A Fool to the Worlds

Klein awoke. A strange window had appeared before him. A window with a strange hint of the Door pathway. He had done it, he had overcome Celestial Worthy's will. He was weak, despite the long rest. The mental fight had taken a toll. 

Klein though to himself as he heard the familiar words and prayers. 

"The fool that doesn't belong to this era. The mysterious ruler above the grey fog. The king of yellow and black who wields good luck." 

Klein smiled and felt relieved. The prayers and numerous voices of people could be heard. But if he focused on the Tarot club he could hear them. Miss Justice and Mr Hanged Man, the two who had been with him for the longest. He would love to reunite with them, he missed Miss Justice's weekly greetings. The faint voice of "Good Afternoon Mister Fool~" could still be heard despite all the years. But despite the wish to reunite, he was tired. And the numerous parallel worlds that seemed to exist seemed like he could have a fresh start for a break. It was true, he wanted respite. To take a break, the final gambit with Amon had perhaps been the most stressful moment of his life. 

It would only be a bit longer. He would fool the Tarot Club into thinking he was still asleep for a while longer. 

He looked at the seemingly empty cosmos one more time as if giving a warning to the outer gods there. If anything happened, they'd be in for a fate worse than death.

~~~~

//Age of Gods//

Gilgamesh even as a child had always been curious about himself. He was the one chosen to guide humanity. A unique existence separate from both man and the gods. But this one time, something felt off. It was only for a moment, but he could distinctively feel that the gods were scared. Scared of something. Something that even he couldn't make out. The gods were silent. No longer did they casually walk the earth. Something was scaring them to the point they wouldn't risk showing themselves. Gilgamesh continued to feel something amiss for the next few weeks until everything gradually returned to normal. 

At least, until some migrants came to visit Uruk in order to live a better life. Gilgamesh was strangely curious. Normally, a migrant group would only arrive half intact with all the demonic beasts roaming around the outskirts and unpopulated lands. Yet here they were, all perfectly fine. Something was off. Combined with the fear struck gods a few weeks ago. This was all strange. 

Gilgamesh walked up to the leader of the group. Immediately respect was given "Greetings, young prince Gilgamesh." Gilgamesh smiled before asking "Hey Mister, how did you all get here in one piece?" The man visibly bloomed and smiled. 

"Praise the Fool, he was the one who gave us safe travels." Gilgamesh was visibly stunned "A fool?" The leader nodded "It was around the start of our journey when we were in trouble due to the bad weather and harsh conditions. A broken small tablet was found by one of the children. It had a drawing of what looked like a jester, the god that we pray to. On the back was the prayer we assumed to be directed at the Fool. Gilgamesh listened intently before putting the pieces together. 

It was most likely that this Fool, was the one who had struck fear into the gods. Gilgamesh stared at the inscription that was on the clay tablet that they carried with great care.

"The fool that doesn't belong to this era. The mysterious ruler above the grey fog. The king of yellow and black who wields good luck." Gilgamesh memorised this so called prayer before continuing on with his day as the migrants settled in. 

High above in the ziggurat. The young prince Gilgamesh, curious by nature recited the prayer. Not to those gods above but to this strange mysterious ruler above the grey fog. His eyes wanted to see the existence that could elude from his eyes and those of the gods. 

Suddenly the surroundings disappeared and all he saw was an endless grey fog. 

~~~~

//Great Britain//

Morgan since learning from the great mage Merlin had always been captured by the mystics. However, one thing had been strange. She noticed that there had always been a strange presence in all mythical legends. In that, she had to find it. Morgan wanted to do everything she wanted before she would be married off for some political marriage. It made her feel like an object. A valueless object. 

She spent many days and nights lacking sleep in order to find this strange presence. She had no need for further magical studies at this point. Merlin had taught her more than she could ever imagine. But this was knowledge related to the past in the age of gods. She continued to read book after book. Pieces were beginning to form about this figure named The Fool. A figure similar to number 0 on tarot cards. Or maybe the tarot cards were built around this Fool. 

She finally arrived at a small decrepit description. Engraved on the leather of the book and worn out. It was inscribed in ancient babylonian. However, it wouldn't take much for her to figure it out and translate it. 

Another few days went by as the day she was going to be shipped off as a political marriage to King Lot. She made a vow that she must see for herself about this mysticism present in history. 

Morgan smiled a genuine smile in a long time. She had managed to recover a prayer or rather a formal ritual directed at an honorary name of some deity. The fact that it still held lingering traces of mysticism within the words of the prayer and even had instruction on a ritual of unknown purpose. Although this ritual was quite strange. With the most important items being staple foods in four corners. 

Morgan mused, this would seem in line with a deity named The Fool. A strange ritual indeed. Without thinking much, the potential possibility of meeting or even hearing the presence of a deity was a no brainer. Better to meet a god and die before being shipped of like a mating mule for some random king who she had no decision over. 

Morgan began to recite as she imbued her mana into her voice. 

"The fool that doesn't belong to this era. The mysterious ruler above the grey fog. The king of yellow and black who wields good luck. I pray for your attention. I pray for you to listen."

Morgan waited to see if anything would happen before adding on a funny quip hoping it'd align with The Fool having a more joking ritual "Maybe help me get out of my political marriage?" 

Nothing happened, Morgan sighed before she stood up and got ready for the next few days to be wed and packaged like a breeding mule to some random king she didn't know. As she opened the door to head to the dining hall. What greeted her wasn't the hallway she knew. She turned around as all surroundings had disappeared. The door she came from was gone as well. All that greeted her was an endless grey swirling fog. 

Strangely, she didn't just feel fear, but rather a sense of excitement as well. There was a deity that could conceal himself from the deterioration of the Age of Gods and was not affected at all.

~~~~

Among the swirling grey fog was a long table surrounded by magnificent pillars and at the seat of honor was a concealed figure wearing strange gloves and sporting a cane. Klein opened his mouth to speak as he remembered back to the very first Tarot Club meeting. 

"You can address me as The Fool."