22 Chapter 21

She pondered once again on the meaning of the words stated by the everlasting one. He was blaming the destruction of the world on the lords.

'So, the lords are truly responsible for their deeds.' Of course, she would not just foolishly believe in a random dragon she just met. But the fact that they were in her soul helps a lot. This was her soul, and she could easily sense things that would normally be unable to do in the outside world.

She could sense whether their words were true of false, but her senses would be useless against an eternal being in the outside world. But she was still curious about one thing. It had nothing to do with her soul or her old world. It was just a simple, plain curiosity.

"When did thou speak with the tongue of this world?"

She noticed that the dragon wasn't talking in an 'old fashioned' tone even when he was eons older than her. This seems to amuse him greatly.

"Are you worried because of your tongue? Do not despair for our tongue will always blend in with our world. For eternal beings like us, changing our tone is something we do not even need to think." His words held some truth to it.

Although she might not show it outwardly, it makes her feel alone. It makes her want to sit alone in a corner facing the wall while hugging her knees.

The dragons sensed her thoughts and laughed. Thousands of beings laughing at once makes her want to crawl into a random hole. This seems to amuse them even further to no end.

"Don't worry little lady!" "You will get that accent one day!" "How can we let the last keeper crawl into a random hole!" One after other dragons started teasing and hollering at her as if they were drunk customers in a tavern.

She did not know what to do but her face is visibly reddening at this. Alduin also started laughing out loud. He was the loudest of them all. Despite the fact that they were jesting at her, she truly felt happy for the first time.

The ashen one would usually do something he called 'gestures' and 'emotes' to cheer her up. Did she mention that she loved spinning around him when bring out a bottle of alcohol from nowhere.

Despite the fact that the world has ended, she would never forget the honor of the knights that had fallen, the ideals of every single being from the greatest of the lords to the humblest humans.

It hit her once again, she would never find the peace of home again. The dragons were the closet things she had left. Their laughter reminds her that even the greatest beings have a sense of humor no matter how distant they may seem to regular folk.

This made her remember a rather remarkable person. She herself, had never witness him but he left quite an impression on the Ashen one.

The sun knight Solaire. He was a strangely optimistic and upbeat individual for such a hopeless world. She believed with all her heart that he truly had no regrets when he died.

"Alright, enough", commanded Alduin. She could see that he was smiling. So were the other dragons. They no longer held that wary look at the beginning.

"Thank you, keeper for helping us find our source of entertainment once again." The greatest enemy for eternal beings was boredom. That is why so many of them were researchers. That is also why they never stopped creation from occurring even if it could threaten their reign.

It seems that she had helped them with their boredom. They were easy beings to amuse. "Here", said Alduin as he stretched out his claws. "Hold it", he said.

She obliged. The moment she touched his enormous claws, she could feel a connection with Alduin.

"This shall allow you to return to your soul anytime you wish. It shall allow us to converse even when you are in the outside world. Consider it a favor for allowing all of us to live in your soul.

Our world is no longer there, and you are our new world now. We shall reside inside your soul. This will also allow you to summon us or our powers in times of need."

This caused her some surprise. The power to summon an everlasting dragon is a huge power never mind summoning thousands of them.

"Thou hath my - You have my thanks", she tried to correct herself.

"Do not try to change your tongue, keeper. You haven't for two years, and it is the only thing to remind you of your home, isn't it? There is nothing wrong with not fitting, is there? Makes you even more unique."

"Thou hath mine gratitude", she said again. Only this time with an older tone and with more ease. "I shall bid farewell for now.", she said as she slowly fades. The next thing, she knew was waking up.

"Welcome back, took you long enough.", said the Ancient One as she was drinking tea beside her. One thing she noticed was that a lot of time has passed despite her short stay in her soul.

"How much time hath passed?", she asked for some form of validation.

"Three months" The ancient one seems to notice that she looked a bit baffled.

"Travelling into your own soul always take a lot of time." She accepted the explanation. Besides, she was already prepared to take a long time. This meant that she has nine months left to live.

"Will thou take me to the embryo now?", she asked.

"Then, let us go now.", said the Ancient One as she opened the portal and walked straight into it. They were standing in the middle of what seems like a circular construct.

"This is a magic circuit I made after coming out. So that, you would be ready to absorb the essence of the celestial right away. But I must warn you first. The embryo will not tolerate this and will fight back. Even if it has not emerged, it is near its maturation.

After all, celestials emerge only when they are fully mature. Of course, it can't physically fight you so the actual battle will take place between your souls."

The firekeeper merely smiled at this. A battle of souls? A celestial was but one immortal while there were live thousands of eternal beings residing in her soul.

She asked her question she feared would go unanswered. After all, the last time she asked this question, nothing answered back.

"Alduin, hearest thou my voice, still?"

"I do hear your voice, keeper.", said a voice that would always reassure her greatly in the many years to follow.

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This is Chapter 21.

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