Endyr awoke to a stiff body and groggy mind.
No, awakening was not the correct term to use. It was more like her consciousness had gotten a hold of itself after a long lapse. One moment she was in the temple, the next she was somewhere else entirely.
The last thing she remembered was meeting the bright purple eyes of one of the figures caught caught her, but everything after was a blur. Some sort of spell had been placed on her, and she could vaguely remember being dragged, but that was all.
Endyr looked down to see that she had chains around her wrists and ankles, and a shiny gold collar around her throat. The sight brought back memories to her last life before reincarnation into Orvonia, and the flashback pissed her off greatly. She strained against the chains, but failed to affect them in any way.
Turning her attention outwards, Endyr only then realised she was in a cage, one with a tarp cast over it. She was thus unable to see where she was, but the ochre light of dusk permeated the silk, telling Endyr not much time had passed since her capture. No other details could be seen, so Endyr focused on her body instead.
The System was still unavailable, but now she couldn't use her claws or scales either. Her tail felt distant and lethargic, and she had to focus hard to get it to move. Most worryingly of all though, Endyr only possessed a sliver of Mana. She just barely had enough to keep functioning, but using a Skill would knock her out.
Clearly, whoever made these chains was familiar with whatever species Endyr's new vessel was. Her bonds perfectly restrained her, and the bare minimum was precisely measured. A master craftsman had built these chains, even by her standards as a Denizen.
With nothing left to discover, Endyr was forced to stay still and wait. In the silence, she became aware of the slightest swaying of the cage. She was being carried, or moving somewhere, but she didn't hear anybody around. 'Floating via magic?' she pondered before paying it no mind. Instead, she was calculating her next move and any tools available to her for use. Her new vessel was entirely restricted, and her Mana was out of the equation. The only thing that left her then was her mind and tongue. But of course, she didn't even possess the latter. So talking her way out of her situation was impossible...
Endyr's shoulder slumped as the impossibility of her situation swept over her. She was way out of her depth, and her life literally depended on the whims of whomever she was being dragged to see. 'Wait a second...I'm being brought to someone? How do I know that?' Endyr blinked in surprise as she caught onto something strange. 'I know because that boy told me...Wait! I understood him?! And the others two as well!'
It was only now that Endyr realised that the trio had not spoken in the same language that woman in the woods had. They had spoken a different tongue, one very similar to Gaian but not quite the same. It had a bit of Enochian mixed in too.
In Orvonia, most languages developed from the four parent languages of the Second Era: Angels' Enochian, Devils' Bellsybabble, Jotun of the Giants and Draconian of the Dragons. Elves, Beasts, and Vampires spoke ancient dialects of the three modern languages: Gaian, Tartarian and Borelian. Only Mermaids spoke a tongue that died out in the Golden Era, known as Ichthys. Now, the Mermaids of Ouranos spoke a different language.
Only Aesir did not not fit in the languages Endyr knew off the top of her head, but she assumed it was exclusive to the Golden Era.
The language those three spoke seemed to be a very early version of Gaian, to the point where Endyr could recognise the language itself but not necessarily all the words. Her comprehension mainly came from the fact that the speakers were projecting their intentions into her mind, a technique available to anyone above Mythic Tier. But at least she found a possible method of salvation. Even without vocal cords, she could still communicate if the language itself was familiar!
The next question now was who they were bringing her to. That Dragon rider from before? The woman had mentioned her "Lord", while the child had given another name-Bartholomeus. She had no clue about the latter, but she definitely did not want to meet the former. The amount of people who could be the "Lord" of such a powerful figure could be counted on one hand if this truly was the Third Era.
As Endyr was deep in contemplation, she belatedly realised the cage had stopped moving, and that she had likely arrived at her location. Sure enough, the tarp was whisked away to reveal her new surroundings. Endyr hissed slightly at the sudden blast of sunlight, crouching on her haunches like a cat. After several seconds, she had climatized enough to open her eyes, with the first thing she saw being one of the most extravagant hall she had ever witnessed, in both lives. The roof was easily eighty metres tall, and every inch was constructed from either gold or marble. Murals, statues, painting and other forms of art formed lines along the walls, and a myriad of coloured glass formed a dome on the roof to allow light through. The halls were fitted with torches that blazed with golden flames, and the floors were covered by deep red carpets. At the end of the hall was a golden throne big enough to seat a Giant, sculpted with the skulls of Dragons and other Beasts.
'Someone really needs to tell these people size doesn't matter, but it's how you use it' Endyr joked to herself to relieve tension as she looked around. Beside her cage were the three figures that had captured her in the temple. A child with deep purple hair and eyes that glimmered like crystal stood to her immediate left, looking at her with a playful smile. To her right was a man whom she recognised: the Dragon rider from before. He was a monster of a man, eight feet tall and built like a tank. Endyr hadn't fully appreciated his size from before, but now that he was in front of her, she could only describe him as a giant. He was staring directly ahead, a scowl fixed on his face and red eyes smouldering with discontent.
And then in front of Endyr was the woman: hazel hair that fell to the small of her back and tied in a bun at the end. She wore a neat but elegant blue and red robe that nicely complimented her hourglass figure, and she was the calmest of the trio. Sensing Endyr's gaze, the woman turned around to reveal her pointed ears and heterochromia-one eye red and the other blue.
Endyr's body seized up as the truth she wanted to ignore fully sunk in. If it was only a few hours ago, Endyr would have been blissfully ignorant of just how fucked she was, but unfortunately that time had passed. There was no denying the identity of the woman in front of her: Tamar, the ancient Goddess of Weather.
"Look, the sleepy-head is awake" the child remarked, fiddling with a die between his fingers. The red haired man shot her a glance and snorted, while the woman silently observed her. "I sense fear in this one" she spoke softly, like her voice was made from velvet. "I do believe it knows of me."
"How?" the man frowned. "Abominations know nothing but to kill and destroy from the moment they are born. They are an affront to our world."
The woman shrugged before turning her gaze away from Endyr. "I do not know how the beast knows me, but I am certain it does. Perhaps the Lord will have the answer like always" she mused.
The child crouched down and held his face in his hands as he peered at her. His purple eyes, as pure as a newborn baby's, bore into her soul. The incongruity between his appearance and his aura was off-putting, and Endyr found him both creepy and...familiar.
"Well, I suppose I should introduce myself. Gosh, where were my manners before? My name is Mirage, the big surly over there is Belgemir and that lady you are so scared off is Tamar. And what do we call you, Ms or Mr Abomination?"
Endyr did not react for a moment as she went over the names she heard. 'Belgemir and Mirage...I have heard of neither of them. But I know this boy looks familiar! Purple eyes are rare enough but not unheard of. Both Sia and Mother have them after all. A child...purple hair and eyes...a die and joking attitude...'
All the pieces came together to form the final nail in the coffin for Endyr. There might be multiple figures who fit that description, but Endyr knew only one who was both active in the Golden Era and had a connection to the Almighty Primordial.
Jester, the God of Blasphemy and Mischief.
As the waves of despair began crashing over her, the screeching of a door rang out in the hall. Jester stood up and wiped the smile from his face, while both Tamar and Belgemir also stiffened. Endyr watched with baited breath as multiple figures made their way through a door, with one claiming the large golden throne. To the man's left was a figure wrapped in a black cloak, his face hidden by a shadow that seemed to contain countless eyes. Pairs of imaginary black wings seemed to extend from his back, but every time Endyr tried to focus on him they vanished.
To the man's left was another figure in a black robe, but his face was at least partially visible. His red eyes peered over an iron mask that covered his lower face and mouth. Underneath his robe, worms or something seemed to be wriggling, causing his robe to bulge in random places at times. Meeting his eyes caused a headache to build up, so Endyr hastily averted her gaze.
And then there was the man himself.
A figure even larger than Belgemir, he was over three meters and his entire body glowed with golden light that would occasionally shift to another colour, like a human kaleidoscope. His features were blurred and obscured by the light, but his unparalleled handsomeness could not be hidden. Only his eyes were visible: a swirling sea of reds, blues, greens and all other colours imaginable. And they were focused entirely on her.
Before the man that could only be the Almighty Primordial, Endyr only had one thing to say: 'Where do I sign the warrant?'