The Domain, Part 3

Either way, after the training we talked for a few minutes, but both of us had something to do after it. She was busy as usual, and on that day I would be meeting one of the Great Sisters shortly after that session. Since they took me in, it became a habit that I would meet one of them for a longer period of time every once in a while. Technically I was there as their student, so the occasional check up was sort of necessary. At first, these kinds of meetings happened way more frequently, though as the centuries passed it slowly got to the point we had these twice or thrice a month, usually. 

That said, this is not to say this was the only point I saw one of the Sisters. When roaming through their domain I would occasionally stumble into one, as I sort of explained while commenting on Kalfisnar's habits. Just that these kinds of meetings usually lasted longer, typically an hour or more, depending on the circumstance. At first I was pretty confident it wouldn't take that long before that kind of talk grew repetitive, seeing as meeting them had been a part of my routine for almost 300 years by that point, yet maybe not so surprisingly the Sisters can lead a conversation well even in this kind of situation. I mean, they've been around for nearly 45 centuries at this point so it stands to logic they likely were better used to this kind of situation than most others, even more than some who are older than them. 

And as most of the Sisters are pretty obsessive with punctuality, I had the habit of arriving a few minutes earlier than the time we marked, as most of them will appear precisely when they say they will. The room I was going to meet with one of them that day was one of the private rooms they use for tea, small encounters, and other meetings that don't require a lot of space, usually reserved for when they saw the need to speak with a follower directly. Not necessarily out of need, since if they lacked space for this sort of encounter they would simply conjure it on the spot. 

I reached that room through a door that had taken shape in one of the walls outside the training grounds I had been using, a kind of door that basically functioned like a portal inside the confines of that domain. It was the only exit to that room, though I was more than aware it would lead to anywhere within that space. Around the room there were also "paintings", each portraying moving images of different places in Aeyxos. Basically they functioned just like the windows to my room, if you still remember my explanation for those. Most of what they showed belonged in nature, but one of them also showed a famous square in a dwarven nation, at the moment. There were a multitude of statues on view, all incredibly detailed, and occasionally I would see a dwarf walking by, glancing at the decoration as they went along. 

"This time it won't be Melynaris, Kalfisnar, Zeymalteul or Saeynomalia." Most of the time, the Sisters followed a very clear pattern in their behavior. Melynaris will usually appear before the time of the meeting to pick me up, usually in the arena itself. She likes taking part in training, or assisting during my studies on some occasions. Kalfisnar doesn't usually give a punctual time for the meeting, and will randomly show up after warning her intent through one of the followers. Zeymalteul and Saeynomalia usually brought me to their parts of the domain, typically to a garden, or to natural pools or hot springs of some kind, hence being taken to that room was an automatic confirmation that neither of them would be leading the encounter that day. 

Even if the patterns didn't reveal this much, I also knew from experience the Sisters alternated between each other a little between each meeting with me. Basically, these meetings never occur with the same one in a roll, or at least not if that Sister is the main host for it. Regardless of the order, they will sometimes appear in each other's encounters with me, though. As for the last one I had met by that point, it had been Zeymalteul, though admittedly crossing her part in these kinds of meetings was quite simple regardless, following the pattern I presented. For the other two, the last deciding point was how exact their timing was. And so, I took to counting the seconds before their arrival, so that I could eliminate the last choice. 

"Ah, I'm seeing Quelnaesar today." Telphilicalys is always exact with her time, down to the smallest fraction of a second. Also, instead of using doors she will usually just teleport wherever she is going, thus she would simply appear out of thin air if she was coming, as do most of the Great Sisters to be fair. Detecting her spells is beyond me, so noticing the signs of that isn't as simple as it would be when fighting someone on my level. Quelnaesar also has extremely precise timing, but she considers it rude not to give her partner any time to prepare. She also dislikes appearing in front of others through teleportation, as this could end up scaring someone who isn't aware of the other Sister's habit if they hadn't been warned in advance, so she usually shows up by the door, between 3 to 8 seconds after the time has arrived. A 9 seconds delay is something she considers too much, though, so I've never seen her arrive that late. That time, she took 5,7345 seconds to arrive from the time we had decided on. Above her average. 

—Nikzal, it is good to see you again today. — The door opened, to let a woman through. 

The way she greeted me indicated she knew I was inside by that point, which wasn't surprising to me at all. Her body glowed, like usual for light elves, but unlike them her shine was far more constant, varying with her mood to an extent. Not to mention, the parts of her power lines that were visible were constantly altering in coloring, like a rainbow who can't make up its mind in regards to what order it wants its tones in, just that instead of however many colors your kind sees in them (personally, I can see around 11) that light only shines in the main colors that represent each Greater Magical Form. As parts of her dress were transparent, sometimes that change in color became visible beneath her clothes as well, though it wasn't often she and her kind chose to show their marks in the first place. From her almost translucent golden hair, which would vary in brightness slightly from time to time as with her skin, to the orange tint in her face, or the brightness of her clothing, her presence felt like that of the sun taking the shape of a woman. Of course, the sun was nowhere near as dangerous as an angered Sister was, but the comparison was so obvious in her case I sometimes wondered if she had been the first Great Sister to be nicknamed a star. 

Like all of her kind, her features were shockingly beautiful. Nothing was ever out of place with them, and her eyes and expression showed a gentleness that soothed most who looked at her, as if her presence made the world feel lighter and smaller. Every move she made was filled with elegance and certainty, and the first time I saw her smile, I was briefly convinced that bringing her happiness would have been the height of my life. That smile was always so comforting, like a silent promise telling me, "So long as I am here, you will remain safe". And mind you, there aren't a whole lot of things out there that can threaten me in the first place. Knowing none of them stood a chance at matching her made the effects of this presence all the more relieving. As if her mere presence projected the promise that none would be left defenseless in front of her eyes. At first, I had thought it would have been impossible to get used to that, but as with all of the Sisters, you slowly get used to their effects on other living beings. 

She wore fine clothing, neatly organized and with fitting coloring for her glow, though the cloth wasn't necessarily expensive, despite being very elaborate in its details and overall design. As I mentioned, parts of it reflected and demonstrated her glow more than the rest, and it carried some of the symbols associated with the sisterhood within it. Her hair was tied in a really elaborate sort of braid, and that day she had chosen to keep it long, as well as curly. I'll put a side note about how the Sisters prepare their hair everyday, or at least how they select their look for any occasion. The short of it is, their hair can more or less take whatever appearance they want in seconds, hence they chose to randomize their appearance at the start of each day*. 

(*Long version of the note above. So, the Sisters have a habit of automatically learning and memorizing every kind of haircut or thing of the sort they've ever seen. And since none of them are particularly fond of any such choice for hair, they store it in a bank of possibilities of sorts, and use an algorithm to randomize what kind of hair they will use or how it will match with their outfits on a given day. I think Telphilicallys even went as far as to categorize all of that in some kind of system at some point, and they generally separate it based on the following brackets: length, properties [as if, where does it fit in their scale from smooth to the most curly they've seen] and style [so basically what they can do with the hair once the former two factors have been selected]. Most of them only randomize this system once a day, but Kalfisnar tends to do it more frequently, and Melynaris has a rule that she likes to change her hairstyle before any public appearance she makes.)

As for her shape, well, you've seen her statues before, haven't you? Some of you might have even seen some pictures Kalfisnar drew/ photographed of her in the nude, or other sorts of art made by the Liberties, hence I don't think I need to describe that in too much detail. The only part those depictions never show to common people is the face of the Sister, so technically I could have just referred to it and said: "Yep, that's her", but seeing as they have a lot of effects on others connected to magic I felt it best to describe her based also on the things caused by her powers. The short of it was, if you weren't aware of it, the Great Sisters are definitely the reason why curvier women are popular on this planet. 

Makes sense, if your deities are attractive you might as well hold them as a standard, as uncommon on normal women as it is. She stood only a bit shorter than me, being the second tallest among the Great Sisters, beaten only by Telphilicallys. And even though her appearance never ceased to overwhelm, it somehow never felt addicting, or invasive, like it soothed those around her without causing any harm in return. This is also part of the reason why - despite each of them being absurdly attractive - they didn't really shock or attract others in the same way a person might normally. Regardless of how overwhelming the Sisters' presence might feel, their magic keeps it from getting in the way of anything they might find of use. 

This is in part a result of something we call an Authority*, a form of magic that happens naturally in creatures within a level of lesser aspect or beyond. Or at least in its most well known state, where it simply affects their surroundings passively. It is mostly present in Demon Lords, but Angels, some among the strongest mythical kin and most Greater Elementals also have this gift. For the most part, though its effects technically could be imitated to a lesser extent by other kinds, only being connected to the forges demonstrate this ability on mass, seeing as this form usually doesn't require much active effort from their part. Basically the ability functions as a means of mass intimidation, by exposing weaker beings to one's essence in an aggressive manner, one that directs slight effects on the thoughts of those being affected by it. Hence, normally this form grows more effective the bigger the gap between the user and targets is, and is one of the reasons why Demon Lords can hold so much control over their subjects, despite the fact demons tend to be much harder to control or to quell than normal creatures. 

(*Authorities are a relatively common example of high level compound magic, and work through a mixture of Yealmyrn, Iscathnerin and Laenixir. Yealmyrn usage serves to pacify the targets, reduce potential resistance and hostilities, draw the connection to the target and heighten their perception to the user's magical essence. Iscathnerin is the form that mostly carries the task of influencing and inciting obedience in the audience to the form. As for Laenixir, it acts as the conduit through which the links to the user are established. Some of the effects this form normally has have already been mentioned, like intimidation and making targets more attentive and obedient towards the caster, though it also works as a means for a strong being to show off their strength, since the target can directly feel the gap in power between user and victim over the duration of the form.)

The Authorities of the Greater Aspects function differently, with that said. If Authorities normally are an invasive and aggressive form that works to subdue those around the user, those belonging to the Sisters are more akin to a warning, or a revelation of sorts. Basically, those Authorities work by having the Sisters reveal parts of their true nature in front of an audience. This has two main effects. One, though this change isn't necessarily forced, the target of the spell gets more prone to whatever emotional state the Sister in front of them might have at that point. So, part of the reason Quelnaesar's presence sometimes felt like that was a result of her attempts to comfort and relieve those near her whenever she activates this form, meaning they could more or less project the desired emotional effect onto observers of them. They could control when their Authorities took shape, but the exact effects weren't something they manipulated at will, that said. That's because it depended entirely on the mood the Sister herself had what effect their Authority might cause. 

The second is that the target gets the chance to take a small glimpse at the endless pool of magical essence at the Sisters disposal, supposing the Greater Aspects herself and the target don't mind doing this. This was the main reason why unlike with other being's Authorities, the effects of the Sisters' magic grew stronger alongside their audience. To put it bluntly, you need to pass a certain level of strength to even get a chance at comprehending what a Greater Aspect is. Think of it like the stars in our sky. Compared to the sun, most of them look tiny from our view, though that's only because of the difference in distance between us, the sun and them. Many of them are literally millions of times bigger than our own star, however if you didn't have the proper means and knowledge to estimate their size, they would just look like small dots of light in a vast dark sky. And as magical singularities, even when being called as stars there isn't quite a whole lot that could accurately be compared to what a Greater Aspect is. They are by definition infinite beings, so even trying to measure them is in itself ineffective. 

The usual effects for Quelnaesar's Authority were increased propensity for the target to feel tranquil, secure, joyful and inspired, for whatever they might be trying to accomplish at any given point. It's like she is using magic to cheer you on and declare her wish to watch over you, if possible. Her nature as one of the Soul Mirrors often makes it so she reflects on the aspirations and qualities of the person in front of her as well. That said, the effects of their Authorities tend to change the most whenever the Sisters consider someone hostile. In the case of Quelnaesar, and for most of the Greater Aspects, this form will cause foes either to accept their imminent deaths or would cause them to grasp to the memories and things they value of their current lives. If the latter effect took hold of the target, Quelnaesar would deem that as a declaration of surrender, and typically would proceed to teleport the opponent away. Otherwise, if an opponent both denied negotiations nor showed too much difficulty at accepting their own death, like with most other Sisters, Quelnaesar would kill them on the spot. 

And while I could fill a couple paragraphs mentioning all the names and titles you mortals gave for each of the Sisters, I'll just go with the ones I've known from my parents, along with their official titles. She is known as Aeyxos's Guiding Virtues, the Star of Hope, Greater Aspect of Laenixir and is frequently called the Light of Dawn. My grandfather also named her by something very popular among higher demons. The Shining Fortress, or the Guardian Goddess. This comes from two factors, her Divine Aura and her usual fighting tactics. 

Firstly, the Divine Aura. Many of you likely read plenty of tales about it, given how much emphasis most mortals place on this aspect of her abilities. Simply being on a battlefield and having the intent to fight automatically causes Quelnaesar to deploy her Aura, and maybe it shouldn't shock many that it had more effects than a normal Laenixir aura. Other than applying all allies of the Great Sister with every infusing effect at an absurd level, it grants her awareness of everything sensed by those fighting under her support, and more or less makes them breathing vessels for her power. Her Veil, Reflections and Barriers can be deployed at will within the surroundings of any under its effects, and each person under her support acts as an amplifier for her strength, like an army of lenses empowering her light. Not that that particular trait had many chances to shine in the past, as there haven't been many situations in this world in which a Greater Aspect is pushed to their limits to begin with. 

Second comes the forts, or towers, or walls, sometimes even floating ships or floating islands. The scale and characteristics of a situation made these changes a lot, but the general trend is that other than the hundreds of reflected arms hanging besides her at any given point, Quelnaesar's main shows of force come from conjuring and stabilizing constructs of massive scale with her magic. This meant she oftentimes literally placed additional fortifications in a battleground, most of which whose main point were to act as additional surfaces through which she can generate her attacks. At some point these creations of hers were nicknamed the Imaginary Bastions, and these two qualities are part of the reason during the Abyssal Wars, it was said that Quelnaesar stood out among the Great Sisters for being the only one that could be active in all fronts of the war simultaneously. Hence why even in the dreadest stories of that time, the Light of Dawn never arrived too late to offer protection. 

—Good morning Quelny. How is work treating you today? — The Sisters are very insistent on not being treated like superiors by anyone. Quelnaesar herself gets visibly bothered when people call her by titles, even more when called a goddess. Using nicknames tends to please them because of this, especially since most people who work around them refuse to go beyond simply dropping the "Lady". Thus, they really enjoyed when I called them like they called themselves. They also tend to ask for nicknames or at least for others to drop the Lady as soon as possible when meeting different people, the big exceptions being Melynaris and Telphilicalys, since those two are the most neutral towards others' treatment of them. 

—There weren't many souls to deal with today, over our first turns. It's been a few decades since I last felt the signs of catastrophes, rather their scale being big or not so much. Not that I'm complaining about lack of work, of course. When dealing with souls, less is always better. — Quelnaesar and Kalfisnar work as "assistants" to the Forges in ordering the souls of the recently dead. 

I call them assistants, though from what I'm aware not only does the engine that draws in the souls through the world is mainly runned by their magic, those two typically examined and mended around 80 to 90% of the daily flow of souls, depending on whether or not Kalfisnar agrees to do a full turn during a day. Usually, they did that work in two turns, one near the start of a day and the other closer to the end, and each turn usually lasted less than an hour. They do this work under the condition that fewer mortal souls are turned demonic by the Forges. I'm of the opinion this doesn't impact the Evergreen too much by this point, due to the number of souls already existing and in making there, so their desire is both warranted and reasonable. Though both them and I saw either version of eternity as at least somewhat twisted, ending in the Forge of Might still manages to sound worse between those two options. 

—It is good to hear. Mortal lives tend to be so short, being cut down further by misfortune is such a pitiful end. 

—Indeed. The children of Aeyxos are so vulnerable, I often wish my main jobs were more proactive in protecting them. Still, between the sisterhoods and the efforts of the others, my roles in this kind of fight have been small over the past few centuries. It gladdens me, of course. If even my blades can rest in this age, that means fewer and fewer souls come in contact with us after having their lives taken through violence. I just hope I can continue to be helpful through the assistance I offer our mortal friends. — Quelnaesar is one of the Sisters mainly charged with managing the sisterhood, and that's what she was describing as assistance by that point. As for the other Sisters in this equation, there was a small variety of functions she was implying in this. Be it Melynaris' and Telphilicallys' function in this, seeing as both were mainly responsible for reading trends for potential appearance of major threats through the planet, but mostly one of the roles exclusive to Saeynomalia and Zeymalteul. 

Since those two can use their respective forms with nearly no limits, they have the habit of occasionally using their spells to scan through the world for potential issues. In Saeynomalia's case, she would do this by temporarily spreading her influence over Favighea over the whole world's atmosphere and oceans, something that would allow her to perceive almost anything happening through the air. Zeymalteul on the other hand was capable of temporarily creating Soul Links with all life on the planet, something that enabled her to briefly check the condition of anyone in the globe. 

There were some issues with their form of scanning things, as among other problems there was the fact Zeymalteul refused to read too deeply into the memories of the living beings she would shortly come in contact with, though for the most part, anyone unaware of this practice who might be taking actions which the Sisters were hostile towards would have a decent chance of being caught in the act. Basically, they could use magic to be nearly omniscient towards the events on the planet briefly, however there wasn't necessarily any evidence of their applications of this magic, despite the fact they were so large in scale. Neither of them were fond of monitoring the world too closely through these techniques though. They saw these techniques as invasive, and that using them to solve all of the world's problems might intensify the sense of dependency many feel towards them. Hence why they focused on picking up potential crises' in the larger scale, and set their own detectors to miss smaller sized ones. The Sisters aren't capable of ignoring people in peril once discovered, yet keeping vigil over all turmoil passes the line of what they consider acceptable for their interference. 

—You must have been getting many breaks recently. I assume you have been helping the others with some of that free time? 

—But of course. I had a turn assisting both Melynaris and Telphilicallys recently, in fact. And as of recently, I've been helping out with spatial exploration quite often too. A recent planet I analyzed has quite a large reserve of titanium. Doubt it will be of much use in the recent future, as our current stores of it are in a closer universal sector. Still, heavier metals are always helpful when experimenting with creating magical ores, so we can't really have too many of those. Especially since Telphi has yet to grow tired of experimenting on them. — She commented, making sure to add in a ton of stuff for me to explain now in one small comment. 

A Universal Sector is what they call the observable universe and similar structures. To keep it real brief, really early into their spatial exploration attempts, the Sisters had already mapped out the chunks of the universe that can be found when viewed from Aeyxos. Exploring the Great Beyond isn't really that difficult when you have infinite range teleportation in the end. Yet nowhere inside it they found traces of a civilization so magically advanced as to create the Soul Forges, or to safely create the six of them. This had to mean there was something they hadn't found yet, so they simply kept searching. 

Eventually they discovered that way beyond what they called the borders other sectors of similar size existed. Most sectors usually can't be spotted from within each other due to how massive the distance between them is, since light would probably need a few sextillion years to cross that gap. This is why they call those borders "The Void Barrier", as for the most part it can accurately be described as nothing but vacuum and the occasional rock which left something's orbit. They've already grown skilled at crossing the void, and according to them figuring out the size of the Real Universe probably would take a few millions of years even for beings that can travel as quickly as them. Either way, they named each of these separate parts "Universal Sectors", and had slowly been exploring them, both for the discovery of other forms of life and potentially finding hints at the origin of their own designers. So if you ever found it weird that they treat rare materials like their dirt, that's because to someone who can mine from multiple universes, eventually everything starts feeling common*. I shouldn't need to explain why six infinite sources of magical energy don't find Magical Ores as fascinating and valuable as everyone else either. 

(*Though the fact they can mess with chemistry well enough to alter matter and elements at will probably doesn't help with that notion either. Only real thing separating gold and platinum are a few extra molecules, after all.)

—And have you been enjoying your pauses fully? — Most of the Great Sisters have some extreme tendencies to actively search for excessive loads of work to do, despite being the most productive creatures in existence. They couldn't get tired, but in some ways, they each needed relaxation at times as well, and Quelnaesar was especially bad at managing that. Since helping with parts of this issue often made my days happier, I had the habit of verifying this factor in these meetings, to offer part of my time in assistance.

To give a bit more context, the Sisters have the ability to experience most forms of pleasure other creatures can, be it food, good smells, art or sex. None of this is necessary for their lives, but there essentially exists an internal clock in their minds counting the time between any sort of leisure they enjoy, so long as it has no connection to their work. This ranges from things like the ones I mentioned, to resting, sleeping, roaming through the planet, seeing people who they are connected to or socializing, which often also includes instructing or teaching others, to most of them. 

There are some unique things separating each Sister on this end, like the fact Telphilicallys likes doing math*, or Kalfisnar's frequent need to produce some kind of art, but for the most part this pattern is simple. As more and more time passes between the last time they did something they enjoy, the harder it is for them to leave this out of their minds in other areas of their lives. Essentially, they have a quota to fulfill, one that also behaves very differently based on which Sister we are talking about. This function serves no practical purpose, but they theorized it existed as a method of occasionally forcing the Six of them to take the eventual break, as some of them might have a harder time relaxing or interrupting their work if it wasn't for this factor. Think of it as a part of their minds which occasionally forces the Greater Aspect to pursue the things that make them happy. 

(*Yes, she treats math as a hobby, don't ask me why. I am not the one who can offer you those answers.)

Each of the Greater Ones manages this side of their heads differently, and Quelnaesar frequently liked testing her limits. So long as it doesn't grow distracting enough to get in the way of work, she will usually either just let these wishes accumulate or try to find effective manners of dealing with each. In fact, part of the reason she was often the Magical Star charged with managing the sisterhood was because she found that an effective manner of merging work with the things she enjoyed. Not everything could be solved in such a manner though, sex being a key example of something she refused to do while working. Hence she would often try to match those needs with other necessities connected to the social, but on occasions she couldn't fit these schedules perfectly, it was the easiest example of something she tried testing her own limits with. And despite all the experience I claimed earlier, I really liked fucking these six. All the memories I had of sex just seemed to vanish and be overtaken by their presence. There was no such thing as passing up a chance to tap one of them in my mind, for reasons I might elaborate on later. 

—By that I assume you mean to ask about sex? I'm still a few weeks away from the build up growing intense, if that's what you wish to hear. I'll be sure to invite you, if I feel the need for a group to accompany me then, though recently I haven't reached my limits for productive accumulation too often. I couldn't even say for certain if I would keep it through this chat. You know that I can be quite the pushover for these matters. — Her voice carried more bliss as the topic transitioned to less serious matters. 

Oh, and "quite the pushover" was definitely an understatement in this case. Quelnaesar is the spirit of aspiration, constantly reflecting, absorbing and learning from the goals and future hopes of the people around her. Those at times mix with desires, and if those are sincerely tied to admiration or inspiration tied to her person she has a harder time ignoring them, on the condition they won't conflict with her present obligations or carry potential issues to their greater goals. This isn't restricted to sex, but simply a reflection of their existence as a whole. Be it through direct action or by treading the Path, the Spiritual Twins are beings defined by the pursuit of understanding and enabling the wishes of other living creatures. Each demonstrates it in a different manner, yet both hopes and dreams are simply different perspectives under this same topic. Which is also why I could say with confidence she knew exactly what my real intent was as I asked that question. 

—Oh, you know me. I've long grown past the phase of abusing the gentle nature of my respected teachers. If you wish to optimize your life in such a way, how could I not bring myself to contribute. — I've done the very thing I declared resistance against far too many times for either of us to be able to take those words seriously, even if I hadn't spoken them while grinning. 

—What an adorable pupil, is what I would say if I didn't know your real goal. Though I suppose your interests do make you something of an ally, oh defender of my shifts! — Being particular about the things you enjoy can sometimes just show how much attention you've dedicated towards them. Specific tastes are often born from a great deal of experience within a subject, after all… And I absolutely adored how quickly Quelnaesar transitioned from her normal self to worryingly into sex whenever a long break was broken. You see, the Great Sisters don't really have something equivalent to a climax, since their peak could scale infinitely, and a starved Quelnaesar held the record for how quickly they can escalate, going from ground level to leaving the orbit of the solar system in a millisecond, to illustrate in a more metaphorical sense. 

—I do what I must to protect the hopes of my future, teacher! So that my every smile can offer fuel to build a greater future for all. — Ironically paraphrasing her always felt wonderful in these situations. 

—How very inspiring… Even if it is a bit worrying there seemed to be actual conviction behind it. I just hope you won't carry these particular dreams into your Ascension. If these interests solidify at a Demon Lord's level of intensity, we might end up with a second person with Kalfisnar levels of obsession around. 

—I wouldn't worry about that. I've learned plenty between the two families about all the weird effects ascension can bring about. Grandma can be fun to be around, but giving the world a somewhat sane Demon Lord for a change sounds like a good move, if that's even possible. Good thing I had some centuries since arriving here, and probably still will have some to come. 

—A good thing indeed. You were quite the difficult child to manage back then. To think these classes at some point were full time shifts. It shows that even immortal folk never truly cease growing. — This might sound like I was quite the monster when I arrived, and you would be right. 

By that point, I had already been growing to find most of the normal things in life somewhat dull. Sex had already been somewhat boring, and most other forms of stimuli matched it. Be it with food or forms of art, the fact my brain seemed to immediately dissect how to replicate most of it always made experimentation feel like a very fleeting experience, made all the more intense by the eternity awaiting me. Fighting still brought me joy, yet the knowledge I would never get to fight even rivals the way grandma, dad or grandad did also made me feel somewhat frustrated. This is why something about interacting with the Greater Aspects got my attention since the start. They were the only beings I knew I would never stand a chance at reaching, things that I could never beat, and that would always find ways of creating things beyond my eyesight. 

Maybe the fact I grew interested in sex again when they were involved was a demonstration of that truth. Or it was just the fact the act of fucking them messes with the mind of the target in ways not even I could resist. I've mentioned they can escalate infinitely, what I haven't is that everyone around them gets a taste of this incomprehensible bliss through the effects of their Authorities, just as with everything else the Great Sisters feel or think. How that feeling didn't drive people insane, or made it impossible to feel normal types of pleasure again, I can only explain it as Sister magic. 

—Yep, sometimes I even amaze myself. I still want another year long once the situation settles down, though. But jokes aside, I wanted to verify a little detail with a specialist on a certain someone. Is Kalfisnar in an unmanageable state again lately? 

—Dear, she is never manageable in the truest sense of the word. 

—I figured that out over a century ago. Just, her intensity seems to have reached a height lately. I thought that if anyone knew, it would be you. — Quelnaesar and Kalfisnar shared a connection in more than just Magical Areas and in similar guiding principles. As the Spiritual Twins, the connection they shared a stronger connection than each individually would with any other of the Greater Aspects, a factor that was shared between the Material and Intertwined Twins. Hence why each was usually the most accurate source of information on the other. 

—She is being more Kalfisnar than usual as of recently, but nothing atypical for how her cycles go. It's just that multiple events that have garnered her attention are taking shape simultaneously. She is on a binge for the "Daily Gleans" recently, which will always agitate her beyond the norm, yet this time it is also combined with Pre Advancements Anxiety. It won't be long before visual mediums have improved enough to be used for entertainment, and based on the pace at which she is experimenting, I'm guessing it will take a few centuries for the younger kinds to catch up to her debuting torrent. — For what that anxiety refers to, it mostly refers to the recent growths in photographic and image replicative magical technology utilized by intelligent creatures. 

Based on the pace of their advances, the Greater Aspects estimated it wouldn't take too long before new mediums of communication - and therefore of art - would grow in application due to these changes. This would open up different possibilities for the visual and interactive arts, and usually the beginning of new methods pushed Kalfisnar into a publication frenzy, both due to her adoration to viewing new media being established and due to the massive backlog in it she might have already accumulated. Having a lead in technology means often Kalfisnar will get access to a medium amplified or changed by it many centuries or even millennia ahead of the common artists. That backlog was rarely released in a single blow, but with this particular one, even the measured approach might result in a couple of thousands of publications being made every decade. This backlog had started accumulating before even the end of the second millennium Post Contact, after all, and Kalfisnar is nothing if not overly productive on her projects. 

—That does explain quite a lot, putting it that way. I imagine the possibilities of a new class is only adding more weight to this. 

—Indeed. None of us are particularly unexcited, but finding pupils incidentally is something she always loved. Her current excitement has been strong enough to affect me as well, and in this particular front I hardly see that as an issue. We rarely ever have get-togethers like this, and ones of this scale feel especially rare. While I can't completely share the feeling, some might say these months have felt longer than usual, as a result. 

—Even I get that. First time I'm seeing you all bring this many students in. I'm guessing my own frame of reference doesn't completely tell the rarity of the event either. Guiding the young ones is starting to sound far more serious than I initially figured. — That mentioned seriousness didn't necessarily take over our chat's tone. 

—It is quite an involved task as well. Between that and the role you're working towards, maybe we've been pushing you too much, Nikzal. 

—Now that would be a thought to shock me. And here I was thinking the things with the class things were your way of giving me a paid vacation. Guess dealing with young souls might be more stressful than I figured. — Again, spoken in jest. 

But that does give an opening to a slight bit of explanation that should be given all the sooner. My being an inhabitant of the Divine Domain was partially tied to a job of sorts I had been trained to fulfill, even if it wasn't completely restricted to that. All the oddities surrounding it obviously played a role in catching the attention of the Greater Aspects, yet officially the core of what they had been teaching me was diplomatic work. The goal was to have me act as an ambassador between the physical and demonic realm past my ascension. 

Talks between both sides didn't happen too often without Great Sister assistance, so having someone officially charged with that duty would help both sides adapt to this process and embrace it publicly. And other than competency, the fact I not only had ties to two massive Demonic Domains but to the ancient threat known as the Demon Emperor gave me both the contacts to make this transition on the demon end and push a narrative that might sound appealing for many in the true realm. Something about the granddaughter of the original invader and one of the most violent Demon Lords fighting for peace between realms as a Divine Disciple making the story sound more poetic, and thus having a certain ease of spreading around. And though the fact I ended up taking a different job sort of gets in the way of that goal, thinking of it another way, having the Demonic Overlord be diplomatically trained is a pretty good deal for this same plan as well. 

—Stay strong for us! We'll be handling it as a group, so even if these jokes do have some level of truth to them, you'll get used to it with the right guidance in just a few months. Teaching you how to be a good assistant is something we're all up to. And if that phoenix and Little Miria can be of help, I'm confident that so will you! — Partially ironic or not, the bit of truth there was to that complaint still was enough to put Quelnaesar into cheering mode. Her smile had grown wider, as a result. Consider it a casual display of what it means to be born under the calling "The Star of Hope". Whatever method she picked for it, inspiring others is a core of what characterizes her as a living being. 

—No need to assure me of the obvious. Beating that bird in helpfulness is the bare minimum. I'm pretty excited to get a closer view in the surface realm as well. Especially getting to talk to its natives while surrounded by their context. I haven't really taken many chances to roam their lands directly as of now, have I? 

—So few of them in fact, I can hardly believe you've been handling your curiosity this well. Studying a matter while keeping isolated from it must be quite dull. Just know I've got plenty to help with, and so do all the others. I couldn't have written all those pages about my mission without having the experience to base it, isn't that right? — While saying as much, she conjured a copy of a massive book. It likely was heavier than the average infant of a social race. 

That book was something Quelnaesar called "A Brief Guide to Paragon Status", and the brief was absolutely there ironically. Think of it as an unnecessary registration of things she already was an expert at doing connected to her role. Even as a little kid, finding ways of inspiring others with what she defined as hope came somewhat naturally to Quelnaesar. The way she reflects people's spirits always makes it easier to understand what they aspire for, and often that job simply comes down to analyzing that wish and finding ways of reflecting it back, so that the ones looking might have a greater idea of what it is they are yearning to be. Hence for the title Universal Paragon, as Quelnaesar could easily display whatever her speakers deem the most virtuous in any given situation. Following guidelines based on character always came easily to her as well. Demonstrating this side of her mission had long since become reflexive to Quelnaesar, as a result. She had already accumulated an unmeasurable quantity of experience interacting with people, after all. 

At some point, Quelnaesar decided to put what she had learned to paper though. Not to pass it down to others, or because her memory was capable of failing, however. As she puts it, this is her manner of trying to understand the relationship of living beings to the concept of law. An external set of rules binding your actions… No such thing ever existed for the Greater Aspects of Magic. Their vows are completely internal, and therefore under their control. Other living creatures don't have any methods of enforcing their rules upon the Greater Ones either. If a Great Sister doesn't agree to a punishment, there are no means of restricting or harming them to begin with. Even the natural laws of the universe don't fully apply to them. Their bodies can automatically nullify any external force on them*, so nature itself is merely a suggestion, as far as they are concerned. 

(*That's part of the reason why breaking the light barrier is extremely easy for them compared to other magical beings. Their bodies only behave like matter for as long and when they wish them to do so, thus resistances tied to materials or even photons don't need to apply to them.)

Registering her habits in a book of suggestions is according to Quelnaesar, the closest thing to such restrictions she could ever experience. And as she considers understanding the restrictions of law a core part of comprehending other forms of life, she had decided to take up this task some centuries after reaching adulthood. By that point, there were rules for almost any given situation, even if most of them only applied circumstantially and mostly operated like a baseline. Mixing their application was the core of how she interpreted the book, after all. It more or less started functioning like a hobby at some point, though, both in regards to playing around these rules and finding more to write. I can't imagine anything other than that ever would be as specific with describing conditionals. 

—I'm sure it wouldn't… And is it just me or has that thing grown somewhat since our last meeting? 

—Oh, just a bit. Not even a hundred pages worth, this time. It had been quite a while since I last shared students with the whole group, so I might have reviewed the parts of the material tied to the subject. And to think soon we'll have more people around to judge me for this book's size. Perhaps I'll earn myself more odd looks for my hobbies again, but if that will be the start of more precious memories, who am I to complain. Eternity would be rather painful if we couldn't enjoy such levityes fully, wouldn't it? 

—Yeah. No better way to protest against the suffering our function might bring. Just doing what we can so that the future won't consume us. I first heard that from you, right? 

—Right indeed. Understanding and processing pain are virtues that many will proclaim openly before the agony of time… But center your view just on that, and soon the bleakness becomes a constant. Knowing how to embrace and value our moments of joy is also key to staying well in the long run. An eternity with nothing to live for seems pretty far from appealing. — There weren't many around as used to advising on this topic as the Great Sisters, so I liked listening to them closely when it came to it. Knowing my future probably included a Demonic Ascension meant some of these issues would never catch up to me, yet staying in good spirits in the millenia until then could be considered a task by itself. 

—Hope that finding that balance proves somewhat simple overtime. Taking another century or two just to learn would feel like quite the waste. But putting that aside… — This marked a slight shift in topic, and a convenient stopping point for yours truly. 

The talk kept going for quite a while still, as these tended to last at least an hour. At first we transitioned to talk about the more technical sides of teaching, since I would be acting as their assistant and I didn't have a whole lot of direct experience on the subject up to that point, or at least not what someone my age would consider much. This kept on going, and eventually shifted to other matters surrounding daily life, mainly in mine. I had a relatively frequent routine going on for almost a century by then, but compared to Quelnaesar mine wouldn't be as repetitive a topic. With her, the modern day routine was probably a thousand years older than me to begin with. Going over all of that would be a waste of both of our times, and unlike me, you're probably not unaging. 

I won't bother covering farewells either. Like with most other Great Sisters, I on average met Quelnaesar at least once a month, and in that case we knew the next meeting would be happening in a few weeks, due to the arrangement I scored for myself. For someone who already has aged a few centuries, that sort of interval was practically nothing, so goodbyes were about as short as they could be. The fact we both bordered on unkillable probably helped with it as well. The same more or less could be said about my own perspective regarding when this and my next chapter will reach you. There might be some months in between, but the interval will feel minimal between each writing session, if I had to guess. I'll be placing Quelnaesar's part of the beginning vows here as well. Those tend to represent pretty well what each of the Greater Aspects is like in regards to their duties, and I think contrasting it with their personalities when relaxing helps understanding some of their tendencies. Hope you remain well during it regardless. See you. 

"On this day, with my kin I take this stand to voice in vows the paths we have chosen to follow, now and in the future. So far, we've mainly acted responsively even if still guided by our faith, yet for the future to come, we have decided to make our goals, values and methods as clear to all as possible. Partially so that those seeking to follow us may better understand the forces they're aspiring towards. Though also so that the many denizens of this world can better comprehend what our presence and actions may entail, as well as the principles guiding these hands. As beings containing power such as ours, consider this our manner of taking responsibility for this strength, as little but our own choices can act as constraints to ourselves. 

Hence, to begin with the part of these vows created by me, I first wish to try defining this existence, both through my name and its other meanings, the titles with which I've been born. Quelnaesar, Aeyxos' Guiding Virtues, The Star of Hope and one of the Greater Aspects, the embodiment of the Blade of Order, Laenixir. Regarding my power, there is little to be said other than the fact my personality has been partially shaped by its characteristics, so my focus will initially be on the former two titles. To begin with, I've always had conflicting feelings about what being "The Guiding Virtues" entails. Whoever wrote it must have been quite confident in the qualities of this being, yet personally I deem the title to be quite the arrogant one by design, even if I'm not intent on rejecting it. 

Since birth, my existence has always had the ability to sintonize itself with certain qualities of beings around me, in what I call spirit reflection. In this way, it could be said that my ability to reflect and comprehend what could be judged as "virtues" is the core of what that title means, as the vision I have of a person's "virtues" often is more complete than it would be on themselves. Whether or not I find my main designation to be accurate, I can't say I dislike having been made with this skill. Getting to view the potential others wish to manifest never fails to motivate me, as my own actions can often be essential to give them a chance for such a future to begin with. This is why of the titles I earned through my actions, "The Light of Dawn" is one I hold so dearly. The more I understand this aspect of my nature, the less confident I am in calling it an absolute truth, however. 

Given the uncountable perspectives this very skill demonstrated to me already, I can't help but question whether embodying what is deemed as "virtues" universally is even possible. These many views clash in innumerous ways, and between these collisions I notice what I end up reflecting as a Soul Mirror is often centered on concepts I carry within myself. In the same way, the Bulwark I raised countless times through my strength will never be viewed the same by those under its protection and those challenging it. In defending some, we've also killed many, and expecting the slain to view our power the same as the protected would be insanity. Opposing the side who instigated the war doesn't make the destruction of their soldiers a noble act, for reasons I hope I won't need to explain. 

This difference shall always present a obstacle with portraying this role as "Aeyxos' Guiding Virtues". As the concept of virtue itself is vague, countless definitions of it exist in the present and will be made in the future, and I neither have the desire or the ability to carry all of them. For even when faced only with virtues my soul can mirror with joy, there will always be a limit to how many of them can be shown at any given point. Different beings and groups will always emphasize different aspects of this concept, and even if demonstrating multiple angles of it might be possible at times, these varying concepts would inevitably clash and contradict each other. Besides, I can hardly say I am unbiased in this pursuit. The virtues crafted into each of my soul twins always had a larger hold on me. 

Hence, the centuries of observation and pondering surrounding my essence and purpose led to a conclusion, which is now at the center of the answer I've written for my mission. It's based on that reply that I now make this declaration, and at the core of it lies the common traits I notice based on all of my reflections, the very things that make me adore this given function I've been born to. They often portray what the subject deems ideal - an aspiration for the future. Hence why I don't mind my first title, even if it can be inaccurate if observed by itself, for it connects to the second title and the virtue I aim to represent, as The Star of Hope. For that is a role I am overjoyed to pursue. For my surface reflects not the present, yet the future potential people dream off, both for themselves and for the world. Dreams built from hope, and that can only grow if grounded on a solid footing of it. And so, my being is shaped by the aspiration of inspiring, enabling and assisting with this process, being the goal I vow to dedicate my eternity and strength towards. For that is a purpose for which I am glad to be able to pursue. 

On a smaller scale, simply showing people what they can yet aspire for through my reflection might be enough. And that by offering them aid in fulfilling this image, I may offer the world the beauty my eyes were shaped to constantly see. However, much of what others may hope for also extends farther than simply themselves, in enchanting visions that extend to the world around them. Ideals aren't simply a matter of the mind, but a light one may seek to manifest itself through reality, as my kin represent more clearly. These aren't things I can reflect as a mirror, for they exist on a far grander scale, yet to offer aspiration and assistance to those seeking their manifestation is also a duty which I gladly embrace. For as long as these virtues remain rooted in similar ground with the path my kin and I walk, my dearest wish is to offer support in their search for hope, and shield their aspirations when needed, as goals of this sort often start off frail, and are faced with great obstacles. 

With my identity, ideals and goals established, I proclaim now my intent to act on them. Like the other Greater Aspects, I am forever committed to fight to protect a gentler present and a hopeful future for those beneath my shield. In times for weapons be it through my might, yet in calmer times or during changes, I wish it be through shelter and nurture, where possible. So that the momentarily frail may always find a place to shield them and help them recover, and that those seeking a chance to defend their hope may be granted a space to gather and grow strong. To those seeking to aid us in this path, it is on these actions you should expect the road I'll pave to lead us, searching forever more to give shape to these many lights. It is for a hopeful future that I hope to fight, and to those willing to follow me, let us remain patient and devoted for this long road. This future won't take form immediately, yet through faith and persistence, we will help bring to this world a brighter dawn each day, slowly drawing closer to what we can call ideal. Until that tomorrow may come, I vow to fulfill these duties while looking ever onwards. And upon these vows, may our hopes never falter!"