There's always a lighthouse

[wheremst]

And just like that, you wake up in the basement of a lighthouse in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There's a circle of 25 pods in the middle of the room, and two more in a room off to the side, and you can imagine who is in which.

An elevator to the side of the room leads up to the ground floor (or to the first sub-basement, if you want to check out the machine that brought you here), where you can for the first time in weeks look out a window and see the sky. Its a beautiful sunny day, with a strong breeze on the grassy ground of the island where the lighthouse stands. Have you ever been this happy to hear seagulls?

You're free. Whatever comes next, you're free and you won. Take some time to relish your victory, won't you? Reunite with friends you thought you had lost, go forth and just... well, enjoy this.

Comments

[emberserker]

[Anna raises her eyebrows, impressed.]

It's certainly more than we had in my world outside of the seal. Even without my ARMANOX, I can work with this.

[archboxer]

I chose a simple spell to make sure that things were working.

[She seems relieved, really.]

Again, magic usually depends on the person. I think you could be quite adept at this sort. Faith, however, might be more difficult. Ah--healing magic, I mean.

[emberserker]

You're right, I didn't know anything like that. I've always specialized in fire and ice. My ancestor, the Carmine Witch, was famous for it.

[archboxer]

You do seem to be perfectly suited for fire magic. My own Crest is more specialized towards the physical arts but I found that it was wise to try to expand my skills.

[emberserker]

So Crests determine one's natural talent, then?

[archboxer]

They can enhance talent that was already there, yes. For instance a muscular person might have a crest that gives them the strength to lift a horse or allow them to continue fighting when their body is about to give up.

[There... is something to Rhea's voice. Something that Anna should recognize as disgust.] Crests are based on crest stones. Humans only get them through consuming or being injected with the blood of my kind. Most human lineages who have them stole the blood. Though, some were given up willingly. You, for example, would have likely developed a Crest since you had some of my blood.

[emberserker]

[...okay, note to self, never tell Rhea how she got the stone that's sitting in her chest right now. At least she didn't steal it from a dragon!]

I see. And it sounds like they've been passed down for some time now. No wonder you had so much you hated. Anyone would.

[archboxer]

[That would be Bad.]

Yes... even by the time I had slain Nemesis, his generals already had grandchildren with Crests and some by then even had great-grandchildren with them. Most complain of the Church's promotion of them but it is only because humanity chose that path themselves.

[emberserker]

So those without envy those with. That makes sense. It's always been like that.

[archboxer]

Yes. Even if a new system of governance is put into place that part of nature will not change... it will only change what that 'something' is. Money, skill. Appearance.

[emberserker]

That's always how it is. You know, I always thought I was supposed to be something great because of who my family was. But sometimes it's never enough, is it?

[archboxer]

No, sometimes it is not. I understand... before even Nemesis I thought I understood my role. Yet things kept changing.

[emberserker]

And then everything just ended up the way it did.

...I'll come and see you, then, if you tell me where you end up. I wouldn't say no to your help, like you said.

[Maybe she'll finally stop boiling bathwater.]

[archboxer]

[Stop abusing bathwater!]

I may go with Mira... she seems fond of me still. I cannot say what's wrong with her.

[emberserker]

She likes keeping faith in people. No matter how well-advised. It's something very important to her, that's all, and so are you.