Chapter 162: book 4 chapter 8

Eryl had told Himari she needed to speak with Hecatolite but as she pushed her way through a crowded street she was forced to slow and think.

            What exactly am I going to ask her? It wasn’t lost on Eryl that Hecatolite, no matter what, was still Hecatolite. Would questioning her even help any?

            And even if she thought it would, where would she start? As it stands now, she has two plausible explanations and… well neither of them are good.

            The first, Hecatolite is far more intelligent and powerful than she seems; she has forced her way into this world with her own power for some kind of goal that only she knows.

            This… is the least likely given what Eryl knows of Hecatolite. She couldn’t see the other woman being crafty enough for such a long-term plan, and though it is plausible she has enough power to force her way into a world the likelihood of her doing it without being detected are slim. Hecatolite is far too impatient and brutish with her power for that to be the case.

            The second, and much more alarming, Hecatolite was sent here by someone else. This would be worse if you asked Eryl, though it was much more likely. That would mean there is someone interfering with her world capable of controlling Hecatolite, who has enough power to “accidently” destroy a divine realm herself.

            Both the possibilities left her with questions though. Why her world? What is her goal here? Who, or what is Hecatolite, and who is controlling her? Though, if Eryl was forced to think about it the only conclusion that made sense was… terrifying.

            It would hardly be the first time one of the primes had chosen a champion to complete a task for them, though it is normally only a practice done by Light and Darkness. Life has also been known to send people to scout worlds, though as far as Eryl knew Death has never bothered giving anyone his blessings.

            Though that created a third possibility. None of the primes would condone Hecatolite’s actions since arriving in this world. Having destroyed over a dozen souls, and maimed countless more, the only prime that would even consider the destruction of a soul was Death; and it has only ever been used as a final resort. Besides, if Death had taken an interest in her world then there was really nothing she could do to avoid his ire.

            Despite being benevolent, Death’s gaze was never a good thing for a world. After all, there was only one reason she could think of for the primordial of Death to come to a world, and he would have come personally to do it. so it would have needed to be one of the other three.

All of that means Hecatolite could have been chosen for a task and has either completed it, or gone completely rogue from the one who granted her the power. 

Her thoughts were cut short as she rounded a corner to a secluded grove where she found the twins sitting side by side engrossed in an animated discussion, Hecatolite holding a fist sized stone in her hands as she tried to explain an enchantment to Amethyst. 

“I’m telling you,” Hecatolite sighed. “It should work fine. Really, it’s only like 12 rings, not even a dozen, why should I need to call mom every time I want to make an enchantment.” 

“12 is a dozen.” Amethyst replied with a sigh of her own. 

“Really?” Hecatolite asked, drumming her fingers on the stone. “I thought it was 13?” 

“That's a baker's dozen, Hecatolite.” Amethyst rolled her eyes, “and I don’t know enough about enchanting to know if this one will work or not, I’m sure mom can. Maybe ask Eryl?”

Hecatolite scoffed, “I can’t have Eryl look at it, that would defeat the whole purpose.”

Just what is she trying to make now? Eryl felt her anger boiling up again as the two continued their back and forth. She had come here to talk to Hecatolite, to apologize for her earlier outburst; but, watching the two now, she couldn’t help but feel… annoyed.

Hecatolite had not just completely ignored her, she was attempting to ignore even the barest of safety measures put in place by those who understand just how dangerous her enchantments could be! 

Before she knew it Eryl had strode forward, her blood was boiling, prepared to ignore everything and… And what? The thought gave her pause. 

She hadn’t thought that far ahead honestly. She knew she needed to talk to Hecatolite, to get the unstable woman to understand just how dangerous what she was doing is… But was it really? Hecatolite has proven to be a rather adept enchanter; sure, her enchantments all appeared to be unstable messes but in the end they had worked. The fact her home city was still intact was proof enough of that.

Yet something inside of Eryl pulled her forward. A building pressure that demanded to be released, a need to protect this world from things it was not ready for…

“Eryl?” Amethyst’s question broke whatever trance Eryl was under, the young woman’s questioning eyes snapping her back to reality as she just then noticed she was now standing over the two.

“I…” Eryl paused, why had she just stomped up to them? As Eryl tried to school her emotions Amethyst peered around her, her eyebrows knitting together.

Before she could get her thoughts in order Amethyst asked a question. “Where is Himari?”

Hecatolite snorted, “Worst buddy ever.” she even rolled her eyes as she shook her head, “Didn’t you learn last time?”

Eryl cleared her throat, “I doubt Himari is in any danger inside the elven capital.” She didn’t know why her cheeks were suddenly warm as she tried to defend herself. 

Hecatolite let out a low chuckle that grated on Eryl’s nerves. Why am I so… mad? Eryl took a deep breath. Hecatolite was… obnoxious… even if a small part of Eryl thought she might have had a point. After all, Himari had been attacked last time when Eryl believed them to be completely safe.

Eryl felt a ping of uncertainty only for the strange pressure in her mind to pulse, pushing the thoughts aside as she focused again on Hecatolite. No, Himari is safe. I need to keep an eye on her.

Eryl pressed on. “I need to talk to you.”

She could feel her body heating up as Hecatolite waved a hand lazily in the air. “Well, I don’t want to get yelled at again.” 

Did… did she just dismiss me! Eryl could feel her arms shaking as she balled her hands into fist. “Hecatolite!” Eryl took a step back when she realized she was indeed yelling. 

Hecatolite flashed an amused grin at her before turning her attention back to the stone in her hands. Is… is she just playing with me! I will…

“I think I’ll go find Himari.” Amethyst suddenly stood up reminding Eryl that she was there. How had she forgotten about her? And why did she look so concerned. 

Much to her surprise Hecatolite just waved her sister off. “I’ll just be here, getting yelled at for nothing again.”

“It was hardly for nothing.” Eryl hissed before she could stop herself. Why did she feel the need to retort at all? 

“Please…” Amethyst looked between the two of them, “Just try to get along.” The loud pop of her disappearing drowned out their replies as the faint smell of ozone filled the small grove. 

Eryl was only slightly concerned about the blatant teleportation before she heard another faint pop from far above them. She teleported directly up before picking a location. It was… a clever solution to the dangers of teleportation, she admitted. If one had the mana to do it that was. Then again, why had Amethyst felt the need to leave so quickly was beyond her. 

Turning her attention back to Hecatolite, Eryl was again at a loss. The other woman's large red eyes had a slight haze to them as their eyes met, her ever present smile was both disarming and irritating as Eryl had to remind herself that Hecatolite was… dangerous. 

Yes, that’s it. Hecatolite is dangerous, to not only herself but everyone around her, to this very world and she acted as if she herself didn’t know that! 

Eryl went to speak only for Hecatolite to let out a loud huff through her nose before turning back to her rock! As if that rock was more important than what Eryl had to say!

Without thought Eryl snatched the fist sized stone from the smaller woman, “We need to talk.” She was careful not to yell, though she doubted growling was any better.

Hecatolite sighed, her small shoulders slumping for a moment before standing up and walking over to one of the taller trees in the grove. 

It took more willpower than Eryl would like to admit to not throw the stone at her as Hecatolite jumped into the tree, disappearing into the canopy as she did.

“Hecatolite!” Eryl yelled as she stomped up to the tree. “You can’t just run away from…” an acorn bounced off her head, followed by a child-like giggle as a blur of white jumped to a different tree. “Can you take this seriou…” Another acorn interrupted her.

That’s it! Eryl could feel her mana surge as she cast a flight spell. She would capture Hecatolite if that’s what it took!

Hecatolite was… fast. Far faster than Eryl had even assumed, the tiny woman forced her to resort to using her tracking spell several times as she vanished around buildings. Not only that, but even with her distinctive appearance Hecatolite was unnervingly good at blending into her surroundings. 

“Will you just stop and listen to me!” Eryl yelled as Hecatolite poked her head out of a nearby bush. Her yell shocked several nearby people, again, as she dashed to catch the smaller woman.

If being unable to catch the other woman wasn’t bad enough, Hecatolite’s laughter made it so much worse. As if mocking Eryl, Hecatolite giggles filled the street as she contorted her body around Eryls outstretched hand before side stepping her and, using her tail as a springboard, vanishing above the buildings, again.

Eryl couldn’t do anything but grumble about her frustrations as she was again left in the middle of a crowded street, alone, with everyone staring at her. 

At this rate, not only will she not catch Hecatolite, but they will be labeled a public nuisance!

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Eryl, nearly threw the rock again… the rock… why in the name of the system am I still carrying this rock! Her hand all but refused to open as she tried to release it… It’s… It’s Hecatolite’s rock. She was going to do… something with it. 

It was strange; the rock was just big enough to fit in Eryl’s hand with a smooth almost glossy black color. It was… just a rock. A river stone one could find anywhere, but… Hecatolite is particular about things like this, isn’t she? Eryl placed the stone in her pocket, remembering Hecatolite spending hours looking for the “perfect stick” on the island to make Himari’s cane. She would probably never hear the end of it if she were to just throw it away, besides… I… I need to find out what she was going to do with it!

With that she continued their chase though the city, ignoring the onlookers as she lifted into the air only to see Hecatolite sitting atop the building as if waiting for her.

The same amused toothy grin on her face as she waved at Eryl. And something in Eryl’s mind… bent slightly. The anger was still there, boiling inside her veins demanding to be heard but there was something else… a warmth in her chest, that caused her to wave back before Hecatolite rolled off the roof and disappeared into the crowd.

Eryl wheezed as she arrived at the top of the great tree. She had been chasing Hecatolite for hours at this point, only recently having left the crowded streets for the densely packed canopy of the World tree.

When on the ground the chase had been relatively straightforward, even with the maze-like layout of the city it was easy enough for Eryl to cast flight on herself and circumvent the crowded streets. Even if she hadn’t, navigating the alleyways and groves would have been trivial for her. 

That being said, the densely packed branches of the World tree posed several challenges for her. The twisting mass of bark and leaves makes it all but impossible for Eryl to fly as she has to constantly adjust herself to avoid crashing into the tree, whereas Hecatolite appeared to be completely unhindered by the new scenery. If anything, the small woman seemed completely at home in the thicket, her tail along with her agility allowing her to move between the branches with an ease that Eryl was frankly envious of.

Eryl, having trained in countless martial arts, was understandably confident in her ability to control any body she was in; not only that, she had specifically designed this body to be in peak condition. Yet, watching the white blur that was Hecatolite weave her way through the branches, Eryl really couldn’t gain any ground on her. 

At this point if it wasn’t for her tracking spell Eryl was sure she would have lost Hecatolite hours ago. Not that I think she is actually trying to run away from me. Eryl grumbled in her mind as she checked the spell once more to find Hecatolite was, as she had been this entire time, about 100 feet to her north. 

The other woman never once got more than a few hundred feet away, toying with Eryl every time she stopped to catch her breath by inching closer before poking her head out of her hiding spot and taunting Eryl with that smile of hers. 

Eryl had tried to trap her, stopping to lure her closer before lunging at her with a few enhancements cast on herself. But, in typical Hecatolite fashion, the smaller woman had seen through the ruse. Instead deciding to throw pinecones and other foliage at Eryl until she again gave chase. 

So, she was understandably leery as she crested yet another bundle of branches to find Hecatolite just standing there. 

Just what is she up to this time? Eryl bit back the urge to call out to her as pulled herself atop the branch, easily finding footholds before realizing where they stood. 

“We… are at the top.” Eryl couldn’t bring herself to say anything louder than a whisper as she took in the sight before her.

The World Tree beneath them stretched out for nearly a mile in every direction completely obscuring the world below before falling away to the densely packed forest that blended with the intertwining branches in a carpet of green that only broke away once it met the great ocean to the west. The blue of the water was stained yellow and orange by the setting sun that had only just crept its way beneath the horizon, the swirling colors of the ocean mixing with the sky in a seamless illusion that gave one the feeling that the edge of the forest was truly the end of the world itself. 

But that was just part of the picture. High above them the moons were well on their way across the night sky, the blue moon already high in the sky; its small blue body standing out against the countless stars that painted the crystal clear sky in a hypnotic array of colors. The red moon, much closer to the world, was just now making its way over the far mountains to the northwest. Its large celestial body danced across the ridges as it lifted into the sky, the missing hole in the moon only adding to its stunning appearance, looking less like a wound each passing day as it allowed one to see the once hidden stars behind it.

And standing in the middle of all of it was one girl. Her appearance was so… serene, yet chaotic against the calming background that Eryl found herself frozen as she took in the sight before her.

Standing there, completely still, Hecatolite took in the world around her. Deep green leaves dotted her long messy white hair, almost as if woven into the mess of snow white as they stuck out at sporadic intervals around her head and shoulders. The porcelain white skin of her arms, that were now held out to each of her sides as if preparing to hug the sky itself, were covered in pulsing black veins that thrummed rhythmically in time with the unheard beat of her heart. Her oversized shirt, which only covered her to her waist due to her tail, was covered in small holes; several of which had twigs and leaves poking out of them, leading Eryl to believe her ascent hadn’t been nearly as smooth as she believed.

Her long tail whipped around her in slow hypnotic movements, the only activity in the otherwise still picture before her. The girl’s white fur stood out as a stark contrast to the dazzling array of colors before her, her hair a challenge to the darkening blue sky as her tail battled the deep green of the forest below. 

The two stood in silence, the only sounds in this still world of colors and light, was both of their breathing. Hecatolite’s small chest rising and falling, each time letting out a small puff of steam into the now cool air, in a regular pattern as she stood with her arms held out wide. The black veins slowly receded as she caught her breath, and Eryl couldn’t help but notice her own breathing slowly falling into pace with her companion.

“It's…” Hecatolite barely whispered the word, but in this world devoid of sound they found themselves in, it carried the short distance to Eryl and something about it struck a cord deep within her. “So beautiful.”   

Hecatolite turned her head ever so slightly, giving Eryl a glimpse of her face and for the first time since they started this little game, she… she wasn’t smiling. No that wasn’t right, Hecatolite was smiling, but instead of her mocking toothy grin this one was a small thing, her lips pressed tightly together in a smile that pulled at the corners of her eyes. 

“Your world,” Her large red eyes lacked their normal haze as they met Eryl’s. Her crystal red eyes as clear as the night sky, showing no signs of their usual mirth as they pierced through her and deep in Eryl’s mind something bent, straining against the building pressure. “Is truly beautiful.” 

Eryl couldn’t explain the sudden pain in her chest as she watched an inky black tear form in the corner of Hecatolite’s eye. Why, despite the tight smile on her face the small woman looked so… sad as she spoke. 

As she stood there Eryl could feel as her mind warped. Some deep part of her was still angry, the building pressure from the day still pounding at the back of her mind begging to be let out; fueled by her now burning muscles as the events of the day played though her mind.

Yet something… something held it back. A soothing warmth in her chest that struggled against the boiling pressure; a rhythmic thumping in her chest that stilled her very soul as she stood watching Hecatolite in this picturesque scene.

“It’s unfair, you know.” Hecatolite turned away from her, “I just want to live my life. To create wondrous things like the others, but… but I can’t. Did you know to make a world like this one it takes all four never dies working together? All of them have a part to play in creation but I’m…” Hecatolite held her hand out in front of her, the black veins pulsing as she spoke, a inky black liquid slowly pushing through her skin as it covered her hand before dripping down onto the tree below.

Eryl’s entire body buckled as she saw the liquid. The pressure in her mind slammed through her thoughts like a spike as every fiber of her being screamed at her to destroy that liquid. To banish it from her world, to purge its very existence from this land, to… contain it! 

It was barely a thought, more like a feeling ingrained into her very soul. One that was somehow alien yet her own, calling to capture Hecatolite, to contain her, to keep her from spreading that liquid…

“Not like them. I am an afterthought,a byproduct of their creations, a side-effect.” Slowly Hecatolite closed her hand, the inky black aether squishing around her tiny fingers, staining her skin a deep black as it ran down her arm before dripping onto the leaves below. The black liquid seemed to suck all the color out of where it landed, leaving pure white leaves in its wake as it quickly evaporated. “No matter how hard I try I just can’t get it to work like they do. Creation magic, it… it refuses to work for me like it does them.” 

Hecatolite’s voice wavered as she stared at her now blackened hand, and Eryls soul quivered. The screaming anger in her mind suddenly stilled as she felt her core straining against… something. Hecatolite? The thought was… wrong, Hecatolite wasn’t exuding any force that Eryl could tell. No this was something inside of her that was struggling against… the thought of…

Suddenly Hecatolite’s words played through her mind again. Like the others… The ones who created the world… Her mind itself pushed against the thoughts as if trying to erase them as she buckled.

“Is Hecatolite a primordial?” The question once asked by Amethyst flashed in her memory. At the time Eryl had been convinced it was… impossible, a simple misunderstanding of a child trying to explain the unexplainable.

But… Hecatolite has a deep intimate knowledge of things no one should know. She has access to power unlike anything I have ever seen before. She had an entire system in her soul that was able to overpower my own world system with ease… her soul… Eryl’s entire body was burning up as her own mana pulsed though her, she could feel it. Her own mind rejecting the very thoughts, the building pressure in her mind growing each passing moment, as her mana pushed back against it; as if trying to protect her from the pressure, her own mana pulsed in time with the waves that now crashed through her mind. 

The warmth in her chest grew as if begging her to finish her thoughts. Asking her to answer the question that has been eating away at her.

Her soul is… wrong. Hecatolite’s soul was composed completely of fragmented pieces, a fact that Eryl has mostly ignored up till now but... If that was truly the case her system should have been able to trace it to its core, to find Hecatolite’s true soul in the mess of fragments. Not only that, but if that was the case then her soul should have acclimated the fragments eventually, draining them completely of power before consuming them itself… it's… it’s like she doesn’t have a soul at all.

Eryl nearly threw up as she looked at the girl before her… the soulless construct. No, the soulless… concept. “What… are you?” Eryl’s throat was dry, her entire body shook as she forced the question out. The question she was no longer sure she wanted an answer to.

“What am I?” Hecatolite echoed the question, her voice only slightly distorted, though that could be because of the sudden ringing in Eryl’s ears. “I… I am unsure. I know I am, but what makes me anything really?” Hecatolite turned her gaze towards the sky, “I… I am Me. I know that; it is a fact, a truth that I am simply that, Me. but what makes Me, Me?” 

This time when Hecatolite turned her red eyes to Eryl she could feel it in her very soul. What looked back at her was not the insane woman from before, but something much more dangerous. something old, powerful, something so much more than Eryl could even imagine that she could hardly comprehend the depth of those glowing red eyes. 

This, this was whatever had been lurking behind Hecatolite’s eyes all those years, what Eryl had been trying to pull out of her, the beast that hid behind the insanity. Eryl’s whole body convulsed as she fell to her knees, unable to look away from the red pools before her as Me stared back at her. “I think, therefore I am. And I am Me.”

Something inside Eryl broke as those words resonated inside of her. The pressure in her mind vanished with a sudden snap, and suddenly all those thoughts that had been held at bay rushed into her. Her thoughts, her feelings that had been pushed to the side all this time slammed into her and Eryl could see… everything. It was so clear now. 

Hecatolite was not just a powerful soul caught up in the summoning. Thinking back on it now it suddenly seemed so foolish to think Valor of all people could summon something as powerful as another god, more less Hecatolite; hells, now that she could see it she wondered if the other 46 souls were just a byproduct of Hecatolite entering this world.

No, the only way for Hecatolite to be here is if she had chosen it herself. She had chosen to be summoned and Valor’s little trick had simply provided her an opportunity, the summoning giving her a clear path into this world to… to what?! Suddenly Eryl found herself much more afraid of what stood before her.

“wh…” The words died in her throat as she looked up at Hecatolite who was giggling to herself as she swayed on her feet. Blood stained her face as it ran freely from her nose and ears. 

“The world's all spiny.” Hecatolite giggled as she spun on the spot, nearly falling from the tree as she did. 

“Hecatolite?” 

Hecatolite jumped at Eryl’s words, as if she had forgotten she was there. “Oop,” she swayed towards her, “I forgot I was running away… why was I running again?” She giggled as she staggered towards her, stumbling a few times only to be saved by her tail that was thrashing about in an attempt to balance her. “You,” she wagged a finger in front of Eryl, “Were very mean to me!” she bopped Eryl on the nose before collapsing forward, her head ricocheting off several branches before her tail could catch her. 

Eryl… was more confused now than when she started the day, as she looked down at the limp form of a primordial hanging from a tree. “What the hell just happened!” She couldn’t help but yell as she scrambled to pull Hecatolite up.