Reading Sessions

Standing before a bookshelf, Altair stroked his chin and let out a resounding hum of deep thought. If anyone saw this scene they would find it hard not to laugh though, because Altair was only a boy of four (nearly five) years, and the bookshelf in front of him towered above! Indeed, the conundrum Altair was pondering was that he was too short to reach the books he wanted. He did not know any magic that would help him either without making a mess, and deploying magic was forbidden in the library anyways. Usually, it was Elizabeth or Sia who got down the books for him, but neither girl was here right now, so Altair was on his own. The librarian was nowhere to be seen either, and Altair hadn't seen her at all in the time he had spent here. Jace's assurance was the only reason he even knew Sky Cross had a librarian in the first place.

As Altair stood there in a daze, lost in what to do next, he heard a cough come from behind him. Turning around, he saw a boy of around sixteen with brown hair and eyes looking at him with a slightly awkward gaze, a stepladder in his hands. "D you need this?" he asked kindly, putting the stepladder forward. Altair felt a wave of embarrassment sweep over him before cold rationality took hold. "Thank you" he responded respectfully to the older boy's aid, taking the stepladder and putting it in front of the bookshelf. The teenager looked at Altair with hesitant eyes, but in the end he simply went back to his table without saying anything. 'He had likely wanted to know what I was looking for, or how old I was' Altair guessed, well-used to such gazes. He was the youngest ever student at Sky Cross from what he had gathered, and Blooming at only four years old was an insane concept for Humans. Even Mythical Races like the Dragons and Elves might not be able to do so. 

Using the ladder, Altair managed to grab the two books he wanted, one thin and the other thick, and went over to an empty table. Sitting down, he looked between the two books and pondered over which to read first. "Cults and Cables: A Warning of the Dark Side" was the thin book, while "History of the Gaia Continent" was the thick one. 

The former was picked because Altair felt he was in need of more knowledge about the Vampires and their Gods, Aenrys and Navruavati. The mission he took as Endyr was fresh in his mind, and he knew that it was only the first of many battles to come. He didn't know how many Abominations were active across the world at once in the present Era, but the Gods seemed particularly interested in him alone. He also hoped to gain more information on the Dread Three: Fallacy, Jester and Daemon. After all, "They" were the most suspicious and reclusive (excluding Weaver, who never spread "His" faith or Church, and who's very existence is questionable) Gods in Orvonia. Altair held an additional interest in "Them" too because...

'Wait, why do I care so much about those three in particular?' In the corner of his mind, Altair felt like he was forgetting something, something quite important. As he sat there in a daze trying to remember, the echoing chime of a bell rang out in the library. Looking over, he saw the clock hand strike twelve even, marking midday. Turning back to the books in front of him, he picked up "History of the Gaia Continent" and flipped through it. 

He had already forgotten what he was thinking about previously.

"The Gaia Continent is the northmost Continent is Orvonia, and is the alleged birthplace of Gaia and Dendron, the Gods of Earth and Nature respectively" Altair read aloud. "It has a large population of Elves in the western regions, where vast swathes of forests and mountains are located, The eastern side of the Continent is mainly occupied by Humans, who have built their cities there as well as the Capital: Prakruti, which means "nature" in an ancient and lost language."

'Aesir?' Altair labelled the "ancient and lost language" as the Language of the Gods Kulkiri had mentioned...sometime during the quest. 'Why would he mention Aesir to me though?' Altair rummaged through his mind but came up blank. How strange.

"Apart from the Elves and Humans, Beastfolk and Beastkin are also present in the central regions. They serve as a buffer between Humans and Elves, and trade with both parties. Unlike the past, there is little tension between the four Races due to the benevolent acts of Gaia and Dendron to install peace throughout the land. This peace has existed for a thousand years, ever since the Augustus Family became the Royal House and established the modern order."

The book went on the describe the various achievements and glorious qualities of the Augustus Family, such as their deep piety and heroic contributions in the Great War. Altair skimmed over the chapter with an unimpressed face, since he knew the vast majority would be bare lies or embellished tales. He wasn't disrespecting the actual Augustus Family though, since their founder was a Supreme who had personally participated in and survived the Great War, and may very well be alive today. Demigods, starting from Sovereign, were basically immortal and could not die from natural aging. Only an equally powerful Death or Life Ascender could "age" them to death!

Directly jumping chapters, Altair found what he was looking for: Sky Cross Academy. Founded five decades after the end of the Great War by the Sovereign Le'garde, it was the greatest educational facility in the Gaia Continent and welcomed all peaceful Races and Ascenders equally. The book gave Le'garde the same treatment as the Augustus Family so Altair ignored that, instead focusing on the facts about the actual origins of the Academy. 

"The Academy's name of 'Sky Cross' is attributed to the horrible tragedy that occurred in the region during the Great War. The Gaia Continent was the headquarters of the Orthodox Gods and the Fernandez Family during the Great War, and so was targeted by the other factions. In this region in particular, the Lord of Light launched a ferocious attack in an attempt to kill the Sun, Wind, War and Earth Gods. "Their" battle lasted for more than a week, and culminated with Seraphic dropping a gigantic cross from the sky, that could be seen for miles, in an attempt to kill "Them", cracking the earth open and nearly causing it to sink underground. Tens of thousands perished in the blast that followed, and the very geography of the Continent was permanently altered. While you might not be able to tell, Sky Cross is looted in a valley, formed from the impact of Seraphic's attack. The campus is built directly on where the cross was lodged."

Altair looked at what he read in shock and amazement, as words Jace had spoken ages ago went through his head. 'You'll know why it's called that soon enough'

Indeed, it was common knowledge why Sky Cross was named as such. Still, the origins of the name was the second most amazing thing Altair found out from the book. He knew Seraphic was strongest individual God, but the fact "He" fought four other Gods, all belonging to the Third Era and thus being stronger than the later Gods, to a standstill for seven days and managed to survive. Adding onto this, "He" battled the literal God of War and Goddess of Earth on "Her" home turf yet lived to tell the tale. 

'If "He" was only a bit smarter, and hadn't been sealed by the Orthodox Gods near the end of the Great War, the Yareli Family would have certainly been the ultimate victors. Seraphic, Polydorus and the Dread Three should have been a terrifying force to be reckoned with, perhaps the most terrifying in the entire War.'

Speaking of the Dread Three...Closing that book, Altair picked up the other one and flipped open the first page. She was immediately met with a disclaimer, stating that much of the book was merely speculation and also that the following content contained descriptions not meant to be read by anyone under twelve. Altair found the warning more cute than effective and brushed right past it. The first chapter was about the Blood Coven, which was one of the most active Cults in Orvonia.

"The descendant organization of Vampire Queen Volanna's Church, the Blood Coven was founded in the early Fourth Era and worships Navruavati as their primary Deity, with Aenrys being a secondary idol. Believers are almost entirely Vampires, with a small minority being Devils and a tiny number of other Races. The Blood Coven advertises indulgence and anarchy, expressing bloodlust and freedom of desires. One of the most dangerous and insane Cults, the Blood Coven is responsible for an uncountable number of deaths and acts of destruction. They are determined to undermine and overthrow the Orthodox Gods, and are also hostile to every other Secret Organization."

"Blood Coven advocates for 'Blood Purity' and the concept that Mythical Races are superior to Humans, with Vampires being the foremost. They believe that Vampires are the true inheritors of the earth, and they are free to act out whatever disturbing desires they hold." 

"Altar of Darkness: The descendant organization of Devil God Mephestos' Church, it was founded in the early Fourth Era and worships Aenrys as their primary Deity, with Navruavati being a secondary idol. Believers are almost entirely Devils, with a small minority being Vampires and a tiny amount of other Races. The Altar of Darkness practise indulgence and degeneration, allowing themselves to fall into the pits of degeneracy and filth. One of the most dangerous and insane Cults, the Blood Coven is responsible for an uncountable number of deaths and acts of destruction. They are determined to undermine and overthrow the Orthodox Gods, and are also hostile to every other Secret Organization."

"The Altar of Darkness puts Aenrys as the sole True God of the world, and that by committing various acts of filth and evil, they can gradually strip themselves of Humanity and advance to become something different: a child of Aenrys."

Altair frowned as he read about the Cults he would likely face in the near future. The Blood Coven was simply an anarchistic hate-group that projected superiority over all other Races, and their actions seemed to be guided by the simple desire to do the opposite of what the law says you can. The Altar of Darkness, on the other hand, possessed an actual religious structure and Canon. They believed that fulfilling your desires and living a life of indulgence would allow you to break free from the chains of "morality" that society placed on you, allowing you to grow into a special being with a connection to Aenrys. For the Altar of Darkness, descending down was the only path of improvement! 

The latter was much more dangerous than the former in Altair's eyes, even if Vampires were supposedly stronger than Devils in overall capabilities. Devils were notoriously insidious however, possessing an unrivalled malice and aptitude towards trickery. Daemon was suspected to be a Devil after all, since "His" personality was perfectly aligned with theirs. Flipping to the back of the book, Altair saw the final five Cults covered, four names painted in a dark gold colour symbolising their connection to each other while the last one was just normal ink. 

"Ark Covenant-Seraphic"

"Wandering Circus-Jester"

"Marauders of Fate-Daemon"

"Esoterics of Destiny-Fallacy"

"Mandated Arbiters-Weaver"