31 A light at the end?

"Those monsters killed all those civilians, just to summon a god? How did they even get the idea?" Katrine is shocked. 

Angrod is still staring at the screen with a grim expression, his drone is flying a circle around the city, to get a view from all angles. 

Now that I look at the circle, it looks familiar. "Somewhere, I have seen that circle before. If I could remember where?" 

Angrod leans back on his chair. "It's the same circle, the council used to summon us, when we became gods." 

"It's a summoning circle? I thought they gave us our divinity through it?" I don't get it? 

Angrod smiles. "They never -gave- us our divinity. We became gods on our own. Everyone becomes a god, on the condition that his soul reaches the required strength. They were lying to hold their control over us." 

"How do you know that?" I ask. 

Angrod snorts and starts at the beginning. "When they summoned me and -made- me a god, I already had done quite a bit of research on souls and gods. That circle is nothing more, than a summoning formation. I admit, it is a powerful device, but except for a change in location and a beautiful light show, combined with a dizzy feeling, you get nothing from it. 

The Council just does this to convince the new born gods, that they have some kind of control over them. I guess it keeps the trouble away, if such a belief exists. 

But they didn't fool me with this. Most of the runes on this circle are just for show and to make it look like a really complicated thing." 

"Why didn't you tell anyone!?" I get even less now. The Council doesn't have any power over our divinity? They just let people assume that they gave it to them? To get control over them? 

"Mwahaha! I was lucky to think three steps ahead, before blurting out my knowledge to the world. Don't you think this secret is quite a powerful tool of control? What would they do if someone ran around and told everyone of the biggest lie in the whole multiverse. 

Wouldn't quite a few gods decide that it is not necessary to follow the Councils words like dogs? Wouldn't someone, who knew that secret, be silenced at any cost? 

So I kept my mouth shut. I played the scientific idiot, who is much more interested in their city than in the circle under his feet. And then I said "yes and amen" to everything they asked of me." 

I think about it for a few seconds. "I guess you could be right. There are some who are very unhappy with the Council. That still doesn't explain where the Meltheim's got the knowledge of that circle?" 

"Don't know." Angrod shrugs his shoulders. 

"Could you two speak our language and try to explain what the Council is?" Katrine asks.

"Nothing to worry about, just the gods of all gods, the rulers of the universe. No big deal at all." Angrod proclaims in a happy voice. 

"What about Seria? Can she help us?" Arthur asks. 

"Nope, sorry to inform you, but Seria is also just one of their employees." Angrod smiles at them. 

"So the Meltheims got their hands on some really powerful spell, which is connected to the rulers of the universe? Why am I even trying to save my world, if the rulers of the fucking universe are on their side." -Arthur 

"Because if you don't keep trying from the beginning. You will never achieve anything. We don't know much yet, but we know for sure that we should interrupt that summoning!" I try to encourage my dad again. 

"At least the time seems to be on our side. To power a magic like that, you need huge amounts of mana. Those maniacs would need to sacrifice a whole world to run it at full speed. At this rate it will take years until the spell is done." Angrod explains. 

"Then we have time to take over the north and deal with the City of Seria later?" -Arthur

"Maybe." Angrod doesn't sound so sure. 

I am still a bit shocked. If Angrod's observation is true. Then there is much more at stake here. What reason could the Council have to enter this world in such a roundabout manner? A god should be able to walk where he wants. 

"Unless Seria somehow managed to shut them out? And now they want to take a look at this world?" I am talking to myself. 

"You can't hinder a god from walking where he wants. As long as there is a path, you can reach every world. But it doesn't matter, we will stop this madness and then we are done with it." -Angrod 

"In any case, I am off now to coordinate our actions with my generals. Inform me if you find something with those nice spy-devices of yours." Arthur turns around and walks off. 

"Take the screen with you. Your generals and you will need it and I can just go and get another one from my lab." Angrod waves at the big screen which is about one meter long and a half meter high. 

Arthur nods and grabs the whole thing. Then he leaves with Katrine. I stay back with Ireth, but she is still out of it and silently crying. Angrod is holding her hand. 

"I don't like it. We don't know what's going on. Do you have any idea?" I ask the stupid hermit. 

"We can only wait until the army has taken control of the north. It should be no problem, even though I failed in the City of Seria, the rest of their command structure should be in utter chaos. 

Arthur just has to walk through them and take over. Then we can deal with the City of Seria and its stupid shield. Though I am not sure how we can deal with it." Angrod explains slowly while thinking over something. 

"What could be the problem? If they have just one city left and we have enough time, we can crack the shield and deal with them." I ask him. 

"I don't know how many people they sacrificed for that shield. What if they used a sizeable amount? We could have troubles to bring it down." He stares at his small computer and keeps silent. 

I hug him. He may be an uncaring idiot with a cold heart. But at least he gets angry for those close to him. "Hahaha, we will get through this, don't you remember! Seria said that we will lead the world towards a better future! If we are together, nothing can stop us!" I proclaim proud and he smiles weakly. 

We just sit there for the rest of the night, while Ireth fell asleep on the couch. Angrod keeps working on his computer, so I stand up to get a blanket for Ireth and something to drink. 

After I got a blanket from my bedroom, I make my way towards the kitchen. But when I turn around the corner I bump into a person, who rushed along the hallway. 

"Celes, where is Arthur?" Nicosar stands before me, though a little dusty, he is alive! 

"N.. Nicosar! We thought you were dead!" I run up to him and hug him. I can still get my revenge! Oh, thanks! I can still pay him back for all those months of torture. "Where is Nicol?" 

Nicosar shakes his head. "I got blown a few kilometres through the air. After I regenerated, I had to walk back by foot to the next place with someone who could teleport me back. I fear Nicol hasn't made it. It was... a rather big explosion..." 

"A... Anyway. You have to take care of Ireth. She is pretty down since we got the news of the attack. Arthur is already coordinating everything." I take him by the hand and lead him back to the living room. 

As we arrive there, Angrod smiles an evil smile. "I am so glad you made it. Though I had already feared that thing got you, after you didn't show up for so long." 

At the noise Ireth wakes up and sees Nicosar. She jumps up and hugs him. "Father! I am so glad. What …. " 

"I am sorry." Nicosar whispers and hugs her in turn. "But you have to be strong, you are the queen of a country. We can't just lay down our responsibilities because we lost someone dear to us. We have to stand up and work for a future in which those things won't happen." 

Ireth nods and Nicosar takes her by the hand. "Then we should go and help Arthur and Katrine." 

Together they leave to join Arthur and Ireth.

"And what will you do now?" I ask Angrod. "I will go to sleep, I am tired. I have the body of a child after all." He answers. 

A chance! Tonight I will get off another point on my list!