Neophyte World Builder

SENA

A cozy fire was burning in the fireplace when she awoke, and Sena immediately knew she was dead.

The cabin was familiar, but too clean to be hers. Shadows weren’t bent right, never getting too deep or long, and the lighting was too bright for her old cabin. The scents were clear and vibrant and… pleasant, while her body lacked the aches and the difficulty in breathing that she’d last fallen asleep with.

In fact, she found she didn’t need to breathe at all, if she didn’t want to.

Sena rolled out of her bed, silently noting that she had a clean, crisp and simple white gown on. She flexed her tail, curled the talons on her feet, and took stock within a few moments. She was as fit as when she was in her prime, and moved as easily as in her teens. She could also tell it wasn’t a real body—her experience with her own limitations communicated that right away.

“So who are you?” Sena asked without looking up.

The slender, androgynous vaskan in the corner hadn’t escaped her notice. Sena wasn’t sure what this one was, Totem-wise, as she didn’t recognize the array of black feathers fanned out from either side of their neck. He or she was so quiet and still, anyone else might have missed that they were sitting nearby… but she didn’t.

“Sharp, aren’t you?” The figure chuckled. “From your chosen domicile, I presume you hail from the time before the vaskan worshipped gods, so I am not certain anything I say would make much sense to you. Call me Muerve.”

Sena twitched an ear as she looked Muerve over. Her eyes narrowed as she considered what to say… and how much to reveal. She did not get the sense that he was dangerous… but here in this realm, she wasn’t sure how much she could rely on her senses. She let her tail flick to show her unease, as that seemed quite normal for a woman in her situation.

Should she play dumb, or try to put him off balance?

Sena decided to try the latter.

“Muerve. And what are you a god of? I know what a god is, even if my people didn’t. What do you want with me?”

The stranger’s lips curled into a frown. “You are a very suspicious person. I am the god of death, and I was investigating why these memories were preserved in such an old soul. I awoke you to see what sort of person had their personality preserved over so many years.”

Sena walked to the window while Muerve was talking, looking out to see the well-kept garden that was so familiar to her. When she had worn this body at this age, she hadn’t even considered retiring to a pleasant cabin like this. The time didn’t match, and she wondered why.

“An old soul, you say?” She looked over her shoulder. “And how long has it been? Long enough that the vaskans now believe in gods enough for them to form, and long enough still for a god of death to wake something that they know nothing about.”

That frown deepened as Sena spoke, and Muerve shook their head. “It is an anomaly. I’ll remind you that this is my domain… and if you truly know about gods, you should know what that means. As you are dead, that puts you both under my power and my responsibility, and it would be in your best interest to cooperate.”

Sena spun about, her tail flicking against the wall in a light thump. “Is it? Or do you merely want me to think it is?” She waved a hand as if to bat away an annoying bug. “I am sure you are competent, or perhaps just very new, but you woke me up without understanding why I was slumbering in a soul. I know why I was being preserved, and you are not the conditions I was supposed to awaken to. Why don’t you ask your creator or the System? Either of them could answer.”

Rather than react to that, Sena watched as Muerve’s frown vanished, the god putting on an impassive face instead. The sudden mask was informative in itself, telling Sena that she’d gotten to the strange being. It also told her exactly what she needed to know.

“You didn’t think to ask, and now you don’t know if they’d be angry at you, hmm?” Sena laughed, stepping forward to close the distance to within touching range. She lifted a clawed finger, dragging it down Muerve’s jaw while the god froze, completely baffled by this sudden proximity.

“Who is she, you’re wondering?” Sena teased with a little flit of one ear. “Who is this mere mortal that knows the creator and his daughter? Are you wondering if you let loose something dangerous and forbidden?”

She smirked and took a step back, giving Muerve some breathing room. “You should be careful with mortal souls, god of death. We lack the power of your domains, but we can act outside of them as well. I wonder if I should see how far I can press? Would you stop me if I looked for a way to return to the living world? When would you give in and call for help, I wonder?”

“That would be in my domain to prevent,” the god muttered stiffly. “And even I do not know how you would begin to go about doing such a thing. Who are you?”

Sena smiled, tail swaying as she walked toward the cabin door. She didn’t get a chance to answer the question.

“You should have asked me that before poking around in something you didn’t understand, Muerve. You’re better than this.”

A quick turn around managed to get Sena facing the oncoming little elf just in time to catch her in a hug. Akasha’s pounce was heartfelt despite her scolding words to the death god, and Sena stumbled back despite the surprising lack of weight in the elf’s form. It just felt like she should, even if she started laughing instead of grunting with effort.

“I wondered when you would show up, Akasha! Couldn’t you have waited just a little longer? I was having fun teasing this one,” Sena murmured, giving the elf a small squeeze before releasing her.

Akasha rubbed her cheek against Sena’s lightly before dropping down to the floor, her tail swishing enthusiastically. “I was worried. I should have known you could take care of yourself against a subterminal. But I usually fetch your soul every time your current reincarnation dies, and this time you weren’t where I left you.”

Muerve finally managed to get a word in. “So this was not an irregularity at all? She truly was selected by Crown?”

“It is a long story,” Sena sighed, waving a hand at the god. “If Akasha says you meant no harm, I will believe her. Though I wonder where I am. I assume I was awakened early? Better early than late. How is my family, if you can tell me? How is your family, Akasha?” She glanced at Muerve. “Should we discuss it in front of him or her?”

“Take a seat, both of you!” Akasha declared. She hopped up to sit on the table with her usual irreverence, relieving Sena that she hadn’t changed that much. “Muerve isn’t either man or woman. They’ve taken on the concept of death really well, and decided that got in the way of it. I don’t agree, but I’m not going to tell them how to do their job… except with this.”

Sena slid into the familiar chair of her home while Akasha explained.

“Your descendants breed true sometimes, and they’ve formed a society to keep the dungeons operating correctly, and make sure nobody messes with how things are supposed to work. They’re loyal and happy, and sometimes work with one of the dragons… long story.” Akasha swished her tail. “It’s been about fifteen hundred years since you died. Father put together this place where souls can rest between reincarnations some time after you died, but he had to sleep right after, so we never had the chance to figure out what to do with you. He’s back now, but only in the last few octades.”

Muerve watched the summary with a twitch of his lip, then a loud sigh. “I dislike your father tinkering with the cycle of life and death, but I suppose it is his prerogative.”

Sena just chuckled, “Trying to keep him from messing with things is never going to work. I earned my special place because half my life was cleaning up his messes.” She sighed wistfully. “Those were the days I miss, really... oh, did your girl work out, Akasha?”

“She’s alive right now with her old memories,” Akasha said, flicking an ear. “We go a few lifetimes at a time where she lives other lives without knowing me, but that’s fine. Time is different for me anyway. We could probably set something up for you like we did for Wanderer, if you’d like.”

This time, Akasha looked at Muerve, who let out a sigh. “It is not… unprecedented, no. With the lady’s consent, of course. You would not remember who you are when alive, unless your memories were unlocked by Crown. When here, you would remember every life going forward. It is an exception I do not like to make… though that is perhaps because every mortal that has this exception can be very taxing on the patience.”

“Father is very busy right now, but if you’d like to stay here in the afterlife before being reincarnated until he is back, that’s up to you,” Akasha offered. “I’m not sure why you wouldn’t… I know you two didn’t have the same thing Reyth and I have, but you’re the closest thing he has to a friend.”

Sena nodded and leaned back in her chair, looking at Muerve again, before she frowned. “I imagine he is very busy after that long without monitoring. What about his superior? Was that ever resolved?”

Muerve’s lips tightened. “Crown has a superior as well?”

“He used to,” Akasha corrected. “Father’s superior went missing right after he was forced to sleep. He’s taken the role instead, and that’s one of the things that has him very busy. He has to deal with all of those responsibilities as well.”

That made Sena flinch. “In that case, you will need me around. I don’t believe several lifetimes has changed Kenta so much that he’s suddenly able to fix all his problems without a little help. I do not suppose Chall has survived to the present age?”

Akasha’s ears drooped. “I’m afraid not. It lasted a long time, but eventually split apart. The Silent Order joined with the Deep Watch, the organization your descendants run. An Elder Dragon is keeping them organized.”

Muerve was now looking at Sena with more interest, but she ignored the god for now.

“I thought the Elder Dragons of Downside had no interest in mortal affairs? The world truly has changed, hasn’t it?” Sena sighed again, tilting her head back.

Akasha chuckled, “It’s a long story… like most. There’s one or two Elder Dragons that make an exception, but that’s complicated. Father is dealing with some issues with mother that really need taken care of, so I’m not sure when he’ll be free. I’ll send him a message that you’re awake, but it could be anywhere from minutes to years. You know how he is with time.”

“Hopefully not years!” Sena laughed. “I have no desire to live again right now, but I should try to learn what has happened.”

With a perk of her ears, Akasha clapped her hands together. “Great! I know just how to handle this!” She turned to the god sitting at the table, who immediately groaned.

“No whining, Muerve! You poked where you shouldn’t have, so show the nice lady around! I’ll be back in a while!”

Sena tried not to laugh again at the unfortunate god.