Chapter 357: Mentors & Apostles
When Leo opened his eyes, they did not find themselves back at the inn they had hurried to enter.
Instead they found themselves seated at a round table made of a mysterious black stone. In front of everyone but Leo, an animal symbol was present.
In addition, the table was divided in half with a faint light white light emanating from the Ox, Rabbit, Rooster, Pig, and Monkey seats. The other half encased the Tiger, Dragon, Dog, Snake and Goat in a subtle dark light.
Penny was the first to speak as she raised her hand as if the table was a classroom of sorts.
"Excuse me? I would like to ask one question: Where the hell are we?!"
A muted chuckle echoed through the void, soft but carrying a weight that pressed against the edges of their senses. The sound seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Before anyone could react further, a shape began to descend from the darkness above.
A woman in a flowing black dress emerged, her wings stretching wide and dark as midnight, each feather catching a glimmer of an unseen light. Her eyes were hidden beneath a black gauze, yet it did nothing to mask the aura of command she exuded. The void itself seemed to bow to her presence.
Leo's jaw tightened, and he growled the name before it even left his throat.
"Discordia."
There had been so much turmoil surrounding her name that he could not trust her now, even if she was his supposed patron.
Her descent slowed, graceful and deliberate, until she stood atop the black stone table. The others shifted uneasily, their eyes wide with disbelief. To meet Discordia here, in person, was something none of them had expected.
"Leo," she said softly, her voice melodic but carrying a weight that made the air around them thrum. "You seem unsettled."
He rose to his feet, fists clenching, his muscles coiled like a spring ready to snap. "What is this place, and why are you here?"
Discordia's smile was gentle, almost kind, though it did nothing to ease the tension in the room.
"You can relax everyone. I mean you no harm. In fact I am here to all of you a favor."
Her wings shifted slightly as if brushing against the edges of reality itself. "Instead of separating you to meet your mentors individually, I am bringing them to you."
The words hung in the void, heavy and electric. Every face around the table froze. Their mentors were not mere teachers. They were gods in their own right. And Discordia, standing there with black gauze over her eyes, was summoning them.
The words hung in the void, heavy and electric. Every face around the table froze. Their mentors were not mere teachers. They were gods in their own right. And Discordia, standing there with black gauze over her eyes, was summoning them.
Penny lowered her hand slowly, a mixture of awe and fear crossing her face. Crystal's eyes narrowed, instincts screaming caution. Leo's shoulders stiffened, every breath tense, yet even he could not hide the flicker of awe in his gaze.
Discordia's smile did not falter. "Prepare yourselves," she said, her voice carrying across the void. "Your mentors are coming. There is no turning back."
The faint white and dark lights along the table pulsed in response, acknowledging her words. The space around them rippled, a subtle vibration hinting at the immense power about to enter their midst.
Before anyone could gather their thoughts, a faint ripple ran through Crystal. Water began to seep from her, pooling around her feet and rising in a glimmering stream. The liquid twisted and arced upward, defying gravity, until it hovered in the air. Every eye in the room followed it, mesmerized by the unnatural motion.
The stream of water began to take shape, forming the outline of a person. Faces blurred within the liquid until the figure solidified into ice, sharp and clear. Then, with a sudden crack that echoed like distant thunder, the ice shattered.
From the fractured shards rose an androgynous figure, humanoid yet ethereal, standing atop the black stone table.
Crystal froze, her hands tightening in front of her as if to steady herself. Her voice trembled as she addressed the group. "This… this is Eisvir. My mentor," she said, pausing, confusion evident in the quiver of her tone.
Eisvir's gaze swept across the group, unreadable, their expression calm and void of emotion. They finished the introduction for her in a smooth, emotionless tone.
"I am the Dragon God."
The words landed with quiet authority. The faint white and dark lights along the table pulsed more strongly, acknowledging Eisvir's presence. The energy in the void shifted, subtle but undeniable, pressing lightly against everyone seated.
Crystal's hands twitched as if she wanted to gesture, to explain, but she remained seated, still shaken by the sudden manifestation of her mentor.
She straightened as best she could and gave a small, hesitant nod toward the others. Eisvir remained poised and still, their frozen figure dripping water in defiance of gravity, exuding silent yet immense authority.
Before anyone could recover from Eisvir's arrival, a faint shimmer appeared in front of Penny. At first, it was barely noticeable, a tiny bud of red suspended in the void. In an instant, the bud burst open into a perfect rose. Its petals unfolded with impossible speed, glowing faintly as the flower swelled larger and larger.
Gasps escaped from the group as the rose reached a towering height. Then, with a soft rustle like silk brushing against itself, the petals parted to reveal a woman emerging from within.
Her skin was pale and flawless, almost luminous. Her long hair tumbled like liquid shadows, and her eyes glimmered with an otherworldly red. A sense of age and power radiated from her, tempered by elegance and poise.
Penny's hands instinctively rose, not in fear but in awe. Her voice came out in a mix of wonder and hesitation. "This… this is Violetta. She is my patron..."
Penny was also slightly annoyed that her whimiscal patron was suddenly acting all mature.
The woman's gaze swept over the group, calm and measured, yet carrying the weight of centuries. Her lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. She spoke with a voice that was both soft and commanding, a whisper that seemed to echo in the void.
"It is a pleasure to meet you all~"
As the group was still processing Violetta's arrival, a small sapling appeared in front of Lily. Its roots seemed to pulse faintly with life, pushing up from the void as if it were growing from invisible soil. Within moments, the tree shot upward with unnatural speed, branches twisting toward the ceiling of the void, leaves sprouting and rustling in a wind that no one could feel.
Lily blinked, her hands rising instinctively as she tried to comprehend what was happening. The trunk of the tree widened, its bark glowing faintly with verdant light. Then, with a sudden crack that split the air like thunder, the trunk shattered from the inside.
From within the ruptured wood stepped a figure, graceful and radiant. Her hair flowed like vines, dotted with blossoms and leaves, and her skin carried the warm, earthy glow of spring sunlight. Her eyes shone with the vitality of the forest, serene yet commanding, carrying the deep wisdom of centuries.
DIscordia's words now carried some wait. Their mentors/gods were being summoned just like she said.
Twilight's faceless form shifted slightly, the shadows around them rippling like ink in water. A low, grated voice emerged from beneath the hood, carrying a strange weight that resonated through the void.
"You are… my student," Twilight said, each word deliberate and echoing. "You have already taken what I offered to teach you last time."
Rachel's lips parted, about to unleash a string of curses at Twilight for making her trek to that sketchy pub the last time, but the words froze in her throat. Almost simultaneously, three doors materialized in the void, their edges shimmering with a faint, ethereal light.
Without warning, the doors swung open, and Vivian, Ethan, and Morgan stepped through, each appearing as if summoned from thin air. The sudden arrivals drew every gaze around the table, the air thick with curiosity and tension.
Leo's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene. He let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "Whoever runs this place," he said, his voice tinged with exasperation, "clearly has an issue with letting people exist normally."
Not a single one of the newcomers was left untouched to how they were in reality. Vivian had horns, Ethan had dog ears and a tail. While Morgan looked halfway between a man and a woman with long ebony hair that he didn't have in the real world.
"This is certainly not what I expected to see, honestly..." Vivian remarked as she looked back at the people and gods that were staring at her.
"Are we here for a discussion or is this going to be some kind of divine intervention."