I took a mont to mull things over before answering Tempest's question. After a while, I snorted. As world-shaking as these revelations were, nothing had changed. Not really.
"The sa as before," I said. "Slay demons and save the world. Everything else pales in comparison to that."
Tempest nodded.
"Good answer," he said. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to help you, in particular, with that."
I frowned at him in confusion.
"What do you an?" I asked.
Tempest gestured to .
"You seek Holy magic, do you not?" he asked.
I blinked at him in surprise.
"Yes," I said. "How do you know that? I thought you couldn't perceive ."
"I cannot," Tempest admitted. "However, I can perceive the people around you. That's how I, and the other gods, found out about your existence. You kept disrupting our plans. We have kept track of you ever since then." He sighed. "As for Holy magic, I am afraid I have to disappoint you. I cannot gift you my power. It is reserved for your sister, Kaylee. She is my chosen champion."
I'll admit, I felt more than a little disappointed when I heard this.
"Is there nothing you can do then?" I asked.
"For you?" Tempest shook his head. "No. Not because I do not want to, but because I cannot. Gods are forbidden from interfering with the mortal world too much, lest we destroy that which we seek to preserve. There is a reason why we rely on interdiaries." He frowned. "However, in your case, that is not the only reason."
"My severed fate?" I guessed.
"Correct," Tempest said. "Thanks to Aleah Jeffers' actions, I cannot bestow upon you any divine blessings. While you can be affected by Holy magic, you cannot wield it yourself." He held up a finger. "However, you can learn soul magic. That is another benefit of a severed fate."
I grimaced at him.
"Does that an I have to learn it from Aleah Jeffers?" I asked.
"Yes, unless you wish to learn it yourself through trial and error." Tempest gestured to . "That said, you already made a good start when you achieved Unity of Flesh and Spirit. After all, spirit magic is a form of soul magic."
Excitent blood in my heart.
"That ans I can learn it from Kiki!" I said.
Tempest snorted.
"Ah, yes. That one. I would not trust her, if I were you. You are better off learning spirit magic from Kaya. She is a spirit as well. The ghost of a storm dragon, even."
That caught off guard. I already suspected that Kaya was a spirit, but I never expected Tempest to outright admit it.
"My lord!" Kaya stood up and glared at Tempest. "How could you?!"
Tempest raised an eyebrow at her.
"He was going to find out sooner or later," he said, nonchalant. "Telling the truth right away saves a lot of ti. It is better than letting Kiki teach him spirit magic."
"Who is this Kiki?" Kaya demanded.
"Your sworn sister."
A myriad of expressions flashed across Kaya's face. Shock, delight, sorrow, before settling on rage.
"That treacherous bitch is still alive?! Where is she? I'll kill her!"
The air around Kaya crackled with thunder and lightning. For a single mont, I saw a shape behind her body. I caught a glimpse of a being of imnse power, one on par with Kiki's true form. This being had storm clouds for wings, a voice of thunder, and lightning for claws.
A storm dragon.
I'll admit, I felt giddy and excited. Witnessing a storm dragon, even the ghost of one, was a dream co true. However, a mont later, I felt a surge of jealousy co through my bond with Aurora. I took a mont to reassure her that no matter how much I admired storm dragons, Aurora would be the only dragon in my heart. This was enough to mollify her.
"Enough," Tempest said in a long-suffering voice. "I understand your anger, but this is neither the ti nor place. Reserve it for when you see Kiki again."
Kaya gave him a rebellious look. However, after a mont, she reigned her anger back in.
"Very well, my lord."
I gestured to Kaya and gave Tempest a questioning look.
"It is a long story," he said, answering my unspoken question. "One of ambition and betrayal. Kaya can tell it to you later. You and I have more important matters to discuss."
"What makes you think I'm going to accept Priestess Kaya's help?" I asked. "I'm more familiar with Kiki, and she has helped us a great deal already."
"Oh?" Tempest asked in a sardonic tone. "So you are the kind to reject aid when it is offered? Aid from a god, no less?"
I stiffened for a mont. He got there.
"Fine," I said. "As long as Kiki doesn't die. I don't know her history, but she has been good to and mine."
"Oh, don't worry, Lord Gabriel," Kaya said in a dark voice. "I won't kill her. That would be too easy."
I sighed. Sothing told that I was going to regret accepting Kaya's help.
"While learning spirit magic is a good start," Tempest said. "You will still need Aleah Jeffers' help. It is better to seek her out than have her co find you. She prefers proactive students. When dealing with soone like her, you will need every advantage you can get."
I grimaced.
"I'd rather just kill her."
"So would I," Tempest admitted. "In fact, I have tried to kill her multiple tis. Each one has failed. She is resilient." He shook his head. "She may be my mother, but there is no being in all the cosmos that I hate more."
My jaw dropped.
"Aleah Jeffers is your mother?!"
"Yes." Tempest raised an eyebrow at . "I was not always a god. I was a mortal who ascended to godhood, born of the union between a storm dragon and a human."
Wait a mont.
"That sounds familiar," I said, unable to voice my suspicions.
Tempest smiled and puffed his chest out.
"You guess correctly, Gabriel Sturm," he said in a proud voice. "I am your ancestor, the founder of House Sturm."
My legs buckled when I heard this, though I sohow managed to remain upright. It wasn't everyday that you learned that you were the descendant of a god. If I hadn't heard it from Tempest himself, I would've thought it was a joke.
"How co we don't know about this?!" I asked. "Why are there no records of it?!"
Tempest shrugged.
"Simple, really. I did not want there to be." He furrowed his brow. "My children were already arrogant enough. They thought that because I helped save the world, they could act with impunity. I did not want to see their pride swell even further. So, I faked my death, ascended to godhood, and changed my na."
Of all the things I heard today, this was perhaps the most surprising. I rubbed my face with my hand.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"I'm going to need so ti to co to terms with all…" I gestured to everything in general. "…this."
"Save that for later," Tempest said, amused. "If you have any questions, now is the ti to ask them. I do not have much ti left here in the mortal world." He looked up. "I sense Aeros heading towards , itching for a fight." He snorted. "Arrogant whelp."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I heard this. I often heard that the gods were still people, but this was my first ti observing it firsthand. The gods I consulted in my past life maintained a lofty and mysterious air.
I took a mont to consider the questions I wanted to ask. Tempest had already answered most of them, including the one about my fate.
"I have two more," I said, holding up a pair of fingers. "Where can we find the group of demon worshipers responsible for bringing about the demon invasion?"
Tempest's expression grew serious.
"You can find them anywhere," he said. "The Order of the Infernal Star, as they call themselves, have people all over the Solarian Empire and the Lunarian Kingdom. It will take too much ti to tell you where all of their bases are." He pointed a finger at . "Go to the one in Mirkvale Forest. That should be a good start."
I sucked in a breath when I heard this. I knew that the group of demon worshipers, this Order of the Infernal Star, was powerful. However, I hadn't realized just how far their reach extended. Still, at least now I knew. Not only that, but I could put a na to the enemy.
"As for my second question…" I paused for a mont. "Why is Lumina a runic circle?"
Tempest paused, before shaking his head.
"You are not ready to hear the answer to that question," he said. "It will only distract you. Wait until you are more powerful. For now, focus on your more imdiate problems."
I felt disappointed by this, but nodded anyway. It wasn't as if I could force the answer out of Tempest. However, that didn't an I had given up. If Tempest wouldn't tell , then I would just find soone who would. At worst, I'd do as he said and ask him again when I grew more powerful.
"Now then, I must go," Tempest said. "As a token of our eting, I shall bear the cost for coming down here. I know you are worried for my grand priest."
I gave him a grateful look.
"Thank you," I said.
Tempest nodded, before he closed his eyes. The mont he departed, Grand Priest Darius slumped forward, unconscious. Kaya managed to catch him before he hit the ground.
The storm around us dissipated, until no traces of it remained, revealing the landscape around Mt. Sol. It was as if the storm never existed.
Aurora, now freed from the lightning chains, stood up and stretched, before walking over to my side. Lost in thought, I placed a hand on her head and started petting her,
I learned a lot from this eting, and it would take so ti to co to terms with it. However, for now, I would focus on more imdiate concerns.
So, I helped Kaya and carried Grand Priest Darius downstairs with Aurora right behind us.
After getting Grand Priest Darius settled in, and making sure he was alright, Kaya and I left the Temple of Tempest. Of the team of paladins, half remained behind to guard Grand Priest Darius. The other half accompanied Kaya and I back to the residence in Templeton.
The two of us walked side by side, neither one of us saying a word for the first leg of our journey. After a while my curiosity got the better of and I broke the silence.
"Are you sure this is alright?" I asked, a little worried. "Shouldn't we wait until Grand Priest Darius wakes up and explain things to him?"
Kaya wore a malicious grin on her face.
"Do you know how often I've had to put up with his nonsense?" she asked. "I've lost track of how many tis that old goat disappeared without saying a word, leaving to pick up his ss. I want to give him a taste of his own dicine."
I shivered and made a ntal note to never anger Kaya. She held grudges.
"Also," Kaya continued. "Could you tell this one to stop following ? It's annoying."
She gestured to Aurora, who walked right behind her. I found this odd as well. Instead of returning to my body, my familiar decided to trail behind Kaya, like a puppy following its mother. Through our shared bond, I felt Aurora's awe and admiration for Kaya.
"I think it's endearing," I said. "You're the first…" I paused, before I looked back at the team of paladins following us. "Well, she hasn't seen soone like you in a long ti. Let her have this."
Kaya gave an annoyed look, before glancing back at Aurora.
"Shoo, little one," she said. "I have no patience for whelps like you."
Aurora ignored Kaya and kept following her.
"So beautiful," she muttered. "I want wings like that."
Kaya grimaced. I chuckled.
"So, tell ," I said, hoping to distract Kaya. "What happened between you and Kiki?"
Kaya's expression darkened.
"There isn't much to tell," she said. "We both swore oaths to serve the gods. She betrayed her oath. I didn't. We fought before going our separate ways, and never saw each other again afterwards."
It was obvious that there was more to this story than Kaya let on. However, I decided against prying. Whatever happened between Kaya and Kiki was their business. As long as they behaved themselves, I didn't care how much they disliked each other.
Of course, even if they didn't behave themselves, there wasn't much I could do to stop them. Both of them were the ghosts of powerful beings. Even in their current state, they stood far above soone like .
"Very well," I said. "As long as you two can get along without killing each other. That's all that matters to ."
Kaya let out a mirthless chuckle.
"Oh, don't worry," she said. "I won't kill her. That would be too easy." She gave a sideways glance. "However, I will give her a beating when I see her again."
I snorted.
"Good luck with that," I said, amused. "Kiki has a stone body."
Kaya scoffed.
"You think that makes a difference?"
I raised an eyebrow at her.
"Doesn't it?"
Kiki shook her head.
"You still have a lot to learn, young Sturm." She puffed out her chest. "Thankfully, I'm here to teach you."
"Kiki is going to teach as well," I pointed out. "At least, I plan on asking her. I don't know whether or not she'll say yes."
Kiki narrowed her eyes at .
"First lesson," she said, annoyed. "Learn a bit of tact."
I grinned at her, before I mid locking my mouth and throwing away the key. We spent the rest of our journey in silence. Like the walk to and up Mt. Sol, nothing eventful occurred. I guess the rogue inquisitors decided to leave alone.
Or maybe the Grand Inquisitor already took care of them. In fact, that seed more likely, now that I thought about it.
When we arrived at Grand Priest Darius' residence, the team of paladins left to fulfill their other duties. anwhile, I led Kaya to the rear yard with Aurora trailing behind us.
"I don't want you two to destroy the residence with your fight," I said. "So wait out here while I bring Kiki to you."
Kiki smirked.
"Go ahead."
With that, I walked inside the residence. After asking around, I learned that Leroy, Cally, and Anna had left earlier. None of the junior priests in the residence knew where they went.
However, Lord Dominic and Kiki were still around. The forr commandeered one of the rooms and turned it into a makeshift workshop.
Huh. I should've seen that coming. In fact, now that I thought about it, it surprised that Lord Dominic hadn't done that already. He must've been holding himself back for a while.
I headed towards the makeshift workshop. When I arrived, I saw that it looked like a smaller and more cramped version of Lord Dominic's workshop in Eastwatch. A chaotic ss that made sense to Lord Dominic and no one else. Materials littered the room, tools lay scattered about in a haphazard fashion, magical constructs in varying degrees of completion took up most of the space.
Lord Dominic sat at a worktable, tinkering on a wolf magical construct. In fact, I think it was the sa wolf construct he worked on back in Eastwatch.
Kiki stood behind Lord Dominic, handing him tools and materials. Neither one of them spoke. The two acted completely in sync.
"Greetings, Lord Gabriel," Kiki said while handing over a chunk of tal to Lord Dominic.
"Kiki, there's sothing I need your help with. Can you co with to the rear yard?"
Kiki nodded to Lord Dominic.
"As you can see, I'm busy aiding my master. Perhaps later?"
I shook my head.
"It's rather important," I said. "An old friend of yours wants to see you. Her na is Kaya."
Kiki stiffened. I could sense her surprise and shock, even though her stone face couldn't make any expressions.
"I see," Kiki said after a while. "Very well."
She put a hand on Lord Dominic's shoulder.
"Master Dominic," she said in a gentle voice. "I need to attend to an important matter. I'll be back."
Lord Dominic, so imrsed in his work, didn't respond. Despite this, Kiki didn't appear angry or annoyed. Instead, she just walked away and joined .
Together, the two of us headed towards the rear yard.
"Why is Kaya here?" Kiki asked on the way there.
"It's a long story," I said. "To summarize, she's here to help learn spirit magic." I glanced at Kiki. "I was going to ask you to teach first, but… Well, let's just say I ended up with her as well."
Kiki took a mont before responding.
"Was it Tempest?" she asked.
I nodded. Kiki sighed.
"Of course," she said. "He's the only one she listens to without reservation."
I thought back to earlier.
"Well, not without reservation," I said. "Kaya is really angry with you."
"And she is right to be," Kiki said. "Did she tell you anything about my history?"
"A little," I said. "Enough to know that there is so bad blood between you two."
"I see. And how do you feel, after catching this glimpse into my sordid past?"
I shrugged.
"Regardless of who you were in the past, you helped and mine. That's all that matters to ." I glanced at her. "That's why I warned you about Kaya ahead of ti."
Kiki nodded, and I got the impression that she was smiling.
"Thank you."
A few minutes later, the two of us reached the rear yard. However, there was no one there.
"Where did she go?" I asked, looking around.
Kiki chuckled.
"If you don't already know, Kaya is the ghost of a storm dragon," she said. "When storm dragons attack-"
I noticed movent from the corner of my eye. A mont later, Kaya pounced on Kiki, knocking the latter to the ground.
"-they ambush their prey from above."
After that, neither of them had the energy to spare for talking. Instead, the two of them focused entirely on each other as they fought.
Kaya, after her initial ambush, tried to capitalize on her advantage. However, Kiki reacted right away by kicking her away. After that, the two of them fought in a furious brawl.
The two appeared even in strength, so it looked like this would last a while. So I found a comfortable place to rest, before I sat down to watch as the ghost of a storm dragon and the ghost of a world serpent fought each other.
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