NOVEL NEXT EPISODE 232: ATAVISM 2
EPISODE 232: ATAVISM 2
— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR ???? SEASON: ????
We woke up inconsistently, both Madria and I. Sometimes I would wake, and she would be asleep. Other times, it would be the reverse, but the gentle rubs on my head allowed me to be aware when she was up. I had an awareness of myself. It was like sleep paralysis without the existential crisis of not being able to move.
The realm we existed in was nothing but white. An intensity so bright that, without nearly kissing, we couldn't see one another. Time… I didn't know if time passed slowly or quickly. I didn't even know if it passed at all.
I could feel my body—sol—changing. The heat didn't disappear, but we'd gradually grown used to the pain from it. I felt like a star, shining brightly in the night sky. I experienced no hunger, tiredness, or discomfort that typically comes from the human body. In fact, the only noticeable change was the increasingly growing horns that sprouted from our foreheads—outside of such, our bodies didn't change much.
So, when awake, we did the only thing that could keep us occupied and our minds off the pain.
"So, what is it like being a [Priestess of Madris], how is your connection to the Goddess different than mine?"
We talked, endlessly—about anything that came to our minds.
"It's… like constantly being in a warm embrace of a loved one," Madria responded, leaning against my shoulder. "It's… so weird not feeling my connection with Her. I still remember the day that warm hug embraced me after I accepted the [Priestess of Madris] class. It was a rush, and for several moments, I forgot how to breathe from the pure feeling of… everything."
Madria paused for a moment, I could feel her hands waving as she spoke, describing her emotions and general feelings as she was embraced by the Goddess's power. "I chose not to follow any specific doctrine—not that of War, not that of Wealth, nor that of Wisdom. I always felt that there shouldn't be a differentiation—the Goddess is the Goddess no matter the face She chooses," Madria paused, turning toward me. "How is it for you? How does Her [Chosen] interact with Her?"
Her tone possessed genuine curiosity and although I couldn't see clearly, her head was cocked to the side as she stared in my general direction. The white light and heat had never once decreased—the pain was like placing a hand over an open flame and seeing how long one could last. The only problem was that we weren't allowed to remove our souls from the open flame. The fortunate thing was that it increased slowly, allowing us to get a measure of control over ourselves as the heat rose. I'd assume this was from the transformation of our bodies and sols. Our upper limit for Potential was increasing—like a balloon expanding to be filled with more air. Once we were at our limit or close to it, but the rubber suddenly received reinforcement and underwent heat treatment to expand with more outside material being added.
"It's like…," I hesitated, wondering how truthful I should be.
Our relationship with the Goddess was completely different. Perhaps it was different for every magi, every human, and how they experienced Her. For me, it was like having a constant gaze, a constant presence watching from your very own eyes. Like a second soul occupying a piece of your body—of course, they weren't in control, but if you had someone there with you twenty-four-eight, eight days a week, could you stay calm?
"It's like having a second sol occupy my body but without the ability to control it. She is a constant presence, one that rarely disappears, like now," I began, deciding to be a bit truthful.
I didn't want to fully share just exactly how my relationship with the Goddess was. The true contents of the quest, crusade, Crusade: Holy War of Unification . The prospect of my sol being reaped in less than ten years was a driving factor that guided me daily. But… I couldn't tell her that.
"Except, I've felt this way since birth—it provides a level of strength, but also a level of worry, for every action can be judged."
Madria stayed quiet, not immediately responding. For several minutes, we sat there in silence. We did nothing except enjoy the presence of one another. Then, seemingly done gathering her thoughts, Madria responded.
"I never knew it'd be like that for you. No wonder we feel such a strong radiation of Her when near you—a piece of Her may truly reside within you," She began, squeezing my hand as she spoke. "It must be just as exhausting as it is rewarding."
It must be just as exhausting as it is rewarding.
Boy, she had no idea. I chuckled, thankful she was able to see both sides, or at least be closer to what I experienced on a daily basis.
It was rare moments like this that I got to be… just Lawruthian. No gimmicks, no performances for those around me… just Lawruthian.
"Yeah, it's nothing like my connection with Minerva—Goddess, I hope she's doing ok. I hate that we're reunited only to be disconnected once again."
"I'm sure she'll be fine… after… after Rasheed did whatever he did—it was clear he sacrificed himself fully for this process. I don't understand what he did exactly, but that much was clear."
Madria sighed, and her body shifted as she lay back on the grass. I joined her, expressing my thoughts on what I believed had happened. We both had the memories of the… instances… a second memory of death for me, and a first for her. If there was one initiative I would begin upon my return… then a proper therapist was definitely on the roster. These… emotions needed to be properly dealt with.
"He was harvesting Potential."
The answer came to me immediately when I thought about it. I knew so because I was able to access all the memories of Minerva the moment we reconnected, even in that short time. To me, Minerva was like a piece of my body, only disconnected… and with a mind of its own. Our connection was vastly different than that of me and the Goddess.
"Harvesting Potential," Madria questioned, her head turning my way. "How do you know?"
"Outside of my memories from Minerva, it's nearly obvious," I began to explain. "Look at us, where do you think this evolution is coming from? If… if what I'm understanding about this Genesis Realm is true… then the reason the Gods play this game, why the Goddess has me as Her chess piece… all of it plays and falls together. Rasheed harvested the Potential of what was , or what could have been ."
Madria cocked her head, confused. "…what?"
"Sorry, I'll try to make it simpler. Imagine you have an idea—let's say you want to be the greatest [Priestess of Madris] and [Imperius Saintess] there ever was. So from now on you only take steps to help promote that. Let's say you always wanted to be the greatest healer in the realm, and you begin to practice and hone your craft to the point you can raise the dead with little sacrifice to your attributes or better. Two routes you could take from the same point—its the Potential . What Rasheed did was see those ideas, those futures… that Potential and harvested it. At least… I think he did. He was never out to kill me—he was out to make certain actions happen and certain futures come into play."
I paused for a moment, catching my breath before I continued. The excitement in my voice couldn't be hidden. "I don't know this for certain, but he harvested the Potential of an idea or a coming reality and used it as fuel for G.E.N.E.S.I.S."
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"I… think I understand," Madria began. "But what does G.E.N.E.S.I.S mean?"
"It's the device we're in, Genetic Engineering: Neo-Embryonic Synthesis Initiating Spawning—it's a device meant to edit and change our DNA?"
Madria sat up; she was too far to see, but I could just imagine the confused expression on her face—the cocked head, scrunched eyebrows, and genuine confused expression. A moment later, her voice confirmed my thought. "Our WHAT? Genetic… what?"
I laughed, a genuine, pure thing that rang for several minutes. Madria shook her head, still confused about everything. Someone from Earth with a decent understanding would have picked up some context from the name and what I said. Madria just gave me such a comfortable feeling that I'd forgotten she didn't have a basic high school education. I paused for a moment, thinking about how I should explain this in terms of magic and more. Science didn't truly exist in Genesis, but its practices could be transformed and discovered through magical properties here. The North America Research Center, or NARC, was the research center I developed to undertake such activities. It served as a weapons factory, but also a place of research for new magi-technologies and spell patterns.
"Think of it as a complex spell that targets not just our blood, but every fiber of our being—sol included otherwise we wouldn't be compatible with our developing bodies. The Genetic Engineering is in charge of that feature," I began to explain, excitement in my voice. Neo-Embryonic is…," I paused, thinking about how best to explain.
"Well, Neo means new or revived, and in cases can be interpreted as rejuvenated—and embryonic is the earliest state of children as they begin to develop in the womb," I continued. I sat up, turning to Madria and asking a probing question. "Do you understand so far?"
"Yes, somewhat—the Genetic Engineering is a bit…"
I nodded, understanding that what I was saying could be difficult for someone unfamiliar. "Just understand that our bodies are being rebuilt from their very base units. Minerva would be so much better at explaining this."
Madria laughed and leaned her head on my shoulder—the heat intensifying. "And the rest," she questioned, her body strangely releasing a scent that smelled like spring and new life. She carefully avoided her horn from poking me, the longer nub on the left while it remained the opposite for me. I closed my eyes, regained my temperament before continuing.
"Synthesis means to combine—this is what is occurring to our bodies on a fundamental level, our bloodline, such as Magic's Embrace, is mutating alongside other bloodlines we possess. Think of it as baking and adding ingredients together to make the honey-sweetened scones of LSG."
"Continue," Madria responded, her voice slow and sleepy.
I understood she was going into another low-powered state. It was not of her own accord, as we could not control when this happened. I could feel my sol grow heavy as well. I would only have a few minutes before I joined her.
"Initiating Spawning are the two, uuuhhhaaag," I yawned, rapped my arm around Madria before positioning us both in a lying position from our sitting one. She snuggled in closer to me, and my heart melted. "They're the two I'm most confused about. Initiate means to begin. And, uuuhhhaaag… ugh, spawning means many things, but you can think of it as a continuous generation of something… wait… huh?"
I paused, a crazy idea flashing through my head. "Nah… it can't be."
I shook my head lightly so as not to disturb the sleeping Madria. "They all fall into the name G.E.N.E.S.I.S or Genesis, I don't know if it was a play on words through Minerva's intentions or… uuuhhhaaag… if… it… was… done… through… intentional… guidance…"
Soft snores rang, blood flowed from entwined hands as the liquid of G.E.N.E.S.I.S continued to rise in temperature. Bodies changed, and two nubbed horns grew from the skulls of the figures within. One male, one female. Change was inevitable, a process that could not be stopped, ignored, or halted in any way. A silent guardian watched. A mother, a Queen , a woman who had lost much over the years but gained so much more. A woman who cried tears of joy, sorrow, but always more joy in the years since the birth of her son. Somehow, her staunch belief and conviction in rising to be come more, to become the next Goddess to the Edryan people hadn't wavered but altered. Changed through the efforts of a baby, then a toddler, then a teenager, and now a man.
"Oh, how you've changed me," she whispered. "Oh, how you've worried me."
She waited. Her position hadn't changed once in the two years since the death of the [Final Dragon]. Her feelings on the matter remained conflicted, but the strength provided made it a necessary endeavor. She was a weak demigoddess in terms of strength throughout the continent. But now? Now she would be acknowledged no matter whose territory she entered.
"Two years… It's been two years, my son…," her worried voice spoke. "When will you awake? Your little plans and games are almost here. A few nations have arrived, curious at our invitation, while others scoff, believing the magi can still be ignored."
Titiana looked away from the egg, away from her son, and her gaze seemed to pierce past the layers of walls and guards present. Her Intent spread across the country, allowing her to make rough calculations of its inhabitants and small predictions of the future. Several gazes turned in her direction, not all of magi origin. They kept to themselves, some walking through the city of Edryan, others just having entered the nation through various means.
Such a gaze lasted less than a minute, less than ten seconds, as both Stamina and Mana drained to nearly zero. Titiana sighed, but enough information was gathered. The Federation of Farya, the Empire of Az'Dawn, the Kingdom of Dioni, the Kingdom of Elraka, the Island Kingdom of Lorde, and a few tribes of the Warring Beastman Plains had arrived, while others, such as the Endless City Elysium, the City-state of Ja'Forr, and those of other High Kingdoms held no interest—nor did they allow the Sanctuary to enter their airspace. There was nothing the Envoys could do except move on.
"This is interesting," a light, feminine voice said. A young goblin, skin forest green with shades of brown, walked with her hands behind her head. When one looked closely, they would see her skin also held a muted or faded color to it as if the blood had drained from its surface, giving her a slight ghastly appearance. A large war-bow remained strapped to her back while an identity token repeatedly flipped through her fingers.
"Alaina, don't forget the mission the mistress gave us. Nothing but observation—it's important to know how her little brothers are doing," a strong, masculine voice responded. He dressed in the attire of a priest, except his fashion choices remained on the darker side with a black robe and a staff in hand. His face
"Yeah, yeah, Lairo—yeah, yeah."
Elsewhere, a young woman with pointed ears walked through the streets of Edrya, her eyes widened at the displays of familiarity everywhere. "It's just like… like home… both Elysium and…," her voice trailed off as she continued to explore.
Her journey had been long, rough, and so much more, but she managed to slip away from her guards even if it was for just a moment.
A mother and daughter walked hand in hand, the daughter marveling at the sights and things she saw. A joyful expression was on her face, and a streamer waved through the air as she carried it in one hand. Her mother held a complicated expression on her face, one that only grew in complexity the more she saw. This place was familiar and unfamiliar to her. It was both foreign and home.
"Momma, is this home?"
Her brave little girl questioned, voice excited as she watched a group of children similar in age and appearance to her run past. The mother hesitated to answer, but after staring in the brave, hopeful eyes of her child, she could no longer allow her complicated feelings to hold her back. She could resolve these feelings later, right now, it was important for her daughter to recognize those who looked like her and the majesty of her home. Later, later, those complicated feelings could be sorted out, and if… if revenge was necessary, pointing a blade at her target would be far easier.
"…Yes… yes, Aniya , this… is…," the woman looked around as she finished. "…home."
A carriage passed the pair, its shape like that of a boat as it floated through the air, low to the ground. It was silent, and if not for the curious young woman staring outside of it, the passerby wouldn't have noticed the vehicle at all. She wore a hijab like shawl and a golden floral crown that marked her as a noble personage.
Her vehicle was flanked by many others alongside several powerful auras—Prestiges—who accompanied her. This was the furthest she ever traveled from home, the furthest she'd ever been away from her twin, her brother. It was… scary but refreshing.
"It's so…," she paused, uncertain of what to say. Entering Edryan lands was not what she expected. Stories of the magi were always so outlandish. Hair colors of different origins, powerful mage-like elementals, the three faces, and six arms they held. Ultimately, they were just that… just stories. The magi nearly looked no different than… her people. Save for one feature—her yellow, hawk-like irises continued to roam, thought left unfinished, words left unsaid.
A dwarf, one of larger proportions, played with a golden abacus studded with diamonds and more as he calmly drank tea in a cafe. He frowned at the taste. "Just water with a bit of honey and leaves—let's see if we can get some honey mead and bring it back for Grandfather."
A woman, dwarf, actually, who stood taller than he, dressed in nearly all white, frowned. Her red eyes gazed at the leader of the Federation, and her head shook. What calculations was he running, what game was he playing?
Entering from the land, sea, and air, those with an interest in the returning state entered the country. Many powerful beings, those who Prestiged, and others who followed a different path, entered the nation. Some with curiosity, others, with veiled agendas, and even more with a single goal in mind.
See the [Chosen] of Goddess Madris.