Immortality had been dangled in front of my face. I could be granted everlasting life for nothing in return for such a boon—well, I knew that wasn't entirely true.
I would have to make manifest whatever this, 'glorious purpose' was, that the Celestial Goddess, Virgo, had tasked the Vanixian Empire with.
Since waking up here, I had tried to keep the thoughts of dread and painful emotions from taking hold. I knew that I had left my friends, my sister, and Hailey in a real-life nightmare.
How could I accept this offer and return to them when so many had died already?
Was Julius still alive? Could he have managed to survive the devastating attacks of the Terror Demon? If anyone could have, I suppose it would be him.
What of Soren, Alistaire, Luke, and Mei? There were too many unknowns in this plane of obscurity.
If I returned, and they were dead, how could I continue on without them and not feel guilty…
Doubt flooded my mind, gnawing at me. Taunting that I wasn't that strong.
I had ventured away from Virgo and her winged attendants finding a particularly secluded part of the Coil's grove, away from prying minds that would read my thoughts. Sitting within a ring of spider lilies, I ran my fingers down their stems and gently pressed against their tines.
The family palace had a small garden of these flowers. Whenever there was a death in the family, they would be arranged in a stunning bouquet with ebony roses. The vivid blood-red and black colors made for a striking placement, echoing the very chill of death. Seeing these flowers here reminded me a small bit of home.
I thought of my Father. Steadfast in his crusade against the demonspawn that stole away our legacy, he pushed me to take on a commanding role within the Republic.
He was overbearing at times. Stubborn and a real pain in the ass. But his love for my sister and I was true.
Did he know of his purpose? Our purpose.
He must have. To push me so far and so high.
Everything he did, was done for a dying Empire. Memories of which faded away each day that passed.
"Then I'll bring it back." I spoke softly to the lilies around me.
I think that if I accept this offer, I want to be able to bring my friends who perished with me back. And if that's not possible…
If that wasn't possible then I didn't know what I'd do.
It would be selfish of me not to accept. In the halls of that grim and bloody Citadel, I left the woman I loved crying over me. Hundreds of people were counting on me to keep them safe, to find a new home for us.
Hailey would be strong, I knew that. She led our people from Axio out of danger without me. But given the option I don't want her to have to suffer that burden alone any longer.
Rias was also an Altaerian, she could take my place as Empress—but no, Virgo said she would find another in the line to take her offer if I refused.
So Rias' safety wasn't guaranteed.
What if she also refused?
What would happen then?
I couldn't let some other soul go in my stead and lead my people. Would they return as they once were… or would another soul just take my body?
I shuddered at the thought.
-✵-
"Virgo, I've made up my mind."
My boisterous return to the altar site was met with indifference from the three beings.
Oh come on! I'm about to make the biggest commitment in my life, a little eagerness could be warranted.
"And your decision is?"
No acknowledgment towards my mentally-vented frustration.
I approached Virgo in a huff, "I accept your offer, without any conditions. But, I ask for another boon as well."
She placed a taloned finger to her cheek, tapping softly.
"Hmmm… No conditions, but another boon? Is that not in itself a condition? I suppose you may ask. If it is in my power to grant, then you shall have it."
"Those who died with me. I want them to be returned to life, and—"
Virgo's finger stopped tapping.
"—I wish for them to be granted immortality as well."
That wicked smile was back on her face.
"Hah! You surprise me little empress. I half expected the request to be great power, or unlimited riches. Instead, you ask for a selfless thing. For your friends to be alive and safe. Or perhaps it is a selfish thing. Either way, you truly are one of my chosen. You don't know your purpose, yet you embody it so well."
She turned to Mors and whispered something. Mors gave her a sharp nod and dematerialized through a dark green portal.
Then turning to the one in gold, she whispered something to her. The same sharp nod and another portal opened; this one was a rich ocean blue.
"I've sent my Avatars to see if we can fulfill your request. While I can grant you immortality, I cannot bestow you the power to grant others the same. However there is one among the Celestials who might, and you're in luck because I know she wanted to speak with you as well."
I bowed in respect, with my hands clasped in front of me, "Thank you for honoring my request."
"Truly, if you are to be granted such a power… I think I shall give you a new title. One befitting the most devout of all the Altaer."
Virgo was seemingly speaking to herself, tapping her talons on her cheek as she spoke. Abruptly snapping her fingers she intoned, "Ah, yes—I shall give you a title of standing, equal to one of my Avatars… Harbinger of the Immortals."
"A Harbinger? Equal to your attendants here?"
"As if you were the very same. Do you find that unworthy?"
"I rather find myself unworthy. I fear they are much more powerful than I am. To be placed on a level the same as them… Are you certain?"
"Your power is without limits, I should know, and you'll grow into your title. Like a small puppy in a large collar. Ha-ha-ha!"
A green portal opened and Mors stepped through. Immediately after, a blue portal opened opposite Virgo, and the woman in gold returned as well.
"She will be along shortly."
"Thank you, Vita. Expeditious as always."
With a passing thought of 'Is that your name? Vita?', the woman glanced at me, "I am the Avatar of Life. I am Steward of this Plane, as Mors is Steward of the Wanderer's Plane."
I forgot about the mind reading again.
I sighed lightly. I would be done with this realm of the dead stuff soon enough.
I hope.
I waited for her to continue, but it seemed like that was all I was going to get. Which didn't surprise me. I had asked who she was and nothing more.
Suddenly, the pressure in the air started to drop. The space around us began to crackle with static. Just as when the first portal opened, a tear started to form nearby.
Ethereal orange lines cut through the air in geometrically linear patterns. The static built in intensity until arcs of electric magick raced off the odd shapes. The portal opened and another Celestial Goddess came through.
This one looked similar to Virgo in some regards, and yet completely different in others. Her upper-body was also very... feminine—in both features and anatomy. She had horizontal dark stripes spanning across her skin and many runic glyphs just under her skin that pulsed a glowing orange light. She had long delicate hands, like an elf or human. Her lower half was unlike anything I had ever seen—her body slimmed past the waist into a serpent-like tail, but instead of being scaled and ending at a slim point it looked more like skin with had a number of fin-like appendages, with the tail ending in a twin-finned split.
The most prominent of her features were around her head. Like Virgo and her attendants, she had a human-like guise; but two long horns extended backwards from near her forehead, curving around in a spiral. Sharp slender ears framed them in a stark contrast.
Her silvery voice was just as beautiful to listen to as Virgo's.
"Hello, sister, it's good to see you. Mors, nice to see you're still gainfully employed.
Virgo's smile, now looking less predatory, had taken on a sincerity to it that I hadn't experienced yet, "It has been too long, I am truly happy that you are here. Allow me to present my little Empress, Airis Vanixi. Little one, this is—"
"Capricorn, the Celestial Goddess of Aether. Avatar of Magick."
She slithered forward, looking me over. Having encircled me a few times she stopped directly in front of me, narrowing her glare towards my face.
"She has an odd aura. What affinities did you grant her?"
"She is one of my Altaer."
"Ah, one of those. Well, that explains the oddity."
Capricorn backed off and looked at me intensely from afar. Her eyes flickered with a fiery glow.
"She may be able to handle it then."
I wasn't sure how to respond. It didn't seem like she was directing that statement at me… but everything about her was hard to read.
"Handle what, exactly? If I may ask."
Her face crept forwards, within inches of mine, a slender forked tongue peaked out from her mouth, "My magick. Magick deserving of the Goddess of Aether itself." She cackled maniacally. "Hahaha! It's not so dramatic, I suppose. But! I'll give you a choice, straightforward as they come."
Her words came out slow and purposeful, as if her whole personality switched in a heartbeat.
"I'll grant you an affinity, for Chaos, if you bind yourself to my Essence. It won't work any other way. Do that, and you'll be able to bring your friends back to life and maybe eventually, grant them immortality. Plenty of other things too."
"…Chaos?"
"It's a type of… conceptual magick. One of my own design. I like to think of it as a metamagick."
Conceptual… magick? Metamagick?
I had never heard of either of these terms before.
The Academy focused on the major schools of aetheric magick: Arcane, Fire, Frost, Lightning, Nature, and Holy. But the magisters at VxA didn't really dig into schools that weren't controllable by humans: Void, Sonic, and Mental.
So, maybe the Mental school was the closest thing to what she was referring to.
"It's nothing like simple mental magick! Such a primitive form of aetherial manipulation doesn't come close to my chaos magicks."
I mentally slapped myself for slipping up with the mind-reading again.
"Okay. So let me try to wrap my head around this. What would it mean to 'bind' to your, Essence?"
"Part of my power would live inside of you," A finger tapped dead center on my chestplate, "Think of it as… a focus crystal, but for your soul."
"And what do you get in return?"
"Hah! You're an inquisitive one, huh? In return I get satisfaction."
I shook my head, "I don't follow."
"It's not for you to follow, little Empress. I don't plan to twist the deal in a way that makes you come out at a loss. It furthers my own agenda if you have this boon. I was going to offer it to you before you returned to the mortal plane, even if you didn't ask for it."
She crossed her arms and curled her tail around herself, "Take a moment to think it over. I have nowhere else to be."
I reached my hand to my side, looking for a pocket. But found it empty. I guess my personal effects didn't make it to the afterlife with me.
"You wouldn't happen to have a coin I could borrow?"