Until death?

by Andur

  “Don't use your ability on me! I am still a god and you are just a mortal! Don't forget that!” Nazareth snaps angry at me.

  “I am sorry master! It wasn't intentional! I am just so excited!” I actually jump a little up and down. A bed! Real food! A warm room! No rocks! No snow! No nuts and mushrooms for dinner!

  “Do we have to train another year? You know what happens if you lose control like that?” Nazareth gives me a sharp look.

  “Nooo! I will manage! Absolute control! I wont fail! Please let me try.” Calm down! Breath in, breath out! Cool and calculating thoughts! Don't let go of your voice. Always the right expression. No accidental arousing smile.

  My thoughts are logical and cold. I have my body under control.

  “Hmm. Kay. Then let's try this. It's morning now. You walk down into that city and do your business. You are a normal adventurer! After you took care of your clothing, you buy supplies and entertain yourself until evening. Maybe you even manage to find a party in order to go your own path from now on.” Nazareth looks up to me.

  “I will stay here and look from afar. In the evening you come back and I give you my judgement. If you pass this test you can go. Otherwise it's the mountain again!” He points at the cold and icy peak of the cursed rock!

  “I wont let you down!” I turn and run towards the city. Freedom!

  “Don't forget about your clothes!” Nazareth calls after me.

  That's when I look down at my body and realize the torn rags I am wearing! A year in the mountain wasn't beneficial on my equipment. Uwaah! I look like a lightly dressed barbarian! And I am dirty! First stop is a clothing shop!

  After a few minutes of walking I arrive at the city gates.

  “Stop! Barbarians and beggars aren't allowed in this city!” A city guard stops me from entering

  “I am sorry. But I was on a long journey and that's why I look like this. I am certainly no barbarian and no beggar! I have many valuable materials. Just give me the chance to sell them.” I try to reason with the two guards who are now blocking my way.

  “Hell no! Fuck off! We know your kind! Surely you will sell your body to get money!” -Guard One

  “There are laws against scum like you in our town! No entry! Try at the next city!” -Guard Two

  Bastards! Who do you think you are? And what if I am a barbarian or a beggar? Does that make me less human? So I am not even allowed entry to the city!?

  “~I would really appreciate it, if you two would make an exception for me. Who knows? If you show up at the inn in the evening, I may have a little surprise for you.~”

  “Ah...” -Guard One

  “S... Sure go ahead.” Guard Two steps aside and I stroll past them while waving my hips.

  “W... we will be waiting!” Guard One calls after me.

  Kukukuku. This was too easy! Maybe those abilities of mine aren't so bad after all? I make my path through the city until I arrive at a good looking shop for clothes.

  “This one looks exquisite!” I talk to myself while I enter the shop. “Hello? I need a full set of clothes!”

  A snobbish looking vendor turns around to greet me. His face distorts in disgust as his eyes lock onto me. “This shop doesn't have charity handouts! Leave or I call the city guard! Beggars are thrown out of the city without questions!”

  Wha!? Another one? What's wrong with this place!? Is it normal to be treated like that if you are an average person? “Ah. I am no beggar! I am an adventurer and had a hard time alone in the mountains! I can pay! Here look.” I grab into my pocket and wave a nut sized golden nugget before him.

  “Where did you steal that! Now I will call the guard for sure!” The vendor tries to get past me but I actually feel a vein popping on my forehead.

  “~Aaahn. You can't be so cold to a young lady who only tells the truth! I am sure you can sell two of your best sets of clothes to me.~”

  The vendor stops in his tracks and turns around with expecting eyes. “Please follow me miss! I am sorry that I was so rude.”

  After twenty minutes of choosing his best and probably most valuable outfits, I am ready to depart.

  “How much does this cost? I will pay in gold nuggets.”

  “Ten gold nuggets for those two outfits will be enough, miss. You look gorgeous!” The vendor smiles at me.

  That's thievery! Ten gold nuggets! You could buy those clothes for two of them! No wonder this shop looks so nice!

  “~You are sure you couldn't make a little exception for me? If you give me the real price I may have a little surprise for you at the inn tonight!~”

  The vendor loosens a bit at my words. “S.. Sure! That would be two gold nuggets!”

  I smile at him and give him his payment while I walk past him and out of the shop. Well, that's done. What next?

  Hmm. I will get this dirt off of me! Best to get a room at the inn for that! After asking a few people, I arrive at the towns inn. The town isn't very large and so it's hard to miss it.

  Is it a problem that I still had to ask twelve people? Whatever! As long as I have someone to ask it's no problem!

  I enter the inn. I then get greeted by a fat old barkeeper, or should have been at least. If he wasn’t so busy to hitting a servant.

  The poor girl has bruises all over her face! And the fat geezer actually uses a wooden stick!

  ~Hellooooo? Mister? I would like your best room with a bath! And fast!~

  The barkeeper snaps to attention at my voice. “Of course! The servant will lead you to your room. Payment is in advance!”

  I drop a raw diamond into the waiting hands of the barkeeper which makes his eyes pop out. Greedy bastard. I am sure he doesn't even think about the exchange money!

  After the servant girl led me upstairs and arranged a nice hot bath in a very nice looking room for me, I can finally relax. But before the girl leaves the room, I stop her.

  “Does he hit you often?”

  “N.n.no! The owner just uses his fists in cases of serious failure!” The girl bows down to me.

  “Tell me the truth. You have too much bruises to believe that.” I don't let her go like that.

  “E.. everyday miss. It doesn't matter if I make a mistake or not. He likes it to hurt others, but I can't just leave. If I lose this job, they will throw me out of the town!” The girl looks at the floor.

  I grab one of my bags with gold nuggets and throw it at her. She barely catches it. “Take that and get someone to give you a good education! Don't be here this evening.” I wave at her with a dismissive gesture.

  The girl looks into the bag with round eyes. “Thank you, Miss! Thank you so much!” She leaves the room with tears in her eyes. At least she is smart enough to instantly take a chance in her life if it is given to her.

  I continue to enjoy my bath for a while. Afterwards I set out to get supplies and have a decent dinner.

  Then I take a long stroll through the whole town. I eat good food and have some decent conversations with other people. Unfortunately I find no group of adventurers to hook up to.

  While buying equipment at the market and in various stores, I get stopped by a noble looking guy with guards at his side. It's already evening and the sun starts to disappear behind the horizon.

  “I am sorry to interrupt your business, miss. But I heard that a very rich adventurer entered the town and pays with valuable diamonds and gold, like as if they were copper coins. So I asked myself if you would be interested in a little deal?”

  Omg. What now? Is this town full of bastards and assholes? “And you are?”

  “I am the governor of this wonderful town. It's thanks to me that this city is free of filth! So about our business. I want to know where you got all those riches from. If the source of those diamonds and gold becomes known to us, it will increase the wealth of this entire region!” The feisty bastard tries to take my hand and kiss it but I pull it out of his grip.

  “That doesn't sound like there is much for me in it? And what makes you think that the sour
ce of my wealth would be of any interest to you?” I smile at him.

  “Because all of that stuff consisted of unrefined goods. So you most likely found it close to this town. Maybe I could send a few workers in order to help you mining it? It would be much faster and you wouldn't have to dirty your own hands.”

  I grin at the smart bastard who is responsible for the laws in this town. “Ohh. You are right! How about we talk about this while eating dinner at the inn? I wouldn't be able to carry ~all that stuff~ by myself anyway.”

  The eyes of the governor sparkle while he offers me his hand and I link arms with him. Hoh! I didn't even need my voice for this! Somehow I instinctively knew what to say! Is that the effect of psychologist? Maybe I should try to develop that ability a little further.

  After a short walk we arrive at the inn and go inside. I soon see a few familiar faces while the drunkards undress me with their eyes. What's wrong with them! The sun isn't even completely down and this place already reeks like a barrel of beer!

  The barkeeper looks very stressed with drops of sweat running down his forehead while he serves alcohol to the people. Serves him right!

  The governor leads me towards a table and places himself on a chair. But I don't show any intentions to take a seat myself.

  “~Actually! I like really strong men! If you could prove me your worthiness, I could show you heaven!~”

  After a second of complete silence, the whole inn explodes in furry of fists and thrown chairs! Tables get smashed while the participants of the brawl try to beat each other into bloody lumps of flesh.

  While humming I skip through the middle of it all. On my way to the exit I pass the bar. I ~accidentally~ knock over one of the candle-holders. Then I grab one of the bottles of alcohol with a high percentage.... and drop it.

  *Crack* *WhooOOOSH!*

  Ups! That was totally an accident! I smile a wide grin while I exit the inn and leave the town in measured steps and in a high mood.

  Ah! The world is becoming a little brighter day by day! I feel like I am in control of my life for the first time!

  After a few minutes of walking, I end up outside the town. I then climb my way up the small hill, where I left Nazareth in the morning.

  I find him sitting on a small rock. He has his elbows jacked on his knees while he covers his face with his hands.

  “Hi, Master! I did well, didn't I? That was the best day in my life!” I call out to him with a cheerful voice.

  “THEN...... What's THAT!” He points towards the city behind me and I turn around.

  It's getting dark, but the city is bathed in the light of flames. The inn is burning while people are running left and right while trying to save the neighbouring buildings. I guess there is no hope for the inn....

  “That was.... an ~accident!~” I nod and look at master with an earnest face.

  The little gnome covers his face again and starts to mumble. “I honestly don't know if I should reward you for your control, or punish you for it!”

  “Nyaaa! Master! Not the mountain again! Please teach me somewhere else!” I drop to my knees and bow to the little gnome who saved me from my personal hell. “I used it just to punish bad people!”

  The little gnome jumps from his rock and sighs. “Well. I hope I didn't create a monster. Get up and listen to my last piece of advice!”

  I shoot upwards! “Last piece!? You won't teach me any more!?”

  “I can't help you any further. You know all the techniques and meditations to get a grip on your powers. Train them and perfect them. You don't need me for that.” Nazareth scratches his chin while looking at the rising moon.

  “The last piece of advice I give you concerns something completely different. Something nobody can help you with! And that's how to become a god!” The gnome looks into my eyes with a grin on his face.

  I am frozen. “A god!?”

  “Yes. You have the potential. That's for sure.” -Nazareth

  “I have?” I ask and Nazareth nods. “How? Will I be able to meet that pervert god and give him a beating?”

  Nazareth tilts his head. “Yes. Most likely you will meet him if you manage it. But I doubt that you will be able to beat him. After all he wiped the floor with you the last time.”

  “Last time?” I arch my eyebrow.

  “You want to hear the method or not!?” -Nazareth

  I bow down again. “Yes, master! Please enlighten me!”

  “Look up!” The gnome starts to wander left and right before me. “First, forget your body! Forget the flesh! What makes you a god is here!” He points to his head. “And here!” Then he points towards his heart.

  “Find the one thing you really love! The one thing you are good at! And then perfect that skill! Refine it to heights above your body. Being a god is a state of the mind! By reaching heights beyond the flesh, you will acquire access to unbelievable power.” He folds his hands before his chest.

  “Open your mind. That's something you can only do on your own. Nobody can help you with it. Find yourself!” Then master is suddenly gone.

  I am alone on the little hill.

  91 - To Oblivion?

  “And I still don't like it!”

  I grumble while a formation of my battle ships and two of our fortresses advance towards the enemy.

  There are multiple prototype ships of the Arcane Community in the mix. Asheim with Warden in control is in the centre of our fleet. Of course we took our time to evacuate it completely.

  The other societies mainly provided fighting forces. They don't have ships like us yet. Even the Arcane Community can't match our raw output of crystal ships. They aren't interested in mass production anyway.

  They build their ships just out of curiosity and for the fun of it. So their ships are an insane mix of different forms and sizes.

  “What else can we do? This is a battle on a ridiculous scale. There is no sneaking up from behind.” Celes is standing right beside me on board of the Nomad. Arthur and Nicosar are on board of the Ragnarok.

  “I know. But you realize that we will get very bloody noses by doing something like that? Head on assaults always end badly for both sides.” I look to the side.

  Celes nods. “That's true. But if you can stop even greater bloodshed by causing it on a smaller scale, it's worth the price.”

  I nod while I wait for the formation to advance to our destination. It's quite certain that Amaru has seen us by now.

  Then I grab my staff to reassure myself of my determination. It really sucks to be on this bridge right now. Will there be someone to look back at this moment and judge us?

  Hah. If we fail this there will most likely be nobody to look back. If a few million Spheres start to generate demons, we are fucked. We don't have the people to deal with those amounts of demons.

  “Our forward ships report demons which try to invade their ships.” -Technician

  I nod but I say nothing. We anticipated that. The plan is to hold out until we got warden close enough to start in picking off the enemy planets.

  We will have to pay the price for getting closer in lives. The problem with directly going closer through a pathway lies with the enemy main planet. It emits an extremely strong field of mana which disrupts pathways.

  It's a crude version of our own dampening fields, which we use to stop enemies from directly entering our ships.