As Jack had been exploring this plane of Light, he had come across many different looking objects. The most normal were what appeared were numerous black holes, almost a sea of black holes, that Jack avoided like a plague, as he lurched to collect more paces of himself. There were so many black holes that extended beyond where Jack could see, it felt like there were more black holes than Light. Other objects included shapes of Light in geometric formations, and the rarest were large spheres of intense Light. Jack also avoided these pseudo-suns, as well. As he was traveling he would hear countless people talking. It was almost like a realm of chaos, as he couldn't quite understand them. Occasionally, he would try to focus on one voice to make out what was being said but failed to discern any useful information.
[I'm not sure if it's because I don't have more pieces of my soul, or if this place is just a mad plane of existence... But all these voices are giving me a headache... Soulache? Haaaa~] Jack couldn't be bothered with the exact wording.
As he was coming from the north side collecting more of himself, he heard a clear voice from one of the black holes.
*******
It had been a week since George and Michael had made it back to Souigak with their armies. In fact, their armies were still camped just outside, north of the City.
Jennifer's, Warmarshal Michael's sister's, surgery was a complete success, and under normal circumstances, she would have been discharged two days ago, with the warning to not engage in any physical actions for at least two weeks per normal Zombie undead recovery... But...
"George... Are you sure there isn't a way to remove the Dead Soul Mushroom from Jen-Jen?" Michael asked as he, and George gazed at his sister, who had been quarantined. She had just now fallen asleep again, after another round of Alexander's Medical Grade Sleeping Potion was used on her.
Michael could see the Mushrooms that were firmly rooted in her eyes, and the pain of seeing her struggle. She didn't scream, but he could see her mouth working as if she wanted to... But didn't have the ability. He could see her mouthing his name, as the mushrooms grew in her eyes, and black tears streamed down the sides of her face. It wasn't long after that her mouth clenched, and she no longer acted like the sister he loved.
"I admit defeat this time... I can repair her body, but I can't cure the Dead Soul Mushroom. It's bonded to her soul. I could remove it, but it would wipe out her soul. There wouldn't be a difference than just being killed." George spoke dryly.
Michael turned, and rushed George lifting him up by his lab coat in the air, as his feet left the ground, "YOU SAID YOU COULD FIX ANYTHING! FIX HER!"
George looked down from where he was lifted, and never raised his voice, "I was proven wrong. The best I can do now is to ease her passing. I've never said this before, so I will say it now. I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do."
Michael lowered George back down, "I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't of..."
"It's okay Michael." George put one of his hands on Michael's that still held his collar.
"I will not insist on donating her to us for research on the Dead Soul Mushrooms, but I can give you some time before we have to dispose of-" George didn't get a chance to finish when an odd hunched undead walked in caring a Glowstone plated book.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but come to see the girl that cried Dead Tears."
Michael let go of George, and they both turned to look at the funny looking undead that walked into the room with them. He was dressed in white and gold and carried the symbols of the faith of Deagoth. However, Michael saw one symbol that he didn't understand, even though he was raised in the church. It was a skull face with two dots of fire in the place of the eyes, and a crescent halo over the skull.
"Excuse you. How did you get back here?" George asked, stepping forward.
"Oh, come now. There are many faithful, and there isn't anywhere I can't walk." The funny undead walked over with his Glowstone plated book to the side of the bubble that contained Jennifer. There was an orange haze inside that bubble. The undead shook his head.
"Ummm... Are you a priest?" Michael asked as he followed the undead. He was nervous for his sister. He wasn't going to let this undead be her end, George, or anyone else.
"No, sir. I'm called a prophet by the people, but you can call me Jordan Lightborn, or Prophet Lightborn if you are part of the Faithful. Jordan looked over some of the symbols on Michael's armors and knew he was a Warmarshal and a Templar.
"Michael, this would be the new prophet of the God-King," George spoke plainly while eyeing this hunched undead. He didn't look like the rumors.
Michael looked on and wondered about how the faith changed so much since he left.
"Warmarshal Michael, I can assume you are in pain, as your sister lies here. But honestly, I can see the pain, even if your face is bone." Jordan spoke cryptically.
"Obviously." Michael was short on patience.
Jordan shook his head and looked over the sleeping beauty. He paid attention to the mushrooms in her eyes, as he mumbled a few incoherent words.
"What are you doing here... Prophet?" Michael asked.
"I came to see the girl, and see if our God-King would intervene," Jordan said as he looked back up at Michael.
"God... King...?"
"You haven't been informed of the God-King?" Jordan furrowed his brows.
"Not exactly. I heard a bit, but I haven't returned to Saigunrai from my last campaign."
"You and your sister are very lucky, that I have come to Souigak in my tour of the Cities."
"Why?"
"The God-King can cure your sister. He can cure-all." Jordan said with confidence.
This room had many Glowstone light fixtures above, and unknown to them was on the other side of this Glowstone light fixture, in the plane of light floated Jack in a misshaped blob the size of a gold ball listening.
Jack peered through the black hole and was astonished he could see on the other side, and furthermore what he saw was shocking. He could see the top of the heads of three people, and a girl in what appeared to Jack as a hospital bed. The person he heard talking was Jordan Lightborn. He couldn't understand anyone in this crazy abyss, but he could hear him loud as day. He could just barely make out what the Zombie with the Skeletal Head, and he didn't understand a word spoken by the tall dark Zombie.
[Look man... Jordan... I can't cure his sister... Why are you dumping them on my lawn?] Jack wanted to cry but had no tears. He was drawn to the sound of someone clearly saying God-King but didn't know that when he finally lurched over that he was being dumped on...
"So, you're saying that if I pray to some God-King that... He will appear and save my sister?" Michael folded his arms and looked down on the hunched undead.
"Yes, but you must pray to him, and mean it!" Jordan stuck his finger up and shook it.
"Not likely," Michael spoke flatly, this impressed George, as George was the driest and flattest bastard in Deagoth.
"Let me ask you Michael Dunnder." Jordan pulled back his decrepit finger, as Michael frowned over being address by full name.
"Do you love your sister?" Jordan asked like he already knew.
"Of course. That goes without saying." Michael nodded, his hands still folded.
"Do you love her... More than you should?" Jordan asked again.
"I don't know what you're hinting at..." Michael started anger slightly.
"Be at peace Michael Dunnder! The God-King approves of love! He has much love! He even has two consorts that will soon be his wives. He has the compacity to love, as well as hate... But I'm asking you... Do you love her enough to bow and pray to the God-King to save her?"
Michael had unfolded his arms, and looked to his sister, as he looked up at the ceiling.
[I have to give that bat-shit crazy Jordan credit where it is due... He knows how to bullshit someone... Jack looked down from his area of Light into the skull face of Michael, and for some reason, he could feel that Michael was changing his feelings.
"George... If I do this, will it hurt Jen-Jen?" Michael looked back at George.
He shook his head, "I don't know anything about faith, but I know that many strange things I can't explain occur. Cultivation is magical in a way, but Faith even transcends it. I say give it a try." George laid his thoughts bare.
"Alright... What do I say?" Michael concluded as he turned his head back. He would do anything for his sister; he merely wanted George's opinion.
Jordan flipped his Glowstone plated tome, "This is the Lexos Divinus Fidelis. The true Tome of the God-King. Read this, and if you mean it... Then you will feel your power leave you, and the God-King will answer your request. If your request isn't to his liking, or if you aren't sincere... Then forget it." Jordan handed the Tome to Jordan flipped to a page.
"Read this?"
"No... Mean it, when you say it. Read it to yourself, and then say it. I have a few minutes before I have to leave for my servants to visit the Archbishop here." Jordan spoke clearly.
[...I've never read his funky tome... I should have Tux scan it.] Jack mused, as he watched. He even temporarily forgot his situation as this was interesting. He only hated that he was going to watch failure, but he had decided as if he didn't have anything to do with it.
Michael read the page and then looked up to Jordan. Jordan smiled in response. Michael re-read the page in the tome again.
He finally looked back up for the second time, "This is a Holy Hymn."
"Yes. We sing to our God-King for his pleasure, not the Light. He is the Light, after all. It would be redundant to sing to both." Jordan nodded a few times.
"What does this Holy Hymn do?" Michael could tell it was spellwork, but not the effects.
"It does as I have said it does. I have time for you, but not all the time, and the God-King..." Jordan looked up into the Light, "Is becoming impatient."
[Did this fucker just look at me?!] Jack shivered in his blobby form, [Okay... Now I am officially creeped... There is no way this fucker knows I'm here.]
"Alright. I'll take this chance! If this works, my life is no longer my own! I may war for Deagoth, but I will die for this God-King if he saves my sister." Michael kneeled to one knee.
Jordan put his hand on Michael's shoulder, "He will do more than just save your sister... He will save us all. I will spare a bit of my power to you as well."
Michael could feel warmth enter him, as he took bowed his head. This warmth was unlike the kind of Light he cultivated. He mixed it with his own, and the two powers did not reject each other.
So, he focused on the hymn and hummed it out. This Hymn was written with words and spellcraft... Almost like a ritual.
"Oh, God-King of Light, He who protects and guides all of undeadkind, please hear my cries. I look to the Light and humbly ask you to grant your servants' request. I'll stare straight into the sun skull, and I won't close my eyes. In return I give my faith to the God-King, and a part of my humble power..." Michael wasn't sure how to finish.
In a low tone, Jordan whispered, "Fool... You must end with what your request is! He's a god, not a mind reader! Don't forget the spell work to say after the request!"
"AH! Please cure my sister of the Dead Soul Mushrooms! I beg you! She's all I have left, and I love her with all that I have left! Please cure her! Ummm...? Preces Exaudiantur!" Michael finally gritted his teeth and shouted.
As Michael completed his hymn, he felt his power that he had temporarily stored from Prophet Lightborn and his own leave him.
He, Jordan, and George collectively looked up to see a faint golden trail of light snaking its way into the Glowstone light fixture above the room.
[What the crap is this?] Jack looked own as the Light came through the black hole and joined into his Newtonian fluid like body.
Jack felt a bit stronger, and a bit clear-headed!
[Did... Did they just give me power???] Jack felt like he had collected twenty pieces of his soul in one grab.
He could head Michael clearer now.
"Why isn't anything happening?" Michael was about to get off his knee.
Again, in a low whisper, "You fool, stay your position. The God-King hasn't decided yet... Do you just make a snap decision!" While a whisper it was a snap at Michael, but Michael didn't care. He just wanted to know if this would work, as he regained his former kneeling position. George behind them looked on in curiosity.