Until death?

by Andur

  I guess it's futile to hold back against him. There is nobody living here, so who cares? I thrust my open palm towards him but he twitches suddenly and rolls off to the side.

  A mountain behind him is blown to pieces. “Tch!” How annoying! The stupid bugger has survival instincts!

  Elohim turns around to take a look at the wasted mountain. “You aren't as concerned about this world as the others.” He turns back towards me and smiles creepily.

  “Why should I?” I wave my hand again and a shimmering disk of light shoots towards Elohim, but he disappears before the disc hits him.

  He appears directly in front of me and I erect a barrier in order to protect myself.

  Elohim touches the barrier with his left and sparks of energy skim over the thin layer between me and him.

  He starts to grin while a few cracks appear in my shield. “That's a commendable spell. Do you power it with this staff? But it will be no problem. Soon it will break and then I will take your soul to offer it to the lord.”

  Elohim is strong. I never would have imagined that a god could put a few cracks in my barrier. I am using a sizeable amount of my power in order to maintain it and another big portion comes from my staff, which is charged to the maximum. But I also feel that his soul is strange. His whole aura is strange. A single god shouldn't have that much power.....

  “What are you planning to do with those Spheres?” I try to smile at him while he doubles his efforts and the cracks in my barrier spread further.

  “Isn't it obvious? We will activate the Spheres and they will consume everything within the multiverse. All will be one with the great lord!” Now a few drops of sweat appear on his face.

  “How is this possible? This barrier should be gone by now!”

  I grin at Elohim. “You are not the only one with cheats. I already realized that you are using multiple soul-spaces. Whom did you eat?”

  Elohim doesn't answer but licks over his lips. Yes. Definitely a creepy fellow. I guess even with my staff I can't hold the status quo forever.

  *ZZZZZIIZZZZZzzzzzz*

  A disk of light suddenly whisks through between us. Elohim looks after the disk, which slowly disappears in the distance.

  I frown while I look into the same direction. “It finally decided to come back! But it had bad aim. I will have to change the spell a bit. It's a little embarrassing. Looks like I messed up the aiming function of -highest above the earth- with -closest to me-.”

  *Thud*

  Elohim's left arm got severed in the middle of his forearm. It dropped to the ground with a sad noise. Elohim looks with big round eyes at the bleeding stump of an arm.

  “That looks nasty. You should take care of it.” I grin at Elohim.

  Suddenly something hits Elohim from behind and his face smooches onto my barrier while sparks of energy start to sizzle Elohim's face into a brown and crispy mass.

  Now I realize that Carne came back from the dead and used his chance to grab Elohim's head from behind. He is pressing the poor guy against my barrier.

  Elohim is twitching and trying to get out of Carnes grasp. But it looks like it's futile. Carne is too strong!

  “You got back from the dead! Nice one! But why are you suddenly so strong? I wouldn't have come down here if I knew that you were holding back.” I greet Carne with a cheerful voice.

  “Shut up! It's my ability! As long as I can keep physical contact with someone I can switch powers with them. The fucker just didn't give me an opening to grab him until now!” Carne smacks Elohim repeatedly with an angry expression into my barrier.

  *WHAM!*

  “And the sucker!”

  *WHAM!*

  “Ruined!

  *WHAM!*

  “My!”

  *WHAM!*

  “Beautiful!”

  *WHAM!*

  “Face!”

  *WHAM!*

  My barrier breaks and I jump backwards in order to avoid being sullied by the bloody lump of flesh dangling from Carne's hand.

  Wow! I didn't realize that Carne is such a beauty fanatic. I guess it's important if you have a harem like him? Even though he looks just average. “That's interesting! That means that right now you are as strong as him and he is as strong as you? Bwahahaha!” I start to laugh.

  “What's so funny!?” Carne glares at me.

  “You are actually really weak Carne, aren't you? For someone like that to be the leader of a big society....” I smack my thigh while I almost go to my knees.

  “So what!? I am the strongest while being the weakest! I just have to grab my opponent! And if you don't stop laughing I will pay you back for what you did to me! Five kids! One night and I will have to deal with five kids for at least a decade or two! I should do some really horrible things to you!” -Carne

  Now I really fall to my knees and laugh while Carne shakes his fist at me.

  “ARRGH! DAMN!” Carne throws Elohim into the sky during a moment of pure outrage.

  *WRROOOOM*

  The Council member disappears at an unbelievable speed and a shockwave flattens our surroundings. I cling to the ground in order to not being blown away.

  The air calms down and I look up. "Hey! We still need him as a prisoner! You can't throw him into the orbit!"

  “Ups.” -Carne

  I stopped laughing while I looked upwards. Above us is the moving moon of the Arcane Community. Everything is silent and I count the seconds.

  Will it really happen? I know that Carne didn't aim for it. He couldn't be so unlucky could he?

  Suddenly I see the moon changing it's form while a sizeable chunk of it dissipates into the surrounding space and the full moon becomes a half moon. The cool blue shimmering flickers a few times and then stops.....

  Of course this happened in absolute silence because there is no noise transmission in space.

  Carne starts to gnaw at his fingernails. “Do you think I can pay by instalments?”

  I shake my head while I still look up. Chiffre was so proud of that thing. And it got busted in its first battle! “Nope. Chiffre will dissect you!”

  “Then we have to cover it up! Elohim jumped by himself in order to headbutt the moon! He wanted to show his power! You are my witness!” -Carne

  I scratch my cheek. “That story might be a little hard to sell......”

  Carne grabs me at my shoulders.

  “You... owe... me!”

  88 - How to climb a mountain?

  In another time on another world

  I did it! It was my first time! I have taken a huuuuge step forward! Today was the first time I talked to a group of men! And guess what!? They didn't try to rape me!

  Hell, Yes! Maybe my life will really take a turn for the better! I am so happy that I could almost cry! If I wasn't in the middle of nowhere. On a mountain. And lost.

  So right now I am crying out of fear and insecurity. This world is so unfair! And cold! Too much ice and snow all around me!

  I sit down on a rock and try to think about my situation. After I met Miruliru, I travelled further south while trying to get a grip on my abilities.

  The villagers went in another direction, but their village was very close. So they shouldn't have had any problems.

  Somehow I managed to arrive at the Academy. I was very well supplied because I looted the slavers and had no worries with equipment and money.

  The Academy was a little disappointing. It was very troublesome to find female teachers to learn from. Furthermore they didn't have any hard information on the gods.

  They just had those esoteric books which sounded like some guy had made them up. They didn't have any information about Miruliru and Angrod. It's like those gods don't even exist!

  After reading up on multiple gods and smaller deities, I reached the end of their library. That's what I would call a big fuck up!

  All the way to the north and no further clue about my curse at all. Well it wasn't a complete waste of time.

  I spent a year at the academy and r
esearched magic and spellsongs. My female teacher was most impressed with my abilities as a songweaver. A special type of mage who concentrates in casting spells and buffs by singing.

  This really made me happy! It was the first time I learned something which wasn't directly connected to doing something improper.

  Unfortunately my curse is heavily involved in this ability. It's infuriating! I really like singing and my proficiency in it is directly related to my curse.

  After a year of studying and learning everything which looked useful, I decided on a new plan. If I couldn't find a hint on the gods from my own kind.... then I have to ask them directly!

  I already managed to talk to Miruliru! Unfortunately she didn't give me a chance to ask questions. She never showed up since.

  Then I made my way further north to the highest mountain in the world. It's said that adventurers who manage to climb the mountain and meditate on it's peak will be able to talk to Nazareth.

  Nazareth is the god of the mountains and travellers. If you pray to him, he will see to your well being during your journey.

  “Kukukukuku!”

  A mad laugh escapes my lips. This mountain is so high and rocky! I will never reach the peak to pray! It feels like I was walking for days while not getting any closer.

  Then I tried to walk back but everywhere are cliffs and impassable terrain! I will die up here. The next adventurer coming this way will find my frozen body and commit a necrophilic act!

  Shivers shake me and I am not sure if it's the idea or the cold. I am tired and too weak to go on. Maybe I will sing a last song in order to fall asleep....

  “~Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.......

  I sing and sing until I finally slide from my rock and fall asleep. At least this end won't hurt.

  ….

  ….

  ….

  Something shakes me and I shoot up. I am still on the mountain, but a small area around me is green like when it's spring. The flowers bloom and it's warm! Further out I still see the icy landscape of the mountain.

  “Is this the afterlife?” I talk to myself in wonder.

  “Hell no! The afterlife won't be much different from this one, hot little babe!” A voice is raised behind me.

  I whip around and crawl backwards. A small little green kobold is sitting on my stone and looks at me with expectant eyes.

  “Who are you?” I ask the creature with a wary voice.

  “What? Don't you recognize me!? I am Nazareth! The god of mountains and travellers! For a bombshell like you to not recognize me. It hurts my feelings!” The little gnome wipes his eyes like wiping away a tear.

  Huh? “B...But the texts describe you as a little man in a cloak.”

  “Bääh! The texts, the descriptions and your stories! You mortals make up so much on your own about the gods.” The green kobold shakes his head and makes a dismissive gesture.

  “So what brings a hot babe like you to my sacred mountain? Originally I didn't plan to talk to you, but your devotion and your song moved me..... and those breasts. Do you drink milk everyday to get them like that? I must admit that I never would have imagined to meet a mortal goddess like you!”

  This little green kobold is bad news! “I wanted to talk to the gods! In order to lift the curse on me. And what about this devotion?”

  The little green kobold raises an eyebrow. “Well. Usually the mortals march up to my preferred vantage point and pollute the air up there until I talk to them. It's the best view up there you know? And who would curse such a beauty like you? Oooh, Wait! Don't tell me! Violet hair. Perfect skin. Blue eyes. Unbelievable body and two huuuge mountains as....”

  *Whack!*

  “.....Hey! What was that for!?”

  Ohhh! Nooo! I went and did it! I hit him without thinking!! I throw myself to my knees and bow down. “I am sorry! It was a reflex! Please don't smite me! It just infuriated me to hear how the gods see me!”

  Nazareth rubs his red cheek for two seconds while staring at me. “Well. Never mind. I didn't think that you are actually so pure at your heart, Sharid.”

  I look up. “You know me? Then can you answer my questions?”

  The little kobold looks a little embarrassed. “I am sorry. Nobody can help you. You got cursed by Angrod.”

  “Then tell me why!? I will assemble all the gods if necessary! Even the major ones. This Angrod cursed me and never even bothered to explain why! And he didn't even show up for my whole life!” I glare at Nazareth. Yes! I will gather them all!

  “BWAHAHAHA!”

  The gnome starts to laugh with tears in his eyes. “Sorry kid. I hate to pop your cherry bubble. But all the gods on this world aren't enough to go against Angrod. When you were born, he dragged all of us together and explained to us that you are off limits. He did that in very clear words.” The little gnome shudders while I look at him agape.

  “He is stronger than all the gods assembled? It's hopeless! I am lost.” I let myself fall into the dirt. There is no hope for me.

  “Well. What do you expect of a king of gods? All gods of this world are just flies compared to him. He is a soul mage on top! And if you learn one thing as an immortal: Never mess with a soul mage! You just have to take a look at yourself to see what happens if you step on a soul mage's toe. Be happy that he is busy with the war and doesn't have time to play around with you any further.” -Nazareth

  “War?” -Me

  “Well. We gods have some problems with demons and soul eaters and so on. The higher realms have their own troubles. Nothing that should concern you mortals. Just be happy that you are on your own.” -Nazareth

  It doesn't help. I am still lost.

  “Don't be so down! I will lend you a hand! Such a devoted follower should get some help. To actually walk fourteen times around the mountain until you almost drop dead. Such faith has to be rewarded!” -Nazareth

  “I walked fourteen times around the mountain?” Fuck! Why!?

  “You didn't know?” -Nazareth

  “Well! I was so happy when I managed to convince the perverted monks at the foot of the mountain to show me the way. I just had to do a little dance for them and they looked so happy! They didn't even try to rape me! It was the first time that I managed to control my abilities that well! I just walked forth, but at some point I lost the path....” I bite at my fingernail while I think about it.

  “...... your sense of direction is the worst! How can you walk around the mountain fourteen times without finding the trail to the top! There are signs everywhere! This is a well visited holy place!” -Nazareth

  “What?” -Me

  “Never mind. I will help you to get those abilities of yours under control. Angrod forbade us to lay hands on you. But I guess a few guiding words from time to time are ok.” -Nazareth

  “Really!? Really? Really? Oh thank you!” -Me

  “Call me master!” -Nazareth

  Eh!? I hope I make no mistake here. “Yes. M..m...Master!”

  “Oh... and one more thing about those perverted monks at the foot of the mountain.....” -Nazareth

  “Yes?” -Me