Of Ice, Death & Monsters

Chapter 118 : And Are Reborn Anew

I woke up on a soft, queen-sized bed in the middle of a heavily decorated room. It had large carvings along the wall, almost as if to mimic paintings, statues of… Myself were lying across either side of the bedroom, and I could smell some sort of incense burning in the background.

I rubbed my head. My last memory was that of the ritual I performed with myself and…Ah, the Caretaker. It reminded me a bit of when Tianna entered my mind. I felt myself slipping away, but this time I accepted it. So what was so different now? What happened? Where am I? How long was I out?

Then, the door opened up. Instinctively, I got up, claws at the ready as I stared at the visitor, which to my surprise was… Mokosh.

Her hair was now a bright and vibrant green, and she finally had a semblance of proper clothes on her. Well, as many proper clothes as one can call a robe made of what I’m assuming is linen and cotton. I could almost think she was simply another woman if not for the fact that I could sense her divinity, and how her skin appeared to be embedded with rocks.

In fact, I could actually feel divinity throughout the air that felt quite different from hers. Some felt like the radiant sun, some felt like static, and some even felt like the wind. All different sources of life and spirits running through.

“Greetings, oh Chosen of the Caretaker. It’s wonderful that after all you’ve done, that you’ve finally returned to us after you became one with the Caretaker.”

I rubbed my eyes, yes, I tried to summon her through me, then everything went black. Was that what that was? 

“Thank you for your concern, but I shall ask, what exactly became of me? What happened? Where are we? Have we returned to your city?”

Mokosh simply smiled and gestured for me to rise. “No, we are in the City of Arsen that you have helped build. Or rather, that you built when you assumed the form of the Caretaker.”

I climbed out of bed, curious to see what she meant. There were some studies on this, all the way back, not from Balthalem but mostly from Caniel. The natives there would assume the forms of their gods for battle, although at various degrees of power depending on their faith and what they called “Mana”.

Mokosh walked out of the room and into a hallway. I followed her in and found it was structured somewhat akin to the hallways found back in Phorash, a mix between compact and sleek, with the seemingly sanded down wooden floor tiles and the smooth stone walls where many more statues were found, each one situating a different god or goddess.

“You helped clear away the winter, and the monsters as well, making way for me and some of my people to finally emerge back to Jawia. For this, you have my thanks and favor. Now, after a thousand years, we are finally able to return to our home, and I can summon my family once more to bring peace and justice.”

She went to the balcony, and I followed suit. My eyes widened in wonder as the both of us stood by one of the tallest buildings in the city, overlooking so much of it in its glory. The once mangled streets were now paved. The many buildings that collapsed into rubble were rebuilt. 

For miles and miles, the wreckage that once littered this city had been seemingly cleaned up. However, there only seemed to be a few thousand people roaming around. They were Gornyedi and some of the explorers I saw before, whose skin also became more rock-like. 

However, following my spiritual sense, I turned right towards the once temple I was in when I gave myself up. I found it also rebuilt, and more importantly, that there were several hundred people there, chanting and praying together. 

“Are they-“

“They are going to summon the manifestations of the gods, such as I. You may help them if you wish, or you could simply rest. You have done much within the flow of the moon.”

I smiled and shook my head. “There was no need for rest. That whore out there, the one who heralds the Harbinger of Destruction, she has grown strong. She has defeated some sort of monster known as the Skiper ,and I need to put her down. I also need to find Peter Sai before she does as well.”

Mokosh’s eyes widened as I spoke the Name: Skiper. “She managed to defeat that vile serpent? Then already she has grown far too powerful. The ritual must be completed as soon as we can so that we can put a stop to her.”

Once more, I laughed and shook my head. “There is no we here. I must be the one to end her. You all may spread your powers across your land, but I have to make sure that she herself is stopped. It is my Destiny, my Fate.”

“She is a danger to all of us, oh Chosen of the Caretaker. Not simply for you.”

I scoffed at that. “She is not a mere danger to me. I simply wish for her to die by my hands. I should be the one to rid this land of their kind. Ephitet brought her here, and much like a zoo keeper, I must deal with the wild animals I have released into this zone.”

For a moment, we stared at each other, her eyes piercing deep into mine before she sighed. “You are like a tree that has grown around a pole. You wrap yourself in such an obsession… But alas, I have to respect it. However, you would have to get the others to agree, and they are as lenient as I am.”

“Then I shall help ensure that they will have no other choice but to allow me. Bring me to the ritual site and I shall help in their manifesting.”

A small smile grew on her face as she nodded. “It would be my pleasure.” She took my hand, and a large bridge of earth grew up towards us. We stepped on it and used the Earth's bridge as a platform that led us to the church.

It was completely rebuilt, from the nonexistent ashes of the last church, now there were pillars of stone, perfectly cut stained glass windows, and I even noticed there was a glass window with me in it, right under the one with the man that held an axe and a bolt of lightning. I was in my wedding dress, floating in the clouds with life flourishing all around me.

Beneath that was even a statue of me. I wonder if I made that? Or rather, if the Caretaker did, or perhaps it was Mokosh or any of the other folks. Either way, it was very flattering for me, and I loved it, so I shall not mind it either way. 

The people here were also a surprise, most of them were Gornyed,i yes, but I saw plenty of other humans too, most of them had… The same type of robe as the Descendents did, which gave me a bad taste, but I noticed their souls were very much different. They were also wearing extensive tattoos that depicted the gods upon their skin.

Ah, I remember now. Some of the people I saved looked like this. They kept on saying how the gods finally answered their requests and sacrifices and how they are finally free to return. They must have been the followers during and before the war. It would make sense that they would return here.

All of them were trying their own rituals. They weren’t all simply in one group; many of them were off to the sides, focusing on one god or goddess with their efforts. I saw, actually, many of them dressed up like the gods and goddesses and imitating their poses on the statues.

Right in the center of it all, not crowded by any person or group, was the Fern Flower in a lone garden space. It continued to emanate more souls and life, fueling the surrounding areas with its grace. 

It was time for the age of the gods to come again. It was a time when the masses finally listened to those above them. The rules are to be instated and followed through. We shall have Allies in the divine, and none shall truly stand in our way!

Focusing on myself once again before I realized something.

I turned to the goddess of weaving and asked. “Can I ask of a favor from you? May you please make me a wedding dress akin to the ones on the glass window and tapestries?

“Oh?” She narrowed her eyes as she realized that it was to be used as a focus for my own power. “Of course, in fact, do you wish the clothes you’re wearing would turn into it?”

I looked down, remembering I was still wearing a skintight suit with some cloth over it. I thought about it for a moment before nodding along. A dress made of Angelum, or well, whatever it would be called here. I could make it work, as strange and unrealistic as it could be.

Mokesh simply waved her hand, and the threads in my suit began to reconstruct themselves, even changing color as other threads from the surrounding mixed into my dress as it formed all around me. It grew as white as snow and even included bows.

It only took mere moments, but I was finally all done. I looked as beautiful as I did on my wedding day, and even my ring glimmered in the light of the fires around me. I smiled softly, even laughing a bit as I stared down at my ring. “…My Precious.” I muttered aloud before looking straight back up and hugging Mokosh.

“Thank you once more. And now… Allow me to return the favor.”

The happiest day of my life, walking down that aisle to finally be with the man I loved. I did the same here, only instead of towards Adrian, I walked towards the flower, humming to myself softly as I spoke once more. That domain thing I tried before with Vladimir.

“The night has a thousand eyes.”

“And the day but one.”

“Yet the light of the bright world dies.”

“With the dying sun.”

I connected myself with the flower as I did before, and instead of specifically the Nawia and the Smorodina, I went to connect myself with the statues of all the other gods and goddesses. I channeled them, the flower and myself, a trinity of sorts that mixed together. 

I felt it. I felt them. The gods of this world, their voices began to call out to me. They began to reach me. I was a cellphone picking up a signal, and all I had to do was to hit accept the number. 

The power that I felt with the corpse of the Leshy began to flow through me again, but it felt more… Pure, unadulterated, it felt more specific. It wasn’t just life; it was the spirits that infused them, it was the spirits that helped bring up life.

It was every breath of air, it was every chair, every stroke of lightning. It was the energy and power of everything and anything, and it flowed through me, as a flash of bright light burned into my eyes and…