The first scream rang out as the Rain began to fall.
Looking up at the sorrowful angel as the flames atop her altar wavered, I wondered how much of this had been my doing. As the screams continued to invade the walls of the great chamber, I, in my weakness, could not help but blame that blasted king. Why had that man fallen to his hubris all those years ago? Why did he have to unleash this foul Blight upon his own kingdom, his own world? Why… hadn't I been able to stop it? I could not see a purpose to the madness, save a simple, ugly, mortal ambition.
As the saint closed the church's great doors on the afflicted, I lost myself to sentimentality. It had been left to them, the chosen Heroes of this cursed kingdom, to save what remained. With our Blessing, the brave Heroes fought with all they had against the catastrophe. We were their only hope…
The children now cowering under its pews as the Rain leaked from the ceiling, this once great chapel had been her home. Able merely to stave off our own corruption, we had returned to this place one final time, defeated. As the Blighted attempted to desecrate our last sanctuary, the children clung to the saint, sobbing. This saint, my saint, had been failed by her Spirit. Allowing ourselves one last selfish thought, we prepared to comfort the children in their final moments.
I only wished to protect them…
~
A tear falling from his eye, Shay awoke to a figure standing over him, with their back turned. Groggy and confused, it took him a moment to adjust to his surroundings, beginning to recognize Finn's voice as he sat up slowly.
"It's difficult for me to believe—...Oh, I see you're finally awake."
Turning around in surprise at the prum's observation, Chloe was elated to see Shay conscious again.
"Oh, meow're alright! Mew are alright, right?"
"...Huh? Yeah… what's…?"
Apparently seizing the opportunity, Finn addressed Shay directly.
"I apologize for asking so directly, but after everything that's happened I have no choice. What is your connection to that monster?"
Everyone in the room was waiting with bated breath. The amazons, Riveria, and especially Aiz. His mind still groggy, Shay had trouble answering.
"...? Wait, what happened after… did we kill it?"
Seeing that Shay needed a minute, the prum quickly summarized the events surrounding the beast's demise. Apparently, Aiz had been attacked by the murderer they were looking for, who turned out to be an extremely strong opponent that required both the prum leader and the amazons' attention. After the killer escaped, Finn regrouped with Riveria and saw Shay falling unconscious through the air.
"Shay, what Level are you?"
Oh, man. Okay, what's my play…?
"...I'm Level Four."
"...Riveria, exactly how strong would you say that monster was?"
"Level Six."
Nodding at the high elf's assessment, Aiz still couldn't hide her curiosity. Pausing to emphasize his point, Finn had seemingly made a decision.
"From what I understand, Freya familia's members move independently, yes? If that is the case, you should be allowed to cooperate with even a rival familia for a matter you yourself are so clearly involved in."
For a moment Riveria let slip a subtly disbelieving look before recovering and masking her expression. Continuing under the implied question surrounding Shay's abilities, Finn outlined his terms.
"We appreciate your help with this incident, and would like to avoid unnecessary inter-familia quarreling. What I'm proposing is simply an exchange of information. I will bare my knowledge about these new monsters. I only ask that you do the same."
So he's in the dark, too? Then, why do I still feel like I'm being played…?
"...Okay. I'd like to ask a few questions."
"Of course. Let's get you up to speed."
~
After leaving the Dungeon and dropping Chloe off at the Hostess, Shay headed back to Folkvangr and requested a Status update. As he made his way to the Goddess's chambers, he was completely distracted by the events of the past few days. In short, the monster he'd fought had apparently grown from a parasite, and Loki familia had suspicions that these parasites were growths of a Spirit that had been corrupted by the Dungeon. Aiz had been obviously curious about Shay, but hadn't found the chance to speak up much in the rapidfire dialogue. Loki familia had been cagey about her but from what Shay understood, Aiz was probably a carrier of Spirit blood. This all but confirmed his suspicions about himself too, since the 'demi-spirit' had apparently reacted similarly to both of them, albeit more strongly to him.
Still chewing on this information and how it related to his 'dream', Shay knocked on the doors to Freya's personal chambers. The familiar beautiful soprano voice gracing his ears, he opened the door and made his way to the grand, canopied bed. Routinely removing his shirt, the Goddess straddled him before pricking her finger. Going to work, the beautiful deity started a conversation.
"...You're still curious about Monsterphilia, yes?"
"...yes."
The moonlight leaking in through the large windows and spilling onto the pristinely silver hair of the Goddess, Shay thought about how weird things had been between them since that day. Freya still hadn't told him exactly what she wanted from that situation, even though she had gone to the trouble of sending Allen to stop him from interfering.
"How should I put it…? I suppose that since you've found a lover, it was only natural for me to move on as well. I will always love you, just the same as all my children, but my interest has been taken by another."
Heh, my condolences to that guy… But, that's surprisingly bittersweet to hear. I guess I have more of an ego than I thought.
"I see."
With a smile, Freya decided to tease him just a little.
"You're not jealous?"
"No. That would be very unfair."
"These things aren't always fair, you know?"
"I think any man would be disappointed to lose your interest, but I'm more than happy with what I have."
"That's good to hear. You know, you're the first of my followers to seek somebody else…"
Pausing for a moment, Freya shook her head and smiled.
"Well, how was your outing, then?"
"It was nice… But, well, a lot happened."
Her fingers momentarily pausing as she updated his Status, Freya's voice betrayed a little shock.
"Yes… I can see that…"
"..."
I didn't think of how to explain all this… Well, at least the Falna will do some of the legwork.
When a God updated their children's Status, they looked at the child's excelia and applied them to the Falna on their back. This excelia carried a little chunk of the child's experiences, and it would be accurate to say that the process of updating a Status was like etching the mortal's story onto it. Thus, Freya was able to tell the gist of what had happened without hearing a single word. Finishing up before handing him his Status sheet, Freya wore a proud, queenly smile.
"Congratulations, Shay. You've become a fine warrior."
-
Level 5
Str 0 I End 0 I Dex 0 I Agl 0 I Mag 0 I
•Immunity F •Magic Control F •Spirit Healing G -•Lightning Flash I
•MAGIC
[Raijin]
lightning enchantment, Swift chant
-[Deucalion]
water magic, Short chant
•SKILLS
[Greater Will]
Greatly increases the user's potential
[Ichneuo]
Improves dexterity when using throwing weapons
-[Sylph]
Massively enhances perception speed at the cost of mind
-
…I…really did it…
Thinking back on his journey up to this point, Shay didn't fight the smile coming to his face. Fighting the wyvern and doubling down on revenge, then the assassin and learning to forgive, then the Bloodstained Troll and remembering there were things worth protecting. Now, he was steadily making new allies, and he felt as if the course of his life was about to change dramatically. Butterflies rising in his stomach, Shay reveled in his anticipation before mentally returning to the room.
"It's truly a special moment, every time I see this."
Freya's voice being uncharacteristically sentimental, she mused aloud as she watched Shay's expression carefully. Waiting to avoid ruining the moment, she began to inquire about the events of the days before. Filling her in on the important details, Shay was surprised when she didn't recoil at the idea of working with Loki familia.
"Don't be so surprised. This is your journey, and I would be a failure as a Goddess if I didn't allow it to continue."
"...?"
"...Loki and I have an understanding. It's your new equals that you should worry about."
"...Thank you, Lady Freya."
Pleased at the child finally using her title again, Freya's expression radiated a rare kindness as Shay continued.
"...I don't think it's a coincidence that I've developed new magic."
"I know."
With a distinctly divine quality to her voice Freya gave her decree, as if she were a queen declaring a charter.
"When you're ready, meditate in the Hall of Warriors. I have a feeling you'll find what you need."
~
This was the first time Shay had entered this room, in the western corner of Folkvangr's top floor. Even after all this time, he couldn't help but view this place as sacred. The moonlight, filtered through a stained glass window, poured down onto the black marble below reminding Shay of the chapel he'd seen in his strange 'dream'. There were no pews however, and the walls were lined with well worn weapons, likely the effects of fallen Einherjar. The long chapel seemed like a space for coronation, eliciting images of Shay's home back in Eluria.
Solemnly approaching the center of the room, Shay felt as if he were being guided. Walking up the shallow steps to the stage near the back of the room, Shay turned back around, taking in the chapel in its entirety. Feeling the gravity of the space with every breath, he sat down, cupping his hands together as he closed his eyes.
His thoughts beginning to calm, it was some time before he was able to properly meditate, releasing his sense of self and surrendering to the room's atmosphere. Bubbling up through his subconscious, the silence was broken by a sweet, feminine sound.
"Hahaha…"
The soft giggle breaking his concentration, Shay's eyes shot open.
…!? Was that…?
Feeling a strange happiness amidst his slight panic, Shay made an attempt to calm himself.
Okay…
Meditating again until he lost track of time, Shay patiently waited for the voice to return.
"...Did I scare you? Hahaha, I'm sorry…"
Now able to maintain his focus, Shay again heard the motherly voice.
"I was just so happy to finally speak with you…"
Finally…? …Aren't you the Scylla Spirit…?
"Scy, lla…? Oh… No… She is gone, now… But… She has left you a gift…"
The water magic?
"Yes… I'm proud of you…"
…Who are you? A Spirit…?
"Mmm… I was… Now… We are bonded…"
…!
Shay lost focus again.
Bonded!? What the hell…?
His mind immediately returning to that night in the forest, Shay felt his right hand tingling. Looking down, he saw the scar he'd gotten from accidentally breaking his family's gemstone. Trying to stifle his racing thoughts, Shay once again returned to meditation. Taking a deep breath, he let go of his mind and let it return to a blank state.
"Hahaha, I did it again…"
…It's okay. What do you mean, bonded…?
"Mmm… Long… Long ago… An artifact fell from Tenkai… I was sent to retrieve it…"
Subduing his disbelief, Shay did his best to toe the line between taking in the information and maintaining his meditation.
"On my journey, I met a man… I lent him my power, and we found the artifact… But… He betrayed me… I was sealed inside the relic…"
Shay had never heard of a Spirit being sealed away before, even after all his learning as Eluria's former prince.
"He used my power… And founded a nation…"
…!
"I was passed down the generations… Sealed away, my power faded… And I slept… When I awoke, much time had passed… I chose you…"
…! You…?
"Yes… That man passed down a prophecy… That one day, his line would bring peace to the mortal world… He merely wished for his nation to grow… But… I saw your father, and you…"
What…? Why would you choose me…?
"The first king bequeathed lies… Your father, gave his treasure to you, so that you would live… And you the same, to your mother… I was reminded in that of the true potential of mortals…"
…but…!
"Yes… You failed… I… Felt a kinship, with you… In your despair, you destroyed the relic… I was free… But I did not wish to return home… With the last of my strength, I chose to fulfill the prophecy of your bloodline… To create a Hero…"
A Hero. Shay felt an indescribable sensation as he took in this information. His magic, his strength, his ability. It was all inherited. All of it. His fast growth. His ability to control magic… Had he earned anything…? Pushing these thoughts to the side, Shay returned to meditation.
Then… Why did that Spirit know you?
The Scylla monster, the Spirit from his dream, had recognized her.
"Before my power fully waned, the kingdom fell to affliction… Calivia… She was one of the Spirits who gave their Blessing… to a mortal, so that we might save our kingdom… We failed…"
Shay knew Eluria's history well. This affliction had been known as the 'Blight'. It devastated the kingdom, transforming many of its citizens into wandering undead, known as the Blighted. The ancient Hero Nymphalia had been credited with its eventual purification.
The Blight was eventually driven back, was it not?
"...That seems to be true… After protecting the palace… I fell into my slumber… I know not what happened…"
Oh… Why… haven't I heard you before…?
"My power had faded… I could not bestow a proper Blessing… Instead, I used the artifact… That night, our souls were bonded… And I slumbered once more…"
Our souls… Bonded how?
"They are now one and the same… I expected to sleep forever… But, as your container grew… So did I… And now… I am awake…"
The past few days had been revelation after revelation. Having lost focus, Shay's mind returned to the Hall of Warriors. Mentally exhausted, he laid his head on his hands and contemplated for a while before laying on his back. Trying to come to terms with all of the new developments, he gazed up at the stained glass decorating the ceiling. The pattern was classic in ancient architecture, a human brandishing a glowing sword, faced with a dark purple abyss. Behind the human was a woman, obviously a Spirit, with her arms out in a divine, guiding gesture. As the moonlit pattern trickled onto him, Shay came to terms with the burden he was shouldering.
All of Eluria's history… All of my father's wishes… The will of a Great Spirit… To think I'd almost spent it all on revenge…
Thinking for a long while, Shay remained on the stage of the dark chapel until his resolve cleared. Strangely, knowing about his inherited power, he realized that not much had changed. He had known his power likely was something special, somewhat unearned. But... he also knew that it had taken a lot of effort to reach his current self. Sitting back up, Shay returned to meditation once more.
…I almost squandered this power, many times. I'm sorry.
"No… I did not give power… My gift was potential… And you have matured… Cultivated it into something new… I see now… I made the right choice…"
…!
Shay felt a heat well up in his eyes before he let it go, returning to peace.
"Now that I am awake… Please allow me one request…"
…?
"The other Spirits… I do not know why they are in the Dungeon… But they are suffering, even now… I could not save them before… Please… free them, from their Corruption…"