What's inside

Next morning we went to see if Will and Dell were still sleeping and what we found was that bouth of them had a bad case of hangover. We then went bying them some medicine from a stoor couple blocks away. It didn't cost us much, but now they owed us 523 lux. We went back and bouth of them were still in bed in agony, so we handed them medicine and water to take with it. Dell then says.

- You are lifesavers. No, you are gods! Auh.

- Well we do have someone who is considered godlike.

- Who?

- Low.

- She is? What's so godly about her?

- She is letteraly imposible to kill. Thus the title god of immortality.

- You serious?

- As I live and breathe.

- Now I'm confused and have a headache.

They wanted to stay a while in their room, so we let them. Me and Low just chated downstairs. Eventually they came down and requested food. They eat their fill and we head out. I didn't notice before, but today seems to be some sort of festival. We decide to take on the festivities and go around. Will said.

- Haven't been in one for so long. It sure brings back memories.

We then went through the stalls. Dell wanted to play all kinds of games they had and Low was interested in foods. Me and Will were just accompanying them at this point, so we had time to chat.

- Hey Will.

- What is it Nor?

- Why did you pick Dell as your disciple?

- Why are you asking?

- Just wondering how you thought that a rowdy kid would be suitable point.

- I met him at the village when I was hunting couple of magical beasts. He was around seven years old. He was know as a troublemaker in the village, so he didn't have many friends his age. He would always do his part, but then he would be up to some mischief. One day he saw a chick that fell from its nest. He helped the bird back up to the nest by climbing the tree. After he was done, he fell from the tree and I saved him from the fall. He thanked me and went on his way. Couple of days later, when I was about to leave, he saw the adults choping the tree down. He went there and shouted "There are a birds nest full of chicks! Don't cut the tree!" Then the adults said "It's no big deal. Sod off." He got frustrated and decided to climb the tree and stay there until the adults promise to not cut that tree. I was intiqued of how it would end, so I stayed to see the results. He was there two days later and still wasn't giving up. The adults then got worried and promised to not cut the tree down. He then fell down from the tree from exhaustion and I saved him yet again. Then when he woke up again he asked me "Did they cut the tree down?" And I answered "No, they will keep their promise." He then smiled and said "Thank the five, I was so worried." I then asked him "Why did you do it?" And he answered "They are alive arent they? Why should we end their lives just for a few pieces of wood? All life maters. I would have beat them up to make them understand if I could." That was when I made my mind and made the offer. He wanted to think about it so I gave him a day. After a day, he came to me and said he talked about it with his parents and they would be honored. That is how our little journey began.

- Why did that story made you choose him?

- He showed me that he had a kind heart deep down. Over the years I've noticed many things like that he might end up beating up couple of people, but he would never do it to the point of ruining their lives. He treasures all live to its core. He even had problems ending his firts prey. He actually was planing on paying the people at the village he ruined but I got to it first. He even paid me back what I gave to the villagers. He will make a good westpoint someday.

- But not today, right?

- He has still much to learn.

- By the way, you owe me 523 lux.

- From the last night?

- And todays medicine.

- Got it.

He hands me the money. Then I say.

- Still, I do think you are right about him.

- Thanks.

We then hear Dell shouting to a vendor about something and me and Will just close our eyes for a second and sigh.

- Let's go check it out.

- Let's.

And that's how we spend the rest of the day. After the festival, we went back to Lech't A Sol and met up with Relse. We started talking.

- Hey! How are you two doing?

- We are doing fine. We had some issues on the way, but we still persevered.

- Issues? What kind?

- It turns out that one incident hurt me enough to the point that I got a second personality.

- Second personality you say. What's it like?

- It's homicidal.

- Anything else?

- That and he is better at fighting than me.

- How much so?

- Don't know.

- Then why don't we test it out.

- What?

- Let's a fight to test that theory.

- Isn't that taking it a bit far?

- What, you scared?

- No I just... fine, let's do this.

- Great, then let's go find Siel'Kel.

We go to Siel'Kel and explained the situation. Siel'Kel did the thing and send us to somewhere we could fight without worry.

- Are you really sure about this?

- What now? Having second thoughts?

- It's just... what if I don't come back.

- Then you are screwed either way.

- Right, let's do this.

We then start the fight. I charge at him and made few attacks. I put everything I had on the attacks and Relse just blocked them with ease. I kept on swinging my sword and casting spells but none seemed to work.

Then he tests my durability and started punching. I could barely keep up with them and once one of them hit, I was sent flying to the edge of the arena. Then Relse said.

- So that is your limit now. Siel'Kel, heal him and Nor, try calling your orher personality.

- Well then, if you insist. It's your turn Ron.

I fell down and I was soon healed. When I was healed, I rose back up and Relse asked.

- You are Ron now right?

- As I live and breathe. You better take that grin off your face or else I'm going to make you regret it.

- Confidence! I like that.

- Now could you please die before I lose it.

- We are here to test your ability compared to Nor.

- I know that already! I experience what he experience and vice versa. Now that you made me come out, I'm going to make you into a pile of gore.

- Now then, attack.

- Don't need you telling me that.

I strike in a much faster speed. My attacks feel lot lighter and easier to control, once I'm on this state. Relse seemed to strugle much more this time, so I just kept pushing. I want to get that stupid grin off his face.

Then he started attacking and I managed to dodge them rather easily up until he started attacking much more faster. When one of them finally hit, I was sent flying and I managed to land softly and rise back up again. Then I started runing towards him and continue my attack until he attacked so fast that I couldn't respond. When it landed, my whole torso's right side just got annihilated. So I concided and we were sent back to the real world. I of course returned the control back to Nor first.

When we were back in the real world, Relse gave me some comments.

- You were sertainly much faster and stronger when you were Ron. Your reaction speed was also amazing compared to normal Nor.

- Thanks I guess.

- I could sertainly feel the bloodlust coming from you when you were Ron. Don't use it when you aren't sertain wether or not there can be more casualties than necessary.

- I agree with that. I don't want to see other people suffer because of me. Sounds weird from someone who represents destruction.

- Yeah, I'm all for destruction of stuff, but... I learned that destroying someone's life is... unpleasant to deal with.

- Glad you think like that. You could be much more handfull if you thought otherwise.

- Let's just say I learned the lesson the hard way. I wasn't always like this. Understanding of importance of stability and all.

- Did Soul give you one of those lessons?

- Couple of them, yes. Some I dealt with when I were at relationships with mortals. Little Daisy was really scary when she got angry. Even if I could defeat her easily. Aah, those were the times.

- Did she know about your circumstances?

- I chose not to tell her. I was tempted to do it, but I was afraid of her being scared of me.

- I'm sure she would have accepted you.

- Who knows. Maybe you're right. Maybe you're wrong. In the end, she is long gone.

- My condolences.

- Don't be like that. I've had much time to move over it. I've been even in other relationships.

- So you're one of the unfaithful ones.

- When you live as long as I have and fell in love with one mortal soul, you learn that it's not that simple. Am I supposed to live the rest of my live grieving for them? Wouldn't they want for me to live happily? I mean one of my lovers was tad bit obsesive and wouldn't want me to fall in love with another person, but the most of them aren't like that. Or so I think.

- I see. If I live a my life and fall in love with a mortal then... hah... well we will see. Good night.

- Good night. May you have wonderfull dreams for Oblew to witness.

- Thanks, I guess.

We then go to sleep. The next day, I decided that I should head back to Atlas and see how the situation is there regarding the cultists. So we go there, go and try to see if Mary is on her usual spot, find her and say hi to her.

- Hi Mary.

- Hi Nor, it's been a while. Come in.

We go further inside the room Mary was in.

- And could you close a door, thanks.

I do so.

- Great, now I can guess why you're here.

- We're here to hear what happened to the cultists.

- As I thought. Well, situation has gotten a bit complicated.

- What now? Some other legal loophole.

- Not for the most part. Let me explain. So most of the cultists, that were made to drink that liquid, had been sent to a seperate prison where their damaged mentality can be taken care of. As for those that weren't made to drink that.

- There are those that didn't drink it? I thought that everyone had to drink it to initiate.

- Those who were scouted in Atlas were the only ones who were made to drink it. As for the members that came from outside, most of them still had drank it, but there were those who weren't. Those who weren't had been placed in high security prison or executed. For example Argesh, the second in command, was executed soon after capture.

- Were all the high ranking ones executed?

- Not... exactly. While most of them were executed, some weren't for their relatively low ranks. And for other reasons.

- So then that means that Rihin was executed.

- ...

- You don't mean...

- She was one of the ones that were excluded from the executions.

- But why? Wasn't she responsible for everything?

- She was responsible of everything their cult did in Aeternus.

- Then why?

- In a book of Vita it is said that "All life is pure when they are born. No act crime can be claimed to be done by an unborn child. Soon after it's birth, the child is still pure and is excluded from all crimes. And when they gain the understanding of oneself, they are still but a clay handled by their surroundings.".

- What has that have to... No.

- Yes. Rihin and you have created a child. And due to the child being innosent bystander by the accordance of the church, it can't be accused of any wrongdoing. And thus, the child's development can't be threatened by the church so the child must be allowed to be born. And of course that means we can't take the mother's life during this time. However, when the baby is finally born, she will be executed soon after. She has understood this and... well... laughed at the coincidence.

- Then, do I have to take care of the baby?

- Since you're the most likely father of that child, by the church law, you will be held accountable for taking care of the child. In 17 months, you will be expected to come back and take the baby. That is the church law.

- But... but how about an orphanage?

- If you choose to leave your child there, it's your choise. But abandoning ones children is considered sinful in most cases. At least in the eyes of the gods.

- So then...

- You can't win. I'm sorry. I wish there was another way.

- You should have just killed her.

- What?

- Oh, nothing.

The Ron in me is getting out a bit.

- Fine, in 13 months, I will come and pick up the baby. Even if the baby is a reminder of what Rihin put me through, the child itself is innosent.

- Glad to hear you understand. And if you need any help with taking care of it, come to me.

- You know about taking care of a baby?

- I was raised in an orphanage myself. There I helped the caretakers with all the work. Including taking care of babys.

- I will hold you on to that promise then.

- Feel free. Oh, that reminds me, the leader of our organisation is visiting today. Want to come with me to see her?

- Sure, I got nothing better to do. What about you Low?

Low nods.

- Then it's settled. She should be coming in with the next ship from Nearn. It should be arriving in couple of hours. I will take care of few things and then we can go to eat somewhere while we wait.

We wait for her to do some work and later when she was done, we tird to go to grab a bite in some restaurant, when we were stoped by a guard.

- Where are you going mam?

- I'm meeting a friend of mine, stand aside.

- Then I need to come with you as your escort.

- No need. I already got two escorts right here.

- These two. Can we trust them.

- One of them helped us to usurp the last pope and the other one is the holy maiden of immortality.

- The god of immortality!? My apologies mam, please go ahead.

- Where did you hear that from guard?

- It's something people talk about in the tavern I visit. Am I not supposed to be calling her that?

Mary started sounding a bit stern.

- Officially, you should just call her holy maiden of immortality. She has not been granted a title of god in the church. Are we clear.

- Yes mam!

- Great, and inform others that she is not to be called a god of immortality.

- Yes mam.

- Now let's go.

Then we headed to some restaurant and after that, we started going towards the harbor to see the ship that comes from Nearn.

We then sat for a while until Mary standed up and greeted some elf that was bit smaller than Low. We went and greeted her as well, but we were interupted by her guards. Then mary told something to the elf and then the elf said.

- Ley them pass. I wish to talk to them.

The guards then disperse.

- Now then. I believe that this is the first time we met. My name is Wetrashen Ys Elisias O Ter Leyshire, but you may call me Elis.

- An elvish name, quite rare to find those still used. My name is...

- Nor, this girl is Low and that bird flying over there is Rin. I know.

- Oh, because of the reports?

- And so much more young man. Mary have you prepared a plase for us to stay?

Mary answers.

- Yes mam. Right this way.

Mary then starts leading the way towards a carriage that wasn't there before. She let Elis, me and Low in it and Mary went to sit next to the driverseat. We then went on our way. I tried asking Elis.

- What are you...?

- Not now. Let's talk later in safer plase.

- Okay.

We then went to said plase. It was a big mansion that was somewhere on near the centre of the city. We went inside, were greeted by the servants and went upstairs to a room that seemed like it was used as a meeting place. Elis told us to sit down and soon after we did, the door opened and tea was brought in. We all, me, Low, Elis and Mary, sit down and started talking. Elis started.

- So you are the ones that Mary has writen lot about. How are you doing?

- We are fine. Why did you come to this place? Just a visit? And what is your organisation called?

- We are called The Fallen. And well yes, I came here to visit, but I came to inspect if everything is as Mary says it is. I trust her of course, but I must sometimes do these types of visits. You have traveled far and wide yourself. Say, how did you find the other realms?

- They were an interesting experience. Did you learn that from Mary's reports?

- Well, yes and some more from one of our patrons.

- Your patron? Who is that?

- Oh you know, your old friend Rahasia.

- Your patron is Rahasia? Didn't expect that.

- In our line of work, we need to find all kinds of secrets. Rahasia and we share a similar interests. Sometimes she let's us risk one of our members to go to her realm and try to not get cought. We largely avoid those situations, since they often go to her favor. Oh, then we have Sa'at and Set as our other two patrons.

- Secrets I understand now, but why change and control?

- You see, sometimes you need to make something better by changing it somehow. And sometimes you need to keep a working consept in control of the situation. Do you see?

- Kind of, but I'm still not following.

- Let's put it this way, we have a corrupt leadership in some country. We need to change it's leadeship somehow to better the county's situation by potentialy knowing many secrets that they hold and using said information. Then when the country is under a leaderhip that seems better for all of the people, someone might want to change the things back to where it was, so we try to keep it under control by taking care of the threat. Do you understand now?

- Yes, I think I do.

- Great, now to my question. How is the old man Lex doing?

- He is fine I guess. You know each other?

- Yes, we go way back. He was the first reason why I started this organisation.

- He was the reason?

- Yes, while you may see him as someone who is good at heart, but that is only because you are on his good side. For the rest of the people, it is quite different. Let me tell you how I met Lex. I was a young elf, below 100 years old, and I was researching how some plants have magical properties and some don't. The mage's tower of Taican was just established and I saw an oppoertunity to further my research. Then the master of the tower took an interest in me and decided to fund my research. When he came to talk to me about it, I felt like someone finally understood my research. Because of that, I fell in love with him.

- You fell in love with him?

- Yes, and so I spend many years conducting my research with some results. I was so blinded by love, that I didn't see the injustice around me. It was only at two dacedes later that I realized what is going on. I realized that only those who gain the approval of the council or the master himself are treated with respect. Those who aren't so lucky try desperately to impress the council so that they can gain the funding to their research. If you're not funded by the council or the master, then you need to use your own money or find a sponsor. This creates a hierarchy that seperates those who aren't seen worthy of the council's time and those who are. Those who aren't chosen by the council are treated as peasants and those who are chosen, are treated as nobles. It makes people turn in to piranhas that take every opportunity they get to impress the council. This is true even today.

- I heard about this, but is it that bad?

- If you consider that using people as test subjects is acceptable to a sertain point. There was even a case that ended with a test subject, who was still a child, dying from the experiment. Normaly test subjects are protected by some laws, but since this experiment in question brought results, it was ignored. Lex has told me over the years, that while he doesn't fully approve experimentation on people, he doesn't plan on taking an action on baning it either. I had tried for a long time to change how things work in Taican, but each time the elite manage to find a way to get past some laws. Saying that they are mostly corrupt wouldn't be that much of a stretch. Speaking of people being experimented on, how do you feel like homunculi?

I look at Low and then back.

- I don't see any problems with them.

- Then do you believe that homunculi have souls?

- Lex told me way back that it is possible.

- In most cases, homunculi get something called a pseudo soul. It isn't created by the creator, but it just appears to the homunculus. The proof of there being something like a soul is that without some kind of soul, you can't cast any form of spells. And of course there are cases where a real soul attaches to the homunculus. Now what do you think are the laws conserning homunculi?

- Aren't they like any other people?

- In terms of creation, they are better than your avarage person. But in some places they aren't treated as people. That is because, while Carbon figured it out long long time ago, our world figured out how to create homunculi just above 40 years ago. When I was young, practising the art of creating a life out of nothing was closer to being necromancy than anything else. That is because they would just use dead body parts as a ingredient. Because it is relatively new achievement, there aren't laws regarding homunculi in some plases. For example here in Aeternus, homunculi are considered people, where as in Nearn they aren't, in terms of laws, considered people. As such, if Low would go to Nearn right now, she could be treated as a object rather than a person in terms of laws. And do you want to know how Taican handless these things?

- Tell me.

- Those that are proven to have pseudo souls or those that can't be proven to have a normal soul are treated as objects and those with real souls are treated as people. There barely even exists a consistent way of proving you have a real soul instead of a pseudo soul. While Low hasn't been in any test where they would test wether she has a real soul or not, thanks to Lex's influence, she is considered a person. This is a law that Lex himself came up with when the craft of making a homunculus was created. Yet he ignores it himself and makes others do it by force. Any influencial person can create a homunculus now and might get excluded from the law.

- I'm sure that Lex would intervene if they tried to get past that law. He is highest in command after all.

- Would he do that? He doesn't bother with the injustice that happens to normal people who are being experimented on. He just wants to see results.

- I need to talk to him about this.

- Good luck with that. I have tried many times to convince him to change, but so far nothing has worked. The Fallen has even considered killing him in many ocasions but ultimately, he is the only one who keeps us elfs in order, as he is the oldest one of us. Anyways, if you manage to convince him on anything, you'll have my thanks. Now then, would you like to join our organisation?

- No.

- And how about Low.

She moves her head in disagreement.

- I see. Well in your long lives, you two will surely have other chances to join if you want. And we will likely meet in the future, in one way or another. Now I have something to talk with Mary here so pleace take your leave.

- Understood. Thanks for this talk.

We leave the mansion and go to talk with Lex in person. He is confused of why we couldn't just talk remotely, but he agreed. Once we were there Low asked.

- Why do you allow such horrible things in your kingdom?

- Where is that coming from? Also this isn't my kingdom.

- It might as well be. You are the most influencial person in Taican, so what you say has some weight to it. Now why do you allow people being experimented on?

- Well if you really must know, then it is that because it doesn't matter.

- It doesn't matter if people are being experimented on?

- No, what I mean is that it doesn't matter if I actively try to stop them. I'm advocate for free research, so why put a boundrary that would be ignored in some way. Basically if I tried to stop them from doing something, they would just find some other place to do their research. People with determination to research something cannot be stoped by mere laws. They only hinder them so they try to find some other way to do it. Even if it is illegal.

I say.

- So it's better to have an close eye on people who might be troublemakers than letting them roam wild. Is that what you're saying?

- Precisely. And if I were to make it harder on them, then we wouldn't have found a way to create a homuculus on our own. Well, I learned how to do it ages ago, but the mortals finally figured it out by themselfs. Isn't that terrific.

- Speaking on homunculi, you really need to find a way to find out wether they have real soul or not.

- People are researching it as we speak. I even made it so that if they figure it out, we give them grand price of gaining a favor from me.

- You make it sound so big.

- Just like Low said, with my influence it is big. Of course I can refuse the to give a favor if it is unreasonable.

- And what is unreasonable?

- Like having my children.

- You expect that someone would want that?

- You never know what creative minds can come up with.

- So what your relationship with Elis?

- You mean Wetrashen? It's a long time since I heard that name before. What about it.

- I heard she had a thing for you.

- Oh that, yeah I never really cared much. I mean it would have been an interesting experience, but it would have ended poorly in the end. Besides, her ideals, while pure, are deeply difficult to bring in to light. There always will be greedy people who only think of themselfs and thus, her ideal world will never be reality. But do not misunderstand me, I think what she does benefits the world in the long term. I don't think that her goals are unneeded to this world.

- Glad you at least acknowledge her goals.

- I would be a fool if I didn't acknowledge them. You meeting her must be the reason for your questions.

- Yes. At least you have reasons to do what you do.

- We all do.

- But I still think you are bit corrupted.

- I neither confirm nor deny that. To a seperate topic, Mortimer wishes to see you tomorrow. Relse will also be there.

- When should we come?

- Before midday.

- Than we will meet then. Send us back to Lech't A Sol.

He does that and we spend the rest of the day training in the woods.