Until death?

by Andur

  “Oh, what do you think of me!? There is no way I would disobey the Council! They are suffering in one of my hells. There is no way they will bother you ever again.”, I link arms with Tjenemit and press my chest against him.

  “Hmmmm. I hope so. So can I see them?”, Tjenemit grabs my ass! Bastard! Sometime I will rip your heart out for this.

  “Oh, I am so sorry! If I had known. I threw them into a place, just I have access to. I didn't want others to see my ugly side. I guess I could lead you through the river of souls. But you know, its dangerous to loose oneself there! If.... if you really want to I guess?”, yes. Follow me there and I will have the perfect excuse!

  “No need for this. I hope you are back soon!”, he disappears. Scaredy-cat!!

  “Yes, my slave-master! Oh, how I enjoy to do the councils bidding! We all can have the eternity together in bed or watching each other with suspicious eyes!”, I burst out as soon as he is gone.

  One far far away time I will break this frozen state of reality. Everyone will be allowed his own choice again. Whether he chooses to live, to die, to be a god, a person or to be reborn. Everyone will have a choice.

  But not yet.......

  15 - End of the first schoolday!

  -Everyone looks at Celes and me.

  What? Stupid idiots, I will not start to reveal the mysteries of existence to you here and now. You guys will forget it anyway when you die, so where is the point?

  “Don't look at us like that. The perverted goddess just showed up to our ceremony to turn around the priests head. She just gave us a stupid smile and disappeared again.”, Celes gives the official explanation.

  “Hoh? But shortly after this, the diplomatic exchange between Tirna and Stricc increased to another level and a year later the joining of the leading houses was announced. How do you explain that.” -Samarin

  “When I met my cute, little Celes, I just knew that she is my future, hahahaha“

  “He was so bold, even though we just met! It was like my pure sight had stabbed his heart!”

  Bitch! You stabbed me for real!

  “Anyway I fear we know nothing more than you”, I evade.

  “Well. I still expect great things from you. To continue on Stephen, it were those talks with the goddess, which led us to this conclusion.” -Samarin

  “I have another question! What do you know about levitation! Tell me all you know!” -Margerie

  With that a painful conversation between Samarin and Margerie began. I don't even bother to listen any more. It's all well known stuff to me anyway. Stephen still looks at us like we could be the key to some of his questions. I don't like it.

  Celes seems to be bored too and starts scribbling in her notebook. I try to steal a look but she slams it shut before I see anything.

  “It is bad taste to spy on a woman.” - Celes

  “I didn't think of it as spying?” -Me

  “Why don't you give them the answer to their question, stupid hermit. I am not into this stuff, but if they follow their current train of thoughts the cute Margerie will be old and grey before her wish comes true.”, Celes bitches at me.

  “I am not a fountain of knowledge for charity cases, you know? I want something for my marvellous help too.”, I answer.

  “I know that this is nothing more than one plus one for you, so send my friend Margerie on the right track for now! If you do it, I will owe you one. In any case, I have to talk to you about something after school, stupid hermit.”, Celes starts scribbling again.

  “Can you explain to me what you are talking about?”, Stephen butts in.

  “Nothing in particular, just be glad that the great me will offer you my assistance!” -Me

  Having the witch owe me one can't be something bad.... I hope? I stand up from my chair and walk to the chalkboard, where Samarin and Margerie have already written many formulas and a design for a magic device. It uses a cushion of air to hold itself up. A nice idea, but not really a good solution.

  A steady stream of air like in a hovercraft would be necessary. And the magic circuit you need to construct for this isn't much different from the one you would need to levitate something directly.

  Margerie seeks something that eases the strain on the resources of this world. Everything comes down to rare Earth elements, which you need to construct a magic device. Stuff like Yttrium, Scandium and so on are unfortunately extremely rare on most planets.

  You need those materials in an almost pure form and that is the problem.

  So if we use a magic circuit, it has to be a very small one, the rest has to be pure science. Hmmm. I walk to the unused part of the board and scribble down a simple small circuit to control the temperature.

  A plain cooling system, given enough time, it should suffice to reach the needed temperatures. Yeah, like that you just need a tenth of the elements you would need for a direct levitation circuit, which would have to span the entire object we wish to levitate.

  Then I give a small introduction to Superconductivity. Some materials of that category need rare Earth elements too, but you just need them in a highly dilluted form compared to a pure form.

  The funny part is that this will work with some completely common materials like aluminum or lead too. I didn't invent this stuff on my own out of nowhere. Some of my previous worlds used machines like that.

  Maybe i will give them a little prototype design to connect the dots. Like that hmhmlala. Oh this feels like my old times as a teacher, just without stupid students to interrupt every few seconds. Oh, how i hate those.

  At this moment I hear the bell, which ends the lesson. Damn i wasn't completely done, anyway – Margerie should be smart enough to correct the bugs in the design.

  I turn around and Margerie, Samarin and Stephen look at the board like it would be the holy grail with open mouths. Sven looks at the board, like it would be a pretty picture. Yes, that’s the look of a student, who doesn't get my divine greatness!

  “Piece of cake, don't bother me with the details! I hate those!”, I turn to leave the classroom and Celes follows after me.

  Celes is still writing in her notebook and didn't care about my ingenious solution of the problem.

  “So care to explain to me, why I have to help them in this matter?”, I ask Celes while we walk to the next class. “It is a plan to save this world! Isn't it obvious!”, Celes answers.

  “Yes, but I could have made a fortune with this. Why should I give it to someone else? If you hadn't said you would owe me, I never would have done this!” -Me

  “That's the problem stupid hermit! You are already in the highest possible position and you still just think about grabbing more more more. That has always been your problem! What do you need money for, if you are the heir of the king?” -Celes

  “Sometimes I ask myself how people like you ever became gods. It is not logical to rise that high without the motivation to grab every bit of power you can get.” -Me

  I sigh again. The rest of the way, we walk in silence and during the other lessons we don't talk much either. Celes is too occupied with her notebook and as the remaining classes were just stupid introductions, no teacher bothered with her.

  Well I hope the witch doesn't have something troublesome in mind. She is at it for half a day now, I am sure this spells a bad future for me.

  I could break off my horns and run away to live my life as a normal civilian? Ah! But there are those eyes too, I would have to gorge them out too. No good! And magic to change your appearance is hard to hold up.

  Aaah, I guess I have to wait and see.

  As we stand at the schools gates a luxurious car stops and Rose gets out. “Did you two have a nice day?”, she asks smiling.

  “It wasn't so bad, I took care of a nuisance and made some plans.” -Celes

  “In the forenoon I got beaten up and in the afternoon I gave away something precious.” -Me

  “Oh my little lord is very generous!”, Rose opens the car door for us and we get in.

&n
bsp; During the trip home Celes is still scribbling. Haaaah......

  ***

  We had dinner with our parents and now I am inside the study room, reading a book. I think this day may come to a good end. Celes seems to be too occupied with whatever she has in mind. The longer she is off my turf the better.

  *BAM*

  The door flies open and Celes storms inside. She spots me and slams the door shut.

  *Klick*

  Did she just LOCK the fucking DOOR?

  She comes in front of me, with her ominous notebook in Hands.

  “I want to confess!”

  “WHAT?”

  “I want to save the world.”

  “Pardon me?”

  “We are stuck with each other, so I have made up my mind.”

  “hah?”

  “I want us to make peace, stupid hermit!”

  “Ehm...”

  “I don't want to live a life full of stress, so be grateful I consider this!”

  “Yes?”

  “I have made plans!”

  “Plans?”

  “Here, I have planned it all! Our whole life together and the future of the world.”

  “Together?”

  “I know, we still have to work on our relationship, but we will be stuck at the current state forever if we don't act, so I will take the first step that's needed for the future.”

  “Future?”

  “If you don't make plans for the future, you can't have children isn't that obvious! Stop answering with single words stupid hermit, did you bang your head somewhere?”

  “?!CHILDREN!?”

  16 - The ominous notebook?

  I skim through the ominous notebook, which was created by Celes. The room is silent, just the open fire at the wall sizzles a little. She is watching, while standing cross-armed before me. Everything is there, with date and time, from the moment I take this book into my hands.

  From the current state of the world, to the state it -has- to be five, ten and fifteen years from now. The development of economy and culture. Changes in society? Healthcare and education politics? Tax-management? Now that's what you call a control freak!

  Ten years and a few months from now, we will have our first time in a certain position. Hm. Hm. So that's how she likes it. Ooooh, you are so dirty. Sigh, the cute little girl in front of me is just a shell.

  I knew it, but having the proof on paper sure destroys every last illusion of innosence I had about Celes. And there are at least three children planned, one as the main heir and two as reserves? You are so cruel, I want to cry. They are planned as spares from the very beginning! Being labelled as a spare even before being conceived.....

  What bothers me is that we will do it just three times? I know it is childish, she will just write a new one but,

  “I want to rip it!”

  *Snatch*

  “Nooooo!”

  Anyway, my brain is still in short circuit mode. I have to order my thoughts, how did it come to this? We were enemies for centuries and now the witch wants to forgive and forget out of nowhere?

  I am not ready for this! We are just seven years old!

  “What is it, you don't like? Maybe we can make some sort of comprise.”, she takes out a pen to make changes.

  “First of all. We may have been under the same roof for about five years now, but I still don't see us as something more than people who tolerate each other.” -Me

  “That may be true, but love is something, you have to put work into anyway. So if we start working at it now, we could build up something similar to a decent life? I hate the thought, that the perverted goddess will win in the end.

  Imagine it, we are old and grey on our deathbeds, while laughing about each others death! And that after a life of scheming against each other, while pretending to be the perfect couple.” -Celes

  Okay! That is a disturbing thought. I will admit this. A lifetime may not be long for us, but it would still be extremely disturbing, if our life’s would take that route.

  “You sure are disenchanted with love and romance..... . What about just finding someone else for a liaison and be fine with it.” -Me

  *Whack*

  The witch hit me with the notebook!

  “That's absolutely not possible! What if we get found out! Worst outcome ever! You and I are old enough to know that a lasting relationship needs more than hormones and sex.

  Are you some kind of pedophile child abuser? I am the only possible partner here anyway! Even an old grandma is too young for you!” -Celes

  Omg.... I never thought about it like.... THAT!

  “A... Anyway I wouldn't get it up with you in any case. So the whole discussion is void.” -Me

  “Ugh... . I …. if.... I think ….... we … could ask.... our mothers for.. . h.. help?”, Celes is red all over.

  “WHAT ARE YOU THINKING OF MEEEEE!?”, I scream.

  “I even tried to arrange everything as much to your liking as possible. I made great concessions here! See? It's hard for me, but doing it three times is absolute necessary for three children.

  I know you don't like doing it, but this world doesn't have vitro fertilization. I looked it up. Inventing it would probably not be in time. You are a monk after all.” -Celes

  I cover my face with my hands. My head aches with slowly pulsing waves. What is going on here?

  “No parents. And the just three times is the other problem. I want a normal relationship with a normal amount of intercourse. The other problem is the notebook!” -Me

  “F..Fine! If you can do it more often, more children are possible! But the notebook, what's wrong with it?” -Celes

  Hah!? More children? No! She is messing with me!

  “You set the exact time and date for delivery in there! I know you were a god of order, but are you some kind of machine? Forget it! We are like fire and water! This won't work!”, I have serious headaches now!

  “It's fine to have big differences. We can watch out for each others weaknesses. And I don't think, it will work out from one moment to the next either. We need to understand each other.” -Celes

  “That sounds too nice to be true? What is your plan? How did you come to this decision?” -Me

  “J... Just be glad that the perverted goddess played matchmaker for you! You would be stuck to be alone for all eternity if it wasn't for this! And I don't want the world to be destroyed. I am living in it after all! So I decided to give you a chance! After all it almost ended today, when the perverted wolf girl dug her claws into you!” -Celes

  Ah, so that's the train of thoughts here. Hopefully you are not going to become a complete psycho on me?

  I think about this situation. The fire sizzles nicely. I still don't understand her reasons completely. What's the problem anyway? You die sometime anyway, resurrection, death, resurrection, death, it goes on and on and there is no way out.

  So why do you care about a puny world. It's just a prison for us anyway. The only reason I don't ram a dagger into my heart, is that Seria would probably catch my soul and set this whole shit up again.

  No way to run from a god, who can watch you twenty-four seven. Hah. This situation is disturbing in any way you look at it.

  Suddenly Celes jumps onto the couch and sits down beside me. Too close! There has to be some space at least for comfort!

  “What are you reading?” -Celes

  “Uhm, a book about the melting processes this world has access to? You wanted Margerie's wish fulfilled. I may have to give a hand a second time if she hits a bottle neck with this worlds metallurgy?” -Me

  “Oh, good work. Good work, My plan includes for this worlds science to be at least raised to the level where they don't have to fight over resources!” -Celes

  Suddenly something wriggles around my hips, up my torso and around my neck. This is creepy, it sends shivers down my spine.

  “Celes?”

  “Yes?”

  “What is your tail doing?”

  “Oh, I have to
put it somewhere. I hope it doesn't inconvenience you. And as long, as I have a leash on you, you are less likely to run away.”, Celes answers cheerfully. “Is that why you locked the door?”, I ask.

  “Nobody will leave this room, until you have given a positive answer!”, Celes informs me. “You shouldn't try to adapt the education methods of our parents.”, what will happen if I really try to run?

  “Then choose your answer wisely!” -Celes

  “F.... Fine. We will go on dates, and try to make this work out. If it does, good! If not, the world will burn for all I care! But there are requirements! First, if I ever get the idea that you are planning something, this whole thing is void! Second, get rid of that accursed notebook!”, I answer.