Neophyte World Builder

Chapter 143: The Age of Silence

VEDAS

He hadn’t remembered asking to be reborn into a future world, but Vedas had to admit it sounded like something he would have asked for.

His opinions of this world were… mixed.

The way the elves had spread was grand, and the cities they created fascinating to him. The new peoples that had been discovered were even stranger than the distant tribes of elves he had encountered on his long journey. He’d even met a dwarf during one of the many dives into the dungeons that he’d made with Fisk while setting up the Dungeon Delvers.

He didn’t like that name. It sounded dumb.

The rooken were the new people he liked the most. Vedas couldn’t help but envy their freedom of flight and their ease of mastering language. He wondered if he could request to be a rooken next life. Was that a thing he could do? He still had a good number of years left in this life… perhaps he could ask Tastka about it next time he saw her.

It had been a while.

Vedas considered it for another long moment, then shrugged. Who knows how the world would change next time he remembered who he was? If there even was a next time…

He sighed, ears lowering, and watched the final moments of the distant battle. It wasn’t that it was boring… far from it. Two young dragons fighting a Thunderpede? It was one of the most grand battles he’d seen, if nowhere near as visceral as the numerous ones he’d fought this life and last. He was glad he had this high vantage point to watch it from.

One of the dragons latched jaws onto the many-legged giant’s throat, scoring a clean kill. The beast lurched, toppling over with a distant crash.

Things were different. In his first life, a monster like that stomping from the Chaos Lands – not that they called them that now – would have required fleeing and a return only when it starved itself out. To defeat it would have required a joint attack from multiple clans, and even that would have resulted in far too many casualties for most to deem it worthwhile.

Now, most elves didn’t even bother to learn the basics of using a spear. Many of them focused on only one or two things that wouldn’t let them survive alone in the wilderness, unlike just about every member of his old clan. The world today just didn’t need everyone to struggle.

Vedas had been skeptical of that at first… but the warriors of this time were often higher level than anyone he’d seen in his previous life. Most of them could easily defeat the greatest hunters of his old clan. Or most of the time.

He’d had a very easy time humiliating the one that had tried to challenge him, though.

The twelve level difference should have meant the challenger trounced him. Fisk had just… let him handle it. Vedas himself had been surprised at how quickly he’d put the other elf on his back. Too many had relied solely on their levels and abilities, and not enough on good tactics and technique.

Fisk and he had fixed that.

On the topic of Fisk, he heard his old friend approaching from behind. Even as an Aravel now, the subtleties of gait and weight of the footsteps told him who it was without looking back.

“Messenger is awake, now.” Fisk gave the news without preamble, moving up to watch the dragons tear into the huge creature in the distance. “She claims that she couldn’t control her dreams like normal, and had difficulty finding the other dragons. She didn’t say anything else about what she saw, but when I mentioned your comment about tall creatures that didn’t look like elves, dwarves, or rooken, she refused to say anything more.”

Vedas lifted his ears. “They’ve always been like that. Saying we aren’t ready for certain things. Maybe they’re right.”

Fisk looked at him with a slight twitch of the nose, but didn’t press further.

The two old friends – hardened and drawn close by the shared experience of octades of travel together – stood in silence for a long while. Everyone had gotten the notification that something had changed, but these two had already seen an age far different from what they saw now.

“Do you think we’ll ever see them again?”

The question broke into the quiet that Vedas was enjoying, but he didn’t mind. It was a thought he’d considered himself, ever since the years had started to drag on.

“Do we need to?” Vedas looked up at the sky, noting that the band of light the sun now hid behind was fading to the orange-rust color of dusk. “We spent a lifetime together. Then we all went our separate ways after death. Did we ever have any expectation of more?”

Fisk joined him in looking up at the sky, waiting for the stars to fade in.

“Not really,” he finally admitted. “But do you ever have the feeling that everything we’ve done has been part of something much larger than we realize? You changed the world in that battle, but I can’t help but wonder if even the Delvers were more important than we thought.”

Vedas flicked his tail in a dismissive gesture. “Maybe. Does it matter? The Delvers are operating on their own, now. What are you going to do? You still have octades of life ahead of you. I have a few as well, before I start to slow down. Did you have plans?”

Fisk laughed at the question.

“I’ve been thinking about it, and I think I’ll unite the Homelands and spread further toward the Duskwall.” The Aravel’s tail swayed, showing some of his eagerness in that challenge. “We know they can link the two… the Courtship Road shows us that. This world is ruled by the Aravel, and they just don’t want to expand or breathe.”

Vedas flicked his ears up in amusement. “Going to just relax and lay about, then? Sounds nice.”

The two laughed together, then Fisk turned the question back against him. “You? Going to stick around?”

Hesitantly, Vedas dipped an ear in negation.

“I’m going to gather up anyone who wants to go, and head toward the Dawnwall, if it exists.” He gestured outward. “Have you noticed anything strange about this time we’re in? We Calen are rare… much more rare than we used to be. Places that were desolate of mana before now have plenty, and even if they defend against them better, the rampages from Chaos Lands happen more frequently. Soon, no more Calen will be born… I want us to make a mark before that happens.”

Fisk chuckled. “You discovered the Duskwall… now you want the other end? So, going to take it easy like I am?”

Another shared laugh, and the two quieted to stare at the fading light of the sky.

Just two old friends welcoming in the new age.

She had clarity this time.

Reyth was sure now that her time fighting in the Dungeon of Infinities had been one that had melded her two selves. The details were muddled and distant, hard to remember, but she’d fought using skills and abilities that only Farflier possessed. Yet she’d been – partially – herself.

As she dreamed tonight, she let out an quiet sigh. Farflier’s memories were tucked away, something she could access… much like the memories of previous lives had been when she had been an Aravel. She was sure that this was not normal, that people would not walk their dreams with memories of their past selves. The persona of their past selves.

Which could only mean one thing.

“I thought you promised to stay away, Akasha?” She asked the question of the air, staring down the endless hall of pillars. No echo resulted from her question, but she knew it had been heard. Distance was but a convenient fiction in this realm.

She turned and sat down on the rock that was so familiar. The one by the river that she had so often sat upon with her eccentric lover. It was there now, along with the river, as if the hall had never existed. Just a warm summer day, breeze in her hair.

Akasha sat next to her.

“I did stay away. I have.” The plaintive note in her voice was almost childish… if not for the next part.

“I will. I just needed to speak to you tonight. Just this once.”

The tone was different now, one that Reyth had rarely heard – if ever. She gently tucked her tail around Akasha’s waist, a silent invitation to continue speaking.

Akasha clasped her hands together, tail swaying. “I understand now why you wanted me to go away. You were the one being… responsible. I tried to be serious about running the System, but that’s just what I do. I didn’t really understand. I’m sorry I was so upset when you chose this. I needed to say that.”

The tail squeezed as Reyth listened. “There’s nothing wrong with being upset. I miss you, you know. I will come back, one of these lives.”

She held back the question she had, but as Akasha leaned against her shoulder, Reyth sighed and asked anyway.

“What happened?”

At first, the only response was a gentle twining of tails together. It took an unknown amount of time – such as time existed in the Dream – before the Avatar of the System could speak.

“Father is… gone.” She looked down at her hands. “He’s still here, but I can’t speak to him. I felt him give too much and now… I can’t speak to him. Everything he was doing, everything he did… I have to try to keep going. I can’t even speak to mother with him gone. I know she’s still alive – I can feel it – but I don’t know if any of us are ready for what’s going to happen next.”

Reyth waited until the pause was there before she whispered, “I’m sorry.” She gave a squeeze to one of the girl’s hands. “I didn’t know you spoke to them that much.”

Akasha’s ears dipped. “I didn’t. But now that I can’t, it’s different. And… I feel something. Father is still there, just… asleep. I don’t know for how long, but parts of the world aren’t working right. Then, right after he went quiet, there was something else.”

The elf shivered, her tail tightening uncomfortably around Reyth’s.

“Something big. Bigger than I’ve ever felt. It passed by us, and I don’t know why… but it did something. Something important.”

Akasha looked up again. “I just needed someone to tell.”

Again, Reyth hesitated… but then gave a light squeeze. “Do you need me to come back?”

Shaking her head, Akasha sighed. “I want you to. I really do. But… I think I don’t need you. I’m going to figure this out myself, and I know you wanted to experience more of existence without me. I need to do that, too. I understand that, now. I’m the System. I have to be here. If I ever do become an Administrator… it’s a long, long time from now. When you decide you’ve lived enough… I’ll be waiting for you.”

Reyth almost asked to come back. Her mouth opened, but she held back. Something told her this would only make things worse, if she returned now. Instead, she leaned in close.

“You’ve grown. I’m proud of you,” Reyth said with an honest whisper. “If it ever becomes too much… you know I’ll come back.”

“I know,” Akasha murmured. “But for now, I need to keep the world running as well as I’m able. I need to keep it safe and wonderful and energetic. I need to keep it safe for when he comes back.”

A light ear tilt downward flit across Reyth’s features. “You’re sure he’s coming back?” It wasn’t a pleasant question to ask… but she needed to hear the answer from her lover.

Akasha’s own ears rose gently. “I know he will. Eventually. Maybe not for me, but he will come back.”

She gestured with her other hand, and Reyth saw something shining brightly, so brilliant it was hard for her to look at even here in the Dream. Even as a mortal, Reyth knew what she was looking at. It was somehow instinctive.

Akasha held a mortal soul in her hand.

“He made a promise.”