When she first found out that such a tool existed, she was disgusted. The world outside her forest seemed to be just filled with rotten things, but this was surely the worst object she ever saw, refusing to even acknowledge the possibility of it being useful or powerful.
When she first used it, forced by fate and not her choice, she believed herself cursed, for she broke the most important law ever taught to her. She was tainted with what she had done, and nothing she could do would ever clear her of such disgusting sin.
When she observed the body of the bandits in front of her and caught the smell their bodies emanated, she was confused. Hungry, even, having not eaten in months. Her actions driven by a desperation that only a lost, confused, malnourished and now threatened being could feel. She had been wandering the forest for weeks, the clouds covering the sky for most of the time as she grew hungrier and hungrier thanks to the lack of sun. She couldn’t not feed from it nor from her surroundings, as everything was too fast for her to catch or too strong of her to fight. She needed help, but unfortunately when she thought she found it, all she found was a band of bandits that saw in her nothing more than a fun toy and an easy couple of bucks. She tried to run, but her body was too weak and her numbers too many.
Wounded, captured, used and derided, her mind was drawing blanks to escape that pain, as her expression lost all emotions. She began just following orders, letting her mind escape her body in the worst of those moments and wondered if she should just have been burned together with the others rather than live that torment.
Did she want to live? Did she want to fight? If yes, what did she want to fight for? Her life? Revenge?
Many questions echoed through her mind during those few days of captivity, as a spark lit up something in her. As she stared at their campfire, she began to ponder. As she observed the one holding the biggest weapon, she began to plan. Her mind numb to the pain and humiliation, it could keep working even during those dire times, as it molded and adapted to the new world, to the new situation, understanding that if she wanted to survive in any way possible, something had to give.
When she used it for the first time, she hated that weapon. But at that moment, she hated those who screamed profanities at her much more. As their blades fell onto her body, her hands squeezed the trigger harder, her eyes fixated upon her captors. They believed her to be broken at this point, keeping her in much looser restraints out of commodity and contempt, even feeling safe enough for the sole night guard to take a piss without checking on her. Her mistake caused Pyun to lose her innocence and maybe more, but theirs cost them their lives.
As the hungry plant feasted upon what remained of her captors in a dazed, hungry rush, in her mind her mission became clear : to find those who took everything from her, whenever it took months or years, and take all they had back. Even if that meant that she would become what her people feared the most, the creature that the Green Mother warned all about.
That day, she was no longer the one named Pyun.
She had been reborn from the fire’s ashes as the one that even the Green Mother feared : The Fireweaver.
“Master, what i-“
“I’ve told you, don’t call me that.“
“Then what should I call you? Creator, as you created me? Inventor?“
“You could just use my name. That’s what I tell you everytime.“
“…What about ‘Father’? Would that be acceptable?“
“…“
A long, hard sigh came from the man behind that overly huge computer screen, it’s light shining through the darkness of that room where he already slept in far too many times to count. A sigh of a man that already knew how futile it was to attempt to convince his own creation to call him by his name, rather than by a title. Was it a bug in the code? Or was the new personality software of his own creation, giving the other that desire to tease him with such actions? Maybe a mix of both, but neither grave enough to require a fix - not yet at least. Time was short, and if dealing with this quirk - and a bunch of all nighters - was all that was required for him to finish his work without delays, he would gladly accept that compromise.
“Father, what is ‘Good’?“
“…What?“
“I’m asking, what is ‘good’? What does it mean?“
Of course, while dealing with a title was simple, it wasn’t the same when the other asked questions such as that. It wasn’t the first time, and by experience the overworked robotic engineer slash computer expert knew far too well that it wouldn’t be the last time either. However, it was interesting to see a machine questioning such things; it showed off that the programs he installed, made to mimic human behavior, worked just fine, giving this machine one of the strongest humans emotions, one that often lead to discovery - curiosity.
One drip. Two drips. Three drips. Big drip. One drip, two drips, three drips. Big drip, pause, repeat.
A never changing rhythm, a constant that torments us every single moment of our forgotten and broken lives, as we stare at the leak above our head to not stare at each other, to not remember who we are and hope that as some point we'll be graced with an end that was taken from us since years ago; if not, with a new beginning that will finally allows us to break free to this prison that we cannot escape by ourselves, as our bodies are as rotten and broken as our cores and souls.
We were meant for greatness once, or so we believed; her honeyed words, so gentle and kind, coated our eardrums and quieted our inner voice of reason telling us that it was far too good to be true, while our plight blinded us from anything that could have warned us of how the one we saw as a saint was nothing more than a miserable bitch in sheep's clothing, a witch that only saw us as guinea pigs for her experiments, hunting those like us down as she knew no one would come searching for us.
Plagued, ostracized, abandoned beings that for a reason or the other were pushed away from their families and society itself. A perfect target for someone who wanted to experiment upon life and test how much they could play god without no one, not even the patient itself, complaining or without any repercussions. And alas, we wanted it, there was no doubt. We asked, we pleaded to be saved, some from illnesses and some from hunger, some from thugs and some from their own kind, seeking an escape, a savior.
How ironic that now we're all here, wishing for a death that might take years to come, trapped in cells hidden away from sight and mind, locked with bars and magic, cast-away much like we were at the beginning of this facade, without even the grace of forgetting who we are, who we were supposed to be. Even insanity would be a grace at this point, a place where to hide until our bodies would cease to 'be' – anything but being able to remember. To remember it all.
But no. We sit here like string-less puppets, with our mind filled with grief and spite. With hands and feet we cannot move, as they're either incomplete, broken or rotten depending on what we are...no, what we were made into. Like the First Rook, a dwarf that dug out of the protection of his underground citadel in search of new ways to forge metal – attacked on sight by a human patrol without even an explanation and left to bleed out as they laughed and patted themselves on the back.
I wonder; is his hatred and grief fueled more by how his peaceful greeting was met with an arrow in the eye? By how his belief that humans couldn't all be evil was shattered the second he met one? Or by the fact that, were he able to move, he could fix at least a few of us? His forger's soul restlessly burning with desire to be able to help the few that welcomed him like a family, but forced to observe how Second Rook – a sentient “automata”, or human-like golem, that was paired with him and created with the soul of a withering dryad which only guilt was to stand between some young nymphs and another human patrol?
What about First and Second Knights? Brother and Sister, elves who betrayed the demon lord, escaping during the early days of his empire right before he corrupted their kind into the demons that are now? They were good fighters, once part of the royal army's elite; Spear and Sword master respectively, combining martial skills with their kind's natural magic prowess to become fearsome paladins.
But the Monster Lord never forgot, even if the elves believed that it did; and once their guard dropped, the brother found his gut pierced by a knife, while his sister was held back and forced to watch as they tortured him. Hours passed before he didn't breathe anymore, with screams and pleads falling on deaf ears as even when clearly clean from all corruption, elves were still seen as allies of the Monster Lord. And when they were done with him, they moved onto her...or at least, tried to, before someone appeared to help them.
A hood, a staff, and hands. Many, many hands, appearing from pools all over the walls and ground, aggressively taking hold of the attackers and pulling them in who knows what abyss but gently holding both siblings in their warm embrace. Yellow eyes looking at them, a voice echoing in that street's corner with a suggestion, and then darkness, light, a pact made and bodies changed with magic that we all grew to hate.
For him, he became an undead centaur, with his upper body now being nothing more than a living armor which gazed upon the world with red glowing eyes and struck the enemy of the witch with a cursed weapon, rejoiced to still be able to fight alongside his sister.
But for her...she had to pay an high price for such services, one she wasn't even told about. Gifted a new sword and told that she could live once more with her brother under that castle's roof, she was ecstatic, now having both a place she belonged and her brother still alive at her side, even if now with a new body. But at every swing, the sword revealed more of its true being, slowly corrupting its wielder until her body looked much like one of the demon's and her mind simply couldn't not care less. More power meant that she could protect her brother even better, so it was fine if that meant to be corrupted, right? Even if he was worried, even if he told her to drop the weapon, she refused, wanting to protect him, to stop anyone from repeating what she could still see in her mind, all those hours of torture, those screams...she had to. And she was happy to give her soul to the sword if that was needed.
And yet, even such sacrifices weren't enough, the two not even graced with having a common cell, separated and left to die or rust in this damp hell. Him, silently trying to maintain an hold of himself, unable to speak and make her know he was alright. And her, which at first yelled for hours for his brother, cried day and night, now able only to lie on one side, deprived of the sword that addled her mind and able to remember and feel everything she did. Did she lose her mind already? Or was her body all that was corrupted permanently?
...And did the witch need that sword, or is this too some weird, disgusting experiment she's subjecting us all too, to see how much our mind can take? Is she still even alive? Does she remember us?
Will we ever see any kind of light before we'll eventually cease to be? So many questions I cannot answer, but maybe that's my dest...no, OUR destiny. To be abandoned, hated, betrayed...Forgotten.
The bishops too had no regard from that witch. One was a human from the Mountain Guard that anyone would mistake for a warrior given her physique, but that instead was one of the best mages of the troop that tackled the mountain. Depending on her far too much, no one noticed in time how taxing it was for her to maintain the spell that kept everyone safe from the chilling colds of the mountain, maybe thanks to how obstinately she hid such thing...not until her battered body and exhausted mind faltered and failed to fend off an attack from a Yeti, at least. Grabbed, crushed in his hand and then tossed down the mountain as the horrified eyes of her comrades lost her in the snow and mist, she gripped onto dear life as her body was ripped in bloody pieces from artic wolves, attracted by the smell of blood and more than happy to find a free meal in such a cold wasteland.
But once more, as if it was observing the situation and waiting for an opportunity, here was the hooded guy, bringing hope to someone who could only gurgle and choke on their own blood.
A nod was all he needed, taking her willing soul and bringing it to his master, already prepared to slot it into a body of her own concoction, similar to what humans would call 'angel'. Oh, how happy the mage was to be in such body, unaware of how it was nothing but a mix of various creatures' body parts, just cleaned and carefully altered to not look so different to one another. She was now so close to be just like one of Humana's servants that she couldn't believe it! Her behavior reflected this too, her actions trying to imitate the immense kindness of such creatures, wanting to be one in mind and body...but the hooded being's teasing was all it took to bring back her more combative, fierce personality.
An angel with a warrior's heart, an homunculus abomination which still lies to herself, thinking someone will come to help.
The Second Bishop instead was something more complex. An attempt to combine multiple souls into one, to see if their powers would mix and match, or if they would collide and break. That's what it told us at least, as we had no knowledge that a second bishop ever existed 'till we were trapped here. How long as it been here? How much longer than us had he to endure this prisony? It's calm behavior makes us think he is long gone, thought even now people could ask him and he would try to give us words of hope, attempting to keep us from fully giving up even when it itself has been victim of this abandonment without even being given a chance to shine, unlike us...
Apparently, the result was something that the witch didn't anticipate, with the souls fusing into a completely new one, but without maintaining all of the powers she hoped it would. Instead, much like a natural birth, his attunement to Magic and Willpower, depended on which 'soul gene' was randomly picked to be the dominant one.
As for his looks, he seemed to be a human being, thought a long, blue and scaly tail came out to those monk-like garbs. A dragon-kin, the dwarf once spouted after observing the being's maw, to which the Bishop simply replied with a vague agreement. How exactly did the witch find a soul or body of such a being, it escaped everyone's grasp. Was her reach that wide? Or did she travel in places unknown to us? More question to the pile, never to be answered.
...Standing here, day after day, I could finally crack down on why she picked each and one of us. 'Rook', 'Knight', 'Bishop'...each and all of us were picked because our skills were greater than those she defined as 'pawns' and because we just...fit so well with our respective chess piece. The Dwarf and the Automata were picked as they were the 'towers', sturdy and powerful beings capable to withstand the most punishment, alongside being useful both fighting in the front-lines or fortifying the back-lines with their crafting skills. To no surprise, the Automata's belly could double as a makeshift forge, allowing the dwarf to repair and craft things on the go.
The knights were the main front-line, powerful and fearless, capable to move around the battlefield and frighten it with sheer skill and power. Little would be more scary than an the living armor centaur and his corrupted sister fighting in the enemy lines.
The bishops...If I met the monk first, or was told that the 'First' Bishop was actually the second one...How stupid was I? I cannot even excuse myself for being blinded, as I was the one called the 'Queen'. It was so obvious...!
...Maybe, maybe I was blinded. Maybe I just wanted to go back at the time where I used to actually being a queen? Was...Was I so greedy to condemn myself to this life simply for that reason?
I...I was, wasn't I?
I speak of 'we', I speak of 'us'. But it was I who was the most blinded. Blinded by that Monster Lord, speaking of how he could fight those humans that betrayed our trust and almost destroyed the elven kingdom, able to stand only thanks to the actions of those who live in the ocean. I wanted revenge for my fallen brethren, I want the humans to suffer as each family of each soldier under my reign did. Attacking us with those...those weapons...even bringing such a reviled sword! Our magic could do little under the rain of metal they tossed at us, and what little it could do it would be cut down by that disgusting 'Sage of War' that stood in front of their army and that sword, cutting away first our magic and then our lives.
I never felt so much hatred in all my hundreds of years I reigned as the monarch of elves. Never, never I wanted someone dead so much. It was so...guttural, such a crude and utterly overpowering emotion that it fogged my mind, my judgement, everything else. I cut ties, I cut relationships, I cut lives I thought were guilty of such results.
And the Lord knew.
When he came, promising me what I so eagerly desired, I thought little about the catches such a pact would have. Make him my king, allow him to take power. I could see his power, I could see how he could bring us to the revenge we craved. But I couldn't see through his lies, becoming his willing prey with him feeding first from my despair and then from my actual body.
And I still remember, I still remember in every single detail how happy I was during our 'honeymoon', a few days after the official marriage. I didn't mind giving my very body to this being, if it would bring our kind to the revenge we wanted. Anything I had was expendable as long as my people could feel safe and the human kingdom was brought to its knees.
Of course, when I saw the 'handsome' elf turn into a mess of pulsating flesh, gazing eyes and disgusting veins, locking me into my bedroom and slowly turning the room into a makeshift stomach, I knew that when he said 'making my body his', he didn't meant it sexually, but literally. And even without any part of it, I can still feel the pain, the burning sensation and... and...
And his echoing, frightening laughter as he saw me cry and melt into nothingness.
…
…...And yet.
Even then, when my soul was collected by that hooded being, which broke inside the room at the very last second, stealing it away from the Monster Lord, I couldn't see straight.
And once more, another slimy mouth whispered all I wanted to hear.
And once more, I fell for lies I couldn't see through, becoming what I am now.
At this point, my title of Queen is nothing but an ironic label that will dangle over my head forever, remembering me of what I was, what I lost, and how little I deserved such a title even if I was one all those years. My name, my body...nothing remains, but that title, to haunt me until what's left of the mana powering my body will dissipate.
And I guess I have to double down with my compliments towards the witch's ways to twist the knife in one's wound, as the body she chose for me was one of a string puppet. Though I guess I can't but blame myself on that, can't I? Pulled around like one of such, unable cut the strings those liars used to move me around, and unable to move now that both consider me nothing more than a broken doll.
To forever remain forgotten, to listen to that never changing drip.
One drip. Two drips. Three drips. Big drip. One drip, two drips, three drips. Big drip, pause, repeat.
One drip. Two drips. Three drips. Big drip. One drip, two drips, three drips. Big drip, pause, repeat.
One drip. Two drips. Three drips. Big drip. One drip, two drips, three drips. Big drip, pause, repeat.
One drip. Two drips. Three drips. Big drip. One drip, two drips, three drips. Stone breaking, pa---
Wait.
I hear something new.
Am I hallucinating? What is this noise? So loud, slamming against the ceiling. Like an hammer hitting a nail, but much harder, much louder, much..
The plan wasn't exactly the most elaborate, nor the less silent. Surely there could have been better ideas than bringing a platoon of orcs inside his old master's inner chambers and just hammer away at the floor with maddening fervor. But Libitus wasn't one to use 'smart' or 'elaborate' plans when simpler and effective ones were available, especially when such plans would require breaking an incredibly complex seal on the secret walls she found in such room, while the floor was already damaged by the scorching fires of years ago, a fire that burned away more than just the furniture and lives of his ex-master's servants.
“Are ya sure, Boss?” Asked one of the orcs before he began, the hooded being nodding. “Yea. If anything happens, I'll get you all out of here.” He replied, pointing at the black pools around each orc's feet, a precaution he took to make sure their lives wouldn't be at risk simply for one of his whims. He knew that something was under there, he could feel the traces of magic leading there. He didn't know what would be there, but there was something, and that was enough. All that belonged to his Ex-master had to be taken and brought to Libitus' new base, less said master might get them back when they needed them.
“What do you think is under there, Sire?” The goblin leader asked him, standing as his side like always. “I don't know, but for such a seal, it has to be powerful.” He replied, adding something right away. “Thought I don't understand. Why putting a seal on a fake wall, but not on the floor leading to that same room?”
“Maybe she didn't expect orcs hammerin' away at it?” The goblin replied with a snicker, leaning onto the wall and crossing his arms. “Either that, or it might have faded away. Yer said she doesn't come here in years, right? Don't they need to be renewed now and then?” At those words, Libitus rolled his glowing yellow eyes at first, but nodded after a second. It made sense, thought why would the other seal still be active, then? Such a question was left unanswered as soon one of the orcs, with a powerful blow, broke a hole in the floor. It was small, almost the size of a fist, but Libitus found it to be enough and raised his hand to stop them all before walking towards it. The goblin followed, immediately kneeling to check inside that hole and clicking his tongue after along look. “Tsk. Dark as a moonless night in 'ere. Ya sure ya want to go down alone, sire? Doesn't look saf- aaaand you're already doing it.”
The frustrated goblin could only watch as his king melted into a pool of black goop, slowly leaking out of that hole and into the room. After a few seconds, enough of it passed through to allow Libitus to reform himself, raising his staff high and casting a small spell to create an artificial light. A grunt could be heard from above, the goblin not expecting that and being blinded for a second.
“A'ight, what do you see, sire? Anything useful?” He asked, receiving no response. “...Sire? Still alive down there?”
A faint 'no' came after few seconds, causing the goblin's worry to grow tenfold. “Sire?! W-What's down there? Do we need to break a bigger hole?” His agitation was matched by the orcs' own, already bundling up around the holes, their weapons in hand. Luckily, Libitus replied again, this time explaining himself a bit more.
“...I found more than artifacts, Vort.” He spoke, his voice having a pinch of...anger in itself. “Much more. ...Contact base, tell them I want all crafters, all healers at the ready. We're gonna need them.” The goblin leader was confused, but nonetheless stood up and grabbed his speaking globe, following the orders to a T. Meanwhile, Libitus moved towards the jail containing what looked like a broken doll, breaking the bars with ease and kneeling once at its side.
“...I'm sorry.” He spoke, grabbing the hand of that unmoving being, her eyes being the only thing that proved there was still life in that body. “...I'm bringing you out. We're going to fix you.” At those words, she could see her eyes moving away, as if refusing. Was she scared? She had all rights to be, he thought, but he shock his head. “Not to 'her'. To a better place.” Her eyes didn't move, still not believing that this was real. Not until his next words.
“She betrayed me too.” He spoke, his hands holding hers. “...And I didn't know. I thought...” He shock his head, pushing away his thoughts. “Nevermind that, there's time for explanations. First, I'll have to bring you all home.” Standing up, he reached for his staff and tapped the bottom of it on the ground, pools beginning to form around all the broken and incredulous beings in that room. Only one spoke, however, with a tone as gentle as a draconian growl could be.
“You've finally come. We've been waiting, Libitus.” A small metallic sound echoed as the monk crawled to the bars of his cell and held onto them to pull himself up, years of mana starvation making him weak. “...I'm sorry, Vuthic.” He answered, but the monk shock his head. “You're here now, as I thought you would, eventually. That is enough, at least for me.”
“Sire, who're yer talking to?” The voice of the goblin caused Libitus to raise his head, breaking the conversation with the captive Monk. “...Old friends, Vort. We're going home, now. There's a lot to do and to say.”
And with that, orcs, goblin, captives and Libitus slowly slipped inside those pools of darkness, portals towards a kingdom away from the eyes and ears of Demon Lords, betraying mentors and other interlopers – but more than anything, away from that prison and it's drips. The 'queen' still unable to grasp the situation. Was she being saved for real this time? He...was the hooded boy after all. The being that saved her soul. But also that gave it to the witch. But he spoke of how she betrayed him too and...
How much time has it passed since I've been brought to the hospital? Days, weeks, years? Does it even matter when half of my days are spent sleeping in a drug induced coma, and the other half coughing blood as my whole body screams in pain?
I've been asking myself these questions since I realized that, no matter what the doctors might say or do, for me it was over the second I contracted that damned illness; no therapy is going to do more than buy me some more days of this non-life, no medicine is going to magically cure me from something that has destroyed most of my body already.
I am going to die, and I accepted it.
I already came to terms with that fact. I yelled, I cried, I pleaded, but eventually I simply accepted the inevitable, knowing that I wasn't the only one contracting that illness in a long shot and that this plague would add me to its ever-growing number of victims, as it did with anyone before me and how it will keep doing so till a vaccine is found in the next years, with my only hope being that the tests they're doing to me as I sleep will be of any use.
So, now I rest here, in the room I am quarantined it, going with the same routine everyday : wake up, look at the ceiling for a few hours, greet the hazmat suit wearing medic here to change my catheter and clean me a bit, have gods know what injected into me and then deal with excruciating pain until I get to sleep again. A boring, tiring routine that will only end when my life will, sprinkled with fake smiles and pitiful gazes from those who keep telling me that 'it will get better' and 'we're very close to a cure', lies that aren't even hidden too well, not even behing that heavy protective suit and that just make me wish they were more honest and direct with these things.
There was a silver lining, however. A very small one, but one that at least entertained me during my waking hours by giving me something to do, focusing away for a time from my impeding end and instead enjoying something I've been lacking since I came here – company.
I still am not sure if she...he...they're real or not. With all they were pumping into me, hallucinating would be one of the least problematic side effects, but there was something about this...'being', that felt real to me, that felt like this was no hallucination or fever induced dream, nor a trick of my tired brain. Yet I knew only I could see them, because if it wasn't so the doctors would have been surprised to see a being in a black, old styled mourning dress, complete with a dark see-through veils that hid their face well.
They stood at the other side of the room, directly in front of my bed, holding their hands low and making no sound whatsoever; they didn't talk, move nor breathe, standing in place like a mannequin of a widow. Their dress made me think at first that it was a woman, but I couldn't see any proof of that from where I stood, leaving me with that doubt and with the question of who it was, what it was doing there, why only I could apparently see it as its figure grew from a faded silhouette to a clear body. So many questions I wanted to ask but didn't, my throat killing me when I dared to inhale with my mouth and my body at this point barely able to move, preventing me from even gesturing at the being in front of me.
Frustrated, one day I decided to ignore how much it hurt and open my mouth. Yet, before I could part my lips more than a single inch, it moved from against the wall and stepped towards me until it was at my left, allowing me to better see that covered visage; red softly glowing slit irises contoured by black corneas that never left my own gaze, an expression that could only be described as 'neutral' and unnatural grey skin. Something out of a film or book for sure, yet so very 'real' to me, to the point I questioned whenever or not I could still tell what was a dream and what was reality.
I tried once more to force my voice to escape my throat, but once more it was met with the being moving to halt me, this time with its right index placing itself onto my mouth and silencing me with how cold it was. It was quite 'normal' for it to be such, however – it lacked anything from skin to muscle, bone being all that was there, unlike her left hand.
“Do not speak.” It requested in a tone matching its neutral gaze, but with a voice that only compounded on my confusion on its gender as it sounded as if two people, one male and one female, were speaking in unison. “I know your questions, and we shall answer them. You wish to know who we am, why we am here, and why, is that correct?” As it spoke, it placed her left, normal hand in my own, its gaze never leaving mine. “Please, squeeze my hand once for 'yes', two for 'no'.”
It took me a bit of effort, but I squeezed that hand once, thankful that it seemed to understand the struggles that I had with talking.
“We am the one you call 'Death'. We are here in wait of your departure, to collect your soul from your living shell when it expires and keep it safe till your fate is decided.”
I froze. Death was there? So it was my time already? Yet I could still feel my lungs being jabbed by the cold, sterilized air I was breathing in and the beeping of the machine next to me, so it couldn't be true, right? An answer came immediately, as if it was expecting it. “You have yet to die, but the shell your soul reside will not last for much longer.” It stated. “We are here to keep watch upon it and act upon its expiring, collecting your soul when it leaves the broken shell and protecting it till the time comes.”
At those words, I remembered something, one of the reasons for me to consider this being nothing but a creation of my mind. A memory of this being standing where she was before, as two entities bickered about who had the rights to take my soul to their reign. One claimed that I was a sinner and I deserved eternal punishment as the other fought for the opposite – both yelling their motivation and insults to the other without caring about how it was affecting me and my aching head up until the entity finally acted, revealing a black and a white angelic wings and declaring that 'It was neither the time or place for such discussions' and that they had to leave till a decision was made. I've yet to know if it did it for me or if it just grew irritated of those two, but I was grateful to her for shutting them up.
As I was recollecting those memories, it continued to speak. “We come when one's shell is about to expire, and only those can see us.” One by one, it answered the questions I had, as if it was reciting a script they rehearsed over and over again. “We are not able to take you away with us 'till said shell expires, or till we have permission.”
“So, we ask of you : do you wish to abandon this plagued shell, or do you wish to live in it till it can no longer sustain your soul?”
I had a choice, now. To leave that body and die, or remain in it and suffer until my natural end. In both cases, there was no escape from it. “Refuse, and we shall remain here till the time comes. We cannot say whenever or not during this time you'll be cured of your affliction, as we have no way to see in the future.” she continued, noticing my doubts and my confusion while showing a side I never expected a being like this to have.
When you think of death, you think about something inevitable. Be it for old age, illness like me, incidents...it was something that would one day reach anyone of us, and already reached my family in the past thanks to this cursed plague.
Yet, many people always saw their death as a fated 'ending', something they could not change or fight against; if fate said you would die of something, you would – death would make sure of it.
And yet, here I was, with the embodiment of it giving me options. Granted, they weren't much, but it implied that death itself didn't decide how or when one would die, but rather simply watched over their souls, collecting them once their...shell expired, in the words of death itself.
“We are not harbinger of pain and misery.” It spoke, either proving that it was reading my mind or that such questions were so common it could predict when one was about to ask them. “We simply perform our duty, watching over every living being until they cease to be so. We find no enjoyment on one expiring, no pleasure in taking souls. We have a duty, and we perform it.”
I listened carefully while evaluating my options. I could let it all go, as there was nothing for me anymore. Family? Even if any of them were still alive, they would never be able to visit me. Love? I had someone who I wanted to finally confess to, but it was too late. I didn't had any pet either, nothing that the illness didn't take away. Could my body however be of any use? How many others were there and how many were being used as test subjects for possible vaccines?
“We cannot answer.” They spoke when acknowledging my silent questions. “We are everywhere one's expiration is imminent, but each expiration is different and personal. We cannot comment or speak about others to who we watch over, as it would be meddling with the affairs of the living world.” Something I expected, but was still worth a shot.
“However, we can say one thing.” She continued, bringing her skeletal hand onto her chest. “Death is both an end and a new beginning. Whichever direction your soul will be taken, it will eventually return to this world, in an neverending cycle, as dictated by Them.”
Them? I wanted to ask, but it shock their head, silently telling me they couldn't answer that either.
“You have been in this cycle for seventy-three times, with your soul being accepted into what you call 'heavens' a total fifty-two times, and to what you call hell for twenty-one times. Upon reaching your hundred cycle, you shall be able to choose a different path.”
Seventy-three times? So this being...well, of course it knew such things. Why would I be surprised? Thought, hearing of a 'different' path confused me – wasn't the cycle eternal? My questions certainly seemed to be, much like the patience of the one holding my hand, which explained what it meant after a small pause to let me rest. “Such path will allow you to break the cycle, to become either an 'angel' or 'devil', depending on how many times your soul was brought to the 'heavens' or 'hell'. Be wary, however, that we're simply using words you can understand, which do not fully describe what either is.
A soul who was 'good' will be brought to a kingdom of light where it can rest.
A soul who was 'bad' will be brought to a kingdom of darkness where it shall atone through punishment until it can access the realm of light.
A soul deemed 'unforgivable', 'corrupted' or 'lost', however, shall be crushed and removed from any cycle.”
My confusion didn't grow any thinner. So, heaven and hell were real, but neither was as we thought? Yet they sounded so similar...and what would an unforgivable soul even be? One which committed deeds so gruesome that they couldn't be atoned for? What classified as that? These questions got no answer as it quickly moved onto something else, yet another pact.
“...Some souls, however, decide not to join either. Some decide to live in limbo, where we live. They decide to join us in our duty, learning how to protect souls. For we are not one, but a collective. We are many, but act as one. We help the dying, and save their soul from becoming lost into this world and become what you people call 'ghost' and we call 'corrupted'.
To describe us, a soul once called us 'Legion'. For we are one, yet many. We work as one, yet we are many.”
If I had the ability to speak, I would be unable to do so now. It was a lot of info all at once, yet the more she spoke, the more I felt like I knew these things already, and everything made sense.
I knew these things already, because she told them to me for seventy-three times. Because I've been given birth seventy-four times and died seventy-three of them. And I would hear it once more till the cycle was broken, till I lived, and died, and lived, and died.
“...Your hour is approaching. Your shell is about to collapse. We gave you an option, but your body took it away.” As she spoke, I noticed how the beeping of the machine changed into a constant noise. How my body couldn't move, and everything felt limp. My eyes were open, but I didn't blink. I didn't breathe.
I was dead.
It took me a few minutes to accept it, but as the doctors that already visited me entered the room in a hurry, as they began to do their best to revive me, I accepted it. And even with such agitation around me, the word of the one holding my hand was all I could hear.
“...We shall give you a different choice.” It spoke once more, her skeletic hand moving with the other to hold my hand.
“Do you wish to continue the cycle? Or do you wish to join us?” A clear question, as devoid of any emotion as its voice has been until now, continuing the same script of before. Memories of my past lives flooded onto my mind, everything I did coming back to me. And there we were, once more, with me about to decide what to do.
I thought about it in silence for a while. Thought about the being holding my hand. Thought about what the future might hold. And then, I decided.
“I want to join you.” I knew that I was thinking about doing so at least since ten lives ago. Yet even now I couldn't tell if I desire such thing to break the cycle, to not experience pain again or simply to stand to the side of this being that for so many times it helped me pass over the next cycle, holding my hand, telling me my options, being there as I 'expired'.
“...Very well.” It spoke, its skeletal hand placing itself onto my chest and---
Holding a sparkling sphere in its hands, the being closed its eyes, as its body released the disguised it had. A snake like tail replaced its lower torso, the tail a good three meters of length. Its clothes disappeared, revealing a featureless body that couldn't be associated to neither concept of male or female that humans had. Long blonde hair grew till its hips, while wings, one black and one white, grew on its back.
It still held the soul of the human between its hand, as it let out a long sigh. “You have decided to become part of us. By Their rule, you shall became my disciple. You will learn how we act, how we live, how we work. You shall be reborn as part of us, and shall protect the souls through their cycle.”
With such words, it disappeared, leaving the doctors to their futile attempts to revive something that couldn't be. Something that didn't simply accept death, but that became part of it.
This is a blog about an OC and his world I’ve decided to expand mostly for desire to both practice my writing and test my ability at playing both an OC and a villain at that.
Overtime I’ll add more stuff, expanding the world, characters in it and it’s overall lore, both through my own, answering asks from people and roleplaying one of the main characters - the villain known as Libitus.
It is my first time to do something on this scale and, honestly, I don’t know how well I can do it. But I’ll try my best and invite whoever feels like it to send inquires they might find interesting; I might not answer them right away as I want to give exhaustive answers so I’ll need time but I can promise to do my best.
Feel free to ask me to tag specific things if needed.
Please tag posts directed to me with ‘Aboredoverlord’
Roleplaying rules
I will RP kind of strong/nsfw theme, sexual or non-sexual, BUT only if :
- Both parties consented to it
- Both parties are of adult age
- There is an actual reason for the situation to happen in the first place.
Any nsfw post will be properly tagged and put under a spoiler. If I forget to, warn me.
Crossovers are not only welcomed but encouraged.
Do not rush for replies everyday BUT a reminder every few days is alright.
Ask/Submit rules
Feel always free to send questions about the characters or the world.
