For what comes after ruin

It has been done. The nightmare that Nearn faced has passed. At least the cause of it. But the chaos still remains. Will it ever be as prosperous as it was before this tragedy? Will there be a new lord of this land who unifies its people?

I don't know. This land seems to be in a complete state of disrepair. Anyone who could save this land is probably dead or has left. Still, I hope that one day peace will come to these lands. Someone ambitious and righteous. I can only hope.

Lex teleported himself close to the tomb to see if there was anything suspicious in the area. But it turned out that there weren't. Soon after this he teleported us back to the tower. There he told us that the random creature appearances started to stop happening around the world soon after we came back to the present. He told us that he has a device that monitors the world and that it can pick up the anomalies once they happen.

I was planning to go get some sleep. But then Lex and Aktor started talking about something.

- So wait. Now that I think about it, you knew about this the whole time, right?

- That is correct. Though there was a small chance that it might not be the case. I surmised that this was more than likely because of the fragment of time god.

- So when Nor had an existential crisis, you knew he would get back on his feet.

- That is also correct. Yes.

- So why did you bet against him getting back up when we bet favors?

- I wanted us to be even. Now, if you would want to use your favor, I could just use my favor against your's and then I would not need to do anything. It balances out.

- That I get. But what I don't get is why would you not have gained two favors? Or at least not bet at all?

- I saw this as a more fascinating way of dealing with you. Besides, now you don't need to worry what I would have come up with the favor you owed me.

- I... Suppose that is correct. But if I were you, I would have just used it instead.

- That is where we differ. That and many other things.

- Like your disregard for your own students' safety.

- That is just how I operate. And they aren't in danger if they don't annoy anyone who can destroy them.

- Yep. I agree. We do differ from one another. I'm going to take a nap.

- Then sleep well.

I also head to bed and sleep soundly at night. Or so I would have hoped. I had a nightmare about what had just happened and recalled the scene of people hanging from the spikes and other wooden structures. I still wonder why Joshua would go this far. To rob away your future to only live in grace in the past. Those innocent lives taken for granted.

And that king who let it all happen. Just so that the past glory would exist. To let your people suffer and your country be destroyed. I wonder if his life has been taken. I just don't understand.

So the morning came. I woke up, barely getting any sleep. I try to eat breakfast, but I don't have any appetite. So I only eat a little. I head to Lex's study to see both him and Aktor talking to one another about something.

- So you think this problem has finally ended.

- Yes. Now we only have the demon problem. Though there is not much we can do about it now.

- Then what should we do?

I decided to step in.

- Yeah. So what should we do now? Where are you going to drag me now?

Lex looked surprised and answered.

- I didn't notice you. How long have you been there?

- He just arrived. He didn't hear much. So do we have any plans?

- I still think you should go there.

- There. Huh. Isn't it too soon?

- He fended off king Joshua decently, so shouldn't he be ready already.

- I still think he needs to train a bit more before we head to Ehen.

- What is the problem? I can just teleport you as close as I can to the soultree.

- We should just teleport partway to it. The guardian wasn't happy last time you teleported me there. He told me that there should be a certain amount of effort to reach the great soultree.

- Then I just teleport you two close enough to it that the guardian doesn't notice.

- You and I both know we can't sneak close to it just like that. I think that a couple of days' travel should appease it.

- Fine. So will we go with this plan then?

- In time but first we need to train him a bit more. Couple of sparring matches with me and studying with you should be enough for a couple of days.

I finally decide to talk.

- Wait. So we are going to the great soultree in a couple of days. Why is that?

Lex answered.

- So that we might know more about your situation. You are an anomaly. And if we can't find anything more about you, we need to go to THE place to know what your situation is.

- Would the guardian even help us in the first place?

- To it, new life is most fascinating to watch. And you, while different, are a new life in a way. So it should be interesting in your situation as well.

- Should?

Aktor answers.

- That is if it is in a good mood and if you haven't grown too much.

- Well isn't that reassuring.

Lex says.

- That is why I should send you two of as soon as possible

- But he isn't strong enough to survive Ehen.

- It is your call Nor. Leave now, stay here a while longer and train and then go or don't go there at all.

I think for a while.

- I think I should train for a couple of days first and then leave.

Lex looks at me and nods.

- Then it is settled.

And then the next two days were filled with training. Lex teached me about magic and how to utilize it even more and Aktor had matches with me.

Then the day came when we would leave.

- You two should keep the rings, so that I can communicate with you easier from here. And should you need to teleport somewhere else, I can do that from here as well. Now are you two ready?

Me and Aktor nod.

- Then good luck to you. And Aktor...

- Yes?

- Make sure he doesn't die.

- Would have done it even without you telling me.

- Goodbye.

And so we were teleported in a forest that was most likely Ehen.

- Now that we are here, and if we are where Lex and I agreed to, we should start heading north-west.

- Alright. Let's go.

And as soon as I said that we were attacked by a magical creature. Aktor let me fend it off and we were on our way.

During these couple of days I decided to ask Aktor a couple questions, like.

- What were your thoughts about King Joshua?

- What is wrong with wanting to ruin your future, just so that you can live a couple days in bliss? That is the gist of what he was on about. Like an alcoholic who wants to get that small moment of joy and then feel miserable later. He chose that small joy, so that he has a miserable life afterwards. I don't blame him for choosing that, but I wouldn't have chosen the same path to walk as he did.

- I generally don't think that it was a good choice he made.

- That is your opinion.

- Yes it is. And I can't get the scene out of my head. That field of corpses on the horizon. How do you do it?

- I guess I've just gotten used to this. The scene of death. If you are going to follow my way of life, then you just need to get used to it. You already killed people who didn't have many other options than to attack innocent people because you thought it was the right thing to do. But that doesn't take away the fact that you took away a person's life. Those soldiers too were being manipulated and we had no choice but to fight them. Sure, we could have just made them unable to do anything else, but they would have lived with the fact that they murdered many innocent people. There is no easy way to handle these things. You just have to find your own way of dealing with these things.

- I... I see.

I understood what he was saying. Either quit or learn to cope with the horrors I will face. If I continue, I'm not sure if I will ever get used to it. I just need to push on for the few people I potentially can save. That's it.

- I think I got this.

- We will see if that is true in time. Now it seems the night is getting closer. Let's find a suitable camping place and get some sleep.

We find a place to camp for the night soon after and Aktor decides to take the first lookout shift.

- Goodnight.

- Goodnight. And Nor.

- What?

- Never get used to it.

And with that I go to sleep. Though I barely got any sleep. Then it was my shift and I got to think a bit more about what Aktor said. "Never get used to it" huh. He must have seen a lot by the way he said it. I will tell him later that I will try to find a way to keep my mind sane without me getting used to it.

So the night went. We cooked some beasts meat for breakfast and got going. And so these couple of days went. We walked during the day, hunted some beasts on the way, ate and got some sleep in the night.

During the fourth day we saw a city of sorts. The city was located at a chasm and the great soultree was towering on top of a hill. The city had some bizarre looking buildings, and the people there looked like they were mostly insect folk.

And the great soultree. I could not believe it was this huge. The Mages tower of Taican was nothing compared to this. We saw it far before we saw the city itself. The "tree" was a crystal structure that took the shape of a gigantic tree. Its branches were so long they could get easily across a city or two. It was magnificent.

- Oh by all that is great in this world. I stand now in the shadow of a miracle.

- There you go again. Though I will give it to you this time. It is on another level than anything else in this world.

A moment passes and a person comes flying at and greets us.

- Hello there. O great travelers. Would you kindly tell this one why you are here in this holy place.

Aktor answers.

- We are here to meet the guardian of the great soultree.

- I see. This is quite a thing to do. Even this one has only been blessed with Watcher's presence but only once. Many wish to see the great Watcher, but alas they will be disappointed to not see the one. For it will converse with us usually with great discomfort.

- I know this fact. But my friend here is a unique existence and we wish to be imparted with the Watchers wisdom.

- If this one may ask, for what way is that one unique?

- He has been in this world only for less than a year and his soul appears to be quite special. Would you kindly show us a way to a person who may inspect him?

- Hhm. This one is quite interesting indeed. This one will show you a way to Scale to inspect him.

- What is a "Scale"?

- They are, what your people usually call, a priest of sorts. They should know a way to inspect that one's soul. Now this one will walk you to the palace the Scale should be in.

- Lead the way.

I decided to whisper to Aktor.

- Why are you so weird all of a sudden?

- These people like this way of speaking. Trying to match their way of speaking a bit is considered a good gesture. Though completely imitating their way of speech, without being one of the insect folk, is considered insulting. Now just follow my lead and try not to offend them.

The person decided to talk again.

- This one I almost forgot. This one is called Maq'at and this one welcomes you two to our holy resting place called Lech't A Sol.

And with that we entered the place called Lech't A Sol. A place directly under the great soultree.