Aisrin shook with fear, even after the silence once again took hold of the ruins.
"What is that thing?" Aisrin finally managed, after the pain subsided from his head.
"Its you." Loki sighed as he sat on the steps next to Aisrin.
"How is that creature, me?" Aisrin sat too.
"Its a long story. Ten thousand years ago, you came here and obliterated every soul in this city as part of an evil goddess's agenda. You were murdered by your friend... well, acquaintance. A stupid and moronic fellow, from the same world as you.
After the goddess attempted to eat your soul, I banished her to tartarus, after turning her into her proper form, as is the punishment for stealing souls From the Supreme Ones favorite Dimension. I took you to the realm of minor gods, and we sealed all this darkness in your old body to prevent you from becoming... this.
To the humans now, it's only been a few thousand years, but in reality, it's been ten thousand. The only beings that know the true time frame, are those that are sensitive to time. Such as Demons, dragons and the Supreme clans.
These ruins are in a separate Dimension connected to this one. You are the only one permitted entrance, and you entering, has connected the two while you're present within. There was a dragon that has attempted, as only those with the sensitivity can feel it. She usually patrols around, still trying to find a way in." Loki explained.
"So, the footprints I followed, were yours?" Aisrin asked.
"Yes, I led you here." Loki confirmed.
"Why?" Aisrin inquired.
"Mostly boredom. Don't think anything noble. That's the opposite of who I am." Loki laughed.
"Why did I become that?" Aisrin asked himself.
"The goddess meddled in your affairs, and created you like this. Had you been left to do as you would, this world would have already entered a far more advanced civilization. Instead, we had to reset it by releasing your miasma across the world, and then we sealed it to allow it to flourish on a new path. We removed magical knowledge from the humans to prevent them from reviving the other dimensions of ancient cities from your past.
We wanted old knowledge to completely erase itself from this world, hoping new ideas would reform the destructive future it was headed for, into a prosperous one. And it's worked. I'm responsible for that creatures creation, thus I'm responsible for remaining it's guardian, for all eternity." Loki explained.
"That sounds horrible." Aisrin responded bluntly.
"It is. I've relished our time Aisrin. But, I'm afraid your time is up. So I'll have you return to your Dimension. Until next time my child... I'm terribly sorry for leaving you in those woods." Loki sadly said as Aisrins vision blurred and he was suddenly sitting on mossy steps, overgrown by moss and vegetation.
Aisrin shot up and looked at the palace, a now skeletal structure, held together by vines and trees.
"What do you mean?" Aisrin called out, but there was no response.
"Who are you yelling at? And how did you suddenly appear here? Did you come from that dimensional pocket? Did you find my... my companion?" A familiar voice suddenly spouted from behind him. He turned sharply to look at who he hoped it was. It indeed was...
"Syphir!" Aisrin exclaimed. She was as beautiful as she was when he last saw her. Her sky blue hair, ample curves and lightning like eyes. Lightning like? Syphir stepped back and drew a dagger, her eyes narrowed.
"Why do you speak so familiarly to me?" She asked.
"Ten thousand years? I mean, I get that it's rude to ask, but how?" Aisrin disregarded her weariness. Simply excited to see her again.
"You better start talking!" There seemed to be tears threatening to flow from her eyes as she fought to not believe what her heart was lying her.
"Surely.... You'd never forget me?" Aisrin held his arms out. Trying to hide the fact that he feared she did, and would end up stabbing him. Or realizing and stabbing him anyways.
"That's not possible, so don't lie to me! I've waited here for thousands of years... living with the regret of never dying with the one I truly loved! Don't you dare claim..." Syphir dropped her dagger as tears flowed from her eyes.
"Syphir, I am Aisrin. Or Sin if you prefer." Aisrin gave a nickname only she would ever know in this world. As soon as she heard that Alias, all doubt left her.
"Aisrin!" Syphir collapsed as she sobbed his name. Aisrin approached her and took her in his arms, she embraced him back, and sobbed heavily into his chest.
"Sorry it took so long, I guess I was busy being cleansed of my darkness." Aisrin smiled.
*Silver City, a month after Aisrin Left*
The villagers were progressing smoothly. The common knowledge in the city had exceeded even the capital of the north. Syphra had been busy constantly updating the archives with the newest immigrants that Aren and the Grassland Wolves had brought back with them.
Aren had reported that the assignment was a huge success, and stated that he'd be waiting for Lord Aisrin's next assignment at the Barracks. Syphra had just finished sorting the 255 newest immigrants, families of the immigrant soldiers, into the occupations they chose. She even noted down those that had skills Aisrin might be looking for to implicate into his designs.
"Syphra! Come quick! Theres a weird beast headed for the city!" A soldier called out. The village had amassed at the river to peer at this large creature floating on the water. Syphra already knew what it was.
"Everyone calm down! Lord Aisrin returns!" Syphra excitedly shouted. As the object got closer, the more defined it became. It was long with a curved front as well as bottom. It had a single tall beam with hides stitched together to create a large singular hide that seemed to be stretched by wind.
The object moved swiftly towards the shore, where it eventually beached upon. Everyone stared up at the person who quickly dropped down from the top of the object. She had blue hair like the sky, and an attractive body. As soon as she turned and looked at Syphra, she knew.
"Impossible..." Syphra breathed. Aisrin dropped down shortly after.
"Syphra! What do you think? This is the future of Silver City and New Dawn! It's a barge! A simple mode of water transportation. With this, we can even catch fish now, food problems easily can be solved this way." Aisrin approached the stunned Syphra and began explaining.
"Aisrin is that Syphir! Then does that mean you're actually Aisrin? From the stories?" Syphra suddenly grabbed Aisrin and whispered rapidly and quietly.
"Yes and no? I'm just me. The other Aisrin is... someone else. Also that's Syphir." Aisrin answered. Syphir noticed the oddity, the closeness of the girl to Aisrin awoke a sudden jealousy and she began walking heatedly over to them.
"Listen here miss! That's my... oh! You're my descendant." Syphir suddenly relaxed after getting a good look at Syphra.
"HI, I'm Syphra!" Syphra let go of Aisrin and excitedly greeted Syphir.
"Oh, how similar sounding. Why?" Syphir asked.
"All the females born with blue hair get a name like yours. It's just a tradition." Syphra responded, all smiles.
"How very... Blackhawk like." Syphir made a disgusted face.
"Hmm? No, this tradition started long after you killed Blackhawk." Syphra answered.
"Hmm? I never killed that fool. That bastard tried to kill me! He said I was too in love with Aisrin, and tried murdering me. So I reminded him who he was talking to. I left afterwards, I guess he spread that stupid rumor himself... though I don't know how. The real reason he died was due to him screwing with his dumb arm and he blew up, attempting to use magic when he knew that humans couldn't." Syphir scoffed.
"Well, that aside. I need to gather the villagers, it's time to get around to the next phase of this Nation's building." Aisrin interrupted. He was about to introduce wood and stone housing.