198

Chapter 198 : Equinox (2)

"Who are you? You never answered my question." The young woman asked as she took a step backwards.

The hooded man sighed then pulled back his hood to show his face. Dark skin, short, curly black hair and golden eyes along with a youthful appearance were revealed.

"I'm the one who teleported you to this place. Because I need a….position filled." He said.

The young woman leveled her skepticism towards him, unmoved by his words.

"You didn't answer my question. Who are you?" She said once more, now with her back pressed against the nearby tree. Her eyes flitted to the side occasionally as she considered her chance to escape once more.

"Fine. It's a bit of a roundabout explanation. It might take a bit, but I'll start from the beginning -- so that you can understand properly." The man said as he sat on the ground folding his legs to make himself comfortable. He waited for the cautious young woman to do the same, her gaze transfixed on him as he began to share his story.

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"We've gathered here today to remember and honor the fallen Gods of Adventia. Lore says the world of Adventia was realized and created by three Gods. The Goddess of Creation, The God of Balance and the Goddess of Destruction. These three forces created a balance that allowed this world to flourish and grow for ages." Zura said, continuing her explanation of the festival's purpose.

"By their power, everything we see was created. The land, air, seas and oceans -- even the animals and other beings. No one knows what began the war which ended the divines, but when all was said and done the Gods gave up their lives to defend this place."

"After a fierce battle against the forces which converged upon Adventia, only one of the three remained. Heavily wounded, and desperate for their creation to live on --the remaining God used the last vestiges of his power to cast a spell.

One that would bind everyone here to a new fate, an unintended destiny. By their power, lost souls were called to populate this once barren landscape. And we answered, drawn to their call like a beacon in the darkness. Lost souls gathered, and we called those souls adventurers, people like you and I.

We, the children of Adventia are as numerous as the stars which stretch across the twilight. Our charge is to explore this land of magic and monsters. Our duty is to reach the pinnacle of our own potential and rise to the place where the divines once resided. These are the final wishes of the divines, the offering of a new world and a second life."

"Today, we gather to honor their wisdom, ability and sacrifice. We come together to renew our sense of purpose, to understand that which beckons to us. And we gather to welcome those lost souls which have made their way to the shores of Adventia once more." As Zura said these words she directed her attention towards a particular direction. Agni recognized it to be the same street she often traveled on her way to Sprim Row.

In the distance she could see a procession, one that grew larger as the seconds passed. It then became apparent that everyone within the crowd were staring at the newest additions to the world of adventia. The sight of dozens of adventurers being guided to the square's center by various elder adventurers was one that recalled a plethora of emotions within Agni.

It felt like such a long time ago that she had been in the same position as these newbies, yet they seemed much less bewildered than she and Katrin at the time. She recalled the events which led them to enter the town in the buff, and the transpiring events which led them to meet Bracha.

"Huh? Is that Bracha?" Shula said as she floated upwards to get a better look over the crowd. Agni shifted her gaze in the same direction and realized Shula was correct-- Bracha was at the head of a small group of adventurers. Just as Agni looked in her direction their eyes met, prompting Bracha to wave towards her, Katrin and the others.

Agni returned the greeting and soon her eyes drifted back towards the new recruits, if they could even be called that. She recalled the black full body suits and makeshift weaponry she had been given by Wayla, the Guardian of the Wilderness Tabernacle. She was surprised to find that this woman was also present, her expression as stoic and stern as ever. She seemed oblivious to all of the eyes upon her and instead kept her gaze straightforward.

One thing that Agni noticed was that there were six groups, one person whom she presumed to be a Guardian at the head of each. It wasn't until she saw a familiar face that Agni realized perhaps not everyone was a Guardian. Oliver Pagnal, her senior at Mystic Tower Chapel, led one of the groups as well. Each group was composed of either males or females, never mixed and all equal numbers save for just one group. In all, nearly sixty new adventurers total.

Agni wondered if there was any particular meaning to the odd groupings, she recalled that she had also been spawned into an all woman group. Thinking back on it, she found it somewhat odd that no men were present. Perhaps it was a matter of comfort?

Regardless, the six groups walked in parallel lines, two rows behind their respective leaders. After a few moments the awe of the moment was drowned out by the eruption of applause. It was everyone in the crowd, some people whistled and others hooted but the response was the same -- a rousing welcome to the newest adventurers of Adventia.

Agni and even Shula joined in the kinship of the moment as the groups walked by and took their place before Zura at the foot of the stage.

"May the light of the divines bring you favor this day, and each day to come." Zura said as she flourished her hand. What appeared to be silver dust shot outwards, fluttering about the air and dispersing around the group of adventurers before her. The cheering of the crowd continued in earnest as the procession to welcome the newest adventurers began in earnest.

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"So you're?"

"Yep." He said, nodding his head gently.

"No way." She replied.

"You're here and alive now..right?" The dark skinned man asked, his golden eyes glinting in the frozen twilight's rays. He'd now taken his hood off, revealing his short cut hair and youthful appearance.

"I just assumed this was a stupid dream or something. And that I'd wake up eventually.." The young woman said, finally dropping to her knees. It had been nearly an hour since she found herself transported to this place, a hill overlooking a vast forest. She'd spent this whole time listening to a tale which vastly exceeded her expectations.

"That's to be expected. I could show the end of your previous life, if that would make things easier for you to accept.." He offered.

"No. No, I believe you." She said, finally her eyes sharpening as she inspected the man's features further.

"Really? Just like that? I tell you a story about Gods and magic, then suddenly you're on board?" He asked, a curiosity-filled smirk forming across his lips.

"No. I remember a bit from my past life, I lived to a very old age. At least a hundred and two, I know that much. And, I trust my instincts. It's easy to spot someone who's my age. Or….older. No matter what their appearance might suggest…" She said as she continued to inspect the young man before her. He simply smiled and slapped his palms against his folded knees.

"Well then. That simplifies things. I was thinking I would have to do something flashy to convince you. It seems I chose well." He said as he got to his feet. She did the same, after all she was short enough in this new body, she didn't like the idea of looking up to someone even more.

"Do you want to be taller? I can make it happen. It is within my power, after all."

The lavender haired young woman seemed taken aback, but given everything she'd been told, having her thoughts read was most likely a trivial thing to this person - if he could be called that.

He smiled again and shrugged, having already guessed her answer.

"Well, let me know if you change your mind. You know, you have a surprisingly dirty mind for such an old lady. Ha." He mused.

"I've been in the body of an old woman for thirty years too long. I've got a lot of living to catch up with. Also, stop doing that." She replied, "that" being reading her mind.

"Sure. It's a habit of mine. Sometimes it's tiring to speak, it's easier to convey communication in other ways."

"But socializing does have its own charms." He then added.

"So, you told me your story. But what does it have to do with me? Why am I here? And what do you want? It can't be because you fancy me, could it? I wouldn't mind giving it a go." She said, teasingly as she slapped her hands against her modest, perky chest.

"Ha. Maybe later." He replied with a sincere smile as he gazed into the woman's cherry colored eyes.

"Hmm. How should I explain this?" The golden eyed young man said as he placed his hand against his cheek, he seemed to be lost in thought for a few moments.

"I'm more of a jack of all trades. Sure, I can do just about anything if I really try, but I would never truly master it. That's why there were three gods. I was the one you'd consider… balance. The other two, one was a master at creation and the other...well, she was a bitch." The man said with a shrug.

"Anyway, I need someone to be my eyes. And master the power of discerning the threads of fate and the future."

"That sounds like a very weighty job. Are there any benefits?" The lavender haired young woman asked.

"Indeed. Hmm, let's see. Well aside from being able to see into the past and discern the future, you can also tap into some pretty nifty powers. I'll even do you a special service, I won't even give you a limiter -- since you seem so responsible." He said as he paced to and fro.

"As neat as that sounds, power doesn't really entice me. I prefer freedom." She replied, her expression steady and calm.

"Ah. I forgot to mention. You're free to go and do whatever you like as long as you abide by a few rules. First and foremost, don't die. Seriously. It would be a huge hassle to find someone like you again. The second rule is equally important, but if I call you must drop whatever you're doing and come to me. As long as you can abide by those two rules you can do pretty much anything else you have the capability to do in this world."

The shrewd young woman cut her eyes at him before speaking once more.

"That's a very vague deal. So, if I turned into a tyrant and decided to rule over everyone else-- you wouldn't do anything to stop it?" She asked.

"Probably not." He replied.

"You don't sound too sure? What if I wanted my own island with a hundred man servants to please me nonstop. Or what if I grow weary of this world and decide to enslave everyone within it for my own devices?" She asked.

To this, the man laughed, a hearty and genuine belly bellow. He laughed so hard that the young woman standing before him almost seemed annoyed. Finally, when he was done, he wiped a forming tear from his left eye and gave her his response.

"You are welcome to try. But I assure you, the children of Adventia are not that weak."