Until death?

by Andur

  “Hell! No you will never do that again! I will make sure of that! What are you hiding in your fists?” She jumps at me and claws the soul marble with our saved people out of my fingers.

  “Those are Nicosar and Arthur.... and others.” I rub my cheek with tears in my eyes. The slap didn't hurt my body! But her whole reaction hurt my soul.

  “And the other!?” Ireth gives me a piercing stare.

  “The last Council member!” I snap back! I can't hide anything from mother!

  “Mine!” Katrine snatches the soul marble out of my other hand from behind. “Kukuku. I will take my time with you for hurting my husband.” She has a mad expression in her face.

  NOOO! Thaat's miiineeee!

  92 - Old memories?

  *Smash*

  “Aengus! Aengus! Get up! We will miss the graduation ceremony!” Seria's shriek wakes me and I shoot up.

  I am inside my room at the dormitory. After a sleepy gaze around the room my eyes lock onto the door. “What did you do to my door!”

  Seria grabs my clothes and shoves them into my hands.

  “Fast! Forget the door sleepyhead! The Ceremony!” -Seria

  Ceremony? “Oh, right!” I struggle to get dressed and follow Seria out of the room.

  It has been a few years since the final battle with the Council. I had the first real downtime in my life when I thought that father, grandpa and great grandpa got killed.

  That would have made me the only guy in a family with five women! Well seven if I count grandma Katrine and Ireth too! I saw my life going down the gutter by constant nagging.

  But luckily dad showed them who is the boss! Sometime I want to be as powerful as him! He saved A bunch of people which made him the hero of the day.

  Though mother performed an even greater wonder by cloning bodies for grandpa and uncle. Isn't she on an even higher level than dad? Just growing a few bodies in a tank like doing kitchen work.....

  Unluckily for us the Spheres which were spread by the Council are still dormant. They didn't get activated. Though from time to time one of them gets set off by a foolish mortal or a god by accident.

  That's when the big societies have to rush in and save the day!

  But right now that's of no big concern to me! Because I will graduate! Freedom! Nineteen Years and Freedom! I will get full access to my memories!

  That's what the ceremony today is all about. Luckily Seria woke me up. If I had missed it I would have had to wait for another year!

  “What will you do, when you have your memories back big bro?” Seria asks me from the side.

  Actually I already put a lot of thought into that. “I think I will travel the multiverse for a while! Make a name for myself, have a lot of fun! Maybe I will find a nice girl who is willing to take me!”

  Seria pats my back with a pitying expression. There are not many women on Chimera who are willing to marry into the royal family. Too many bad rumours about the male side of our bloodline.

  Even people close to us are repelled, because they could be involved into the rumours.

  On the other hand, there are tons of guys who have an eye on Seria or our three little sisters. Though the triplets haven't had any marriage proposals since their introduction party.

  It was Mayhem! Pure Mayhem! They are like an explosive with three compounds. Each of them alone or two together are harmless. All three are the end!

  “On the other hand. I find it strange that you will get your memories too, Seria. Aren't these officials a little too lax with their rules?” I scratch my chin while I walk towards the old church on the school ground which is used for the ceremony.

  It's a big and comfortable building. To reuse it in this manner isn't so bad.

  “Hmpf! I am just eleven months younger than you! And despite the age difference we always attended the same class! It would be unfair if they kept me a year longer!” Seria puffs out her chest while her tail waves left and right.

  She evolved into a splitting image of mom. If it wasn't for the finer and a little more girlish face I would have troubles to tell the difference. On top of it she is almost half a head smaller than her.

  “What did you think about the graduation party yesterday?” Seria smirks at me.

  I shrug my shoulders. “It was okay I guess. Though I drank a little too much.”

  “How did it go with that girl! I know that you confessed to her.” -Seria

  “Ah. That. She turned and ran.” I let my head drop at the memory! I didn't even manage to talk to her! She already blurted some kind of excuse into my direction when I tried to strike up a conversation.

  “These rumours aren't fair! The guys in our family are actually less dangerous than the females!” I shake my fists at the heavens.

  “Hey!” Seria cuffs me into the side. “They aren't that far off! Don't you remember when you played with those mortals? Their society fell apart!”

  I fold my hands before me. “I admit it, it was a mistake of my youth. Though they provoked me, I realize that I overreacted and I reflect on my actions.”

  “And when you dismembered that guy because he tried to force himself on me?” -Seria

  “I was nice. Father instructed me to make an example out of the first guy who would mistreat my little sisters. I was very lenient within the boundaries of his suggested …. punishment.” -Me

  “They carried him in eight parts to the infirmary!” Seria gives me an accusing look. “I didn't get a single confession since that incident!”

  “Father told me to hold a public execution and take his soul in order to demonstrate my power. So I think I was very nice to just temporarily separate his soul from his body.” I frown while I think back to that moment.

  “Actually I just gave him a gentle greeting. When I took his hand it suddenly came off. Then I tried to reattach it and his jaw dislocated.......”

  “Nanana! Stop it! I don't want to remember it! Fortunately I had no clear view and saw just the blood spraying left and right.” Seria sighs. “In other words you killed him. How lucky that a soul can be reattached to a dead body if it's healed fast. Seriously! That brutish strength! You are so similiar to mom!”

  I shake my head. “I can't help it. I am not on dad's level of soul magic, yet. So you tell me that I shouldn't have done anything that day? He was too weak. He would have been a disgrace to our bloodline. Coming apart because I shake his hand. He wouldn't have survived a single day in our family!”

  “Gods no! I was about to rip out his balls off and force feed them to him. You showed up just the right moment! That would have been a serious blow to my reputation!” Seria pats my back again while we enter the church and join the rows of students.

  The ceremony wont be a big deal. There will be no names and no big talk. The church is under a barrier which stops anyone who isn't allowed from entering.

  They will hand out a soul marble which is able to unseal our memories. Then it's our choice. Either we want to continue to live like we did before or take a look at our past life.

  There have been cases of serious depressions after getting those old memories back. But I already decided that I will try it.

  “So what will you do with your soul marble Seria? Will you take a look at your former self?” I smile at my little sister while we wait with the other students.

  “Kukuku....” Seria points at the big statue of -Seria- in the middle of the dome which makes up the old church. “Take a look at that and tell me. How could I resist to take a look? I already have quite a few of my memories, but I want all of them!”

  I nod. Probably there is really not much to think about. Then a teacher starts to walk past the rows of students and hands out a soul marble to everyone.

  Most people take it and instantly use it. There are very few who resist the temptation. I see happy and sad faces. Some look a little disturbed. But no big breakdown until now......

  Then it's Seria's and my turn. She instantly uses her soul marble as she takes it out of the baske
t. I just take mine and wait to see the effects on my little sister.

  After a few seconds she turns red like a tomato. “Nooooo!” She starts to wriggle in disgust.

  “W.. What!?” I hope she isn't one of the mental breakdown cases.

  “In my previous life I was a nudist! And a pervert!” Seria falls to her knees.

  “That bad? I guess that's why mother was so strict in bringing you up as a proper lady.....” Ehm. That raises some interesting questions. “I guess I will refrain from taking mine....”

  Seria jumps to her feet. “No! You have to take yours!”

  I raise an eyebrow at her feverish expression. “What do you know?”

  “You have to! I took mine! Fair is fair!” Seria bulldozes into me and pushes the soul marble into my chest!

  The glowing marble disappears.

  …...

  ….........daefakefpiaefnsavsvar pictures sdfowerbvwertbo knowledge sfdiubeiprbeipgep righteousness adflabrgezbrguoerbgip hero sldfuiebvsirbv laws apurebgapizerbdjfdfg equality aisrbaeuraeu peace eiuflewrzgbewrvzg..........

  …...

  “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*

  *Whisper*

  “P.. Prince! Stop hitting your head into the ground!”

  “Dangerous!”

  “His previous personality is worse than his current one?”

  “The tile is broken...”

  “Those are no tiles, that's solid rock!”

  *Whisper*

  “Big Bro! Stop it! It's bleeding! I am sorry! It can't be that bad!?” -Seria

  I look up to my little sister and scream. “I was some kind of disgusting peace loving and righteous, nice guy hero type character who never got a girl because they all left me for other guys!”

  *Whisper*

  “He has a reaction like that because he was a hero?”

  “As expected of a villain!”

  “So he was the exact opposite in his previous life.”

  "He has to make up for something..."

  “Would have been nice if his previous personality took over.”

  *Whisper*

  “...... your nose is broken, big bro....” Seria fixes my face with healing magic.

  I get up and take a serious look at Seria. “My travels through the multiverse will take a little longer. I have to find my true identity first!”

  93 - Ascending!

  “~Travelling is Sharid's lust. High over mountains and deep through valleys......~”

  Nyahahaha! I had the best time in my life since master is gone. I decided to follow his advice and chose spellsinging as my preferred skill. It's directly connected to spellweaving which is my profession now.

  With the delicate age of sweet nineteen, I am wandering the world and join various groups of adventurers as a spellweaver. A magician with this profession lacks offensive power because his spells have the nature of enchants or curses.

  I didn't stay in any group for too long. The male members tend to become too pushy over the time. Even though I have pretty good control over my abilities now. I can't hold serious conversations with guys.

  But by assisting others I am able to hone my skill which relies on allies.

  Right now I am using a spellsong to increase our groups endurance. Back in a small village I joined four adventurers on their journey through the dark forest.

  Joining up with other adventurers eliminates my biggest weakness. And that's my sense of direction! If there is no big road to follow, I am lost. It's as simple as that. I don't know why.

  Once I started my journey in the high north and lost the road because I camped a little further away from the path. The next morning I didn't find the path any more and started to walk through the wild nature.

  When I finally found civilisation again, the village people told me that I was far in the south!

  So since then I followed a few rules. First, always follow other people. Second, always camp on the road. Third, Never take a leakage out of sight of the road.

  As for my current group. There is a swordsman named Ron with a two handed longsword. Then we have Maxime who is our priestess. Sondo is a skilled marksman with a bow and daggers for close range combat. Iris is a knight in heavy armour. I don't understand why a woman would want to engage in close combat. But everyone is different.

  Our current goal is to cross the dark wood, which is a dangerous forest. We want to get to the western coast behind it in order to find employment.

  Walking around it would take us thrice the time than simply crossing through. The only problem are the wild monsters and orks which haunt this place. I hum my melody while our group walks past big forest trees.

  “You are the most cheerful person I have ever met Sharid. Do you ever stop singing?” Iris notices my most valuable trait.

  “Not really! I sing whenever I can and as much as I am able to. My dream is to become the best singer in the world!” I raise my arm to point towards the sky! Of course I want to become a god, but saying that loud would only be understood as a joke.

  “I think you are already the best singer in the world, Sharid. I never heard a voice like yours. You could make unbelievable sums of money by working as a singer in a big town.” Ron joins the conversation.

  “Oh, please. Stop the flattery! Besides, I wouldn't get to see the world! What's life worth if you always stay in one place!” I correct the grip on my backpack while I avoid a root on the path.

  “It wasn't...” -Ron

  But Sondo interrupts him by raising an arm to signal the group to stop. “We are surrounded. There is something in the bushes ahead and to our sides behind the trees.”

  “Can we turn and run?” Iris takes the shield from her back.

  “I don't think that we would get away, but....” -Sondo

  The sound of an ork-horn interrupts him. With the signal thirty armed orks jump out of the thick underwood twenty metres in front of us.

  Eight orks leave their hidings to our left and nine to our right! That amounts to fourty seven enemies! We are hopelessly outnumbered!

  But Maxime keeps her cool and immediately throws a binding spell onto the enemies to our right while Sondo throws a big smoke bomb at the main group. It's immediately followed by a set of different other grenades. Then Sondo draws his daggers and enters the smoke screen.

  While flashes of light throw the main group into disarray, Iris and Ron make a stand against the attack from our left.

  I start to sing a hymn of strength and defence to assist my comrades. Four orks stop their advance in order to deal with our close range fighters while the others simply run past them to attack our rear guard.

  “Sharid! Maxime!” -Ron

  “I can't bind them and defend myself!” Maxime has a frightful face while the shackles of light on the group to our right start to flicker.

  I step before Maxime while I continue to sing. The first ork arrives with a raised axe and I jump forward to kick him in the groin while I catch the axe which was coming down at me.

  The ork is lifted two metres into the air while I throw the axe at the second ork. The axe enters his rusty chest plate with a satisfying *Thud*.

  As the third ork arrives, I evade the first swing of his rusty blade and give him a back handed slap to the face. His head bends backwards into an unhealthy angle and I grab the rusty sword out of his limp fingers.

  The fourth ork wields a mace at me but I use the rusty sword to redirect it and the mace buries itself into the ground. A quick kick to the ork's shin snaps the bone with a crunching sound and the monster falls backwards.