Chapter 3: Departure
and Ruin
"Mom I
needed to tell you, Interitus said that they would talk to me again in three
days and answer any questions I had. Maybe we'll find out what was happening
with the sky." Novis said to Simul later that day. "Oh, did they say what they
would talk to you about sweetheart?" Simul replied her head tilted as she
spoke. Novis shook his head, "They just said we'd talk in three days, and I
haven't heard from them since." Simul pondered for a moment before replying.
"Well just pay close attention to whatever they tell you then, okay?" She said
a smile on her face. In anticipation Novis excited paced around Liber as he
awaited the third day. Liber wasn't very large, only being two houses, and
Simul knew that for any long term presence growing their own food would be a
necessity. The issue was that they lacked the seeds to being farming. This
wasn't the most pressing issue as Liber only had residents in Novis, Rideat,
Cogitare, Rex, and herself, meaning that the forest's bounty was currently
plenty but as time went on, if Liber grew larger a proper source of food would
become paramount. "Cogitare, can we speak?" Simul said, a worried look on her
face. Cogitare begrudgingly removed his face from his book, he looked up at
Simul with a disinterested look as he silently waited. "It's about our food
situation. We will be fine for now but should our home grow larger it will be
impossible to feed people." She explained. Cogitare sat in silence for a
moment, sounds of Novis playing with Rideat and Rex creating a relaxed
atmosphere as they talked. "Well we must begin farming no? It'd be impossible to
care for live stock without food for them, and it would make much more sense to
focus on feeding ourselves first no?" He replied. His eyebrow was raised in
confusion as he gave Simul a quizzical look. Simul rolled her eyes. "Cogitare,
I know that. But what are we to grow? We have no seeds to speak of. Not to
mention no animal we hunt is suitable for livestock, so that plan is even
further out." Cogitare nodded in agreement before thinking to himself once
more. "Perhaps our elven neighbors of Yafnit would have seeds for sale, or
perhaps even trade. The Celetic Tribes prefer to hunt, with our individual
villages being small enough to sustain that. Even if the worse should come to
pass we often share resources with other villages to prevent them from being
wiped out." Cogitare replied. "That would make for a wonderful idea. Then we
must journey to Yafnit soon." Simul happily responded. With a delighted look on
her face she went off to corral Novis and the others for lunch.
Rex pulled
Simul aside after lunch, "Simul, this may sound a little crazy but please let
me train Novis." Rex bowed his head as he earnestly begged for Simul's
approval. Although her face did not immediately reject the idea it was clear
that she was caught off guard by the subject. "I completely understand your
confusion. While I was playing with Boss and Rideat he showed a natural talent
for combat." Rex explained. Rex went on to detail Novis' incredible reaction
time and his adeptness for reading his opponents actions. "Sure, we had no
weapons but he still was on top of us!" Rex excitedly shouted. "Rex… I'm sure
you have the best of intentions and that you wish Novis no harm, however, I
don't see how that will benefit Novis. We moved to this forest to avoid danger.
Keeping him safe comes first and I don't think he'll have to worry about
himself here." She said shaking her head. Rex shot her a dejected look but
didn't give in. "Simul its not like he'll be able to live his whole life here,
plus Gods know what will happen in the future. It couldn't hurt to give him the
chance to protect himself. Plus I'm sure he'd think of it as one fun game!" Rex
said with a renewed vigor. Simul sighed deeply as she thought of a response.
She hung her head as she closed her eyes for a moment. She locked eyes with Rex
before replying. "Fine. But you keep him safe understood? If he gets hurt I'll
end these practices myself, understood?" Simul replied, a threatening aura
coming off of her as she spoke. Rex wore
a large smile as he frantically nodded his head. "You won't regret this!" Rex
ecstatically shouted. Rex ran to Novis who began to smile with anticipation as
Rex approached. Although Simul couldn't hear them she saw they light in Novis'
eyes before he began to excitedly jump up and down. Simul smiled as she shook
her head slowly.
3 days later[jb1] ,
after life in Liber returned to relative normalcy, Novis finished training with
Rex when a thought appeared in the forefront of his head. "Mom! Mom! Todays the
day I speak with Interitus. What do you think they will tell me?" Novis said
running to Simul, sweat dripping down from his forehead, a clear sign of his
diligent work. "Hmm? What do you mean? Did they tell you nothing of what you're
talking about?" Simul replied, a curious look on her face. "Nope. They told me
nothing, just that we'd talk in 3 days. Their voice was rather serious so it
will probably be important." Novis began to explain before feeling a familiar
weightlessness. "Who are you mister?" A small child said to Novis. "Interitus,
can we get to the point? I've had a lot of questions to ask you over the past 3
days." Novis said in a serious tone. "Ah boo. How'd you know it was me? I even
went through the effort of changing my voice to fool you." Interitus' voice
came from the child as the child frowned. "Well, you are the only god I speak
to a fair amount, so it would be pretty weird if a child could do that." Novis
explained. "Says the child. Well whatever, we have a lot to talk about, and I
worked a little extra hard on this space so no time should be passing outside
this." Novis somberly nodded as he prepared himself to earnestly listen. "So if
I am being honest a lot of change is coming to the world rather suddenly. Your
life is just too interesting for me to lose, so I'll break the rules a little
for you. Novis I am going to ask you this, but know once you answer there will
be no going back." Interitus' voice became cold and monotone as they spoke.
Novis gulped with anticipation, "What horrible thing are they going to ask me?"
He thought to himself. "No, no, its not that bad. Honestly it's a real plus for
you. Novis. Do you want my blessing?" Interitus asked, the child transforming
into a large orc. "Of course, I froze time for us here so you can think it out.
And I'll tell you about it, to sweeten the deal you know? With my blessing you
gain access to my very own Soul Magic, its real similar to regular magic
but it affects the soul specifically, along with a special eye. It will let you
look into the soul of those around you, even letting you see some of their
memories. Lastly you'll get a nice pool of mana in addition to the massive one
you already have. A fair deal for you if I do say so." Interitus explained.
Novis sat stunned in silence. Thoughts of Simul, along with everyone else in
Liber, began to fill his mind. Runic eyes began fill the corners of Novis'
vision. He began to rapidly blink and wipe at his eyes, but the eyes never
faded. As time went on the eyes grew in number and their stares intensified.
Novis couldn't exactly explain it but it was clear to him that this moment
could have ramifications beyond his imagination. Reigning in his fears he
ignored the eyes and steeled his resolve. "If I'm to protect those important to
me I need power." Novis thought to himself. He turned to Interitus and took a
deep breath. "I need power to protect those I love. If you are willing to help
me I won't pry much. I accept your blessing." Novis said taking a knee as he
lowered his head. "What are you doing? Get up, there's no need to bow to me for
a blessing. I was the one who offered the blessing." Interitus said bring Novis
to his feet. "Jeez, I thought I've made it clear we're friends? Sure, you
aren't a god but you remain the most interesting mortal that I've ever met. Why
change that now?" Interitus said shaking their head. "Okay, I've born witness
to your determination. This may hurt a bit so forgive me." They said. Novis
gave them a puzzled look before searing white hot pain filled Novis' mind.
Despite how total the pain was Novis felt it was strange, it only lasted for a
few moments but he couldn't feel the pain on his body, it was as if it was
touching his soul directly. "Alright. With that my blessing is in place and
you've gained yourself a second blessing. Now lets move on…" Interitus began
before Novis stopped them. "Whoa, whoa. What was that?" Though he didn't notice
it, Novis' speak had once again matured a bit. "It hurt so much, and I felt
like it wasn't on my body. What did you do?" Interitus broke out into a cold
sweat. "Promise you won't get mad? I swear its not too bad." They replied,
holding both of their hands up as they lightly backed away. Novis shot them a
look before dismissing the thought. "We're friends right? I won't get mad." He
said, his eyebrow twitching as he spoke. Interitus failed to notice and
breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, so to give you my blessing I had to mark your
soul. And to increase your mana I had to mess with your soul a little too.
You've just lost a few…" Interitus' voice sputtered out. "I've lost a few
what?" Novis said with an eyebrow raised. "A few years." Interitus sheepishly
said. Novis felt a chill rush through his body. He looked at his hands before
looking over himself entirely. "Oh don't worry, you won't see any physical
change. You're just a little older mentally is all." Interitus said trying to
assure him. Novis place both of his hands on his head before looking at
Interitus. "Why didn't you say anything?! I-I…" Novis fell to his knees. "How
much have I given up? How much have I taken from my Mother?" He said tears
pouring from his eyes. "Novis! Calm down. I swear its not as bad as you think,
plus I'm sure you've realized it but you've already been given up a few years
mentally." Interitus said trying to calm the despairing Novis. "What? H-how? I
haven't taken any blessings?" Novis said staring at Interitus with a distraught
look on his face. "How dense, its when you revive people, though you could say
that one is slightly worse. Your ability to revive the dead isn't free, sure it
takes some mana when they agree, but it also takes some years from you. Sure it
takes the mental development but its also taken some physical development from
you too." Interitus explained. Sitting there with his mouth agape Novis was
dumbfounded. "I've given up so much. Why did I never stop to consider the cost?
Why was I so quick to risk my life, tampering with things beyond my
understanding like it was normal?" Novis said. He was staring at his hands as
he struggled to come to terms with this sudden dose of reality. "Well that's
probably because you're a child. Though less of one now, of course you wouldn't
hesitate to help those you care about regardless of the cost. Its part of what
makes you so interesting, that determination to help others regardless of what
might happen." Interitus said trying to calm down Novis. Novis looked up at
Interitus once more, his eyes redden and swollen. He sat silent for a moment
collecting his thoughts before speaking. Novis stood up, he wiped his face with
his hands as he opened his mouth. "I must say, this wasn't what I was expecting
when you told me we were going to talk." Interitus chuckled as they turned to
Novis. "Haha, well what kind of God would I be if I was predictable?" they
replied. "Now I'm sure you'd love to here all about that new power of yours,
but I have to tell you about something else first." Interitus continued. "I'm
sure you thought it was weird that you named your axe Gran, right?" Interitus
asked. Novis thought about Gran as he brow furrowed. "Yeah, that was rather
strange. Not to mention how unbelievably sharp Gran is, it can easily clear a
tree without much real force, honestly I'm scare of what it can truly do."
Interitus sat stunned at Novis. "Whoa, I didn't realize how strong it was,
weird. Anyway that is the name of the second Primal Nonel." They said. Novis
tilted his head in confusion. He put his hand to his temple as a puzzled look
spread across his face. "What is a Primal Nonel? How is it different from a
regular nonel? And why did you specify that it was the second one?" Novis asked
in a sudden barge of questions. "Well excuse me. I would tell you if you hushed
for a minute. I'll answer your questions in order, a Primal Nonel is a being
that was created by Chaos before the Patron War, and though their called Primal
Nonels its better to think of them as ancient nonels. They have intelligence, a
more refined form, unlike the nightmare that a regular nonel is, and can use
magic. Lastly I specified the second one because there are only 3 in existence.
The first Primis, the oldest of the three and a surprisingly decent guy. The
second Gran, a grimy being, absolutely never trust what he says. He always has
some scheme or just general issue going on. Lastly Ardere, she's different. She
is the most unstable of the 3, but don't worry I'm sure she'll like you." Interitus
explained with a smile on their face. Their body transformed once more into a
slender elf. A feminine voice came from their mouth when they spoke. "Now you
can ask questions." They said patting Novis on the head. Novis brushed away
their hand as his cheeks turned flush. "Don't pat my head, thanks to someone
I'm not a child anymore so its just weird. Moving on why are you telling me
about them, and how does knowing how they are help with my axe?" Novis asked,
his brow still furrowed in confusion. "Novis, you're supposed to be smart.
You'll be meeting them soon so I thought some information about them would help
you out." They nonchalantly stated. Novis' face shifted from puzzled to fear a
he began to process what Interitus said to him. "Wh-what? Did you just say
I-I'd meet them?" Novis said as he began to sweat profusely. He began to
breathe heavily as his heart began racing. Fear filled his mind as he thought
about the horrible things they may do to him. "Calm down Novis. Being so scared
isn't like you. Apart from Gran I can guarantee they won't hurt you. And
honestly Gran might just try and scare you, no physical harm so it's okay.
Plus, I'll still be there to talk to you if you need me." They said, placing
their hand on Novis' shoulder trying to calm him. Novis' breathing slowed as he
stilled his nerves. Novis took a deep breath before responding. "Okay, sorry
its just a lot is happening right now that I don't think I was fully prepared
for. But I can make it through this, why would they want to meet me?" Novis
asked softly smiling at Interitus as he spoke. "Ah, you don't know? Chaos
didn't tell you?" They replied a puzzled look on their face. "Tell me what? It
has been a rather long while since I've heard from Chaos. And why would you
know?" Novis asked, a puzzled look on his face. "Well Chaos may soon be freed
from her seal, due to the recent crack in the sky we'll talk about next. But of
course I would know, I was born from her mana, I'm basically her child."
Interitus said. Novis sat dumbfounded. He blanked stared into the abyss as he
tried to process what he was just told. "Chaos is your mom?! Why haven't you
told me?! What do you mean she'll be freed soon?!" Novis began to shout as he
put his hands on his head. His eyes widened as he struggled to think of what to
say next. "I-I need a while, I'm sorry." Novis managed to say before sitting in
the fetal position. "It's a lot, I understand just don't forget that I can't
maintain this space forever." Interitus replied. Novis didn't respond, he sat
in silence for a while, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm himself. Fear
remained stagnant in his mind but thoughts of his mother brought peace as he
steeled his resolve. "If I truly want to protect her I can't let something like
this break me." He thought to himself. He nodded as he looked to a concerned
Interitus. "Alright, I'm ready." He said a defiant smirk on his face. Interitus
chuckled in response. "Hehe, that's the most interesting mortal for ya! Now
there isn't much to tell you about your meeting with Chaos and the Primal
Nonels. They are really just supposed to be thanking you. So there won't be
much in terms of interaction." They explained. Novis breathed a sigh of relief
as he nodded. "Why do they want to thank me? I haven't done anything to help
Chaos." Novis said. "Uh not true. You use chaos magic. That's enough, though I
don't know how much of that actually contributed to Chaos' eventual escape. I
think that has to do more with her new sibling." Interitus began. "Wait. New
sibling? What are you talking about." Interitus' eyes widened as Novis
interrupted them. "I forgot! Remember when you had to avoid looking at the sky?
That is a new god on the cusp of entering reality. But since it hasn't been
fully born yet its causing a storm of mana, Mavros' mana, and its weaking
Chaos' seal." Novis sat silent with his mouth agape. "Can you tell me these
things? Why are you telling me these things? Why are you just dropping them on
me like their totally normal?" He asked both of his hands pressed against his
head. "Well, I don't think I should be telling you this but your just so
interesting, I love seeing how you react to things. Moving on though, we're
running out of time. Don't worry much about what Chaos and the nonels have to
tell you. Now lets talk about your new blessing." They said. Novis' face
shifted as he prepared himself for the important information. "From my blessing
you've gained Soul Magic and its very special. It works a lot like Chaos
magic but there are differences. First off your right eye, when infused with
mana, can look directly at the souls of the living around you. From that you
can glimpse as much or as little information as you want. Second, you can
conjure weapons with soul magic but they do no physical damage. I won't tell
you too much, surprises are funnier after all, but I will warn you now. Do Not
use it as a sparring weapon, you will regret it for as long as you live. Lastly
you can manipulate the souls of those around you, if you wanted to you could
drain their souls, granting you more lifeforce, though you can also do the
opposite." They explained. Novis' brow furrowed as he listened on. His mouth
opened for a split second before he turned his head down. Whatever he was
thinking he kept to himself. "Alright, any questions? I'm all ea-" Interitus
began speaking only to be cut off as the space around them and Novis began to
break down. "Out o- -me, w-'ll sp- -in." Novis heard Interitus struggle to get
out as the pitch black void he found himself in cracked. Beams of light
penetrated the darkness, slowly at first before, like a pane of glass,
shattering entirely. Before Novis could get his bearings he heard a familiar
voice scream. "Who Are You?!" Simul screamed at the top of her lungs. Novis
summoned Gran as he looked around trying to find what Simul was screaming at.
After a few seconds of silence, and Novis not seeing anything, turned back to
Simul. "Mom? What are you talking about?" Novis said, he dismissed Gran as he
tilted his head. "Theres no one here?" he asked. Simul furrowed her brow as she
spoke. "Who are you? Why are you calling me 'Mom' and what have you done with
my son?" She summoned a straight sword with magic as she backed up and took a
combative stance. "Mom! Its me! Novis, your son. I don't understand what's
wrong?" Novis said, his voice shaking as he gets panicked by her sudden shift
in behavior." "Ha! I know my son. You can't fool me, Novis isn't that tall, he doesn't
have that much mana, and your eye!" She shouted as she pointed to his right
eye. "Novis had beautiful lavender eyes, and sure you have one but he never had
a blue eye!" Her face was filled with anger and determination. "What? My eye
isn't blue? Its lavender like yours. And Interitus gave me more mana, they
actually gave me their blessing." Novis hurriedly spoke as he began to panic. "They
started speaking to me while we were talking to each other. They told me a lot
of things, I'll have to tell you, but you have to put the sword away." Novis
said. He motioned her to put the sword away with his hands. Her face didn't
change as she spoke, lowering the sword. "Prove to me that you're my son, what
did that god do to you that you've changed so much so fast." Though faint there
was a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she intently stared at Novis. Novis nodded
as he prepared himself. Novis summoned Gran once again. "Mom look, its Gran, it
was the first weapon I made after you told me how." He said, his voice breaking
as fears of not convincing her filled his head. "I even took out that tree and
shocked you and I then shocked Cogitare when he thought I couldn't handle
logging." He lightly chuckled as he recalled the memory. Simul's grip on her
sword softened but her face remained doubtful. "As if that convinced me. Even
if you aren't Novis Interitus may have told you about him, their goals are
beyond me anyway, I can't let you fool me." Novis dismissed Gran as he stared
into Simul's eyes. "Mom, do you know why I wanted to call our home Liber?" He
asked. "No? What does that have to do with proving your identity?" She replied.
She tilted her head in confusion as her gaze remained affixed on Novis.
"Because I wanted us to be free of any worry. You never told me why we live in
the forest, but I still wanted to do my best to bring you peace of mind." Novis
began as he approached Simul. She stepped back at first, keeping her sword
pointed at him. However, as he spoke, she lowered the sword little by little
and stopped backing up. "That's why I've worked so hard to help you out. That's
why I summoned Rex, to help protect you. You're my mom, and I'd do anything for
you." Novis said as he began to hug Simul. Simul opened her mouth, but no words
escaped her lips as she let go of her sword. Tears began to roll down her cheek
as she tightly embraced Novis. "Novis. I'm so glad you're okay. I'm so sorry I
pointed my sword at you. You just changed so much so quickly, I-I couldn't
believe you weren't my little boy anymore. I don't understand what did
Interitus do to you?" She cried.
Novis
and Simul sat down as he began to explain what happened. "They whisked me away
in the middle of our conversation. When I opened my eyes there they were, and
they said that they wanted me to survive and so they offered their blessing. I
didn't think to ask about any costs of the blessing and took it without much
hesitation. I learned after I received their blessing about the cost." Novis
began to explain. Simul frowned at him. "Well consider this a general rule from
now on then, there is no free power in this world. Someone offering you power
may not want to use you but in some way, some shape, or some form there will be
a cost." She said her face serious as she stared at Novis. "I-I understand. I
swear I'll consider the cost in the future; I won't blindly trust others as I
have been. Now I do have to tell you something very important, but I can't tell
you alone. Everyone needs to know this." Novis said, he got up. Simul stood up
after him and followed him, giving Rideat, Rex, and Cogitare a brief
explanation before they gathered in Novis and Simul's house. They sat in the
dining room, prepared for whatever this meeting may hold. An eerie silence
filled the room as Rex, Rideat, and Cogitare watch Novis with careful eyes. Rex
breaks the ice first. "Wow, is that really you Boss?" Rex asked as he sat down.
"Rex is right, though if you've convinced Simul I doubt there is any reason to
distrust you." Cogitare added, looking at Novis with a doubtful eye. "If your
shocked imagine how I feel." Novis joked. "But I have something very important
to tell you all. Chaos will be freed, though I don't know when, we'll also be
meeting the 3 Primal Nonels, and a new god is on the verge of being born, that
is the cause behind whatever happened in the sky." Novis explained. He sat in
silence as he waited for their responses. Rideat was the first to speak. "What!
Where did you hear this? I-I can't believe it." He jumped to his feet as he
processed the news. Cogitare and Rex remained silent but they gave Novis grave
looks. "Novis sweetheart, is what your saying true? Chaos is going to return?"
Simul said. Novis solemnly nodded. "This is mostly due to the birth of that new
god. I don't know much about them, and I don't think Interitus does either, but
the storm of mana occurring because of their birth has weakened Chaos' seal."
Novis continued. "Wait, if there is a storm of mana how come we haven't noticed
it?" The quizzical Cogitare questioned. "I-I can't say, maybe we have noticed
it though?" Novis replied. "Go on." Cogitare said, he eyes alight with
curiosity. "Rex do you remember what cut off your head when you looked into the
sky?" Novis asked. Rex turned in confusion, "What's up with the sudden
question? No, not really. It happened pretty fast so I don't remember much." He
replied, his head tilted in confusion. "I see, Novis your brilliant! The timing
would line up too." Cogitare shouted. He ran out of the house towards his books
in hopes of finding something. "Novis, what is he talking about?" Rideat asked,
he furrowed his brow as he looked outside. "Oh well, I was thinking what if the
mana storm was what tried to kill Rex. I don't know much about mana but if
Cogitare didn't immediately dismiss it then I think its entirely possible that
there's some truth to it." Novis explained. "Huh, guess it was a good thing I
looked up then that time." Rex said, proudly nodding to himself. "No! We didn't
need to know that. Don't do it again." Novis said, a frown on his face. "I
know, I know. I was just joking!" Rex quickly replied. Simul chuckled off to
the side as Rideat got serious. "So Novis, what's our game plan? I doubt this
is something that we can just ignore." Novis sat in silence for a moment, his
hand on his chin as he thought to himself. Rex suddenly stood up from his seat.
"Rex? What's wrong?" Novis asked, frightened by the look on his face. "No. Its
too quiet out there. Cogitare should be shuffling around, not to mention,
there's a strange smell in the air. You guys stay here." Rex said, he was
frowning as he silently said "Slicar" to himself. A scimitar-style sword
appeared in his hands. He opened the door before taking off. Novis' brow
furrowed, "I'm going too. I've made these sacrifices to protect you all, I
can't sit here and do nothing." As he ran towards the door. "Sweetheart wait!"
Simul shouted to Novis. "Mom? What's wrong? I don't have much time." Novis
replied, hand on the door. "It's too dangerous to run off without gathering
information. We don't even know what's going on out there." She said, she
grabbed his arm trying to bring him back to the dining table. "Mom, I
understand but I promise you I'm not weak enough to need your protection all
the time. I must protect you too. Let me show you what I can do!" Novis said
with a triumphant smile. Simul shook her head. "You truly have grown up, huh? Fine
I won't stop you but make sure that you don't come back any older okay?" Simul
chuckled as she spoke. "Of course!" Novis shouted in return. Novis then made
his way outside while Simul and Rideat remained inside.
Novis
ran out the door and looked around for Rex and Cogitare. However, before he
found either of them his eyes locked on a creature. "What is that?" Novis
whispered. He sat entranced by the strange creature. It had jet black skin and
deep purple eyes, and although its form was humanoid it clearly wasn't a human.
Its head was that of an elf, torso and arms that of a human, and legs of a
lizardman, it even had a tail. It hobbled around occasionally letting out a
disturbing sound, as if it were gurgling on its own blood. It wandered
aimlessly, no weapons in its hands and no clear target in mind. It was like a
wild animal that had simply wandered over to Liber. Novis sat still cautiously.
"I don't know what that thing is but I feel like I have to deal with it. But I
don't want to act recklessly without knowing where Rex and Cogitare are." Novis
thought to himself. His mind raced as he realized whatever that creature is its
only a matter of time before it found someone. He continued to look around for
those two hoping to find them and formulate a plan. A chill ran down his spine,
so sharp it felt as his blood froze, as the creature let out a horrific scream.
"Argggggg-kakakaaaaaa" cried the creature. Novis locked eyes with the unnerving
entity, and it suddenly began to charge at him. Its movement was wrong, its
legs bending and moving in unnatural ways and yet the creature moved with
incredible speed. Its head flailing around as if its neck wasn't supporting its
head. Goosebumps covered Novis' body. As if his body was moving on its own,
without a moment of hesitation he summoned Gran and began to charge the
creature in response. Novis took a deep breath as he raised Gran. The
creature's body and Gran met in spectacular fashion. As Novis swung down the
creature continued to run, steadfast in its goal of reaching Novis. However,
when the nonel finally reached Novis it split in two, flying in opposite
directions as the body missed Novis. Novis was sprayed with purple blood as the
creature fell to the ground. Despite being in two the creature was seemingly
still alive. Its body continued to squirm, the head in particular still letting
out bloodcurdling screams as it tried to rejoin with its lower half. Novis took
another deep breath as he beheaded the strange monstrosity. "D-did I do it?"
Novis asked himself as he wiped his face with his arm. He looked down at his
arm, now covered in the purple dripping from his face. He dismissed Gran as his
face turned pale. "What did I do?" Novis said aloud as he stared at the
sky. He fell to back and his mind swirled with thoughts. "I-I didn't try to
talk to it. Why was I so certain it was hostile?" As Novis laid down with his
thoughts, the smell of rust filled the air. Novis sat up to look around, and he
saw the creature's body seemingly rust over. Its once black skin turned green
like the grass before sinking into the ground as if it were never there. Even
the blood that once covered Novis began to steam before vanishing. "What is
happening?!" Novis shouted. "Novis? What are you doing out here?!" Rex shouted
as he appeared before Novis. Cogitare stood behind him, books held firmly in
his grasp. "R-Rex! There was some creature here, I-I killed it. But it just
wasn't right, the it moved, the way it looked, the way it sounded! Something
was off." Novis explained. Rex put his hand to his head as he shook his head.
"Not that Novis! What are you doing outside the house?" He asked in a stern
tone. "Oh! I wanted to help, if Liber needed defending there was no way I'd sit
on the sidelines." Novis replied, he earnestly awaited Rex's response expecting
plenty of praise. "You idiot!" Rex shouted. "You can't just run out here like
that! Who knows what you could've found, what if you got hurt? What if you got
killed! You aren't immortal! I am!" Rex continued. Novis frowned
as his brow furrowed. "I'm not a child anymore! I don't need you to protect me!
I revived you to protect Mom anyway! And I killed the creature without getting
hurt so there's no need to focus on what-ifs!" Novis fired back. He stood up as
he locked eyes with Rex. "We don't know the limit to my powers so you
can't act recklessly either! What if that thing could kill you? Then
what?" Novis shouted. "I- That maybe so but…" Rex began. "No, I don't want to
hear any 'buts'. If you'll lecture me I'll be here to do the same for you. Now
back to that creature, do you know it was?" Novis interrupted him. "Novis, that
was a nonel. Don't you remember it? You helped Rideat killed it." Cogitare said
as he raised an eyebrow at Novis. "What? That was a nonel? But the one Rideat
killed didn't look like that." Novis replied. His brow was furrowed as he sat
in confusion. "Nonels come in all shapes and sizes, there are even ones that
look like mixtures of giant animals." Rex answered. "Why? I always assumed they
shared an appearance." Novis asked. "No one knows Novis. Nonels are a relative
mystery." Cogitare said looking down at his books. He opened a book and began
to flip through it before Rex suddenly grabbed their attention. "Hey! You two,
there are more nonels coming! Cogitare, get back to the house! Novis, what are
you going to do?" Rex said in a hushed voice. Cogitare nodded as he ran off
into the house. "I-I'm going to fight! Plus there's a power I wanted to try
out, and this seems like the perfect time." Novis turned to Rex. "So where are
the nonels coming from?" Novis asked. Rex pointed to the tree line on the edge
of Liber. Novis turned to the trees and covered his eye. He focused the mana in
his body to the eye before opening it. Just as he opened his eye 4 nonels
emerged from the forest. Rex entered a stance, ready for combat, while a chill
ran down Novis' spine once more. Without a sound the nonels began to charge
towards Novis and Rex. Their bodies moved similarly to the nonel Novis
dispatched, moving unnaturally as if they are barely held together. Novis
locked his gaze upon one the nonels, a smirk on his face. After a few seconds
the smirk faded away as the blood rushed from his face. He sat in silence. "Hey
Novis, are you ready?" Rex asked a smirk on his face as his grip tightened on
his sword. Novis didn't respond though, a concerned look appeared on Rex's
face. "Novis? Are you okay?" The eerie silence rung loudly in Rex's mind. He
turned to Novis, only to see tears streaming down his face. "Novis! What's
wrong, did that nonel earlier actually hurt you? Come on speak!" Rex shouted as
he shuffled in front of Novis. "R-Rex. Their people. Their people and they're
suffering." Novis said. The look on his face looked as if his world was
crumbling around him. "I-I can't fight them. I need to help them, I-I can't do
this." Novis said, he put his hands on his head as he fell to his knees. He
began to cry loudly as tears came pouring out of his eyes. "Novis! I don't know
what your talking about but it'll have to wait. Our lives are endanger and if
we fail Simul and the others will be in danger too." Rex said, as he swung at
the nonels, which were now surrounding Rex and Novis. Upon hearing her name
Novis stopped crying, wiping his face. "But, they don't want to do this Rex. I
can't hurt them." Novis replied. He began to stand when a nonel charged him.
Novis rolled out of the way, only getting a few cuts and scratches from the
nonel. "Novis! I understand *grunt* but I don't think *grunt* that they'll do
much listening right now!" Rex shouted. Novis shut his eyes as he gritted his
teeth. He slammed his hand on the nonel that charged him and screamed. "Argh!
Why do I have to do this!" Novis shouted. As he shouted the nonel's body began
to wither and mummified. It started turning to dust before disappearing into the
wind. "Novis! What was that?" Rex shouted, still fighting against the other
nonels. "I-I think I drained its soul energy. That is something I gained from
Interitus' blessing though I wasn't sure how to use it. I'll handle those 3 so
back up!" Novis shouted. He took a deep breath and spread out his hands. Rex
jumped back behind Novis, patiently waiting yet prepared to jump back in at a
moments notice. Though Rex couldn't see it he could feel a strange energy
flowing from the nonels into Novis as they began to crumple away like the last
nonel. "Incredible. Novis you truly are an incredible kid." Rex said in awe.
Novis felt winded as he stared at the sky. "Chaos, we need to talk." He said
aloud before passing out.
Novis opened his eyes only to find
a familiar void. "You're finally awake boy. What was it that you wished to
speak to me about?" Chaos' voice rang out. Novis looked around, seeing an inky
black abyss, dotted with purple 'stars'. "F-free them!" Novis shouted. "Free
them? What in the world are you talking about?" Chaos replied, a woman emerging
from the abyss in front of Novis. She raised an eyebrow as she sat in silence
waiting for his reply. "The nonels. I know what they are, and I can't believe
it. How could you do something cruel?" Novis replied. His brow was furrowed out
of desperation, trying to pry a reason from her. "Hmm. I see you've forgotten
your place. I need soldiers, and so I created some. Not all soldiers would be
willing so I granted them a chance to beat death. I see no cruelty there."
Chaos replied. "Do you think I'm stupid!? I've seen what's happen in their
minds, its nothing but suffering. That is nothing but cruelty." Novis snapped
back. His brow was now furrowed out of anger as he stared Chaos in the eyes.
Chaos lifted her head as she stared at Novis. She opened her mouth, and before
a word even came out a chill ran down Novis' spine. "Boy. Do not forget who
granted you your power. Don't mistake your growth as your own. If I so
desired", Chaos' body grew in size as she spoke ,"I could wipe you out. I'd
simply return my power to myself and wipe out the pathetic village you call
home." Chaos roared out. Novis visibly withered in her presence, the sheer
pressure she let off testing Novis' resolve. "Be that as it may! I can't sit
here and say nothing knowing that they're suffering. And to let you know your
threats don't scare me, I have gained Interitus' blessing. I'm not as powerless
claim." Novis defiantly replied. He stood tall, his chest pushed out, as he
tried to return the pressure to Chaos. "Hehehehahaha! That child gave you their
blessing? Hmph, I knew they loved interesting things but I underestimated them
nonetheless. Boy, I shan't free the nonels, for as long as my siblings roam
free I require an army. I am in a good mood, I'll soon be freed and I planned
on thanking you anyway so I shall let this transgression pass, but know that
this SHAN'T become a repeated thing." Chaos said, speaking with an overall
jovial tone. However, the warning she gave sent a feeling of fear cascading
throughout Novis' body. He couldn't even bring himself to look at her when she
said it. "May the day of peace come soon then." He managed to eek out. "We
shall meet again soon boy, but this is goodbye for now." As Chaos finished
speaking the void began to dissolve, small pieces breaking off before turning
into balls of light. "-vis! Novis! Novis!" Novis heard as he opened his eyes. He
found Simul staring at him. "Novis are you okay?!" She shouted. "Mom? What
happened? Where am I?" Novis asked as he tried to get his bearings. He looked
around seeing a singular window, along with a bedstand on his right. Simul was
sitting on a chair from the dining room next to the bed he was in. "Oh
sweetheart, we're at home Rex brought you inside after you dealt with the
nonels. Do you not remember being outside?" Simul asked with a concerned look
on her face. She stood up grabbing a potion from the nearby bedstand. "Here, if
you're feeling any pain this should help." She said as she handed him the
potion. It was a vibrant purple color and was contained in a small bottle with
a cork top. Novis took the potion and removed the cork before giving the potion
a sniff. It was a vibrant herby smell, as if it was freshly picked and made
right in front of him. "I'm not as good as an orc but I'm confident in my
potion and salve making!" Simul said with a proud smile on her face. Novis
softly chuckled before gulping down the potion. The previous fog filling his
head vanished in an instant as Novis clearly remembered everything. "Mom! I-I
talked to Chaos. I learned what nonels were when I was out there. They're
people, their souls are trapped in those horrible bodies. They're in constant
pain and can't even properly control their bodies. I tried to get Chaos to free
them but she wouldn't. She said something about needing an army, but I didn't
completely understand what she was talking about." Novis began rambling.
"Novis, sweetheart. Calm down, its okay. Let's go outside its dinner time and
I'm sure the others are concerned about you." Simul replied with a relieved
look on her face. She smiled as she headed for the door. Novis nodded before getting
out of bed.
Novis and Simul headed outside
their house to see Rex, Rideat, and Cogitare patiently waiting. The setting sun
in the background creating an incredible orange glow, as if the sky had been
replaced by amber. A smile crept its way onto Novis' face, the overwhelming
presence of beautiful nature bringing him joy. "Finally! How long were you
going to keep us waiting Boss?" Rex asked with a smile on his face. Novis
looked to Rex as he let out a light sigh. Before he had the chance to respond
he then heard Rideat. "It's the hero of Liber!" Rideat shouted, in a jesting
way as he stared at Novis. Novis blushed as he looked away from Rideat. They
were all seated around a roaring campfire. A pot of rabbit stew and wild
vegetables filling the air with a pleasant smell. Novis and Simul joined the
group as they sat. Novis stared into the sky, the stars now filling the claiming
the once amber sky for themselves. The amber settling into an inky black, the
depth of which couldn't even begin to exposed. As Novis stared into the sky he
thought to himself "If only things could stay like this forever, everyone here
happy and healthy.". Novis looked at everyone with a self-satisfied smile.
Everyone enjoyed a jovial dinner as the night went on, although the past few
days had been rather tumultuous the future, while a bit rocky, seemed bright.
After 2 hours after Novis had helped finished cleaning up he headed to bed. His
room bringing comfort, a safe place that couldn't be intruded. He reflected on
his day, and the life he'd lived up to that point, despite how little that was,
a began to fall asleep. His eyes closed as thoughts of the day to come filled
his mind. Just as his consciousness faded he heard a voice. "Pretty nice digs.
Did you guys really build all of this? In such a short time too?" A masculine
voice spoke out. Novis jumped up as he looked around. He searched for something
to light up the room with but couldn't find anything. "Oh looking for a light?
I gotcha." The voice spoke out before the tip of their finger came alit. Though
it wasn't bright enough to grant full vision it was more than bright enough to
send a chill down Novis' spin. What Novis saw could only be described as
frightening. The narrow face of a dragonewt, dark red scales on his chest, dark
green scales seemingly crawling from his back. His body seemed similar of that
of Rex, more lizardmen in nature, and yet he also seemed to be more of a
dragonewt, his presumed use of fire magic telling Novis that. "W-Who are you?
How did you get in here?!" Novis shouted as he summoned Gran. "Oh is that
little Gran? You know I don't really see the resemblance but it is pretty cool
to have a weapon named after yourself." The voice said. "Are you…" Novis
started stunned. "In the flesh. The names Gran, I am the Second Chaos Sent. I'm
also known as the Wingless Dragon and the Cruel Lizard, though I can't say I'm
big fans of those names. And you must be Novis." Gran said with a smirk on his
face. Novis stayed silent with his mouth agape. "What are you doing here?! How
did you get in?" Novis exclaimed once he gathered his senses. "Well I'm here to
thank you of course. Your use of Chaos Magic has helped her Lordship Chaos get
one step closer to her freedom. Not to mention you also could have proven an
excellent vessel given enough time." Gran replied with a quizzical look on his
face. "What? What do you mean as a vessel? No that's not what's important right
now. Get out! You can't just barge in here out of nowhere and expect me to
trust you!" Novis shouted, his brow furrowing. Gran rolled his eyes. "What, do
you need proof? I didn't think that there were many who'd claim to be one of my
Lords followers but I can show you. Remember how I told you some call me the
'Wingless Dragon'? Well that's not entirely true." Gran said before grunting as
he flexed his back. A few seconds later a painful ripping sound began to fill
the room as wings sprouted out of Gran's back. They were jagged, ripped, and
torn all over. Once the wings were fully erupted Gran began heavily sighing.
"These bad boys were created with mana, does that convince you? Altering my
body does hurt though so it better have." Gran said in between breathes. Novis
stared at Gran with a blank stare. "What is wrong with you? Just get out. If we
need to talk come back in the morning, I-I can't do this right now." Novis
stated exasperated. Gran had a shocked look on his face. "Wow. It's hard to
believe my Lord wishes to thank you. Fine, I'll return another time. But before
I do would you like a glimpse into your possible future?" Gran replied, a
cheeky grin on his face. Novis let out a heavy sigh. "If I say yes will you leave?"
Gran smiled intensely at the response. "But of course!" Novis then hung his
head in defeat before nodded in agreement. "Great! Then all you have to do is
go to sleep. I can't wait to know what you see, have a great night, and even
better dream." Gran said as he extinguished the fire. Novis could no longer see
him, but he heard the door open and close. Novis laid back down and stared at
his ceiling. "What have I gotten myself into." He shook his head as he closed
his eyes. He began to drift away into unconsciousness once more, this time
without interruption. Novis felt a strange feeling, compelling him to open his
eyes. A bright light filled his vision as he tried to look around as he eyes
adjusted. Once they were open and adjusted he saw the face of an elf he'd never
met. He opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. The elf seemingly paid
him no mind as she walked through him. Novis turned in surprise and saw a human
man. The man sent a chill down Novis' spine. It was Novis himself. Once again Novis
opened his mouth to speak but still no sound escaped. Neither himself or the
elf paid him any mind. And before Novis could investigate further everything
became dark. Novis hurriedly looked around in an attempt to gather his
bearings. Then light returned, but everything was much different. Novis saw a
field of armored men, soldiers, marching towards him. He didn't recognize the
flag they carried but he knew that the force behind them has to be powerful.
Novis turned around to get more information only to stunned once more by
another him. This Novis wasn't as old but was clearly ready for battle. Gran in
his left hand and a strange sword in his right, it was curved and had an eerie
glow. A strange energy also radiated off of it. Novis blinked only to see
himself charge into the soldiers with incredible speed, before everything
became dark. As the light returned snippets of the future flashed before Novis'
eyes. He only caught fragments, what looked like a tournament, a strange
machine, an army of dragonewts, lizardmen, and humans, a large ship, a sea of
stars, and a strange humanoid creature. Novis tried to gather his thoughts as a
final sight remained. Simul, his mom, was laying on a bed. Her eyes were
closed, she was surrounded by a crying crowd. But unlike all of the other
moments in time Novis couldn't see himself, instead it was as if he was
himself. "M-mom?" Novis spoke, the sound of his own voice catching him off
guard. He fell to his knees as he clutched her hand. It was cold and lifeless
and Novis' mind began to spiral. A wave of darkness washed over him as he woke
up in his bed. He
was[jb2]
drenched in a cold sweat and breathing heavily as rays of light pierced their
way through his window. Novis looked down at his hands, which were shaking
horribly, and he placed them on his head. He felt his wet cheeks and began to
wipe his face. A few moments later Simul knocked on his door. "Novis
sweetheart, its time for breakfast. Are you okay in there?" She said, her voice
bringing comfort to Novis who felt his breathing calm. He was sitting upright
in his bed, his legs feeling slightly weak, as he responded. "Y-yes I'm fine
Mom. I think I just had a nightmare is all." Novis rushed out his reply. "A-are
you sure sweetheart? I'm of course here for you if you need to talk." Simul
replied, a twinge of worry in her voice. Novis winced as he denied her
assistance. "I'm okay! I'll be out for breakfast soon, so don't worry about
me!" Novis replied with false enthusiasm. After semi-successfully convincing
Simul, Novis called out to the corner of his room. "Okay so are you going to
tell me about that dream?" Novis shouted out to Gran, who was leaning against
the wall with his arms folded in the corner of the room. With daylight bringing
sight to Novis' room he got a full look at Gran. His giant stature flew in
contrast with his meager presence. His purple eyes standing out against his
dark red scales, a peak of green scales could be seen from his shoulders. He
looked similar to Rex but his facial structure was different. Before responding
he gave Novis a disappointed face while unfolding his arms. "Boo, you weren't
even surprised. I waited here as soon as you went to sleep and this is how you
react?" Gran was now full on pouting and he heavily exhaled. Novis stared at
him exasperated. "What did you expect. I honestly would've been more shocked if
I woke up and you weren't here. I did tell you, you could come back in the
morning so this is all my fault really. But moving on, I need you to explain
that dream to me." Novis had a serious look on his face. "Sheesh, you're giving
me goosebumps," Gran said sarcastically, "but I'll tell you what I know, its
not as much as you think though." Gran conjured himself a chair with magic
before taking a seat. "So what do you want to know the most? That way I can
take my time explaining what I need to." He asked Novis. "Wh-what happened to
my mother? She-she was cold, it felt so real…" Novis trailed off as he stared
at his hands. "That's what we're starting with? It's simple really, Simul will
die. I told you this is a glimpse into the future, but I didn't give you the
whole truth. What you saw was a glimpse into a possible future. After all the
future isn't set in stone. You know how the Big M in the sky is a bunch of
eyes?" Gran asked. Novis had a quizzical look on his face but remained as a
participate in the conversation. "Yeah, it's said that some of those eyes show
up when you make a big decision or cast a barhonic spell, I remember my mom
telling me that." Novis replied. "See the Gods say that each of those eyes see
a different future, and Mavros is simply trying to guide the universe in the
direction he wants. Of course the only way to know for sure is to ask him but
good luck with that." Gran began laughing at the thought while Novis gave him a
dumbfounded look. Gran raised an eyebrow before saying anything. "What's so
confusing? Do you not understand what I'm saying or something? I knew you were
young but I thought you were smarter than that." Novis let out a heavy sigh. "I
understand what you said but what does that have to do with my mom being dead?
She's clearly alive right now I don't see anything suggesting otherwise." His
brows were furrowed in annoyance as he spoke. "Oh! Well in simple terms the
future you saw isn't guaranteed to come to pass, it is little more than a
possible path for you, and those around you. The dream you saw can be put as
your worse future, the one that will bring you the most pain and suffering, but
don't worry. My power shows everyone their worse future but very few ever have
it come true, I think only 1 or 2 people in the last century have had theirs
come to pass." Gran explained, trying to dismiss the idea of the future passing
outright. "I can't say I trust you but, I don't have much of a choice. Still if
it looks like Mom's life is in danger I won't sit by passively." Novis said,
steeling his determination. "Heh heh, well your future is sure to be
entertaining, I'll go for now but know that I'll be watching." Gran waved
goodbye before vanishing before Novis' eyes.
Novis left his room and headed out
for breakfast, his mind was still swirling with thoughts as he tried to
comprehend the previous night. Until he could get his thoughts in order he
decided it best to withhold the meeting with Gran. He ate breakfast with
everyone, getting lost in thought a few times, worrying everyone around him,
but especially Simul. "Novis sweetheart, are you alright you seem like
something is weighing on your mind. I'm alwa-" Simul began before a familiar
shattering sound filling the sky. As the ground began to violently shake Novis
shouted out "Remember! Do Not Look at the sky, no matter what!". As everyone
dropped to the floor. This time was more violent, the shaking getting intense
enough to trash the houses, the shattering look enough to temporarily steal the
hearing of those unlucky enough to be outside, not speaking of those
unfortunate enough to be caught staring up as this event unfolded. Novis
himself would have no way of knowing but thousands lost their lives to the attempted
emergence of this infant god. After 20 minutes the shaking stopped, the skies
silent once more. Liber once again suffered no casualties something everyone
was eminently grateful for. The day continued in silence as those in Liber
thought about those who were lost. A starry night acted as the background for
the succulent dinner the group enjoyed. Novis looked up to catch sight of a
shooting star, flying across the sky before vanishing. The inky blackness dotted
with the sparkling stars filled him with a sense of wonder. As the group sat
around the fire for dinner Cogitare spoke up. "I'm sorry to do this so suddenly
but Rideat and I must take out leave." He said hanging his head low. Novis
dropped his spoon into his bowl as he gave Cogitare a shocked look. Simul's
face contorted in confusion, Rex, meanwhile, gave him a stoic look. "He's
right. With that thing in the sky I can't sleep at night without knowing my
family is okay. I love you guys too but I can't put the thought away without
going to check for myself." Rideat followed up, breaking the silence. "B-but
this is so sudden. We've just made Liber into our home, you can't just leave."
Novis said, his eyes already tearing up as his cheeks became flushed. Simul
moved to hug Novis. "When did you two want to leave?" Simul asked, her face
stern as he locked eyes with Rideat and Cogitare. "Well we were aiming for
tomorrow morning, it won't be a quick journey after all." Rideat replied.
Cogitare silently nodded alongside him. "And how long will this take? I don't
think Novis could handle you guys being gone for long." She looked down at
Novis as she began to gently pet his head trying to calm him. Cogitare grimaced
before responding. "Depending on the state of the villages it could take 9-10
months." He replied, avoiding eye contact with Simul as he spoke. Simul sat
stunned for moment before speaking. "That's a whole year! Were you really going
to leave for a whole year with so little warning? Novis has only known us his
whole life, who knows what might happen to him if you just disappear all of a
sudden?" Simul was shouted as her brow furrowed in anger. "M-mom, its okay, its
for their family and I'm sure you'd do the same. I know I would if I had to."
Novis said sniffling as he began to wipe away the tears. "Not to mention, I'm
not a little kid anymore. I'll miss them to be sure but I'll be fine, I swear."
Novis continued, forcing a smile as he looked a Simul. "But that doesn't mean I
can just let you guys leave like that. First Rideat we don't know how far you
can go away from me, after all your life force is somewhat dependent on mine
right?" Novis said with a curious look on his face. Rideat's eyes widened in
shock. "Second, I won't feel at ease without someway to contact you guys, we've
never been apart that long you know?" Novis said as he closed his eyes. He
focused his mana and awaited a familiar voice. "Novis! Rare for you to call me,
what's up?" Interitus said, they had taken the appearance of a dwarf. "Call? No
nevermind I wanted to ask if there is anyway I can talk to Rideat since I
revived him." Novis asked, a hopeful look in his eyes. Interitus shook their
head. "Sorry buddy but not him no, he's a real special case you know? But if
you were to revive someone normally, like that Rex guy, then I'm sure it'd work
out fine. That said I doubt you'd want to give up Rex huh." Interitus explained.
"Then what should I do? I
can't send someone I don't trust but I don't exactly have time to develop
a relationship with someone right now. They want to leave tomorrow." Novis began
thinking aloud as he tried to find a solution. "Oh well if you need someone who
you can trust I've got 2 great choices! Pax and Nox." Interitus said shifting
between a Orc and a Dwarf in quick succession. Novis gave them a concerned
look, "I just said I can't wait to form a relationship." Interitus waved away
Novis' concerns "Well you trust my don't you? I can vouch for these 2 so trust
me." They replied nonchalantly. Novis' eyes lit up. "I mean I do trust you a
fair amount, if you can vouch for them, I'll trust you." Novis excitedly waited
to hear more about the two options. "Now I know I said that you should pick one
but you should probably take them both, Pax is a legendary figure, an Orc known
as the Saint of Peace. Nox meanwhile isn't very special just a regular Dwarf,
but she did have a hand in the death of Pax." Interitus explained. Novis' brow
furrowed as soon as Interitus finished speaking. "Wait a minute. I-I don't know
about that." Novis replied. Interitus frowned at Novis, "Hey now, she didn't
want to, and she wants to apologize. You love helping people right? Then help
her make the apology." Interitus said. Novis sat and thought to himself for a
moment. "I-I don't know, I don't really have the time to take care of another
person." Novis said. He continued to think before speaking up once more. "Are
you sure that she wants to apologize?" Novis asked. Interitus warmly smiled as
they lightly nodded. "Yeah, I promise she didn't want to kill him, nor does she
feel good about it." Novis exhaled a heavy breath. "Well I'll trust you. I'll
revive them both." Interitus smiled brightly, "Great! Alright well I'll see you
next time." They said waving Novis away. Novis closed his eyes and returned to
the campfire. He looked around at everyone before smiling. "Alright I have a game
plan! We're going to have 2 new friends to help us. Pax and Nox." Novis said
with his chest pressed out. "And why would you do that? What would that
change?" Rideat asked. Novis let out a slight chuckle. "You see Rideat, I
learned that I can't communicate with you long range because of your revival
method. But these I will be able to with these 2, 1 will accompany you and the
other will stay here." Novis explained. Rideat seemed confused but Cogitare
nodded in understanding. "I see, Novis, and Simul, is this truly alright with
you? I understand that this is abrupt." He spoke in a somber tone. Simul looked
at Novis, giving him the floor to speak his mind one last time. Novis looked at
Simul with a smile on his face before nodding. "I said it already didn't I? Its
for your family, of course have to go, and with Pax and Nox there's no worry of
not being able to talk to each other. So don't worry about me." Novis proudly
stated. A confident smile on his face as he looked Cogitare in the eyes. With a
soft smile Cogitare let out a light sigh. "I see, you're growing into a fine
young man." Simul and Rideat nodded in agreement. Rex suddenly spoke, grabbing
the attention of everyone else. "Boss you are truly a strong kid. Rideat and
Cogitare, you two are strong too. My family has been lost to time, sure the
royal family maybe the same, though I can't say for certain its been a few
centuries, and you have the strength to challenge the unknown just to make sure
their okay. It maybe a long journey but I know you'll have the strength to see
it through." He nodded as he looked at Rideat, Cogitare, and lastly Novis. He
pulled everyone in for a group hug and said his goodbyes. "Rideat, my favorite
sparring partner, come back stronger than ever. And Cogitare, the insatiable
bookworm, you'll have to show me some cool spells when you get back alright?"
Tears began to well up in Rex's eyes as he let everyone go. Simul sneered at
him, "I didn't realize you could be so emotional." Lightly chuckling as she
spoke. Rex shot her a frown as the group erupted into laughter. They finished
the night on as high a note they could, laughing and eating as the stars
overhead lit the night sky. When dinner was finished it was decided that Novis
would revive Pax and Nox in the morning, and it would be decided then who would
accompany who.
And so the fateful morning came[jb3] .
It was a somber morning, a subtle fog adding to the atmosphere. It was a fairly
early morning Cogitare and Rideat wanting to get an early start on their journey
home. The sounds of bugs chirping filling the air as Novis and Simul leave
their house. The meet up with Cogitare, Rideat, and Rex who's already speaking
with them. Novis waves at them and the say goodbye once more. "Alright, it is
time. I'll start with Nox and then I'll get Pax, wish me luck!" With that Novis
closed his eyes. He focused the mana in them before opening his eyes. He was greeted
with a familiar depressing land. Once again Novis had arrived in the Land of
Souls. He began to look for Nox as he stumbled around. The endless gray made it
difficult to find individuals. Many fading away as they slowly waste. Novis
searched for hours in the Land of Souls, with only a few seconds passing by in
Skotadi, searching for Nox. He would occasionally find a dwarf only to discover
they've already lost their mind, just barely remaining before permanently
fading away. He was about to call out to Interitus to help before hearing a
voice. "Hey kid! What are you doing? You've been running around for hours just
bothering folks. I know your young but have some respect for the dead." Novis
heard a female voice shout out to him. Novis turned to face the speaker only to
see a dwarf, a fair amount shorter than him. He looked down as he locked eyes
with the dwarf. "Who are you?" Novis asked, he tilted his head in confusion. "Who
am I?" She asked, raising her voice as her brow furrowed. "Who are you? You just
appear out of nowhere bothering the dead nonstop." She got in Novis' face as
she began lecturing him. "You can't just run around like a fool, some of these
poor souls are on the verge of fading, if you disturb them they might actually
fade away!" She said. Novis backed up, putting his hands up, as he began to
apologize. "I-I… I'm sorry. I didn't know. I was just looking for someone, I
didn't mean any harm." Novis hurriedly said. The dwarf raised an eyebrow at
Novis. "Looking for someone? Why are you looking for someone?" She asked. "I'm
going to revive someone named Nox, if she's okay with it." Novis explained. "I
need her to help me stay in contact with some of my family." He said. "What are
you talking about? Theres no way to revive people, otherwise these souls
wouldn't be wasting away slowly." She said, her face was the definition of
confusion. "I-I know its hard to believe but I really must find her. D-do you
know where I could find her? I don't want to bother any more people than I have
to." Novis began earnestly pleading. The dwarf let out a heavy sigh before
locking eyes with Novis. "You said you were looking for Nox? Well you found her
so I'm going to need you to start explaining what in the world you were talking
about." The dwarf said with an expectant look on her face. Novis gasped in
surprise. "Y-you're Nox? Then would you hear me out?!" Novis excitedly shouted.
"I have the blessing of Chaos, and I have gained the ability to revive the
dead, but I need the dead to agree to come with me. Would you return to life to
help me?" Novis had a hopeful look on his face as he awaited Nox's response. He
held out his hand with a smile as he waited for her to take his hand. She
looked at Novis with an unimpressed stare. "Okay kid, I know being dead can be
hard but, you can't make up stories. If I was that gullible I'd of faded away
long ago. Now what did you actually want or did you just want to waste my
time?" She tilted her head with a raised eyebrow as she awaited Novis'
response. Novis had a confused look on his face, much to Nox's surprise. "What
do you mean gullible? Do you not believe me? I can show you then, what would
convince you?" Novis' eyes remained earnest as he stared Nox down. She rolled
her eyes before letting out a deep sigh. "Look kid, I don't know your story,
and honestly I don't really care, but there's nothing you can do other than
revive me. Even if you somehow managed to use magic or something it wouldn't be
the first time. So if that's all you've got, do me a favor and leave me alone,
alright?" Nox rolled her eyes once more before turning around. She began to
walk away as Novis began to panic. "W-wait! I swear I'm not lying. There has to
be something I can do to convince you!" Novis shouted. Nox, however, continued
to walk away without batting an eye. Novis began to chase after her. Tears
began welling up in Novis' eyes as Nox continued to walk away. "Ugh, look kid.
I'll shake your hand, but if this doesn't work LEAVE ME ALONE!" Nox shouted as
she turned around. She stuck out her hand as she closed her eyes. Her cheeks
were slightly red as she gazed toward the ground. A tear ran down Novis' face
as a smile crept on his face. He wiped his eyes, and lightly sniffled, and
grabbed Nox's hand. "Thank you so much! I promise you won't regret this!" He
said before happily shaking Nox's hand. A swirl of mana appeared around the two
as they left the Land of Souls. "W-wha…" Nox began to say before Novis
interrupted her. "I'll be back! Thanks for coming with me but I've got someone
else to grab too." Novis quickly focused his mana in his eyes before returning
to the Land of Souls once more.
Once again Novis began to search
for his target. Interitus didn't tell him much about Pax or Nox other than
their race so Novis started with what he knew. Pax is known as the Saint of
Peace, and an orc. Novis began to run around searching for orcs however, after
3 hours of searching he had found no orcs. Novis wanted to ask the nearby souls
if they'd seen Pax however what Nox told him flashed in his mind earlier.
Afraid of causing the souls to fade he did his best to search without
disturbing those around. Now in his mind he only had one chance to find Pax
without causing damage to those around him. As he continued to search fears
that Pax had faded began to fill his mind. Novis began to panic, "Was I too
late?" Novis asked himself. He fell to his knees as he began to hyperventilate.
He put his hand to his head as his mind began to spin. Novis began to stare at
the ground, thoughts of facing Interitus, or Rideat and Cogitare, freaked him
out. "How could I look them in the eyes after disappointing them?" Novis
thought to himself. As he spiraled he felt himself suddenly pulled out of his
spiral by a hand on his shoulder. "What is wrong, young man?" A deep voice rung
out of nowhere. Novis jumped as he turned to face the mysterious voice,
entering a combative stance. "Oh, I'm sorry to have startled you my young
friend. I you seemed troubled so I thought I'd provide counsel. Of course if
you'd rather work through this alone I completely understand." A massive orc standing
over him. His blood red eyes piercing through Novis. His braided black hair
contrasting his light green skin. "I found him. No he found me." Novis thought
to himself. He shook his head as he broke out of thought. He stood up fully and
patted himself off. "I-I'm sorry. I was looking for someone but I think I've
found them." Novis smiled as he spoke. The orc raised an eyebrow at Novis. "Oh?
And may I asked who you're looking for? If you haven't found them I'd be more
than willing to help." The orc said, confidently sticking out his chest. "Thank
you for your offer, before I give you an answer I just have one question.
You're Pax right?" Novis asked. The orc had a shocked look on his face as his
eyes widened. "Ah, were you perhaps looking for me?" He said with a light
chuckle. "As you've correctly surmised my name is in fact Pax. How may I assist
you? Considering the state I found you in I assume you've been searching for a
while so it must be important." Pax said, bowing lightly as he introduced
himself. Novis smiled widely as he introduced himself in turn. "Hello! My name
is Novis, I've been blessed by Chaos and I've come to ask for your help. With
your permission I'd like to revive you and have you accompany some of my family
on their journey home." Novis locked eyes with Pax. Not backing down as his
determination surged. However, all of his enthusiasm would go wasted by Pax's
response. "I must say you are the first I've met to have been blessed by Chaos.
I am most interested in the modern world and I would be more than happy to
accompany your family." Pax replied with an innocent smile, as if turning Novis
down was never an option. Novis' eyes lit up in excitement. "Thank you! All I
need you to do is shake my hand and we'll be on our way!" He excitedly said
with a shout. He stuck out his hand with a beaming smile on his face. Pax
gently smiled and nodded before taking Novis' hand. And once more Novis was
surrounded by mana as him and Pax left the Land of Souls. Novis felt a slight
chill as the world reappeared around him. He lightly shuddered before shouting
out in joy. "I did it!" Novis shouted. Simul and all began to walk over to
introduce themselves but they were interrupted by the shouting of Nox. "P-pax!
What are you doing here! More importantly where is here? Did that kid really
revive me? What is happening?!" Nox frantically shouted. "Nox, I wasn't
expecting to see you again. I'm sure you have plenty of questions but let us be
courteous of our new friends." Pax replied before motioning to Simul, Cogitare,
Rideat, and Rex. Simul was the first to speak up. "Hello. I'm Novis' mother
Simul, I'm unsure how much he's already told you but thank you for your help in
advance." She had a kind look on her face as she spoke. Pax followed her lead
to introduce himself. "Pleasure to meet you, my name is Pax. I hope we get
along." A warm smile on his face. Nox stumbled as she attempted to introduce
herself. "I-I'm Nox. I'm sorry I'm just a little nervous, got anything to
drink?" Her cheeks were flushed as she introduced herself. Rex went next
proudly puffing his chest. "I'm Rex! It's a pleasure to meet you both." He had
a grin on his face as he struck a pose. Novis lightly chuckled before Rex shot
him a look. The two began playing as Rex chased Novis. "Those two are so silly,
my apologies." Simul said shaking her head. "Names Rideat, I'm one of the
strongest demons you'll ever meet!" Rideat said with a thumbs up. "And I am
Cogitare, forced to accompany this fool on our journey home." Cogitare jeered
with a smirk on his face. "I see, so you must be the two I'll be helping
journey?" Pax asked. Cogitare smiled. "How funny, I was just thinking the same
thing." He nodded his head, impressed with Pax's judgement. "Alright I'll go
get the two crazy guys." Rideat said running off. A few moments later they were
dragged back to the group as Rideat and Cogitare made their final preparations.
Both Nox and Pax had questions so they were brought up to speed, in not very
detail heavy explanations, Cogitare and Rideat promising to explain more to
Pax, Simul taking that role for Nox. "I see. It is a shame that my cries for
peace went unheard but it seems that the modern day is rather peaceful, perhaps
something of value has come from that unbearable suffering." Pax said, a
forlorn look on his face. "To think Chaos was sealed, it feels almost too good
to be true. And Novis, its mind blowing to me that you remain positive despite
it all, if it were me I'd need ale just to get through the morning." Nox said,
she looked at Novis with an impressed look on her face. "Alright, I understand
you have questions but they will unfortunately have to wait, for the time has
come for us to depart. Lest this journey take any extra time." Cogitare declared
rushing Pax and Nox. Nox frowned in response, meanwhile Pax solemnly nodded.
"Novis you've found wonderful new
companions. I do appreciate you going so far for us." Cogitare said patting
Novis on the head. "But of course! You guys are family I've known my whole
life, I can't stop you so I'll give you all the help I can!" Novis said with a
large smile. Despite his cheery demeanor tears were welling in his eyes. Rideat
came up and hugged him closely. "We'll be back before you know it, so make sure
to get real strong and we'll have tons of fun sparing when I get back okay? Who
knows maybe my family'll come too and we can all have fun!" Rideat said. He was
crying too, sniffling as he let go of Novis. Pax bowed to Simul, Novis, Rex,
and Nox. "Though our time together was brief I do believe we'll become very
close. For now I shall depart so I wish you all well." He said in a somber
tone. "Novis, start studying magic, I'll return with my library so we can try
out plenty of spells. Let's get to the bottom of Chaos and Soul magic
together." Cogitare said with a smile as he began to walk. Rideat followed with
Pax not far behind. And so the 3 left Liber.
As midday arrived in Liber the
group was preparing lunch as they answered Nox's questions. "So your telling me
that your kid was actually blessed by Chaos? And that you ran from home to live
here?!" Nox shouted in surprise. "Yes, though I must ask you lower your voice.
Novis himself isn't away of the truth and I'd rather not tell him till I'm
ready." Simul replied, motioning Nox to quiet down as she spoke. "Man, I gotta
tell you this is a crazy situation. I'm revived in a totally different time
period by some kid blessed by the so-called evil god. I can't even tell my
family!" Nox put her hand to her temple as she began to shake her head. "Jeez,
well how's Vaknar fairing these days? For as troublesome as the emperor was, it
is my home." Nox asked Simul. Simul tilted her head in confusion. "V-vaknar?
Where is that, would it be by Rgninmon?" Simul innocently asked. "The
mountains? I mean I guess it would be near the mountains but its hard to
believe you don't know Vaknar. Are you from this continent?" Nox asked with a
similarly confused expression. "Yes, Novis and I were born in Caelum, though he
wouldn't remember much of anything. But not the mountains no, the Empire of
Rgninmon. Its located in the Rgninmon Mountains and I do believe that's where
it received its name." Simul explained. "Huh, that's weird. What about the
dwarven city Vaknar? It should be the capital of Vaknar." Nox wondered aloud.
"The city Vaknar… Ah yes! That's the capital of Rgninmon, their capital city!"
Simul exclaimed. Nox's face went pale as she heard Simul. Nox felt her head
spin. "D-do you have ale? I need to drown these feelings before I can face
them." She said, she then began to search for ale in Simul's kitchen. "No I
don't have ale unfortunately. As you can see I don't have much, when Novis and
I fled here I wasn't able to grab much." Simul said shaking her head. Nox began
to shake before Novis and Rex came through the front door. "Hey Mom! Hey Nox!
I'm all done training for today." Novis happily shouted, he had a few cuts and
nicks all over but an absolutely beaming mood. "Haha! Simul, the Boss truly is
incredible. We've only just begun the martial forms of The Reptilian Sword and
he's already learning so much." Rex stated patting Novis on the back. Novis
blushed as he began to wipe the sweat of the face. "Of course he is, my son is
an incredible boy. Now Novis sweetheart, go wash up its just about lunch time
alright?" Simul said with a proud look on his face. "Okay! I'll be back." Novis
waved as he left the house towards the nearby lake. Rex followed suit leaving
only Simul and Nox once more. "Once the dry season ends I was planning on
heading to Yafnit to get seeds to grow crops, how about we get some ale then?"
Simul asked, handing Nox a cup of water. Nox begrudgingly nodded. As so the
plans were set.
[jb1]5th
of Metallo, 4023
[jb2]6th
of Metallo, 4023
[jb3]7th
of Metallo, 4023