Chapter 229: Murky Foresight
Calamity Egg? Is it somehow related to the Reality Eater? Is that why my status as the Archive of Eternity is reacting to it? This has never happened before. I wonder what makes this different from everything else I’ve experienced?
Whatever it is, it is definitely not good; that much is clear. Even just seeing it is enough to make my tail fur stand on end despite the distance between me and it. However, is it dangerous right now? I don’t think so; at least, it doesn’t seem like it. Of course, the next question I must ask myself is if it’s a good idea to tell Lin. Honestly, I don’t think I have a choice in this matter. I’ve already made it clear there is something there, and I doubt I can lie with my current power.
“I’ve found the source of the roots.” I inform Lin. “But before I tell you, I must stress the importance that we should not act recklessly. Our actions may very well make things worse.”
“I understand, I promise you that we won’t act in ignorance,” Lin places his right fist over his heart as he makes the promise.
“Well then. It appears that all the miasma of your empire is concentrated into what appears to be an egg made of Miasma. It’s the first time I’ve seen or even heard of something like this, so I will need to study it.”
“An egg? That sounds similar to something that a Fate Bonded Orc said,” Lin says.
“Fate Bond?” I ask.
I never considered that type of Bond, but it doesn’t surprise me; it certainly sounds like something one could have a bond for.
“Yes. It’s extremely rare, he’s the only known case. He’s actually close to the Emperor in power too. I’ve never actually met him but from what the Emperor says, he has predictive powers.”
“So he gave a prophecy for the Egg?” I ask.
“Prophecy isn’t the right word. He doesn’t actually predict the future; he only reads the fickle winds of fate and his… warning? Not sure what the right word should be, but the record says it’s from one of his dreams. We know the record refers to Alaxan since it directly mentions the Star of Alaxan, the guiding light for the entire Empire but other than that, there is little we know. It mentions a lack of color, which we still don’t know the meaning of. Then it mentions black smoke, which I now think is referring to Miasma. It also mentions flames and blood raining from the sky, which we think refers to war. However, that doesn’t help since we often war with the elves and dwarves and have done so throughout the history of our country. Finally, it mentions the smoke forming an egg from which a world-eating being hatches.”
Yeah, that does sound like it’s referring to the Calamity Egg. The lack of color most likely represents the lack of cultural rituals to burn up Miasma. I agree that the flames and blood sounds like it is referring to war, but that doesn’t rule out beings that use fire and blood, rituals, or really a lot of other things.
I can see why prophecy isn’t the right word to describe it. It does sound more like a warning, albeit an unclear one. If they knew what the dream was trying to get at, they might have been able to prevent the formation of the Calamity Egg.
“How old is that record?” I ask. Knowing this may give me a better understanding of how long the Egg has been around. If it’s new, that would be ideal.
“About seven hundred years old.”
So between seven hundred years ago and now. It could have been around for quite some time.
“I will want to know more about it, but it can wait, as we are about to land.”
One of the escorts has already flown to the Palace, so I suspect the Emperor will be meeting me. Sure enough, I see the Oathbound meet with two very powerful beings in the Palace. One, I assume, is the Emperor, but the other is not human. Judging from his mana signature, I don’t recognize the type of essence his Bond produces. There’s no way that is the Fate Bonded Orc, right? What are the chances I arrive at the same time this guy is here too?
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Emperor Alexander pours over some documents when he feels a familiar presence enter the room. Looking up from across his desk, he sees a large grey-skinned man with a crown of horns growing from his head. He has long, braided black hair with black eyes and is dressed in fine but simple robes. He is a Grey Orc, a man he had not seen in many years.
“Tk’Thalim,” Alexander nods to the other man.
Him being here worries Alexander; the Fate Bonded Orc’s presence means that either something mysterious or bad is in the near future. Well, Alexander knows there’s trouble brewing, but surely Tk’Thalim wouldn’t show up for that… Unless he is needed to help fight back the dwarves…
“So, how’re things going in your city?” Alexander says, bottling up his anxiety and moving on with pleasantries. They will get to the important matters soon enough, so he might as well make his guest feel welcome.
“Quite well, but it’s not my city. I do not rule it, nor should a being of my power be entrusted with such power over the lives of others. You may be interested to know, however, that we’ve recently received some Runalymo exiles.”
“Exiles? T’Joak’s mercy, I suppose?” Alexander asks.
“Yes. Though it is my understanding you have one of your Knights on a diplomatic mission with their homeland, I thought you’d be interested nonetheless.”
“I am quite interested to see how they are handling the corrupt bureaucracy and racial discrimination. But enough of that, what brings you here?” Alexander can’t help but show his disapproval of how the Orc’s city is run. Sure, they have multiple races co-existing, but it’s hardly unified among the races.
“There will be a new development in the events told in the predictive dreams I have mentioned; at least, that is what the draw of fate feels like for this matter.”
“An endless library with an ethereal eye watching from above? Or the one with a dark egg hatching a world-devouring cursed being?”
The Grey Orc is silent for a second before answering. “Both.”
“So the Library has an answer to the Egg? Or are they interconnected in some other way?”
“I don’t know,” Tk’Thalim shakes his head. “But I do know that the development of those fates is fast approaching.”
There are no machines or any other indication of dwarves being involved in those dreams, so it might not have anything to do with what the dwarves are planning. But then again, the egg could hint at the dwarves planning to unleash cursed beings in the city as the elves did. But that begs the question as to why the Cannibals wouldn’t have been included in that prediction.
“Do you sense any impending doom from the fates attached to those predictions?” Alexander asks.
“Of course, I’ve never felt such fear before as when looking at that egg. However, I sense no danger from this upcoming development; this isn’t something you need to worry about right now.”
So it’s not the dwarves? Then what else… The Runalymo? Alysara! The eye above the Library may represent her! If the Library represents knowledge, then she might have, or will have, knowledge of what the Egg is! But if that’s the case, then wouldn’t that mean the Egg is referring to the dwarves anyway? Since that is what I need her for.
“I see you had an epiphany. Would you mind sharing?” Tk’Thalim asks, leaning on the desk.
“Of course. I believe I know what the Eye represents, but first, do you mind giving me a full recount of the dreams?” Alexander asks.
“The first is of a Library an eternity old and infinite in size. There is a night sky in place of a ceiling in which an immaterial eye dwells, staring at me with the weight of Okyurion behind its gaze. Each book is endless if flipped through with contents written in an unknown language. Accompanying me is a beautiful lone soul, and when I follow it, it leads me to a cursed being consuming the library. I always feel existential fear when I look upon the cursed being.”
“In the second, I dream of a kingdom of man devoid of color, filled with black smoke that grows thick and heavy. This smoke always makes me feel anxious and paranoid. There is a single bright star atop a mountain with a sky filled with flames and raining blood. The smoke continues to thicken, making me feel fearful, before it is drawn into the sky and turns into a colossal egg from which a shadowy being hatches and swallows the world. Also, before you ask, the cursed beings in both dreams are different, although they make me feel the same sense of dread.”
“Thank you. I think Alysara is the one the first dream is referring to with the eye. The fact it sees with more weight is indicative of higher perceptive pressure, although having the weight of the world might be an exaggeration. Considering I sent Lin to retrieve Alysara and you say both fates will have a development soon, I can’t help but think that is no coincidence,” Alexander explains his thoughts to the Orc.
“So you came to this conclusion because I mentioned this fate development is approaching? Assuming your Knight succeeded in his mission, this would be a logical conclusion. However, your goal in hiring Alysara is related to the dwarves, correct? I do not believe the dwarves are related to the egg dream, as I sense that fate concludes further in the future. It is not an immediate threat.”
“Whether I am right or wrong, the only thing we can do is wait and see,” Alexander says. “I suppose you want to be here to confirm if my near-baseless speculation about Alysara is correct?”
“I would, actually.” Tk’Thalim says with a slight nod.
Just then, Alexander feels the presence of one of his Knights approaching. His mission should have him out for a few more days, so him being back now is worrisome. The door opens at Alexander’s will just as his Oathbound reaches it.
“Enter Nick. Tell me what news you bring.”
The Knight salutes.
“Sorry for ending my mission early. Lin is back, and I decided that ensuring the safety of the VIP was more important than a routine patrol; they should be landing an airship at the harbor soon.”
“An Airship? Did she bring a whole crew?”
“No, Emperor, it’s just Lin and the VIP.”
Alexander can’t help but feel a little dejected, he hoped Kayafe would come, but at least he can meet with Alysara. However, he is surprised to hear it’s only the two of them. Lin was never trained to fly an airship, which means Alysara has to be the sole pilot. She has to be very skillful as a pilot, or the airship is more advanced and made in such a way that it only needs one crew member.
“Well then,” Alexander turns to Tk’Thalim, “shall we meet the Saintess of Mana and Magic?”
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Old Souls are a mistake in the reincarnation process where a soul never goes to the Soul Sea; it instead floats around in the Soul Layer for some time before eventually being reincarnated. The reborn being has all the memories of their past life and are born with heterochromia. Beings with no eyes have no visual way to discern who is an Old Soul or not.
Legacy Souls, a type of Old Soul, are created by a different kind of accident. Rather than the soul going to the Soul Sea, it instead ends up in the void where it becomes lost for eons, until even its original realm fades into non-existence. They will eventually fall into another realm or be found by a resident of the void and be manually reincarnated. Their memories become dormant but will re-activate throughout the first twenty years of their new life. Since they are a type of Old Soul, they share the same eye trait as them.
Primordial Souls are just Legacy Souls, but much older and much rarer. Only three have been found so far.
Artificial Souls, such as familiars from the powerful Skill [Create Familiar], always have black sclera no matter how they are made. Interestingly enough, this means that Dungeons, which spawn monsters at will, don't make souls. Rather, they seem to force conditions for souls to form naturally.
[REDACTED] Souls are exceedingly dangerous beings with the defining trait of having eyes clouded with ectoplasm. They are an affront to the natural order, and all information about how they are created has been expunged for this information must not fall into the wrong hands. Even the only known one does not summon more of its kind for it knows that others of its kind are a danger to them. All of these souls must be destroyed before they get too powerful.
From the journal of Venaro, God of Knowledge and Wisdom.