I didn't really understand what Nightingale meant by needing to call someone, but I'm sure he would explain that to me later. There was something peculiar about this small coffin. It had some kind of weird energy that seemed to pull me in. I went to try and open it without even realizing what I was doing… Something tells me I'm going to need to be wary of this object. However, thus far Nightingale has done nothing but assist me. He even appeared in the underground prison with the purpose of helping us. Even though he was incredibly strange, and truly mysterious… A part of me truly believed he had good intentions. I didn't want to trust him fully, but If he could make me stronger, and I could figure out what this coffin is for and how to use it… Then maybe I'll be one step close to finding Oli and Sid. "Sir Nightingale, I am grateful for this gift and I hope you are able to teach me how to use it properly. I apologize for my rudeness earlier, I can tell that you mean well. I've decided that I would very much like to be taken in as your disciple… If you'll have me." I said with a hint of nervousness. Nightingale's face remained apathetic at first as he listened to my words. But he then walked forwards and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Ivan, I will gladly accept you under my tutelage. I can tell that you have been through quite a lot, and yet you are clearly a strong willed child. Allow me to help you become someone of great power in this world. I know that you will be able to handle it. There will be many obstacles along our way, but we will reach an ending where all of the darkness in this land is finally quelled." Nightingale said with a kind tone that I had not heard until now. For some reason, I began to feel tears welling in my eyes. This man clearly saw something in me that I couldn't. "Ivan, for now it would be best for you to keep that coffin close and just rest. Take a few days to relax and recover. Enjoy this time you have with your friends. We will reconvene and talk more about what our next steps are. Go now, and please let Jewel know that I am ready to speak with her as well." Nightingale finished. I wiped my eyes and bowed to Nightingale. "Thank you." I said with gratitude. I then walked out of the old office and headed back to the dining area. I sat down at the table with the others and let Jewel know that Nightingale had asked for her. She then left us as we all started conversing about what Nightingale had pulled me in for.
As Ivan spoke with his friends, another conversation was unfolding.
Inside of Nightingales office:
"You asked for me Sir?" Jewel announced as she entered the office. "Ah yes, thank you for meeting with me Jewel. I wanted to let you know that Ivan has accepted my request and I have now taken him in as a disciple." Nightingale said while he lit up an old pipe and began blowing smoke rings into the air. "That is good news master, we will definitely need his help if we're ever going to face that demon. Also, although I do quite enjoy the smell of embered fog weed, it's really not good for you. I've told you so many times now that you need to quit." Jewel said with a speculative look. "Oh hush, I've been smoking different herbs for decades and I'm quite alright. But yes, you are right that we will need him. He holds a power that can eventually rival the evils that dwell in the night realm. I didn't want to tell him yet, so I will need you to keep this between us… I fear his little sister may have been sent to that place…" Nightingale said very seriously. "What!? How is that even possible!? You have to tell him!" Jewel exclaimed. "Well, if he was really involved in the gate incident at the Arch of Bane and his Sister was pulled inside… I don't think I have the heart to tell him where she may have ended up. Unfortunately, it is very likely she was traded out. We know that the Demon made its appearance shortly after that incident, but there's no confirmation which gate he came from. As of now, the only catastrophes we have become aware of are the Demon, the fire in that surface between Luna and Ra, as well as the unknown plant creatures that are spawning in areas of Vearn. There are currently 2 other calamities unaccounted for. However, my intuition is telling me that the sacrifices being made in that prison are related to one of the missing two." He added. "I know that you have stated there are 5 calamities that were sealed within the gates, but you never explained why there are 8 of them…" Jewel remarked as she went to sit down in one of the chairs. "That's a bit complicated, but I'll try and explain it. Originally, all of the gates were built as pathways for the gods to enter into our world in order to spread their influence. However, what no one knew was that when those gates were being constructed, they were tampered with via an unknown force. When that happened, over time the gates became unstable and eventually instead of linking to a path of the heavens… they then began linking to other realms that were utilized by the gods for other purposes. Those other realms were essentially prisons that contained beings we call catastrophes. When the links of certain gates fully disintegrated, those catastrophes enabled themselves to break out of their prisons and escape into the mortal world. When this happened, we were incredibly lucky that there were already certain gods inhabiting the mortal realm and ultimately decided to join forces with mortals in order to suppress and re-incarcerate those horrifying entities. Unfortunately because all of the gates became corrupted, many of them had to be repurposed in order to seal off the catastrophes. Additionally, the gods that were left after the battle needed a way to return back to the heavenly realm, as they were being blamed by certain factions for allowing such monsters into the mortal realm despite their efforts to assist us. During that time, many heroes and gods alike were killed during the fierce battles that ensued against the catastrophes. So as to the answer of why there are only 5 catastrophes and 8 gates, that is because the other three gates were used for a different purpose. One of which was completely destroyed after a specifically powerful calamity of the past was sealed inside. The kingdom in which that gate resided sacrificed one of the most powerful mortals to exist by destroying the gate all together. They were unaware of the cost at the time, and ended up losing someone of great importance to the world. The second was repurposed and made to be the last link to the heavenly realm of the gods. That way in a time of emergency, the gods would still have a way of helping us even if the mortals of the time were unwelcoming. This was accomplished due to the efforts of an honorable god that mankind cherished and trusted. Otherwise it never would have happened. Then the third and last gate was unable to be repurposed, and had to simply be sealed instead. That was because that gate In question was linked to a realm of great power that simply couldn't be disconnected from the mortal world. That gate had to be sealed using the blood of the gods and had been maintained by the gods' descendants throughout the years. The realm that was linked… was none other than the Night realm…" Nightingale said as he seemed to begin thinking even deeper about his own words. "Do we have any idea of who could have tampered with the gates to begin with? It could give us a clue as to how we can alter them once again." Jewel questioned. Nightingale took another inhale from his pipe and let out a deep exhale of smoke. "Trust me Jewel, that is something we have been trying to figure out for a very long time. From what we have been able to gather, it could be inferred that it was the work of multiple entities. Somehow the Demon seems to be involved, however… it couldn't have been accomplished unless a god was involved. Unfortunately, because there are divided factions among the gods and even outliers that are far more unpredictable there is just no way for us to figure out who could be involved or what the motives were for tampering with the gates in the first place. That doesn't mean there isn't a solution. The real reason I have been gathering artifacts for such a long time is because I am looking for one artifact in particular. In previous records, it was said that a key was created by one of the dark trio as a means of escaping the Night realm and abandoning their role that was forced on them. I'm unsure of which of the three it was or if they were actually successful… but the artifact in question has the power to unlock and seal the gates with ease. If we were able to obtain that key… then we would definitely have a chance of subduing the catastrophes." Jewel seemed confused about Nightingale's words. "But Sir, if the gods were able to help us seal them before, then why can't they just help us again?" Nightingale looked at Jewel with a frustrated gaze. "Well, that's because the upper echelon of the Gods enforced some severe restrictions on the ability to enter the mortal world… Not that it stopped some of them. For quite some time now there have been rumors of a God dwelling in the Kingdom of Ra which has caused quite the stir among the other kingdoms. Although this information isn't entirely helpful on its own, it does tell us that the Gods have been playing their own games behind the scenes. For some of them, the mortals of this world are simply toys for them to manipulate and dispose of as they please. They really have no reason to help us to begin with. The only reason we received help during the age of war, was because the God who represents mankind rallied other gods behind him to protect us. Even then, he was scrutinized radically among his brethren and lost even further support after many Gods perished in the fights against the catastrophes. Some gods even began to despise humans so much that they began rescinding their support of humans and allowed their own temples to fall into squalor out of hatred." He said with a hint of disgust in his voice. "Wait, I think I know who you are referring to Sir, the God who represented mankind and saved us during the age of war… wasn't he called the God of Hunting?" Jewel asked curiously. "Indeed, you are correct, my apprentice. The God of Hunting was the most courageous and noble of all of the Gods within their heavenly realm. He was legendary for his strength and battle stratagem. He single handedly killed one of the 8 Calamities and then repurposed the gate it surfaced from into the one and only links between the mortal and heavenly planes. The Calamity he felled was called the Titan of Gregoria, Horanath the Giant. It was a battle hungry behemoth that wrought destruction upon a kingdom that no longer exists. It was said that after Horanath had laid waste to the kingdom, his bloodlust and rage still could not be quelled. He began walking through the ocean, wandering aimlessly while feasting on mighty whales he would catch with his bare hands. That was until he came upon the Kingdom of Morland. When he reached land, the God of Hunting was waiting for him. They battled for 3 days straight, until the God of hunting ran his spear straight through the giant's heart. After felling the Giant, various different kingdoms arrived on Morland's doorsteps attempting to claim pieces of the Giant's body. Their intentions were to use the great magical power of Horanath's body in order to forge greater weapons. However, in order to prevent any infighting among the Kingdoms and to preserve the peace, the God of hunting chose to sink the carcass of the Giant into the ocean. To this day the whereabouts of Horanath's body is unknown." Nightingale finished, as he began to put out his embering pipe. "Wow, I had no idea that something like that happened… The God of hunting seems like an incredibly honorable warrior. It is a shame that the other God's did not share that sentiment… But sir, if I may ask you just one more question?" Jewel requested. "You may, but after you should head to bed and have the others take their rest as well. It is getting late after all." Nightingale responded courteously. "Yes, of course master. I was just curious, where did such a monstrous being like Horanath even come from? And I hope this doesn't come off as rude… But why share this with me Sir? It is a truly informative story of the past, but something feels off about all of this. I know that you are a very intentional teacher, so I just want to know what you are wanting me to learn from this?" Jewel said with genuine concern. Nightingale leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed and slowly ran his fingers through his hair, slicking it back. He let out a deep sigh and then turned to look at Jewel. "Your intuition is always on point isn't it Jewel? You are correct in that there was a hidden message among this story. I was hoping you would pick up on it and be able to explain it to me, but instead this shall be a good lesson for you. Before you go, allow me to explain one thing. The reason why a being like Horanath existed can only be due to one line of reasoning. Additionally, the reason why many of the Gods were unhappy with the God of Hunting after he killed Horanath can also be attributed to the same reasoning. Then, if you take into account the other Kingdoms that were trying to cover his body… it should lead you to one single conclusion." Nightingale said as he leaned forwards and clasped his hands together. "…Wait… don't tell me… He was-!?" "Yes, that's right Jewel. He was the child of a God. Something that is currently forbidden within the heavenly realm. Back then, there were quite a few children of the gods… Some of the descendants of those children even remain as royalty in some kingdoms. However, the most important aspect of this story is not just that he was the Child of a God, but that he was also considered a catastrophe to the mortal realm. In fact, you will find that every single Catastrophe related to those gates stems from the choices of the Gods… One way or another…"