Chapter 155: Chapter 138 – Incentives and Responsibilities

"There is no such thing as a free gift. Most everything in this world has a price, even if it might be something as vague or insignificant as a good impression from the recipient. Should someone offer you a gift and insist it's for free, take heed and beware ulterior motives." - Saying attributed to Reinhardt Edelstein, Captain of the Free Lances mercenary company, circa 5 FP.

"What exactly does accepting the offer entail?" Asked Cal to everyone in the room. She was not exactly wary that deities of all things would stoop so low to fool mortals like her, but their description in the dream was rather vague, and honestly, sounded a bit too good to be true. She then further clarified to them;"The responsibilities the position demanded, I mean."

 

"Pretty much what Vitalis and Remidis said to you in the conclave," answered Kino with a smile from her seat, where she was twirling a high stemmed glass filled with good wine and enjoying its bouquet of aroma. "Be yourself, enjoy life, and your presence would passively anchor the affinity to what it should be like."

 

"The deities choose based on personality and character, and no other criteria," intoned Magnus from the side as he caressed his long, well groomed beard with one hand. "Those chosen as candidates, are people whose selves already embody the affinity they possess in some ways, and thus they just needed to remain themselves."

 

"We are the ones who have been champions the longest out of everyone gathered here," started the elder twin brother of the Champions of Light, a long haired man that was Aideen's uncle. He had introduced himself as Caelleach Fiachna earlier after Aideen introduced him to Cal. "About… a thousand years now I think?"

 

"A thousand and fifteen years as of this year, brother," replied Ciarran, the younger twin. "So please believe us, lady Ambervale, when we say that ever since we took the responsibilities, not once have the deities made a demand of us."

 

"It… I just thought it sounded too good to be true," replied Cal with some surprise in her voice.

 

"Oh, you can fucking bet it was!" Said Eirycea while she laughed out loud. "You haven't even heard yet what you're granted as a reward when you become one. When you do you'd totally be thinking that there must be a fucking catch somewhere behind all that!"

 

"What does she mean?" Asked Cal with some curiosity.

 

"What she be meanin', lass, is dat we all here be immortal. In da realest sense o' dat word," replied Hogart, the dwarven blacksmith. "We be livin' here in Paradise and claim ta be Unliving 'cause it's da best possible excuse for us ta be livin' forever."

 

"To be precise, Cal, once you choose to become a champion, you were granted true immortality, with some restrictions, for as long as you remain within the role," explained Aideen before Cal could voice her queries. "You cannot have offspring once you pass the natural age at which you could have one, but otherwise, it's pretty much immortality. For you, and a few companions you chose."

 

"Companions?" Cal's eyebrows quirked up on that word from Aideen. "Elaborate, please."

 

"Each of us can basically choose to take our close friends or families with us, to accompany us through our time, however long it lasts. They would be granted the same immortality, but it would be tied to you, and when you cease to be, so do they," answered Aideen with a slightly sad smile on her face. "There are limitations, however. You can only choose those who had passed away, and they need to pass on after you became a Champion, not before. Also, at most… I believe you can have… Hey, dad, how many did Radoth have with him? I forgot."

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"He had fifteen of his family members with him at one time," replied Ciarran.

 

"That many people with you," concluded Aideen. "That said, you do need to consider that living forever, isn't all rain and sunshine. People grow tired of life after too long. Radoth's family had all chosen to pass on to the cycle of reincarnation by now, hence why we needed someone to replace him, since he wished to do the same."

 

"We can lay down the role and pass on should we get tired of it then?" Cal asked with some surprise. On one hand, the idea that some people get tired of eternal life was strange. On the other hand, her aunt Tia had told of many stories of old elves taking their own lives, precisely because they were tired of living.

 

"We all could, yes. Some like Champions of Wind do so more regularly than others do. While the Champion of Death has been one and the same since time immemorial as far as I know. It really depended on their personalities," replied Aideen. "I'll introduce you to the Champion of Death when we go to Tohrmutgent. He lives there."

 

"This all… honestly sounded too good to be true," Cal said after some thought. "Yet on the other hand, I sincerely doubt deities would be playing such an elaborate prank on someone like me, much less with you all participating."

 

"Everyone says the same at first!" Said Kino as she laughed cheerfully. "There's no hurry anyway, you can take your time thinking. Old Radoth's been up there for centuries, he can afford to wait a few years more."

 

"What Kino said is right, Cal. Take your time thinking about it, there is no need to hurry your decision," noted Aideen. "I'd say you should at least finish your trip around the world first, visit every place you want, then make a call on it."

 

"That's… not a bad suggestion, thank you," replied Cal with a nod. "Maybe I should do just that indeed."

 

"Do so then," said Aideen as she smiled gently. "The deities can wait. Years for us is but mere moments for them, so don't feel hurried on their account."

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