiek had wanted her to come with them.
Of course, Ashema already knew the reason and part of her would have wanted to tell Tuka the good news…. But her Celestial "professionalism" came first. Observing the interactions between Amiek and Tuka would be more interesting.
Even though there was nothing to observe at the moment since Tuka didn't dare ask anything and Amiek didn't feel the need to say anything.
It was when she was in sight of her village that she began to understand…. Without daring to believe it.
Once the three of them had gotten out of the vehicle she found the courage to ask.
"Wh…. Why are we here? ».
"You have expressed the desire that [the inhabitants/people] of your village be brought back to life. As they are Eternals, I have made the decision to [grant this request/fulfill this wish]. »
Without her new Eternal constitution, Tuka would undoubtedly have fainted from joy. Instead she threw herself at Amiek's feet.
"Lord…. How can I express my most sincere gratitude to you? » she asked.
"[Gratitude/thanks] not necessary. This decision was made for reasons other than yourself. However, I am [agree/happy] that you like it. »
"What other reasons? »
"Your fellow people are Eternals. I am [interested/curious] about the effects of [restoring/repairing] their condition."
Ashema couldn't help but smile. She was satisfied with the evolution of the young hybrid.
Once Amiek was given permission to do as he pleased, she didn't even need to ask. He had taken the initiative on his own.
"Please stand in front of me. [The process/method] will be easier through you. » he said to Tuka.
"Through me? »
"You are connected to your fellow Eternals. Their [mental schema/their essence] will be easier to locate and repatriate using this link".
Tuka stood in front of Amiek who placed his hands on either side of her head, directly accessing certain aspects of her mind and activating all sorts of subroutines implanted in the Eternals to access others.
If it was just humans or any other form of life, he could have done it himself, but in the context of Eternal, there were all kinds of special protocols to apply. The procedure would be much simpler using said protocols inserted into Tuka's brain than having to rewrite them himself. It was like using a computer backup rather than rewriting the entire program.
From Amiek's point of view, it was like computing, but for Tuka it was a sacred moment. On the one hand, she was in contact with her god, at the same time, she was in contact with the souls of ALL her people.
Her eyes, which now saw the harmony of things, now saw her village in the process of rebuilding itself or rather, being reborn. Not only did she see the atoms and their subatomic particles fall back into place in a marvelous orderly cascade, but she also saw the metaphysical existence of her village and the life that animated it.
It wasn't just a set of houses, it was a living being taking shape again.
The damage left by the Flame Dragon's fire, the ripped roofs and all the destruction appeared to her like dust blowing away in the wind.
But that was nothing compared to the return of living beings.
The experience was indescribable. She had known her people all her life and now she was discovering them again. Their memories, their thoughts, their emotions, their dreams were displayed before her eyes.
She knew her father loved her more than anything but now she saw just how much.
She knew that her friend Yuno considered her her best friend but she didn't know that she loved her like a sister.
But it didn't just stop at those she had known. Amiek had taken an initiative: he was resurrecting all the Eternals who had arrived on this world through the gate. Tuka would see not only her grandmother but also all her ancestors.
If anyone had asked why the Celestial was doing this, Amiek would have answered that he wanted to study the Eternals themselves and their evolution on this world which was not the one for which they were modeled.
But there was another reason that he was, paradoxically, perfectly aware of but did not want to admit: emotion.
Since his assessment with Apotheos, his "update" had increased his emotional affinities. He understood humans and other such creatures much better and he also understood their emotions much better.
It was the Celestial equivalent of young people beginning to question their parent's authority and have their first love.
It still needed to be determined whether this would make Amiek a mature individual ready to make an improvement for host Celestial or whether it would make him a problem that needed to be fixed.
For the moment such questions did not matter. Amiek attended Tuka's reunion with her father.
If she hadn't been part of this miracle every step of the way, she simply wouldn't have believed it.
"Dad ? »
"Tuka?" »
"You... It's really you. It is not an illusion or a dream. You are really there, in front of me…. »
"Of course I am here…. but…. Why am I here? I don't understand. »
Hodor, Tuka's father, and everyone else had no idea what was happening. Amiek had not made any "updates" to help them to understand. Witnessing their various reactions regarding their resurrection and meeting their ancestors, whom they thought were long dead, would be very instructive.
The day was going to be long. It was chaos. The first people which arrived on Falmart, fleeing their world, were the most disoriented. The powers they had enjoyed for tens of thousands of years were gone, which was very traumatic.
At the same time, Tuka was trying to explain to her father and the people she had known all her life what could have happened.
They didn't believe her.
Of course he remembered their own death (a subject on which they would later meditate) but when Tuka told them that they had been resurrected by "the gods of the Elves that her grandmother spoke of when she was little", they wondered if she had all her head.
Add to that the joy/shock they felt at seeing parents and grandparents who they thought had been dead for a long time and no one knew what to say or do to try to make sense of the situation. There were too many questions that needed answers but no one knew what order to ask them in and when Tuka answered it led to even more questions.
It was only when she used the term "Celestial" that the understood began to emerge. The ancients remembered their creators perfectly and if this whole situation was their doing then a lot of things could be explained.
On the other hand, when Tuka presented Amiek and Ashema as Celestials, the astonishment returned.
Why would Celestials take a form if…. Similar to theirs?
For Amiek, this was all very instructive.
For Ashema it was an excellent opportunity to observe his methods in real time and his reactions.
Finally, after everything was explained, the "younger" generations of Elves, namely those who were still alive at the time of the Flame Dragon's attack, were still skeptical. They wanted proof.
It was not Amiek, but Tuka who gave it to them. She began to... Talk.
The gift for communication that Amiek had awakened in her was more convincing than any other method of persuasion. For the "Elves" it was a revelation. No one had never spoken to them like that, in such a complete, so harmonious way. Aspects of their minds, perfectly calibrated to process this mode of communication, were coming into operation for the first time. It was like opening eyes that had always been closed and of which they did not know existed and with the opening of these eyes, their thoughts were enriched by what they perceived.
When Tuka finished explaining, Hodor Luna Marceau thanked his daughter and walked towards the two Celestials. He bowed politely for a short moment, without kneeling because that seemed more ridiculous than respectful, and asked.
"We cannot adequately express our gratitude. However, what do you expect from us? »
"I want to [observe/watch] what you will do. It's interesting. » replied the Celestial.
"?! Look ? Observe ? I don't understand".
It was then that a woman came forward.
"There's no point trying to find out more. The minds of the Celestials are impervious to us simple Eternals. It is wiser to give up understanding. " she says.
Hodor had never seen this woman but the blue color of her hair, non-existent among the Elves, surprised him.
"Excuse me madam. Let me introduce myself, I am Hodor Luna Marceau. May I know to whom I have the honor, please? »
"My name is Kementari. I am the Prime Eternal of the first city of Salaamune"
"I don't have the pleasure of knowing. Prime Eternal you said? »
"It means that I am the leader of my people. From what I understand it's normal that you don't know Salaamûne. We were forced to leave our city a long time ago before coming here. I am the first of the blessed and I led the expedition to these lands and you would be one of our descendants. We're going to have a lot to discuss, starting with who's in charge here."
Hodor was not the village leader. There wasn't really a leader in fact. All those who lived to be old enough formed a sort of "council of elders" but no one had the function of "president of the council".
Their ancestors, however, were different. A democratically choosen "Eternal Prime" was their guide and the problem that would arise was that these two political systems were incompatible. The descendants did not intend to blindly submit to the authority of their ancestors and conversely, their ancestors did not intend to change their system just to please these "teens".
One would have thought that the Elves were going to submit to the authority of the oldest but these "elders" were not aware that between their generation, which had hardly changed since the arrival of the Celestials on their world, and that of their descendants, there had been some modifications in the meantime.
The first being that Eternals are not normally able to procreate and have children.
That wasn't the only problem. These Eternals had quite substantial powers and there was no "machine that is the world" to supervise them or provide for their needs. They would undoubtedly like to recreate a gigantic technologically advanced city (some of these Eternals had an intelligence that had nothing to envy of that of a Red Richards, a Tony Stark…. Or a Samuel Sterns).
There were also those who, following this brutal change, were already beginning to nurture "extra-territorial" ambitions. The idea of "humans" or any other race for that matter dominating the world and their "Elven" descendants was not to their liking. Rather, they thought they were setting up a system to "guide" the "lower races".
Among other things, these Dark Elves "cousins". The entity that had suppressed the powers of these Eternals and had "devolved" them into Elves had not done this for the fun and Amiek had just undone this action.
It wasn't a coincidence either. He was very excited to observe the consequences of all these changes.
At worst he could always restore the previous situation and bring the former Eternals back to the level of "simple Elf" or even send them back to the "waiting room" where each Eternal goes between each resurrection.
Tuka had brought life back to her village but the return to harmony would not happen immediately.
Finally, the « council of elders » as well as the "Eternal prime" had managed to agree on one point at first. It concerned Tuka and it would be Hodor who would go and explain to his daughter.
"Tuka. First of all I must say that…. I am happy to see you again and I am proud…. No more than that. I am humbled by the greatness of what you have accomplished for us. You have exceeded my expectations in many ways. For a father to be surpassed by his children is one of the greatest joys there can be. »
Tuka began to blush. Her father was not an easy man to impress.
"However, I fear I must place a new burden on your shoulders."
"It's not a burden, it's a privilege. One of the greatest honors there is," argued Kementari.
Hodor didn't want to debate this topic right now.
"We have decided that someone must represent our people to the Celestials, a messenger of sorts, and it is to you that this "greatest honor" belongs."
"I accept with joy but why me? I am not a diplomat and among our ancestors there must be someone more capable, someone who knows our gods much better than me. »
"Yes, but there are four reasons why you are the fittest person. First, no one knows us better than you since you touched the spirit of each of us during our resurrection. We and our ancestors will learn to live together again, at least I hope so. »
Hodor paused to let Tuka digest the information.
"The second reason follows from the first. You are both an "Elf" and an "Eternal". Who better than you could represent the two branches of our people? »
"I understand".
"Third, you have much better situational awareness than anyone here. You've been with this Celestials for some time now, you've gone to the "other side" and met the Celestials themselves. This is important from many points of view. »
Tuka's father stopped again to catch his breath before continuing. Tuka waited patiently, not wanting to disrespect her father.
"Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Celestial seems to have chosen you personally for his designs. The gift of communication he gave you seems to attest to this idea. The "Eternals" see no reason to change anything and we rely on their judgment on this problem. »
"And you, what do you think, Dad? » asked his daughter, curious about her father's opinion.
"I admit that, personally, I don't know what to think about all this. An hour ago I was dead. I don't even remember Hardy's realm. I saw…. Nothing. My last memory was of being cut in two by the Flame Dragon's jaws and then a few moments of "chewing" before its teeth crushed my head and nothingness enveloped me. I will have to deal with this trauma. »
"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to save you…. »
"If you had tried you would have died with me and we would not have this second chance offered to us and our village, which brings me to what troubles me the most."
"Is something wrong father? »
"Lots of things are "wrong" Tuka but what really puzzles me is you."
"Me father? But…. I don't understand. I did everything I could to save you. I thought you would be proud of me and approve of me. »
"Tuka, I already said that I am beyond proud of you and I completely approve of everything you have done. However, I worry about you. I do not know what to think. I can't decide whether I should bow down to you and rely entirely on what this... "Celestial" made you or if I have to force you to come back at home. It's a huge burden that you have on your shoulders and if I can't carry it myself, I would like to at least be able to lighten it. »
Tuka was speechless. What her father had said would have already moved her before her ascension to Eternal, but with her new gift of communication, it went much further.
In addition to hearing them with her ears, she "saw" her father's feelings, the beautiful patterns they formed and how they mixed with those formed by the surrounding nature and with her own feelings.
It was then that they were…. Interrupted.
A woman, from the group that Amiek had resurrected, had started making gestures similar to those of Tuka.
Once again the language was too complicated for the human brain to understand but it went something like this.
"I am Lorini, the interpreter. My role is to interpret the will of the Celestials."
"I am Tuka Luna Marceau. I…. Don't know exactly what I am in all this."
"You are the chosen one. Chosen to provide a link between our creators Celestials and ourselves. »
"Why not you ? We have the same gift but I think you master it much better than me, you also have the age and experience so why not you instead? »
"I tried to talk to them, to communicate. They ignored me as if I wasn't there. Obviously, it is not me that the Celestial has chosen and he will only answer to you. I'm still going to teach you everything I know to help you."
"Here ? NOW ? But…. We do not have the time. »
"You will understand. »
At that moment, Lorini changed his communication gestures to show Tuka his past.
The young Elf lives when Lorini was still a proto-elf living in the caves, simply seeking to please the Alpha male of her clan like all the other females.
Through her eyes, Tuka sees the Celestials arrive on her planet, choose this tribe and begin to reforge the species into another. She saw how the immortal learned over the millennia, going from being a naked creature bellowing in the trees, then in the caves, acquiring speech, experience, intelligence. A slow but increasingly rapid process.
To the point of truly forming a new race distinct from the one from which it came.
Then she saw the war. War with monsters of 1000 forms. Not a single war, but multiple wars, over a period of tens of thousands of years.
Tuka had seen all this before but it was in general. There, she saw Lorini's life directly, from her transition from primate to that of an immortal endowed with extraordinary gifts.
But what she sees of Lorini that matters most…. These are his methods of communication.
In fact, the old Eternal was teaching Tuka everything she knew about her "job" at full speed.
This means of communication was much more sophisticated and complex than a simple exchange of thoughts as in the case of telepathy. It was a spiritual and structured world that was being built during a "simple conversation".
Everyone was watching what was happening. The Eternal Elders knew exactly what was happening while the "young" Elves marveled at this interaction of such beauty even if they did not understand it.
To an outside observer, it only lasted a few minutes. For Tuka, it felt like years had passed. Which in a sense was the case since her brain had recorded as much information as it would have in several years.
"I taught you everything I knew about the art of communication, my student. Do you feel ready now? »
Tuka raised her arms in front of her, a sign of politeness similar to a slight bow for these ancestors.
"Yes professor. I am ready. »
"Then go and do us honor. Be the link between your people and the Celestials. Be the link between us and our descendants. »
"What exactly happened? » Hodor asked.
So, putting into practice some of what she had just learned, Tuka raised her arms and began to "draw" unknown patterns in the air that fit into those her father was unknowingly creating by simple act. that he was there and he was speaking.
At first, Hodor did not understand this gesture, but very quickly everything seemed clear to him.
It was halfway between the language of humans or rather "evolving" races and that of the Celestials. It was at the limit of what a biological brain could interpret…. And it was wonderful.
Now the young Elf was ready to leave her native village with a light heart and a clear conscience. Ready and proud to fulfill her role as intermediary between her people and the Celestials.
"[We are leaving for/returning to] Neo-Alnus immediately Tuka," Amiek said.
"Oh ? Already lord? I thought we would stay a little longer. »
"[Mechadroid 452-JF/a Crystal Woman] has alerted me to [an anomaly/unforeseen situation] occurring in Neo-Alnus that requires my immediate attention. »
"What is going on ? »
"Answer unknown. The unit seems unable to [establish an analysis of the situation/provide me with information], hence the need for my presence. »
-O-
If Tuka left her people, Princess Pina Co Lada was to join Sadera and her immediate situation was to say the least…. Morbid.
Bozes and Ashema stood beside her. Amiek were not present because this situation was not part of the actions he himself had undertaken. It existed because of the princess and Ashema herself overseeing the situation.
In any case, the report she would send to Amiek would be exhaustive.
In fact it was not the "real" Ashema. Normally the Celestials having the gift of ubiquity, she could have been really there at the same time as she was with Tuka near Amiek but the proximity of the Gate prohibited this kind of spatial manipulation.
For the Celestials, this was not a problem without a solution.
A clone (but something far superior to a simple clone) with a biological body but no mind of its own had been produced. From there, Ashema could operate it remotely by simple telepathy. So it was as if she was really there.
Ashema had kept her word, at least the first part. The bodies of a small portion of those who had died on the other side of the Gate now stood before her, in stasis boxes.
At first, the Celestial had wanted to send all the bodies. Reconstituted as needed, however, for logistical reasons this was not possible.
Certainly the Celestials could have provided reconstituted bodies of everyone but Pina would have been unable to send the bodies to their families. As for the few hundred nobles, it was doable. But concerning the tens of thousands of soldiers….
To solve this problem, only the nobles would benefit from a reconstituted body placed in a box, while the soldiers would be sent back in the form of small condensed spheres of light containing their souls, similar to the one in which Amiek had locked Emroy but much smaller.
Pina had decided that the balls of lights would be buried somewhere with a monument to pay tribute to them. That's all she could do for them. That and the satisfaction of knowing that, at least, their souls would be freed and could reach the afterlife. May Emroy and Hardy treat them well.
The princess was depressed at the idea of bringing these corpses back with her to present them to Sadera. On the one hand it was great that the sons of the noble houses could finally be handed over to them and given a burial.
On the other hand, these nobles still hoped that their sons/husbands/fathers were still alive. Bringing back their corpses wouldn't make them happy. They would cry for vengeance and Pina would have to convince them how futile it would be and she knew they probably wouldn't believe her.
And the most stupid and unnecessary war in the history of this world would continue.
Pina was now in front of all these "boxes" floating.
"I have a proposition for you, princess » the Celestial suddenly said.
Pina turned her head to Ashema but still looking dejected. What could this totally unhuman "Celestial" have to purpose?
"Earlier, you asked me to raise these dead and we refused. Nevertheless, I thought about the question. »
It was like a light bomb exploding in the princess's mind.
"YOU…. HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND ?! » she exclaimed overwhelmed with hope.
"Not exactly, but I have an alternative for you. »
The hope that had just risen so high falls to the ground.
"A…. Alternative ? »
"Yes. What really hurts is not that these people are dead but the grief it causes for their families, isn't it? »
"Um…. Yes ? »
"So here is my proposal. I would modify the funerla coffins so that the souls located in the bodies stay there for a while longer and set up a communication system. The deceased and their families will be able to communicate for the last time to say goodbye. That should make things easier. »
The princess was surprised. What a strange proposal. She hadn't expected something like this at all. This idea deserves consideration.
"This will allow these souls to resolve their affairs on this plan, thus facilitating their transition to their "afterlife" and will allow their families to better accept the situation. »
"I…. Yes, it's true. Thank you for your…. Generosity ? »
Pina wasn't sure if Ashema was properly capable of "generosity" or mortal feelings, but that was the only word she knew.
The Celestial also meditated on this word. Generosity ?
….
….
….
….
It was not an idea... Unpleasant. Ashema estimated.
In fact, Pina felt much better. Certainly a pure and « simple » resurrection would have been much preferable, but Ashema's proposal was the second best option. At least that would make things easier for everyone.
Too bad that this proposal could not apply to the soldier for logistical reasons.
"Oh, but it is possible Princess. We will send the souls to their families so that they can speak to each other one last time. The number and distance are no problem. »
"Re…. Really ? »
"Really. »
"Hey…. A moment there. YOU ARE READING MY MIND?! »
"Somehow. Let's say instead that I am perfectly aware of what is happening around me. Whether it is the energy exchanges within the atoms making up the matter that surrounds us or the functioning of your mind. So yes we can say that. Nothing you think is unknown to me."
Pina wanted to complain about this intrusion into her privacy but since Ashema was doing her a huge favor, now was not the time to complain.
"I don't blame you Princess. You are a human, so you think like a human. If I wasn't willing to accept human flaws then I wouldn't be here. I can't blame you for thinking the way you are created to think. That would be stupid. »
"…. »
"…. »
"…. »
"Well, at least try to be discreet when reading people's minds. This makes us very uncomfortable. »
"I take note. Now back to my suggestion. Is it right for you".
Now a huge weight was lifted from the princess's shoulders. It wasn't ideal but it was a really nice suggestion that would simplify things as much as possible.
After all, in the begin, when Pina left to accomplish her mission she had not hoped for such an outcome. To her, the nobles and soldiers were all dead and their corpses burned or rotting somewhere.
So things were finally ALMOST for the best.
Pina would gain much notoriety in the Empire and recognition of her value. Think about "the one who went to seek the souls of warriors beyond the world".
However, she was not naive. She suspected that many would see her as the bearer of bad news. The one who would announce to all these families the death of their loved ones and the need to make peace with their killers.
The funny thing is that the Celestials didn't kill anyone during this battle. Sadera's army had killed each other at the very sight of them due to commanders who were overwhelmed by the situation and did not know what to do.
"I accept your proposal with gratitude"
"Then it's settled. Do you want us to proceed now? »
Pina thought for a moment.
"No. You must first contact the families, organize all of this. I need to inform the nobles. In fact, I think I'm going to leave again today. The sooner they are informed, the better."
The princess suspected that, in Sadera, plans were being formed at this moment. Nothing good could come of these plans.
"Besides…. I have another favor to ask of you…."
"To use the translocator you will have to ask Amiek. On the one hand it belongs to him and on the other hand my role here is very limited. I have no authority to take you back to Sadera on my own. »
"You read my mind again. Listen, for the sake of the conversation, at least try to wait until someone tells you things verbally before responding. It makes us very uncomfortable that you answer our questions before we say them."
"Thank you for informing me of this subtlety for a non-telepathic species. I will remember it. Besides, while I think about it. Concerning the survivors, do you want them to be returned to you now? »
"THE SURVIVORS ! I had completely forgotten about those. By thinking about the dead, I forget the living. »
Pina then began to think about this idea. If she brought the survivors back with her now, it would delight their families but anger those of the dead. Whereas if she didn't bring them back, she had a means of negotiation. Absolutely avoid the Senate organizing a punitive expedition against the Celestials. These beings didn't really care that their insignificant Empire was waging war against them since they could annihilate them in an instant. On the other hand, she did not want the Empire to continue to weaken and send brave soldiers to certain death for nothing.
Then she remembered that Ashema was reading her thoughts right now.
"What do you recommend ? »
"About what ? »
"You know because you read my thoughts. »
"Yes, but you just told me that it was inappropriate for me to answer your questions as if I already knew."
Pina felt tired. Sometimes she didn't understand what Amiek was saying, even though there had been a marked improvement lately, and, conversely, with Ashema it was as if they understood each other too well.
The princess finally resigns herself.
"I want you to tell me what I should do to prevent the nobles of the Empire from deciding to continue in this absurd and suicidal attitude of wanting to make war on you. »
"Oh don't worry about that. They can't do anything at all. They can't even reach this city since it's located at an altitude that even your Wyverns can't reach. The only passage is the "bridge of light" which connects it below and it is too narrow for an army to take. Besides, rest assured. Their futile efforts do not bother us. However, I think you are right to wait and try to make them understand their situation first before returning the test subjects to them."
"Test subjects?" not even considered "prisoners" ? This response was reassuring and at the same time so insulting. Pina was well aware that the Celestial was not trying to humiliate her. She was simply exposing the situation as it was and that was what was humiliating.
The princess could live with it given the abysmal difference between her nature as a human being and that of the Celestials. Could the nobles of Sadera do the same? Nothing was less certain .
"Ah, Amiek said yes. We can leave now if you want. »
"Eh ? »
"Your request earlier. You wanted to use the translocator. I contacted Amiek telepathically. It's OK. We can leave immediately
"…. I don't think I'll be able to get used to your ways. Okay, in the meantime, let's go."
Pina, Bozes, and Ashema then walked to one of the translocators that Amiek had duplicated from the one he had made. The princess would arrive in Sadera very quickly.
-O-
Grassac was preparing to spend a pleasant evening with Rory. Once again they would attempt to capture Baron Rivendare's mount at the end of Straholme Dungeon.
He had prepared everything well. Crisps, two pizzas and soft drinks, Coca cola and Fanta orange.
The more they played with their guild, the more they discovered unknown concepts. A player had said "AFK bio" for a few minutes, because the pizza delivery guy had arrived (author's note: AFK bio = "Away From Keyboard for biological reason" like "going to the bathroom" or "going to eat". It is gamer language).
Grassac didn't know what a pizza was then, but he understood that whoever the other members of his guild were (Grassac hadn't the faintest idea that they lived in another world and knew practically nothing about them) he s was informed by the crystal woman placed in his service.
She had ended up giving him a fast food menu copied from those found on earth and Grassac had wanted to try this food.
Like any normally constituted human being, Grassac's first pizza was a revelation for him. The "Regina" made from mushroom and ham that he had taken with a coca-cola had conquered his heart.
And tonight he would introduce Rory to this marvel as he persevered in obtaining the skeleton mount. Luck would eventually smile.
But above all, recently, Rory seemed to be much better and really interested in his game. This change of attitude intrigued him but he did not complain about it (he was totally unaware that Rory was still trying to make him a warrior "worthy of death". This game was just a step towards that goal).
He was sincerely glad that the one who had "saved" him from a bandit's fate was mentally better and started smiling again. He had completely forgotten how dictatorial Rory could be. Those first setbacks with her seemed so far away.
In short, he was about to spend an excellent evening.
Fate had other plans, however.
Rory for her part was a bit more interested in this game than before.
She had ended up taking a liking to it and finding it "fun", but nothing more. She was intrigued by the other members of the guild, her "comrades in arms". Who were these people? Since this "dream game" contained all kinds of players then it meant that these people really existed somewhere.
Yes but where ?
When she asked their crystal servant, she said that the game had actually been developed on the planet that humans had once come from, a world called "earth".
Which raised other questions. If the humans of "earth" could create this dream game, then what else could they do? What was their world like?
She would have really liked to meet them. Who knows, maybe it will happen one day?
For the moment, however, she had a more trivial occupation than philosophical questions. She was really hoping to capture that skeleton mount. Even though said mount could never leave the dream world, the image of the living dead horse that another player in her guild had shown her, made her drool with envy.
Anyway, this game had at least one concrete merit. It was excellent weapons and tactics training for Grassac. The better things went, the more effective their tandem became. They had started participating in an aspect of the game called "PVP" or "Player Versus Player" and their team was ranked quite well in the current "season".
The other "players" were quite impressive. Admittedly, many of their "techniques" were special powers that the game granted them. Skills that true warriors could never acquire, such as the ability to make oneself invisible to "rogues" or to transform for druids. However, team combat strategies in PVP arenas or those on "battlegrounds" were worth studying.
She had the opportunity to see all kinds of individual or group tactics that she had never seen on real battlefields. It was very instructive. In short, it took a while, but in the end, "World Of Warcraft" as this "dream game" was called was much more interesting than she had thought at first.
Not that she was becoming addicted to this "dream game". No not at all…..
….
….
….
….
Okay, maybe a little bit?
For the moment she had something more trivial to do. Once again they had just entered the dungeon. The undead and the usual bosses that were problematic a few levels before were being killed quickly now and once again she and Grassac entered the last part of the dungeon where the Baron was waiting for them.
Rory immediately realized two strange things.
First, the environment was not as usual. It was not the same walls nor the same undead. The decor was different. Maybe a new event? Grassac had explained that, sometimes, the game changed suddenly when certain conditions were met to evolve towards something more in keeping with the story.
Rory wasn't sure what she had done differently recently. She had stopped doing her quests or progressing in the story because she absolutely wanted this skeleton mount.
So why this change? Was this what other players called a "bug"?
The second, more disturbing thing, was that Grassac had completely disappeared. It wasn't that embarrassing. Rory could always exit the game to return to her apartment and talk to Grassac in the real world. But not at the moment. She preferred to explore this change which she found rather pleasant.
It was then that another detail caught her attention. The monsters had a strange attitude. It wasn't quite the usual undead she encountered here. They were skeletons and zombies, but they looked different.
They were more varied in their appearance. They looked more real in a way, but that wasn't the most surprising. No, what really surprised Rory was that the monsters weren't attacking her. They turned to her, looking at Rory with their eyeless sockets. Then one of them raised his arm and pointed in a direction….
And everyone else did the same, pointing the same direction to Rory. None seemed to be trying to fight her.
"You want me to go there?" asked the Apostle.
No answer.
Then she hit the skeleton which crumbled into pieces.
She then realized that no number appeared. She could not see the amount of damage inflicted or the number of experience points she had gained. However, she knew she was still in the game. At the bottom left of her vision, the dialog bars were still present.
She saw messages from players in her guild. Apparently they were planning a raid on a place called "Onyxia's Lair"... And she saw Grassac sending her messages. It was not their usual mode of communication. Since they were always together, they spoke in person except when they were really far away in which case it went through the game's communication system.
Grassac asked where she had gone…. But she was unable to answer him. Something was blocking her.
It was frustrating.
Resigning herself, she decided to follow the path indicated by the skeletons.
The more she walked, the more the place seemed to differ from the game until she arrived there in front of the door which opened, normally, into Baron Rivendare's room.
Whatever boss was presumably present behind, Rory would do anything to defeat him. If it was a new event, she wanted to win the first time.
She checked that her life potions were correctly configured, as well as her buffs.
Then she pushed open the door and entered….
She saw that Rivendare was not there. Instead there were two individuals. A warrior and a sorcerer if she judged by their appearance.
As she prepared to charge, something caught her attention. The warrior's armor… the shape…. the patterns….
Then the warrior spoke.
"Rory." » he said simply.
This voice…. No. It wasn't possible, it made no sense.
Instead of charging, the Apostle decided to advance cautiously to get a closer look. Then when she was close to the warrior... She felt the aura he gave off.
It was then that Rory understood but she didn't dare believe it.
"Lor…. Lord Emroy?! »
"Yes Rory, it's me. »
"This voice…. But….. No, it's an illusion of Hardy's to control me. It is…. »
"It's me, Rory. » Emroy replied, taking a fighting stance.
A stance that Rory recognized very well.
"LORD EMROY! »
Rory then threw herself with her halberd at her god and began to exchange blows with him.
"LORD EMROY! » she shouted, crying with joy while continuing her assault.
"Yes Rory, I missed you too" replied the god, counterattacking with his sword.
The assault ended when Emroy disarmed Rory with a feint that his disciple had never been able to counter.
Rory was sweaty now and she was ecstatic. Her god was in front of her. Nevertheless, she wanted to know how. Before entering the game she had prayed to Emroy while he was still locked in the ball of light, so how could he have entered inside the "dream game"?
"Lord Emroy…. But…. How…. ? And where did Grassac go? »
"Regarding your new apprentice, he was not invited. He is not "worthy of death" at the moment, but perhaps that will come. As to why I am here…. I was rescued. At least in part. »
"In part? »
"My essence is still a prisoner of the sphere, but my spirit was able to enter this game world. I am a prisoner of it but it is a more comfortable prison than the sphere. »
"But if your essence is still trapped then how did your spirit get here? » asked Rory who, although reassured to see her god, did not understand how he had performed such a feat.
Not that she doubted him of course.
"Like I told you, I was rescued. »
"Rescued ? By who ? »
"By "The one we all fear ». This is how my mind was freed. To serve as an intermediary. A means of communication between the two of you. »
"Between me and who? »
Emroy then indicated the magicien who was standing next to him.
Rory hadn't paid attention at first. She had been entirely focused on the warrior but now she turned all her attention to the magician.
Now that she looked closely, she realized something strange. As if each of her eyes saw different things simultaneously.
Her left eye saw a beautiful but sinister and joyless woman, while her right eye saw….. a grimacing skeleton.
"Rory….. Let me introduce you to Her Majesty the Death…. ".
To be continued….
Oh yes. New entity of the Marvel universe. Her majesty the Death herself and, NO, she is not going to fight the Celestials. Her role will be the same as usual: stay in the background and observe the situation while ensuring that things go in the direction she wants, namely preserving the balance between life and death …. But, perhaps, she is there, also, for a reason…. More personal?
Furthermore, the machinations of Set have begun and a new mystery embodied by Yao takes shape while the people of Tuka is finally resurrected.