Transcendence?

by Andur

  “He is already dead!” Celestial growls.

  “She wanted to use me as a concubine!” Sera is eager to divert Celestial's attention from her.

  “Con... Concubine! My daughter?” She looks towards the queen who is hiding under a chair. Celestial disappears in a blur of motion and grabs the queen, shaking her like a puppet. The space around Celestial distorts and both of them disappear.

  A second later she reappears right in front of me. “Take her home! I've something to do.” Then she is gone again.

  The silence in the room is deadly, so I bow to Gemesh once again and take Sera and myself back home through a pathway.

  Jateria

  Gemesh

  “What the fuck happened just now!? I was completely ignored!” I scream out in frustration. The freaking family of gods is gone.

  “Please, save us.” The wizard on the ground whimpers.

  “Shut up! Well, those are troublesome new neighbours. I hope they never visit my world again.” While I speak those words, the cracks in the ground suddenly widen and the whole fortress crumbles around me.

  So I teleport outside and watch the fall of the last human fortress and sigh.

  88 - Community...

  Norfolk, Sarn

  Lidith

  “Um, Celestial? Are you home? ~Hellooo?~” I knock on the door while I take timid look into Celestial's kitchen.

  The light inside the room is dimmed to a bare minimum and I find several pots on the hearth. Their insides are shining in a luminescent light. Celestial is on her knees while rummaging around in one of the lockers.

  She looks up for just a second and continues her search. “Lidith, it's rare that you visit me here. Is there something important?”

  I take a step inside and close the door behind me. “Not really. I just want to inform you guys of an event. It would be good if you find the time to participate.”

  Celestial stands up with another pot in her hands and places it on the hearth. “What's this so called event about?”

  She grabs some remnants of various ingredients and throws them into a bigger pot at her table. The pot rumbles a little, like something inside it approved of being fed.

  The whole room is a mess and it doesn't look like a kitchen at all. It looks like a witch's den. “There is an assembly of all the gods within this region of space. It'll be held soon. It would be nice if you two would join in. Just to learn the ropes of being a god.”

  Celestial looks up from one of her pots. “A meeting? I thought we gods wouldn't care much about others of our kind? Are there even enough gods to have a decent party?”

  I smirk. “Well, we aren't all antisocial hermits. And there will be more than enough gods. Even if there are just a handful of gods per world, there are still thousands of populated worlds just within this universe. And if you take a look at the whole multiverse, there are probably countless gods.”

  Celestial nods. “I still find it hard to believe that the multiverse is that big. And that souls can apparently travel between realities. But I guess that's the explanation why there are worlds with and without magic.”

  She continues to stir one of her pots while looking at me. “So? Why this gathering?”

  I smile and clap my hands together. “Why indeed? To talk to each other and learn of the latest news about the multiverse. To solve disputes and to have a nice time. Don't think too much of it. It's more like a giant party. We hold it every hundred years. It's one of the few traditions we gods have. It's like the Ball of Fellmar, just on another scale. And not that formal.”

  A glass vase with a mouse inside attracts my attention and I grab it to take a closer look. It's a cute small mouse with little black knobs as eyes. She stands on her hind legs while pressing her nose against the glass. The whole scene just screams, 'Let me out! I want to be free!'.

  I continue my explanation. “And it's an unwritten rule for everyone to invite a new god to the party. New gods appear just every few thousand years. Everyone will be shocked to learn that there are two new ones this time and that there is the possibility that Sera and Arran will manage to ascend too.”

  Celestial nods. “I guess we'll take a look in that case. I wonder why there is no organisation among the gods after such a long time. Oh, please put her down. It'll be troublesome if she escapes. I am not done with her punishment yet.”

  I smirk. “We gods wouldn't be gods if we weren't natural individualists. It's a given that someone, who ascends to godhood, has his own mind. Someone who easily follows someone else like a sheep would never manage to ascend.” I return my attention to the mouse. “What did -she- do? Steal some cheese?”

  “She didn't respect my daughter. I wonder what I could do next? Transform her into a frog? No, that's too old school. It has no style. A dung beetle maybe?” Celestial continues to mutter to herself while I place the vase with the mouse carefully on the table.

  My expression changes into a forced smile. “So this is a person?”

  Celestial looks at me like I am an idiot. “Of course? Why else would I keep a vermin around?”

  She is a witch! Her kitchen is a witch's den, her abilities are those of a witch and she thinks like a witch! But she doesn't look like one! That beautiful body of hers is just deceiving the eye.

  Celestial grabs the vase with her captive and stores it away on one of the shelves. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to transform a human into something else while keeping their mind intact? And I am not talking about a cheap transformation spell which ends as soon as you stop supplying it with mana. This is the real and final thing. No way back.” She taps with her finger onto the vase and smirks while the mouse starts to run in circles and squeals.

  I wet my lips. “I guess she deserves her punishment.” No, I am sure that she doesn't deserve it. Celestial is someone who overreacts quickly. “So you'll visit the party with Ascathon?”

  “Of course. Should we bring the kids too?” Celestial returns to her pots.

  “I think that won't be necessary. They can join the next Gathering in a hundred years.” I shrug my shoulders.

  “You guys aren't in a hurry. One gathering every hundred years? Who is the organizer by the way?” Celestial sniffs at one of her pots and shuts down the heat.

  “Hahaha. Actually I think it's held too often. Once in a thousand years would be fine to me. It tends to get boring after so many times. Though I won't complain about the possibility to trade with the other gods, or to join the tournament. The gods who are managing the party are chosen by rotation.” I nod to myself.

  “Trade? What could you trade with another god? Can't we get everything we want from mortals?” Celestial seems interested now.

  “It's actually rare for a god to mingle with mortals like you do. But I guess that's because you are so young. If you don't die while everyone else around you is taken by the gears of time... let's just say that you tend to stop your interactions with mortals. It may take a hundred or a thousand years, it'll happen at some point.” I press my lips together while remembering the loss of some important people.

  Then I continue. “As for what's there to trade. There's stuff which is very unlikely to be made by mortals. There are gods who are unparalleled craftsmen. Take Ascathon's equipment for example.” I pull one of his communicators from my pocket. “This works even if I am on a world on the other end of the multiverse. Do you imagine that you could get something like that from a mortal engineer?”

  Celestial scratches her cheek. “So it would be beneficial if we took some of the stuff he creates with us? But I can't think of anything we would need.”

  I shrug my shoulders. “Most of the time I myself don't know that I want something until I see it. I guess you'll simply have to take a look around. There are also wonderful works of art and magic made by other gods. You could trade knowledge too. For example how you achieve your perfect battle aura. I've never seen something like it.”

  Celestial makes a dismissive gesture. “I don't think that
anyone would want to learn it. I had to give up my external magical system to achieve that level of power. I guess a god wouldn't want to give up casting spells.”

  My eyes wander to the mouse on the shelf. Though you don't seem to be hindered by it at all! “I guess there are at least some people who are interested in the possibility. So don't think that it has no value at all. I'll take a look at Ascathon's laboratory and explain the same stuff to him. Could you talk to him in the evening, just in case that he has no time for me?”

  Celestial nods. “Well I guess that's true. I'll think about it. And I'll discuss the matter with him anyway. So no problem.”

  I smile and take my leave while my eyes are glued to the squealing mouse.

  Outside the room I take a deep breath and close the door behind me. That's done. One to go.

  At Ascathon's laboratory I knock several times, but I get no answer. So I make my way into the dungeon-like maze, which he calls a laboratory. At the far end of the main hallway I see some light and walk closer.

  I get a sinister feeling while I approach. There is another room at the end of the hallway, so I take a look inside. Ascathon is standing close to the entrance in front of a big control panel. He hasn't spotted me yet. Several orbs on big spikes are pointing towards a crystal in the middle of the room. The crystal is levitating at a height of two metres and shining blue. Sparks of energy are flying everywhere, but they are caught and redirected by the spikes.

  Several green shining lights are orbiting the crystal like planets. An unholy howling sound is coming from them while they orbit the crystal. The atmosphere inside the room sends shivers down my spine.

  “It works!”

  “MwahahaHAHAHA!”

  “It works!”

  Ascathon raises his hands to the frightening construct and laughs like a mad... scientist?

  I turn and walk away. “Celestial will surely talk to him. There is no need for me to interrupt him. I don't know what I have just seen. It was surely nothing problematic. I don't want to know what I have just seen. Both of them can tell right from wrong. ~Yup!~ No need to worry about people who are that old.”

  “~I.Have.Not.Seen.A.Thing!~”

  “~Yup!~”

  89 - Another path...

  Desert, Eastern Planes

  Jazira

  I am alone. There is just desert all around me. Not a soul within a month's travel time. My mouth is dry and my skin is burned from the sun. I stopped bothering with applying healing magic every two hours.

  “Whhyyyyy!?” I fall to my knees while screaming in frustration. “It's no good. Whatever I do! But I want to go! I want to go! TO THE PAARRTYYY!”

  I start hitting the stupid sand under me. It's unfair! Even though I trained so hard for it.

  Suddenly Lidith appears in front of me. “Hey! Stop that, you are scratching your beautiful skin.”

  “No! Why are they allowed to go to the party while I am not?” I beat the ground one more time for good measure.

  Lidith sighs and repeats her explanation for the seventh time. “I explained that already. To be acknowledged as a god, you need access to your mana pool and be able to use the pathways. You only have access to your mana pool.” She shakes her head. “I can't take you to the party in that state.”

  I press my lips together. Then I point at Lidith. “But Celestial can't see them either! So why is she allowed to go!”

  A few drops of sweat start to form on Lidith's forehead. “That woman is beyond me. She somehow gave up her external magic system and strengthened her internal one. According to her she can't see the pathways at all. She is only able to feel them. Like a blind one would follow a rope, she pulls herself along a pathway with her will alone.”

  Lidith shakes her head. “To be truthful. I doubt that you guys are gods at all.”

  “Huh? I don't understand. What else should we be?” I sit down and wait for Lidith to explain.

  “I already told you that a god normally awakens all his abilities at once. You guys don't follow that pattern. On top you are far too young. I am starting to believe that our game is somehow at fault by summoning you. It's more like you slowly transcend step by step. Everyone of you according to his own abilities.” Lidith looks away while she ponders over something.

  Then she claps her hands together. “That may be your problem. You excel in accessing your mana pool! Have you ever tried to manipulate very small amounts of mana? The pathways require a certain sensibility to see them.”

  “How should I? As soon as I conjure some mana, it floods into me like a river! I have to get rid of it immediately, or I go up like a candle!” I wave my hands in the air.

  Lidith squints her eyes. “How is it with your inner magic system?”

  I shrug my shoulders. “No problems there.”

  “Activate your battle aura.” Lidith smirks at me.

  “Uh, sure?” I do as told and tap into my mana pool to pour the mana into my body. A strong glow of energy surrounds me and the sand under my feet starts to melt to glass. I stand up and swing my flat hand at a dune. The wind pressure alone blows the sand away.

  I turn back to Lidith. “See?”

  “You can't do better?” Lidith looks dissatisfied.

  “Isn't that already good enough?” I gesture at the place where the dune was.

  “You are wasting so much mana, it hurts my eyes. Look at your feet! The ground turned to glass! Your mana is wasted like that. That's the reason why you aren't able to tune your mana output. You are the exact opposite of Celestial.” Lidith turns on her own battle aura and repeats my action. This time a sandstorm hurls away from us and I fight to keep standing.

  “So I am no good.” I wanted to go to the party. If I had been able to become a god I could have talked to people on equal footing again. The permanent bowing and buckling by my subordinates gets depressing from time to time.

  NO! I can't think like that! Celestial managed it by relying on her talent. She didn't care about others and created her own path. If she can do something like that with her inner magic system, then why shouldn't I be able to punch through reason and belief as well?

  “~Nyahahaha.~”

  “I will show them!”

  I tap into my mana pool and start pouring my power into a teleportation spell. But it's not enough! “MORE!” The ground under my feet turns to lava because of the leaking power which escapes my control.

  “Stop it! Are you nuts?” Lidith has problems standing and retreats away from me.

  The ground starts to shake as the teleportation spell starts to tear at the fabrics of reality. Maybe I need some fortification. “Barrier!”

  I raise my hands to the sky and activate the teleportation spell.

  Darkness surrounds me. I am in space! Inside a five meter bubble, which is formed by my barrier. There is no star nearby, so I must have gotten quite far.

  Lidith appears beside me. “What the hell were you thinking!? You just created a five meter bubble of empty space right next to me! I was flung through the air like a doll.”

  “~Nyahaha! No problem, you are a god. And I needed a little distance from the world. There is still another experiment. So which star?~” I state with a happy voice.

  “No. We are going back!” Lidith crosses her arms in front of her chest.

  I don't listen and tap into my mana pool. This time without holding back! The space around me is flooded with my essence. If I can't see the pathways, then I'll light them up by using my own mana as a torchlight! The power flows out of me like an ocean.

  And then I see it! A fine web all around me. So I concentrate on one of the strings in front of me and hold onto it while firmly believing that it's one of the pathways.

  From one second to the next I am on a wide cornfield. There are fields up to the horizon and strange looking people with violet skin are ploughing them. Some of them spot me and turn to run away.

  This is certainly not my homeworld. “~Strike!~” I start a little dance and Lidith appears rig
ht next to me.

  “You brute! You did it! I didn't even know that you could make pathways visible like that!” She looks shocked.

  I stop dancing and face her. “So I can go to the party?”

  Lidith sighs. “All right. All right. You can go. But you should do something about your tan. Your white hair doesn't match with brown skin at all!”

  I freeze. “Brown skin?”

  A mirror appears in Lidith's hand. It's a tool which every fine woman has always ready. She holds it out to me. “You shouldn't have trained in that desert.”

  “~Gyahaha!~ My skin!” I start rubbing at my face, but it doesn't come off. “I can't go and meet people like this!”

  “Maybe the witch can help you. She can transform people into mice. Changing the skin colour should be a cheap trick to her.” Lidith smirks at me.

  I nod and look around. Then it hits me and I turn to Lidith with my politest smile on my face.

  “~You know? It's a little embarrassing, but how do I get back?~”

  “... you are so lucky that I am here ...”

  90 - To peek and...

  Norfolk, Sarn

  Arran

  Today is a good day. I finally managed to master a new skill! I call it Zero-presence! With this skill I can make myself invisible! I'll walk right into Sera's room and ogle her while she believes herself to be alone! Maybe I should try it with someone else too? But there are no worthwhile targets.

  Her mother? No, too dangerous. The risk isn't worth the gain.

  I already tried to spy on my father. He is always busy with managing the company to exploit the new possibilities which pop up in Sarn every day.

  There is no doubt that the city is flourishing and that it became a hotspot for new inventions. Since the ban on technology and science is lifted, the people are advancing in big steps. Of course magic plays a big role in it.

  And it isn't like the general population is too stupid to apply new knowledge, or to find ways to apply magical tools for their own convenience. Sarn is a role model for all of Norfolk by now.