17 The Provisional Throne

Walking to the edge of the ship, I drop five bodies over the rail.

'The last four didn't have any lacerations, so I can save them for emergency meals.'

"Status"

Name: Eira Callista

Gender: Female

Race: Vampire {Pseudo True God}

Level: 2 (0/25)

Health: 320/320

Mana: 121/130

Strength: 16

Endurance: 16

Agility: 18

Intellect: 13

Constitution: 32

Talents: Paranormal

Skills: Intermediate Blood Magic; Novice Scythe

Titles: Heir of Blood

Essence: 110

'Finally, have enough.'

While making my way back to my room, I start to consider future likelihoods. There are now sixteen fewer people aboard the ship. These people have no records of having left the ship, and their rooms are currently sitting unused. It is likely someone will soon notice something strange is going on.

'I'll need to start thinking about what I will do when I'm found out.'

Opening and entering the room, I kick off my shoes and fall face-first on the couch.

**Sigh**

'But for now, I should activate the Provisional Throne.'

I close my eyes and focus my mind. A moment later, I feel a cold surface pressed against my face. Lifting myself up and opening my eyes, I find myself back on the obsidian platform, where the inheritance ceremony took place.

'Back in my god space. Pretty much the same as I remember it.'

"System, how do I go about activating the Provisional Throne?"

[Host, to activate the Provisional Throne, visualize a throne worthy of the Goddess of Blood and force the essence into the desired mold.]

"How do I force the essence into the desired mold?"

[System asks the host to explore this yourself.]

"Of course you do! ...Anyways, system this seems like something that would take more than a hundred essence."

[The system has deemed this important enough to the Hosts development that the system will supplement the Hosts essence reserves.]

Giving up on asking the system anymore questions, I begin to run through the basics of what I know about a god space. A god space is similar to an extension of the god's power and self. In this case, this god space would be an extension of my power and self. Unfortunately, my power and self aren't that great right now. That's why I need to use essence as a supplement to make a Provisional Throne. A throne is the center of a god space where the god would control their god space.

Additionally, a god space is where the souls of the gods worshippers end up upon their death. The god can then either reincarnate or allow the soul to merge into the god space effectively becoming apart of the gods power and self. The first usually results in the new life losing all their memories; however, the goal is to place them in a position to help the god or their followers. The second is a more direct way to expand the gods power, but the soul will disappear.

'Maybe if I visualize the throne and then force the essence to merge into the god space similar to a soul? But the process of a soul merging is usually very slow...seems like I'm just going to have to try.'

I sit with my legs crossed and begin to focus. Hours pass while I sit, I continue trying to feel something within myself or my god space.

Eventually, I feel a small pocket of energy that seems to be concentrated toward the center of my brain. It's difficult to describe, but when I concentrate on it, it feels like a small, confined electric current.

'Is this where the system bound itself? Maybe, this is also where the essence is stored?'

Envisioning the throne in my mind, I concentrate on the energy and attempt to force it to take shape. The platform begins to shake violently, and my psyche becomes heavy. My skin begins to flash with red electricity. Rather than pain, the red sparks seem to caress my body with great care. Acting on instinct, I push the electricity into the obsidian floor, causing the red sparks to spread across the platform.

The small platform seems to expand slightly while the pentagram lights up, and the alters lower themselves into the floor.

[-5 Essence]

'Oops, it's going toward the wrong things.'

Trying again, I start attempting to condense the sparks into the shape of the throne. The entire floor again glows bright red as the sparks seemingly refuse to condense.

However, I do my best to continue pushing myself. My psyche again becomes much heavier. It begins to feel like someone is trying to rip my head open. I can feel blood running out of my eyes and ears as I continue to try to concentrate.

For a while, the situation goes unchanged, but finally, I notice a difference. The sparks start to concentrate on one area, building upon one another.

Through my blurry vision, what I see beginning to take shape is a high backed throne on an elevated platform overlooking the room. A set of stairs leads up to the platform and throne. Like the ground, both also seem to be made of obsidian.

Along the armrests of the throne runs red lines that are putting off a faint glow. They run up the sides of the throne, and gradually coverage, forming words and designs that correspond with the ancient blood language. This is a throne I found buried within my inherited memories. Presumably, this would have been similar to the throne of my predecessor.

[-100 Essence]

[Ding!]

[Side Task: The Provisional Throne - Complete]

Exhausted, I slowly rise to my feet and stumble toward the throne. Step by step, I walk up the stairs to the throne. With the swaying of my steps, the accumulated blood drips from my chin and stains the floor.

As I approach, the throne begins to glow brighter as if anticipating the return of its master. Seeing this something in my inherited memories causes a tremendous sense of nostalgia to overtake me. I can't help but start grinning.

Lovingly I place my hand on the armrest, and the red sparks again cover my body. Moving to take my place, the light becomes blinding. On the high back of the throne, a shining symbol is being carved into the black surface. This symbol takes the shape of a bloody moon, and from the moon, a single drop of blood drips into a goblet. This is the symbol of the Goddess of Blood.

Suddenly a deafening noise assaults my already bloody ears. Turning my head, I see a tear appearing in the sky as if something is pushing its way through the very fabric of space. Countless red lights shine dazzlingly through the cracks in space. Seeing this spectacle, nostalgia once again overwhelms me as I begin to laugh uncontrollably.

If someone were watching this scene right now, they would find a small pale girl with bloody tears and glowing red eyes giggling madly as a bright blood moon appears from the void.

_____________________________

~The Next Night~

"Eden, did you finish all your cleaning duties for the night?"

Looking toward my supervisor, I respond, "Yes, I did. May I have tonight off, as we discussed a few days ago?"

"If you've finished cleaning what I asked, then sure. You're young it's good for you to take a little time to yourself."

I give my supervisor a small bow and walk to the kitchen.

'Tonight is the night Eira said I should do that ritual. Am I a gullible idiot for going through with it?'

Entering the kitchen, I take one of the wine glasses and turn to leave.

"What is it your planning to do with that young lady?"

Surprised by the sudden noise, I flinch and turn my head toward the source of the sound.

"Oh. Hey, Uncle Phil. It's not what you think. It's not for drinking anything."

Uncle Phil give me a doubtful look, "Oh is that right. What's it for then?"

"... a mysterious little girl who I'm pretty sure isn't human told me I would need this to perform a ritual to meet a goddess. Also, she could summon food using a magical ring."

Uncle Phil gives me a blank stare and rolls his eyes.

"Listen you aren't old enough to be drinking, but if you're going to drink just do it responsibly. Don't drink too much and make sure you're not alone with any guys when you do it."

"Yes, Uncle Phil. I'll be careful."

"Good, now go before someone else catches you. Oh and smile a little will ya?"

Having finished what he wanted to say, Uncle Phil enters the walk-in freezer, and I leave for my room.

Entering my tiny room I look at the clock.

'Still, have another ten minutes before it's midnight.'

Letting my golden hair down I sit on the ground and begin preparing for what Eira told me to do.

**Sigh**

'I'm going to feel like a fool after I do this.'

Using a knife I prick my thumb. On the tile floor, I draw a circle in blood. According to Eira this is the blood moon and represents the Goddess. Next, I draw a line running from the moon to the wine glass; this represents the blood given by the Goddess to the original tribes. Last, I add a few drops of blood to the wine glass, pray, and say the words Eira told me.

"Under the great blood moon sits the Goddess on the throne up high. The Goddess, the originator of life, has always been and always will be. As the Goddess gave us her blood I return my own. Under the throne up high, I Eden Groth pray to the one True God, The Goddess of Blood."

I watch as the blood within the wine glass begins to sizzle as if boiling. Suddenly, my consciousness becomes hazy and my vision fades.