Chapter 140: The Promise of the Goddess of Life
Serie quickly ran through a mental list of all the possible Sky-Winged who could have survived. She couldn't think of a single one. To leave this world was a one-way trip; you couldn't just come back. Like the fae, thousands of years ago, who had left under the guidance of their own god.
"But I thought all the members of the Council of Thirteen were dead," she said, voicing her confusion. "Weren't they all wiped out in your battle... in the demon's Divine Strike... leaving only Olivia? And didn't the Sky-Winged..."
"She was a member of the Council, but she retired a long time ago," he said, and seeing the growing confusion in her eyes, he quickly added, "Don't try to guess, Serie. This person's identity is... a bit special. It has to be kept a secret for now."
This "priest" was indeed a very special case, one that he had to handle with the utmost care.
Seeing the look on his face, a look that said he wouldn't say another word, she just gave him a cool glance and didn't press the matter.
Kraft, though also curious about this mysterious companion, was more focused on the mission at hand. "I understand," he said. "Then where is this priest? I'll go and find her now."
"She will find you," he said with a knowing smile. "When you are on the road to the Demon King's castle, she will appear. Your goals are the same, and destiny will guide you to each other."
Kraft looked at his friend's "prophet" like expression, and a muscle twitched in his jaw. "I understand. As you wish. I'll leave at once," he said, and with a slight nod to Serie and a final, long and complicated look at him, he turned and walked away.
Rhodes watched him go, the smile fading from his face.
"You said you were going to wait for Norne's decision," she said, her voice cool. "Why the change of plans?"
"Because we're out of time," he said, and a small magic circle appeared in his hand, glowing faintly.
"What's that?" she asked, leaning in closer.
"A life-signature spell. I'm thinking of turning the magic circle into a rune and inscribing it on a piece of paper. That way, I'll have a magical item that's like a 'life card'— Ahem, I'm getting off-topic. The strength of the light represents Norne's life force. And right now... it's fading. He doesn't have much time left."
"A rather useless spell," she said, not understanding why he would have invented such a thing. But she didn't ask. "So what are you going to do? Are you going back?"
"Yes. I have to say goodbye to an old friend."
She was silent for a moment, then nodded. "But this priest... are you sure about her?" With Norne's help, the Sky-Winged's holy scripture was now being studied by more and more people, and the healing spells within it were becoming more widespread. But that took time. She couldn't imagine where he had found such a powerful priest.
He turned to her, a look of resignation in his eyes. "Serie, her identity... it really is special. She's... the one from above." He pointed to the sky, trying to get her to understand. In his mind, there was only one being who lived "above." But in her world, there were many who lived in the sky.
"I don't understand."
"Alright. The priest... it's the Goddess of Life," he said with a sigh.
"The goddess? She's still alive?" she said, a look of genuine surprise on her face. In their final battle, they had gone all-out. Rhodes's final blow had completely annihilated the Goddess of Procreation's body. She had thought the Goddess of Life had died with her. But if she was still alive... then that would explain how the Sky-Winged had been able to leave this world.
"Well... she's 'dead', more or less. All that's left is her shattered soul. And she has to possess someone else's body to keep from fading away completely."
"Then... is she even strong enough?"
Hearing this, she suddenly felt a pang of pity for the goddess. To have once been so powerful, and to now be reduced to a disembodied soul, unable to even maintain a physical form... but then, if that was the case, why did he think she could help Kraft?
"It's fine. She owes us a favor. This will cancel it out."
He had first spoken with her after he had been swallowed by the black mud. His body had been destroyed, and the disembodied soul of the Goddess of Life had found him there, his own body also corrupted, but not yet teleported away. And it was then that they had made a deal. He had used the power of faith to help stabilize her soul, and in return, she had promised to help him, once, in the future, with a projection of her will. The Goddess of Life herself had already left this world, but the Heavenly Kingdom was still here, an anchor point for her power. When he had need of her, she would use it to project herself down to this world.
"No wonder you didn't want to tell Kraft. Her identity really is special," she said with a nod. Kraft was not a believer. To be told that his new companion was the goddess herself would have made him extremely uncomfortable. But she had a feeling that this whole ordeal might just make him a believer in the end. But that was none of her business.
"Come on," he said, holding out his hand. "Let's go say goodbye to our old friend."
"Yes. Alright."
She took his hand, the gesture now a natural one between them. In some unspoken way, a new, unspoken understanding had formed between them.
(End of chapter)
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