Episode 15: The Pillars of Divinity

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Lough

My eyes trembled, and my throat became dry. My knees were still weak, and I couldn't stand up at all. Every fibre of my existence screamed to run away from the being before me. The ring on my right hand burned my skin with a white-hot sensation. However, I couldn't even scream in pain due to the icy grip at my spine and the fear that had dug its way into my chest and stomach.

What stood before me was a true deity of elegance. Its body was coated in black armour with 2 short white wings that stuck out from the shoulder pauldrons. The mask it wore was white and black, with the mouth and eyes being covered in black and the top of the head in white, and golden grooves were etched along the armour in some places. 2 golden ear-like spikes shot out behind its head, and an equally golden halo circled above it. It had a white dress-like skirt that surrounded its legs, which made it look feminine, but I wasn't able to think about its gender at that moment.

Its feet looked elongated, although it looked more like it was wearing heels than its actual feet being long. At its sternum was a glowing sky-blue gem surrounded by the white of a breastplate, again with thin golden grooves. Behind it, white hair flowed gently in the non-existent wind, which confused me further.

I opened my mouth to speak, which in of itself felt daring and like a serious achievement, but it shut just as quick.

Time felt like it slowed down, and I kneeled, looking up at the being stood in front of me.

In an echoey and calm voice, the being spoke. "You're the new Sovereign?"

It hadn't felt like a question. It was more of a confirmation to themselves than it was a question I was meant to answer. I didn't know the term 'Sovereign', was it because I had the ring?

"I see... has any other being like me approached you yet?" It asked me in its calm and flat tone. In response, I shook my head, my fear evident.

"Good..." it said, and I felt the pressure easing off me, allowing me some room to move and feel a lot more confident. The being continued, "I am Adia, the Pillar of Alteration and the Goddess of Space. And you are Lough Freed, the current Sovereign and owner of the {Ring of the Forgotten Sovereign}, correct?"

"Y-Yeah... would it be stupid to ask how you know that?" I replied tentatively, careful about my choice of words.

"It would be yes since we all know about you." Adia countered.

"You... all? Who is... 'we'?"

"'We' are the Pillars of Divinity. We are the gods and goddesses of types of magic and aspects of magic. Does that answer your question?" She responded.

"I think so... are you... here to fight me?" I said with a mix of emotions. I didn't want to engage in a fight with a Goddess, especially not one of Space itself. But I needed to know this. If she wanted a fight, then I wouldn't die without resistance. However, if not, then I wanted to know why.

Adia let out a peaceful and harmonious laugh. It resounded through the grey city and had a pleasant octave and ring to it.

"No, Sovereign, I am not here to fight you, but to warn you. The other Pillars are aware of your existence, and while it is more difficult for them to reach you like I can, it does not mean it is impossible. They hold a resentment towards the previous owner of that," Adia pointed to the ring and continued, "They want to be rid of the ring from this universe. At any cost."

I shuddered at that last bit. The thought of having Gods... Pillars... whatever, coming after me with their full might in order to erase me from the universe was terrifying.

"I simply wanted to meet you and see you for myself. Now that I have done so, I shall take my leave." She stated.

I didn't reply, and I watched as a rift in the air opened up, allowing Adia to walk through it and disappear. The vertigo returned again as the world of grey buildings broke down and was destroyed, replaced by my original surroundings, and I threw up again.

Orebrul's voice was a haze, and suddenly, a ringing in my ears pierced my skull, and his voice became clearer. Hey! Hey! Are you good? Are you OK?

Yes... I'm... fine. I'm alive, at least. I responded in a strained voice even inside my head.

You had me stressing, I couldn't link our minds. What happened?! He asked me in a frantic voice. This rose a question to mind. Had Adia managed to create a space where I was temporarily separated from Orebrul? If that was the case, then she would have to have known about Orebrul's existence to begin with.

I met the pillar of alteration. I answered.

Oh, you met Adia? How nice, she's a cute one. He said in a casual tone, which made no sense to me.

"You know her?!" I shouted out loud, and instantly, I began checking that no one was around before asking again. "You know Adia? The Goddess of Space herself?"

Orebrul shimmered into his bubble form beside me, and I looked into his blood-red eyes. "Yeah, I know her. She knew my former master well. We're lucky it was Adia... if it was a different Pillar then..." Orebrul's liquid-like body quivered, and I could see the ripples travel along him. This confirmed my beliefs. She knew about Orebrul, and the other Pillars, whoever they were, were not going to be as kind as Adia was to me.

"Who are the Pillars?" I asked, turning to walk as Orebrul floated next to my head.

"The Pillars are gods and goddesses of magic forms. They are the Pillars of Divinity, those who hold up the main body. It's a whole thing. Each path or aspect of magic has at least one Pillar or a few Pillars, representing them. For example, the path of destruction has three Pillars."

My eyes widnened at this fact. Not only was Adia a Goddess. She was the representative of the entire concept of the {Alteration} path of magic. She was a being that had absolute control over space, and so it made sense to be the one governing {Alteration}.

"Destruction has three?"

"Yeah, the Gods of Fire and Lightning, as well as the Goddess of Ice."

I let out a long whistle. "And these are the people that are most hateful towards me? Great." My throat let out an involuntary groan as I thought about the near-death battles I was likely to have in the future.

"It's a bit unfortunate, but it's because of the nature of the ring." Orebrul said back, his red eyes casting to the silver ring on my middle finger. "Whether you believe it or not right now, that ring has unlimited potential. It has the power to grant a person limitless power."

"Limitless? That's not a real thing, right? That's the kind of power you see in stories. No one has that kind of power." I assured myself, though the doubt created through Orebrul's long-time relationship with the ring lingered in my mind.

"Looks like you have some doubt in there." Orebrul pointed out. I'd momentarily forgot about our mental sharing. "Look, believe it or not, but come the day that you realise I'm telling the truth, I pray it's not too late. And that the Gods haven't descended on you before that day." He said with a prophecy-like tone. The way he said it made me actually feel like he could see the future.

One thing was clear to me, however.

I needed to get stronger. And quickly if this 'prophecy' of his, and Adia's, was going to pass soon. I hoped that it wouldn't happen any time soon, but hearing the level of hate that these gods had for this ring, I doubted that they would leisurely sit around and wait for me to get stronger.

My mind focused and I created a mental plan: compete in the Aurora Constellations Tournament, copy as many skills as possible and join the 'Hunters League' in Nova city for tomb raids, bandit subjugation parties, and do the one thing I thought I'd never do.

Return to the RMMT and sacrifice as many artefacts as I could.

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