"So, how exactly did I end up here? I don't think this is the kind of place you can just end up accidentally, right?" Mike asked.
Barth gave a slight smile as he answered. "On the contrary, the High Elven relic you made use of is fully capable of sending a person directly into a divine realm unless the god that governs it decides to bar them access. As the Hall of Convergence has no such governor, it was indeed possible for you to end up here with it alone."
"Judging from your phrasing, I take it that there was more to it than that."
The god nodded. "You were on course for one of the less pleasant realms that neighbors Ea. While you might have managed to escape on your own, I deemed it worthwhile to intervene."
Mike frowned unintentionally for a second before straightening his face. The implications of that statement were rather troubling.
Noticing his disquiet, Barth gave him a reassuring smile. "Please, don't concern yourself. You need not fear the attention of other deities. Your status as a Fatetouched ensures that. I was only able to locate you due to a very specific intersection of circumstances related to my role as the god of Order. A brief moment in which I caught but a passing glimpse of your activities. Any other god, to include the Creators themselves, would only be able to detect you by the effects of your presence."
"I'm not sure I follow."
The god calmly took a seat across from him and held up his hand. An image of a clear body of water appeared in the air above it as he explained. "Imagine that the destiny of Ea is a lake, and all mortal beings are leaves that rest upon its surface."
A plethora of leaves in different shapes and sizes appeared on the lake.
"Now, the leaves float along with the currents, moving through their mortal lives until they reach their eventual and immutable end. At times, they will brush other leaves and send them along in different directions, but such events are brief and largely inconsequential in the greater scheme of things. Occasionally, however, a leaf will be big enough or move fast enough to seriously interfere with the currents that have been laid out for others. Such individuals have powerful destinies that may be capable of altering the events the gods proscribed."
A large maple leaf obligingly demonstrated the principle by gently pushing a handful of its peers away from the edge of the lake.
"So you are saying that I am such a leaf?" Mike asked.
Barth shook his head. "Not at all. A powerful destiny is very visible to the Creators, if they care to pay attention, and they will usually either guide such an individual towards their own desired ends or destroy them to prevent any further harm to their plans. As a Fatetouched, you are more like a fish moving underwater. You have the freedom to come and go as you please within the confines of the lake and the Creators can only tell where you have been based on the ripples on the surface. This is most obvious when you come in contact with others and alter their destinies."
Several of the leaves vanished under the surface, leaving only a series of spreading ripples that briefly disturbed their neighbors.
"I would imagine that such a person would be viewed as dangerous by the Creators." Mike offered, trying to ignore the chill running down his spine at the implications of the information he was getting.
"Most definitely. Although, I would say that they are especially interested in you since you've managed to acquire the Hero title and the force of destiny that accompanies it. Combined with your status as a Fatetouched, this means you represent an existential threat to the very foundations of the current world order."
"...I see." Mike replied after a few moments. If he was public enemy number one for the gods of this world, that complicated things.
Expression softening slightly, Barth continued. "At the moment, the Creators are still undecided on what to do about you. A few of them believe that your destruction is the only safe way forward, while the others believe you could very well be the solution to a problem that has been weighing upon them for many millennia. The Ascended on the other hand are mostly in favor of leaving you alone."
"...Ok, I'll bite. Why is that?"
"Simple. In the current projections, this world will end within ten years and there is nothing the gods can do to stop it." Barth explained casually as if discussing the weather. "Would you allow me to freshen up your tea? It seems to have gone cold."
"Please...wait no, what do you mean the world is going to end?! I only reincarnated here a little while ago, relatively speaking! Damn that firefly goddess, sending me to a world destined for destruction!"
"I doubt Selenica is even aware of the problem. She always did care more about pursuing her hobbies than doing her job." The god replied with a sigh. "Which is why we have so many problems with Reincarnators. However, I should point out that even though the world is set to end, there is one factor that may be its salvation."
Mike stared at him for a second before the point sunk home. "You are talking about me, aren't you?"
"I am. Being a Fatetouched means that you exist outside of the confines of this world's destiny, and can have a great impact on the course of events here. Some among the Ascended believe that simply allowing you to roam freely might lead Ea down a different path. What that path may be is unclear, but any alternative is better than annihilation."
"So that's why you helped me? You think I am going to save the world?"
The god grinned, looking truly amused for the first time since they'd met. "In part. Although, I must confess that a greater part of my decision to intercede on your behalf stems from something else entirely."
He stood, moving to a cart that Mike hadn't noticed before. The divine being gracefully picked up a teapot from among the many accoutrements lying on it and turned to pour him a fresh cup of tea. While he was doing so, he continued his explanation. "Many of my peers are dissatisfied with the world and the manner in which it is governed. While their actions are heavily restricted by the System, they have nevertheless been working for centuries to overturn the status quo. These Dissidents, for lack of a better term, view you as the spark that will ignite the flame of change and bring an end to the way things are at present."
He finished and smoothly replaced the teapot without stopping his monologue. "I am of a similar opinion, even though I do not hold the same level of disappointment with the Creators that they do. It is my simple hope that your continued presence in this world will bring a bit of chaos into the stagnant waters of this lake."
"But aren't you the god of Order?"
That earned him a slight chuckle. "I can see that you are unfamiliar with the nature of Ascended. That is not too surprising considering how difficult it is for people to achieve Tier 5 in the modern age. While a member of the Ascended carries certain Aspects that determine what areas of Ea they are in charge of, that does not mean that they are required to embody those Aspects. For instance, Hulfinigas, the Ascended governing tragic love stories and doomed romanticism is actually much more interested in comedy. Unfortunately for those he manages to persuade into listening to him, he is quite terrible at it."
Sensing that the topic of this conversation was heading in an unproductive direction, Mike took a sip of the freshly poured tea without commenting. He savored the wonderful flavor for a moment before asking. "Can you tell me how this world is supposed to end, and what I can do to prevent it?"
"My deepest apologies, but I am unable to share that with you." Barth replied while bowing. "As I explained earlier, there are topics that the merest mention of would draw the attention of the Creators. Since I do not think you wish to become the focus of their machinations just yet, I will have to refrain from speaking further."
"Ah, yes. I appreciate that. Is there any information at all you can give me that might point me in the right direction, at least?"
The god raised an eyebrow. "All I can say is that you should consult your allies once you return. There is at least one individual among them that might be able to give you special insight into the nature of the future."
[Right, Oracle, of course.]
"I'll do that."
"If you have any other questions that are pressing upon you, I would recommend asking them soon. We have a few minutes left before preparations for your departure are complete. Delaying your return to Ea beyond that point might have some unfortunate consequences."
"Truthfully, there are a multitude of things I would like to ask about, but I'm not sure if I can narrow it down to just a few minutes worth."
Barth nodded. "I understand, and I can only offer my regrets that the hospitality of my realm is so lacking. If it is any consolation, I did foresee this eventuality and took the liberty of preparing for it."
He removed a small silver bell from the pocket of his jacket and held it to Mike while explaining. "When rung, this item will briefly conjure a spirit from my household to assist you. I have given them leave to consult with me on topics of investigation so as to offer you the answers to your questions in absentia. Unfortunately, there will be limitations both in terms of the type of information you desire and the amount, lest the spirit draw undue attention to itself. I anticipate that you will have the ability to ask approximately three questions before it is forced to return to my realm."
Out of curiosity, Mike tried to use Appraise on the bell only to find that it didn't appear to even be registered as a possible target.
Perhaps guessing at what he was doing, Barth continued. "That bell exists outside of the System, making it largely invisible to other gods. I made it using techniques that have long fallen into disuse. I would explain further, but we must leave now or risk missing your ride."
Mike stood and followed the god out of the room and down another series of strange corridors. "Um, what do you mean by ride? Am I not going through a portal or teleporting back to Ea?"
"I'm afraid such simple methods would not be possible given the nature of this place. I was able to bring you here due to the Hall of Convergence standing upon the axis of all things, but leaving this realm by normal means will alert the Creators. Which is why I requested the assistance of a longtime friend of mine."
They stopped at a seemingly arbitrary point in the hallway, and Mike was about to ask for more details when the space in front of them warped and tore.
A gargantuan, triangular mouth with three segmented jaws, at least ten meters in width, ripped through the fabric of reality, briefly passing through the hallway before tearing into the space of the next wall. Following the many-toothed maw was a long, chitinous body that moved with wormlike undulations at an incredible speed. Mike thought it was a bit like standing next to a subway platform and watching a train speed by without stopping.
"You should grab on soon." Barth commented mildly. "The Kultyrinthir will not spend long in this realm. It dislikes the taste of divine space. I've asked it to pass through the region of Ea where you entered the dungeon realm, so you should be able to rejoin your comrades. That being said, it is not exactly precise in its navigations, so please bear that in mind."
"Wait, wait. You want me to ride this thing?"
"Of course. This is one of the best ways to travel between realms." The god replied with a reassuring smile before gently pushing him in the direction of the speeding chitinous creature. "Now you must go, or risk being stranded here."
[Ah, to hell with it.] Mike thought before leaping forward and grasping onto the side of the beast. In less than a heartbeat he was drawn through the ragged hole in reality.
----------------------------------------
Barth watched the tail of the massive worm-like creature vanish into the dimensional tear, it's mucosal secretions already causing the rift to heal. Within a few seconds all traces of the ancient creature and its erstwhile rider were gone.
He turned and began heading back towards the conference room where he already sensed the Creators gathering, no doubt interested in discussing the destruction of the seaside dungeon. Such a thing had not happened since the fall of the Second Age, and they would likely want to examine the impact it would have on the stability of the other dungeon realms.
This was especially true since, for all intents and purposes, they would be unable to ascertain the cause of the destruction thanks to the Fatetouched nature of the person who did it. He assumed that they would eventually conclude that the dungeon realm collapsed of its own accord, which could indicate that the realms were finally beginning to show their age.
[Then it will only be a matter of time before they decide to unlock the Aspect of Dungeons. After all, they cannot risk the destabilization further collapses will bring so soon before the arrival of the apocalypse.]
He allowed himself a small laugh. Yes, things were all going according to plan.