Until death?

by Andur

  He has the appearance of an old scholar with grey hair and a monocle, which is his personal treasure.

  If that's true the history of the multiverse may be way more complicated than we thought.

  Then we have Enyo, who is a crazy fighting maniac. Most of the time she would be in charge of the army. If she has some free time she always indulges herself into carnage and destruction.

  From Tjenemit's description she should be a perfect candidate for that black hole sealing method.

  She is easy to recognize, as her whole body is covered with tattoos. She tends to wear full body armour and has short white yellow hair.

  Eris isn't much different from Enyo. She is always striving to create trouble for everyone else. There is nothing she is more happy about than to see others suffer.

  She has black hair and really pale skin but otherwise she looks like an ordinary human being.

  Lastly we have Elohim. He is a mysterious fellow who keeps to himself. A balanced individual. He always does what he believes the best for himself. Even though he was the only one who backed Seria together with Lada, it looks like he did it for opportunistic reasons.

  He has green hair and is some kind of elf. There are always plants growing on him, which sounds creepy. Why should someone intentionally grow plants on his own body?

  Though I think I may have managed to give Aengus a broader view on the world by letting him join those interrogations. Of course I never told Celes about this. She would behead me if she knew!

  After Aengus managed to overcome his heroic demeanour, he was a perfect help in tortu.... interrogating Tjenemit.

  I am proud of my son to say the least!

  Then I had a pretty hard piece of work with putting our society back in order. Of course many smart asses were helping me, but it doesn't really account as help if everyone has a different opinion.

  Sometimes it's really good to have someone who has the last word! Fuck democracy! If I would have let them continue to discuss the problem, the multiverse would have ended before they presented me an answer which satisfied them.

  We are still running with something like a guild system. It's working for the moment but of course it is still far from perfect.

  First a guild needs a unique purpose. Like the warrior's guild is guarding a building against trespassing, protecting people and goods. Then it can offer this service to others in exchange for guild points which is now our currency.

  A god would only start to work, if he wanted a luxury item which could only be provided by another god. So most of the services are traded for valuables and magical artefacts.

  Frustrated by our inability to get outside the void I then committed the biggest mistake ever. And if I say ever I mean EVER!

  Celes was pregnant with another child and I was alone in my lab in the evening. I was trying to piece Seria's soul back together by using the help of my palace.

  It is a pretty strong conjuring point for mana and souls. Luckily we are inside the void and Seria's …. pieces didn't fly off too far.

  When Celes found out what I was attempting to do she …..persuaded? ....convinced? .....wooed? ….

  ….. she forced me to put Seria's soul into our child's body.

  According to her, she didn't want to give birth to some stranger. Hah... our society got pretty disturbing. Imagine every newborn child has the personality of a dead person or at least some memories of a past life.

  “Daddy! More to the left! I want to see that statue!”

  My head gets yanked to the left. The little girl on my shoulders is using my horns like a driving wheel while she uses me as a mount to explore the city. She has red hair and very similar features to her mother. Though she is obviously much more than a three year old child.

  “Daddy, what's that statue? It seems familiar.”

  “That's a statue of you Seria.” We are in front of a temple and there is a really fine statue of the Goddess of Life and Death in front of it.

  “A statue of me? But I am naked!? Mom hit me until I turned green and blue when I ran through the house naked yesterday!” Seria uses my horns to urge me forward. “I wanna see that building from inside!”

  I start to move and walk slowly into the ordered direction. The attempt to revive Seria worked in a way … and didn't in another.

  Seria kept some of her memories, though she clearly lost many of them. From what I could gather she only kept the more recent ones. Her personality is a little different too. Though not in a good way.

  She is really childish now. She was childish before too, but you could realize that she was just playing around. She wasn't taking the world seriously.

  Now I would judge her mental age around ten. Though she has much more knowledge than a ten year old should have.

  Unfortunately she forgot how to travel the void. I still have hope that she somehow remembers how to. Sometimes she gets access to some memories which were locked before.

  I do not dare to dabble with her mind any further. Reforming a soul after it got ripped to so many tiny pieces should have taken aeons.

  A soul is a very delicate form of …. energy wave of quantum fluctuations in absence of a better term. It's like the surface a silent pond. If you throw a stone inside it gets disturbed and forms waves which disturb the pond for a long time. You can try to forcefully smooth the surface again afterwards by creating an opposing wave front which cancels out the previous one.

  That's what I did after I had her soul back together. But it's not as good as giving the soul the needed time to find back to it's natural state. I don't have the guarantee that I really found all her pieces either. But they will naturally rejoin with the main body over time. Maybe she will remember even more but only time will tell.

  I am inside the deserted church now. The religion of this world took a pretty heavy blow by the revelation of us being gods all along.

  Many gods asked themselves why they should pray to another god and abandoned their belief. Whoohoo, who would have believed that a wonderful building like this temple could be run down like that in a few years.

  I look around the desolate area inside the temple with another statue of Seria in the centre of the room. The rows with wooden benches are broken in some places.

  “What leads you here, lad.”

  I turn around and see an old woman with owl-like features on a wooden bench beside the entrance.

  “I am on a tour with my dad to see the city!” Seria shouts proudly from above my head.

  “Hoh, and what's your name little one?”

  “Hear and Behold! Seria herself is before you! The one and only Goddess of Life and Death!” Seria puts on a really grand speech.

  “Hahaha.” The old woman starts to chuckle. “That's a really grand name little one.” She obviously doesn't believe her.

  “Hmpf. It's the one my parents chose for me. So what are you doing here?” -Seria

  “I am the head priest of this temple and I am waiting for people who need my help.” The old lady answers with a smiling face.

  “Though it doesn't look like there is anyone here....” Seria points out the obvious.

  “Oh, there are enough who are coming here. It may be true that there used to be more in the past. But everyone I can help is making me happy.”

  “And what could you do for them? We are all gods now.” -Seria

  “Even if we are gods, it's still good if you have someone you can talk to. Some people are still coming here if they need advice or help. Yesterday I had a pair, which wanted a old fashioned marriage. Or for example parents who have problematic children.” The old woman smirks at me and I smile back at her.

  “Ha! How could the great Me be a problem child. I am Seria herself after all!” -Seria

  “You shouldn't use her name like that. It's true that things have changed. But if I believe my memories, she still saved us all.” The old priestess smile becomes a little bit forced.

  “But I am Seria! I may have lost some memories becau
se I died but I am the creator of this world. Hmpf!” -Seria

  “Oho! So you really are HER? But why did you die? I never heard of something like that.” -Priestess

  “To give you back your memories and powers of course. Did ya think it wouldn't come with a price to betray the Council.” -Seria

  “Hmmm.” The priestess still looks like she doesn't believe her and looks with pity into my eyes. You are thinking I have a delusional child. Right?

  “Fine! I will prove it! Who ELSE than the great Goddess Seria herself...... Could ride on the KING's head!?” She pats my head from above.

  The woman looks doubtfully at me, then she goes pale. “Y...y... your majesty! I am sorry, I didn't recognize you. Why are you here all alone!?” She hastily stands up and bows to me.

  “It's fine. I am just a mount today. Seria wants to see her world..... though I assume she just tried to get away from her mother.”

  Seria starts to fidget on my shoulders. “That's not true. I am not afraid of mom..... though she is very strict with me.”

  “And your brother distracting her for a moment has nothing to with you running away at every possible opportunity?” I ask her with a sarcastic tone.

  “Wh.. what are you thinking? I totally did not bribe my brother to distract her.” -Seria

  “kukuku... to think the king would go for a walk in my church. The world surely has changed.” The old woman chuckles.

  “Though it looks like it didn't go well for the church.” I contemplate while I look at my surroundings.

  “It's true. But I think that the people may realize at some point that the church did more than promise a great afterlife.” The old woman answers hopefully.

  “Daddy, can you repair the churches?”-Seria

  “I have no money for something like this. They don't even have a proper use any more.” I won't waste money on those buildings.

  “What about the historical value! Cheapskate! I will use mom against you!” Seria makes a serious threat and my face drops.

  For a second I think about her possibilities and then I shudder. “I... I will consider it.”

  “See old hag? Another proof! Who else than the goddess could give orders to the King?” Her voice is really high and mighty now.

  The old woman really smiles with pity at me now. “Hah, I thank you for your help my goddess. But even if the temples would be renovated, there is still the lack of people.”

  “Why don't you create a guild for spiritual guidance then. There are still enough mysteries and questions about the universe. There is always a new horizon behind the old one.” Seria shouts out.

  “Hoh. I may do that.” The old woman smiles warmly at Seria. Looks like she still doesn't believe that she is her former goddess.

  “Daddy, can we take a look at the new park?! I heard they rebuild it more wonderfully than before my brother nuked it!” Seria pulls at my horns while I sigh and wave goodbye to the priestess.

  I turn and walk outside.

  “Brrrrm! Step on the gas daddy! We need to be there before mommy finds out that we are gone.” Again she urges me forward and I walk down the plaza.

  59 - Remember, remember....?

  I am with Celes, Seria and Aengus inside the Garden of my log-house in the southern part of the continent. While I enjoy the screams of pure pain and horror, I sip on my cold fruit-juice. Celes is taking a sunbath with Seria and I am comfortably lying in a hammock.

  The screams are coming from Aengus. He is rolling around on the ground while he is trying to scrape out his eyes.

  “Haaah, Celes, do you remember when we were that age? Isn't it reassuring that we aren't the only ones who have to suffer?”

  “Sure my dear. Though I have the feeling that Aengus is a really bad case.” Celes mumbles while she is lying on a mat.

  “I am sure he is just a sissy! Couldn't you do something to ease the pain? What are you researching our bodies for if you can't do that.” I raise an eyebrow. She sure is heartless if she could help her son but decided against it.

  “Probably I could do something, but it would require some pretty heavy drugs. I don't want to give something like that to a little child.” Celes hums a little while she is enjoying the sun.

  “What's happening to big bro mom?” Seria musters her brother with a concerned look.

  “Ahem... nothing dangerous. He is just undergoing the metamorphosis. His Adult features are developing. Like horns and split pupils. He will look similar to daddy.” Celes smiles at Seria and pats her head.

  “Hooooorrnnnnnnnsss!? Puuuuppiills!? Whaaaahaa... III DONnn't wannNNNAaa bEEE AA DEEOEMON!! HUUURRRRTTTSSS!!!!!” Aengus rolls over the floor and then starts to hit his head against the ground.

  Seria looks at her brother with a shocked expression.

  Celes continues to explain. “The affected body tissue starts to grow and change rapidly. As a side effect the nerves inside it are going havoc and start firing constantly for naught. It's in fact a form of phantom pain inside the brain. Nothing you could treat that easily. And it's a natural process, better not to disturb it.”

  “Aaah. I remember it like yesterday! It was like someone was stabbing screwdrivers into my eyes while twisting them and having a mixer meshing up my brain at the same time.” I recall my own metamorphosis.

  “Kyyyyaaaaa!” *Sob* “Thiiis IIS Theee PPURRRTAAAGOORY! III KneWWW I WAAS In HEELLL!”

  “You have to learn the dark sides of this world as well as the bright ones Aengus. Try to control yourself a little, you're starting to sound like a little girl.” I grin at the wriggling figure.

  “Don't be so high and mighty! You started to cry like a little baby yourself!” Celes rebukes me.

  “Mom! Will that happen to me too?” Seria asks Celes with a frightened voice.

  “Most likely. Though you will be spared from the screwdrivers through the eyes.” Celes continues to hum her melody.

  Seria lets out a sigh of relief while she sits down besides Celes again. “Then it will be half as bad.”

  Suddenly Celes tail entangles Seria and Celes throws a creepy smile towards her daughter. “Oh, it wont be half as bad. In exchange for the screwdrivers it will feel like someone is constantly stabbing and drilling a stake up your butt, directly into your spine!”

  Seria's mouth falls open while she comes to view her mother's tail in a different light.

  Ireth enters the garden through the veranda. “What's all the screaming abo... . Oh my. They grow so fast. Before you can take a look they are already at age. How is it Aengus?”

  “IIS? Iiii waanana DDIEEEE!”

  “Your parents surely are horrible for letting you go through that even though you did nothing bad.” -Ireth

  “WhhhyYY?”

  “On the other hand. We never showed them the method to ease the pain for a while because we had to educate the naughty children.” Ireth ponders over the past while she scratches her chin.

  “Grandma! Save brother and show me the method! Pretty please!” Seria jumps at the opportunity.