5: Ancients, and Ancient Regrets

If you get lost on this first bit, don't worry, even I was as my brain was going on its own little escapade with the opening

//\\//\\//\\//

Sighing, I appeared in a void right when I fell asleep, where I came face to face once more with myself. Looking at my look alike, I noticed something different about him. He had a bandage wrapped around his exposed right arm and one of his eyes were bloodshot. Those with screws loose can experience things like this, though probably not like this, given I've always been weird. Yet, I, for some reason, knew this wasn't my usual delusion, this fake me was something else.

"You're not my insanity… are you?"

"Well that's sad, you knew instantly. But you're right Human, I'm not your mental instability."

Chuckling I shook my head, the void around us becoming a bustling ancient but advanced city. A massive and scared Quivern flying above the city as if protecting it. Soldiers and Pals in the streets fighting an opposing army, civilians littered the streets or buildings as corpses. While I just smiled sadly.

"I am The Betrayed Emperor. I once guarded a kingdom of these lands, but I was felled and sealed into the ocean's depths for sealing me within my favorable terrain would be useless. I like you all but drowned, and was sealed into a prison for all eternity as I fell asleep because my strength terrified my enemies. Upon being sealed I have become nothing more than a forgotten memory. Though I'm not the only one sealed, those who were my peers also met unjust fates, even our descendants met such fates."

"Nice history lesson… what the fuck does it got to do with me?"

"Just like The Cheshire said you'd be, that old menace could always get into any creature's head… 'The vindictive witch'…. What it has to do with you, Outsider, is I've entrusted the last of mine and Cheshire's blood to you. The Prophet, even while sealed, helps us maintain a balance, and he was resolute with our descendant becoming a mindless beast of war.

Yet, the witch played a card out of spite, bringing in an Outsider to the Reef. Your Bloodthirsty and Druidism traits compelled you to act, and you changed the fate of a child meant to die. The Prophet was both amused and bemused with your actions that changed her fate. Bemused and wrathful at us for using the priestess to set a bond and permanent alteration in effect."

Hearing the entire rant as my look alike talked, I honestly wasn't surprised. Though being abducted by a cat was a surprise, because that made no sense yet a cat apparently brought me here to spite another Ancient Pal. Which is the cause for the trap of parenthood I was handed. Sighing I just slapped myself, the Pal using my appearance looked at me stupefied before cackling.

"You're definitely Cheshires Outsider! Hahaha, because only one of hers would have the audacity to slap me! Although it would seem she took special care with you due to pity, nostalgia, and spite as a Human shouldn't possess NINE traits, be able to hit me even in here, or have seen her eye as she peered at you during your death. You wouldn't be a Seer by chance, would you?"

I'm fucking lost, and already done with this shit. So I just remained silent, causing myself to grin a bloodthirsty grin as my eyes changed to crystal clear blue eyes with slitted pupils shrinking.

"Oh that's just spiteful to another level, you should've been Prophets Outsider, yet your Cheshires. No wonder the world adores you so, you're an interesting tale between its children and a natural druid."

"Look, I'm usually a good listener, but you've lost me by now. Are you just ranting at me to rant? Is it because you've got nothing better to do than bother me currently? Have you tried masturbation? It works wonders temporarily you know."

I just chuckled before shaking my head, snapping my fingers causing the actual me to fall once more into a void. My voice echoed around me in amusement.

"Times up, your new daughter needs your attention. Till next time Kaiser the Pretender."

\\//\\//\\//\\//

Waking up to being dragged out of bed by a small dragon, I watched in silent amusement as the Quivern dragged me to the beehive. Where I was then forced to sit and have a giant bee woman fuss over my arm and eye, as an artery in my arm apparently busted, and my eye nearly exploded. Combat Palsium exposure according to a help tidbit in the tablet. During the entire thing I had a small furry dragon hissing at me, and I just stared at the little shit. We sorta ended up in a staring contest due to it.

Faintly recalling the talk in my dream, I just grabbed the dragon's cheeks and pulled while pinching them.

"Your ancestor is a lonely asshole, he talks too much. Meanwhile, your other one thankfully seems to have spared me from a different asshole. All because she's a spiteful asshole."

The Quivern just growls at me, so I lift her with a hand and toss her up and down like a ball. The dragon squealed in surprise as I just kept tossing her, wings fluttering as the dragon tried to avoid landing back in my hand. She did manage to glide, only to hit the church walls face first thus making her scratch the walls out of childish revenge. I have to fix those now.

Sighing at that thought, Quivern stilled, turning her head towards me as if sensing my annoyance. I probably had a look as the dragon quickly attempted to fix the walls by shoving stone fragments and dirt into the holes. Outlining the damage with blue in my sight, as she continued to try fixing her mess. She actually began being able to fix it, before turning to me and acting as if she never broke my walls. Glaring at the literal baby, I walked towards her.

When she decided to run, I ran after her after she decided to bolt upon seeing my glare.

"GET BACK HERE! YOU NEED TO LEARN TO NOT BREAK WALLS! YOU'RE NOT GUILDARTS!"

We probably looked comical as the other Pals watched me chase the child, screaming at her about wall breaking. Some, like Nox were giggling seeing us coming, Penking who was digging a hole… why a hole… just shook in laughter, and well, Anubis got her shins punched in passing by my runaway dragon. She really didn't like Anubis, did she know Anubis tried dropping her egg and just disliked her for that? Can spite be genetic?

As Quivern stumbled on turning, I scooped her up and kept running off with her.

For a canine was hobbling angrily after us, screaming threats of violence at my kid trap. During the now fleeing chase. I did drill into her head that she shouldn't just break walls for just smacking into them. Jumping up onto a rock leading onto a path to my church, I continued to flee with my dragon, as Anubis was now fully just running after us. Cresting the final hurdle, dragon in hand. I felt something like a fist slam into my back, followed by angry barks.

Needless to say I was soon in a slugging match with a dog. Canine Pals punch hard if they have fists, wouldn't recommend getting punched by an Anubis. She also tried to cave in my skull with one punch after I tackled her and wailed on her face. The one to separate us was a rather LARGE Fuddler, as the mole looking Pal buried Anubis and picked me up like a cat. Pointing at the muzzle poking out of the ground I spoke my piece.

"She punched me, I punched back, it became a matter of pride by then as we kept punching each other."

The Fuddler looked amused at my words before handing me to the bees. To get my bones that may have broken treated after I may have used a broken limb regardless of pain. Quivern sat in front of me, raised a paw? And moved her claws so she was pointing at me and said one word.

"Qui"

Looking at her as if she were stupid, which technically she is since she's just a baby, I flicked her forehead.

"Bad child."

A Beegarde just sighed at us, both amused and annoyed. Looking at the bee, I flashed a blue outline of clawed weaponry, which required honey turned into amber. The Beegarde looks at me inquisitively as her eyes glow blue as well to see what I'm seeing. A silent question, so I raised my hands. The Beegarde, still confused, buzzed at me.

"It is armor for fighting and attacking."

With my bones fixed enough and an intense stare from Elizabee, I left the from hive healed once again with six things of amber. Building the clawed gauntlets called "Amber Guard" as they also doubled as arm guards for my forearms. After I made them and fitted them onto my arms and fingers, I got a feel for them by punching the air. I also tried clinking the claw weapons on them together to see what frequency they'd make, and clawing the forearm sections to test the armor. So an unenhanced Human wouldn't do much with normal weapons, but weakened Pals could still likely get through.

Satisfied with my new armor and CQC weapon hybrid, I stood before the Statue of Power in my church. Unsure of exactly what to do, I gave a silent prayer towards The Cheshire. As soon as I did, I suddenly found myself in the middle of a grand library, everything looked normal, even the Katress sitting in a chair reading a book about how to best destroy an Anubis's mind. Which made it obvious what the Prophet was with that single book.

She glanced at me once I had fully set foot into this realm, setting her book down while beckoning me over to her. So I slowly approached the Ancient and sat down in a different seat opposite of her. She eyes me both amused and fondly. Seeing my Amber Guard, which I was still wearing along with my clothes. The Katress spoke warmly as she reached over, a psychic like energy, raising my right hand. Cheshire studied my new armor and weapon that was made using Amber Resin, Ingots, River Wood, Cloth, Ice Organ, and Foxspark Pelt.

"You made these to train my descendant, they're not impressive, but you certainly have been using my gift well. So tell my Chosen Outsider, what can this old feline do for you?"

"What are you willing to do? And how do I give you what you need for it?"

She chuckles, eyes full of playful mirth, with the feline leaning back into her seat.

"Oh I'm willing to increase everything about you my Outsider, and you would usually get a screen in your vision from that tablet of yours. However, as I left my last grandchild with you, we shall do something else before dealing with all those Pal and Human souls you've collected from your slaughters. You shall fight me to death within your mind, as I do wish to destroy my cell after I just got it this comfortable. Since breaking, it would do nothing to free me, just make it a mess and dreary."

//\\//\\//\\//\\

Then, without my approval or anything, the Katress's eyes turned golden, and we suddenly stood in the midst of a dark cavern with water falls and pits of water. Then without any warning, she launched a skill identifying as Dark Laser, but this one covered most of the room. So, even with my useless water skills, I dove into a nearby water pit. Sinking into it before I moved automatically, my body propelling itself out of the water and landing once more onto solid ground. Once that happened, I was back in control and, well, I bum rushed the ancient cat to punch her face in.

Yet, she sneered a smile before suddenly a ball of fire slammed into me, burning my clothes away and heating Amber Guard up. A second one slammed into me from the front as I rose my arms up to defend myself instinctively, feeling the Amber Guard melt and meld into my flesh. Catching my footing, I noticed one of my eyes likely melted in my eye socket as I lost the left side of my vision, however, that didn't stop me I charged once more.

Feeling a ball of flames behind me, I jumped at Cheshire, the ball exploding against my back, melting my flesh yet launching me at the dumbfounded feline.

Slamming my right fist into her stunned face, a blue outline appearing in my vision, and with no tools, a hammer made of stone materialized in my hands. Slamming the stone hammer made of Palsium in the still stunned feline's left violently. I felt bones crunch when my arm glowed with spiraling Palsium energy, Cheshire's left eye exploding within her eye socket. With an enraged hiss, Cheshire batted me away with one of her arms, sending me flying across the room and into a stone pillar.

Feeling my spine snap as that hit of hers while being held back wasn't gentle. Sliding down the pillar and onto the floor motionless, I could hear her approaching unhurriedly.

"I'm impressed, even with my weakening of my powers to test you, you managed to survive due to the reinforcements I'd done to your body. Then you actually managed to take my left eye out due spite of your own being taken, and you're still alive even now… it really is impressive. But this ends here~ good job!"

As soon as the feline stepped near my head with dangerous levels of heat appearing above my head, I suddenly grabbed her ankle and yanked her off her feet. My body protesting, but my combat state pushes my body to rise unsteadily, even with my spine broken. Looking down at the feline as she seemed flabbergasted at my persistence. I smiled and spoke one specific phrase before stomping on her neck and stepping hard onto it, attempting to crush it.

"I didn't hear no bell, so don't count me out."

The feline smiles like a devil, eye shining crimson, before sending me flying once more with an unexpected kick to my back. Rolling across the ground as I felt my spine break further and my body going numb from shock. I once more rose back onto my feet and leered at the rising witch, which summoned both spheres of fire and darkness. Cheshire looking at me pleased and with spite before everything just went black as she spoke.

"Ding ding, bells rung you spiteful bastard."

\\//\\//\\//

Jolting in my seat, I saw Cheshire smirking at me, spiteful mirth in her eyes. Okay, yeah, she was very spiteful if she just did something and everything ends without knowing how. Chuckling, I shook my head at the spiteful witch, I at least managed to crush her eye in the fight. That's when a screen appeared in my vision with some statistics or new stuff on it for myself.

[Granted Skill: Shadow Burst

Outsider Abilities Gained: Indomitable Will, Palsium Reinforcement

Personal Trait Upgrades: Background Character > Background Actor, Killer > Slaughterer

Personal Trait Change: Socio-Psycho > War Bound

Capture Chance: 1 > 2

Physical Attack: 100% > 260%

Palsium Output: 150% > 600%

Durability: 400% > 500%

Endurance: 110% > 300%

Vitality: 260% > 450%

Shadow Burst: Quickly Discharge dark energy from your body and shadow, damaging those around you.

Indomitable Will: Immune to the effects of mental influences, and Beserkers Rage clouding your mind.

Palsium Reinforcement: Passively reinforce items worn, your body, and weapons, actively reinforce your attacks and Pal granted abilities.

Background Actor: Unless you actively stand out to others who don't know you, you won't register to the senses of people and Pals, you'll just be air to them until you do something that gets their attention.

Slaughterer: You know where you belong, you know what you want to do. 200% passive attack bonus when in combat.

War Bound: Literally born and wired for war, the moment you enter a fight you become a cold killing machine that only stops when it is dead. You are prone to encountering fights and wars, as that is where you belong and are bound for.]

Looking at the Katress questioningly, I just get a chuckle as she leans forward, chin in paw as she stares at me.

"You are a War Seer, you should be that damnable dog's disposable toy where he would do everything he could to kill you all to fulfill his prophecies. You are frankly born for conflict, the longer you go without your purpose, the more unstable and suicidal you become. It is why you went on that cruise, you saw your potential death, didn't you? Yet, you went regardless because you had subconsciously decided to end your wasted life….

It reminded me of my friend who died long before my sealing… his race is meant for war, it is in their name and very genetics, yet he denied it all and wasted away. I watched the light leave his eyes as he smiled, tending to his garden with his mate to the bitter end.

So when I felt something similar when searching for an Outsider of my own, I found you. Looking at you, I knew if I didn't pick you, I'd regret it. I almost did. For the dog almost took you like he planned to do with my granddaughter, and that just made my blood boil.

So with gleeful spite, I stole you from someone who didn't deserve a War Born that just wants to live normally. I fixed your body, made you healthier, and more at peace with yourself. Out of pity and regrets… I'm glad it seems nothing was wrong with my choice, for you have been doing what you're meant to while being free to live normally."

Sighing as I saw the ancient Pal seemingly show her age since I met her, I spoke softly.

"Thank you, Cheshire, you are the best Ancient I could probably ask for."

She flinched before waving her arm and returning me to where I stood before the Statue of Power. Looking up at the sky, I chuckled before shaking my head and heading out as I collected my kid as it's time to start teaching her to fight early on.