Chapter 7

'Hmm, I do wonder what kinds of combinations that amethyst magic and enchantment magic can produce. But it does beg the question of why my Quality merged with that of the soul previously inhabiting this body.' Erica contemplated.

"Hey Marion?" Erica thought of something. "Yes?" The girl turned to Erica. "You seem to know quite a bit about the fallen. Why is that?" Erica asked curiously. "Oh! I'm part of a research group in the nearby city. We study things that are troubling the city and region to help by finding solutions." She said happily.

"I see. What's this big city's name?" She wondered whether or not she would know this city. It had apparently been quite a long time since she had died, the city's and landscaped has definitely changed. "It's called Baylan. (Bay-la-n)" She answered. "Oh!" Erica was surprised. She actually remember that name!

"Baylan is the biggest city in the south of the empire no?" She asked. "Haha, It used to be. But recently Jerionn has surpassed us in size and population." Marion said with a sigh, it appeared that she took quite a bit of pride in her city. "Huh, I don't remember that one." 

"That makes sense. Jerionn was only constructed about a century ago." Marion said, while looking at something in front of her that Erica couldn't see. 'So the display is unseen by anyone but yourself hm?'

"I see. Actually I've been wondering. Do you happen to know how long ago your ancestor received that mirror from me?" Erica wanted to know just how long it had been since her death. "Hm, she should have recieved it about...." Marion got up and grabbed a small stack of papers. She flipped through them for a moment before setting them down and looking back to Erica. "About 3000 years ago?" With those words Erica's Eyes opened wide.

'3000??' She was shocked. She had expected it to be a few centuries at most, but 3000? absurd. 'That's longer than even a dragon's lifespan...' She thought back to Ymir. Last she'd seen Ymir she unleashed her aura in anger before stomping out, it was not how she would have liked to say goodbye. 'That's... Depressing.' It was all she could say about it. 'Well, there's the possibility she turned herself into an undead' Erica mused. It was a possibilty sure, but with Ymir's hatred of the undead Erica doubted it.

However for the nth time today Marion snapped Erica out of her thoughts. "So what do you plan to do?" She asked. It was a question that Erica was asking herself too. "You've basically been given a second chance at life. Be awful to waste it." Marion said absentmindedly.

'True. To waste a second life... Yeah that would be bad indeed.' She thought. 'But what could I do to not waste this chance I've been given?' She didn't know. She didn't have a goal in her first life. The most she did was get stronger because it was fun. 'Would just having fun and enjoying my life be wasteful? Do I NEED to do something bigger than myself?' However, something confused Erica. 'Wait, where did the thoughts of something bigger than myself come from? How can something be more important than my enjoyment of life? I'm a God for fucks sake, or at least I was.'

"That's... A good question. One I don't have the answer too." Erica said after retreating from her arrogant thoughts. "I think... I think I need time to think on it." She said after a few moments. "Fair enough.You know, you aren't like most of the Fallen I've met." Marion replied to her, a smile on her face. "How so?"

"Well, there's lost of reasons. I mean, most of them already had goals and ambitions. They wanted to do something. Yet you say you don't know. It's interesting really..." Marion said while gazing at Erica, falling into deep thought.

"I see... Well, I'll probably find something I want to do eventually. But for now, I think my first step should be to build my strength." Erica said. She had valid reasons for those thoughts too. Nothing could be done without strength, and with strength anything could be done. If she truly did find some kind of goal in life, she would need strength to achieve it. "I should probably go to the city to get myself situated and used to interacting with people again. I kind of cut myself off form the world after the rebellion." She sighed.

"That's perfect actually, before you appeared I was actually just about to head to the city for work." Marion smiled. That smile provoked a thought in Erica. "You're a strange one you know? You were fearful of me just moments ago, but now you interact as if we are good friends. I'm not complaining though, it's a good change of pace from hoe most mortals interact with me."

"ah..." Marion froze, but after a moment or two she smiled widely. "Well, you aren't really how I imagined a God to be. I imagined most of them to be arrogant and prideful who would never tolerate a mortal talking to them rudely. But after we interacted for a little while I realized that you weren't like that at all." She said honestly. 

"Well, I wouldn't say that I am not like that at all..." Erica smiled. "I'm hella arrogant" She chuckled and stuck out her tongue at Marion, making the girl laugh loudly. "What??? It's true." Erica crossed her arms in mock anger, but it only made Marion laugh harder.

Marion sat up still clutching her stomach from laughing, and wiping away tears. "You, are really really not how I imagined the Gods to be." She said joyfully. Marion didn't usually laugh like this, or smile much, but this strange God seemed to be able to make her smile constantly. The sentiment was share too. Erica was never the smiley or silly type, but making this girl laugh made her happy. Perhaps it was the Affinity between them, or perhaps they were just instant friends, who knew really.

"Well, I get that a lot actually. God's are always depicted as these Perfect beings with no flaws and infinite strength in stories and such. But we are just people. We're strong, really strong actually, but at the end of the day we still smile, cry, get angry, and fall in love. We're people, just like you." Erica smiled, she enjoyed teaching about her kin. She thought of it as one of the ways to keep her people alive even in the grave. "But that doesn't matter. You said you were heading to the city for work, no? If that's the case we should probably hurry. Patching me up and talking probably took a solid two hours. So you're definitely late." Erica said, getting up off of the bed that she sat upon.

"OH!" Marion opened her eyes wide "Oh shit!" She swore. She had been to distracted and completely forgot about work! "Emily is going to kill me!" She said, hurrying to another room for a few moments before coming back in a different outfit. She was now in a thin black robe with roman style sandals of the same color. "Come! we should hurry!" Marion almost yelled to Erica.

Erica, without a word simply got up and began to follow Marion outside the small wooden cottage. And so the two walked together and chatted. This was where Erica's journey truly began.