"God... I've been waiting here for... AAAAAAAAGH!!!!!" Alex arrived at the blank space without seeing any of his friends. No prattling about every little thing. No chastising no matter how well-meaning.
"It can't be helped." He reasoned that if he ended up in this situation, it's likely his friends were in the same place or circumstances. A small part of him didn't want to consider the possibility of the two biting it while he got away scot-free. Even he felt the guilt of the thought gnawing on his stomach.
However, it seemed as if hours passed. He was unable to tell, all of his belongings were missing from his person.
Even his clothes.
The space was oddly temperate. He felt his form embraced and exposed by the stagnant air. Slowly whittling at his patience.
He knelt on the floor and let himself down on his right side. The ground at least was cold. He felt a sheer chill brush his body, goosebumps rising as he nestled himself into whatever would trick him into sleeping in this place.
At least Reg'd be fine. He can sleep anywhere. And chances are he probably got out already. Same with Newton. That sly bastard's probably worked his way to a cushy life. ...
Maybe they went to Heaven and I'm in Hell. I mean, that makes sense. I did a lot of shifty things. Maybe we did die. Maybe I am alone... ... this is at least Limbo. I mean, if this was Hell, where's the fire? Where's the layers?
... I mean-
"Listen to when someone's talking to you!" A male voice rung in Alex's ears. He rapidly blinked, scrambling to get up and face a man standing inches from his face.
Wearing a simple tee and shorts.
"Before you ask, YES I am a deity of reincarnation. YES, my followers messed up the summoning spell. You were supposed to die upon being brought here but for some reason, you guys got to an old summoning circle. But at least we got two of you."
Two?
"Wait, who is the one that survived?"
"The kid with ashy hair. His name... Let me bring up the employee log... Here. Reginald Rutherford." He brought the sleek tablet to the man's eyes.
Reginald's profile just as he put it in.
uh-oh.
"You caused a lot of trouble for him... But we at least worked out a few kinks to his liking... Not like our authority is worth anything compared to Glennsland's... Like it matters at this point.
Look, I need to get you out of here because you're about to have your genes decided for you so just hurry up and make any final requests before-
too late."
He raised his hands in surrender as the world fell away.
The nude man's eyes rolled into his head as he lost all feelings in his body at once. He dropped onto the floor on his right side. On impact, his body exploded into dust.
The man in the white world clenched his eyes tightly.
"Our Divine Service for the World."
In repeated quick breaths as the thirty-seventh cluster of lights appeared above him for the day. He looked up, forcing a strained smile, only his drooped darkened eye bags revealing his resentment toward his position.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
"It's a boy!" A calm voice muttered.
"The family lives on." A cool female voice spoke with deliberate denunciation.
A healthy infant boy was born to a family in farmstead on a Mirtette midnight.
...
"I don't wanna go to school!" the little boy grumpily pouted.
"You have to. For the Myrrhslane family." A tall broad man sighed, sneaking glances to the rustle-haired woman penning letters to businesses across town. Her eyes more preoccupied on scanning the list of vendors and their scheduled meetings.
His eyes pleaded widely knowing what his wife was capable of.
The boy stayed in the same spot. Holding the wooden post with his small little pudgy hands.
Norton rubbed his face in his hands and reached over to the boy's sides. He scooped him up with ease despite the kicks to the face he took. It was either that or having to disappoint his wife.
Dealing with Albert. Far better.
"We're going, sweety!" He cooed trying to placate the stress that was building on her face.
She grunted while crawling another signature for a contract renewal with the city grocery distributors.
The father and son quickly left.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Why did I put to keep my damn memories!? Now I have to play along until I become a teenager or older!? Or forever!? Why was I even summoned here!? Ahhhh, this is great!
"Hello, I'd like to ask you some questions". A man in a white robe with the insignia of a three-headed serpent sprouting out of the points of a star walked up to the man with his son.
"And who are you? Oh, Bishop Tanner." His grip tightened on the boy's waist. He made a quick glances to the side for people passing by. Gaining their attention.
"Do you know of a Hero or Sage or...any candidate being born here? At all?"
"No idea. Is that all?"
"Mr. Hagers, this is an entirely different matter altogether. The contracts with the city still stand." The robed man droned on as if tiredly reading from a script.
"First you rope my wife and now what? Me? My son?" Norton quietly asked.
"Believe me, I am not eager about this either. But with the Demon's Men, and the Demon Lord flanking both sides of our world, we need candidates." His monotony broke as he brought up the unusual circumstances that summoned him outside of his regular schedule to visit and inspect the quality of services in the city.
"They couldn't bring anyone else but you, Tiner?"
"The city's in a frenzy. Trying to quell fears of the Demon's Men coming to invade the border. Even changelings accused of abducting children and recently even adults. We could really use Vassia's help!" Tiner pleaded his hands outstretched.
Norton shook his head. "You know Vassia's contract with the City's Knights expired four years ago. Even after the pregnancy, she wants to defend her hometown."
"And we respect that. Captain Alvin respects that decision. But that man would die himself before admitting that he needs even a modicum of help! Especially when he is the face of morale for not just the soldiers, not just the citizens, but all of Crimade!"
"What's wrong with him?" Norton questioned.
"He's preoccupied at a convoy to the western vanguard with the Saint." He spoke into his hands.
"The SAINT left the capital!?" Norton boomed.
"The Saint left Leifalms!?"
"Without her, the barrier will weaken!"
"We're at the center of the fighting."
"Are we gonna die?"
"Shh!"
"Look at what you did. ... regardless, we should hold out a good few years. I swear on the Knights of Leifalms that harm will not befall any of you or the city! Mark my words!"
His words fell on deaf ears as the townspeople began to murmur about their uncertain fate.
"Tiner. If this was a rush to get me out of hiding, it worked. What is it? Alvin needs someone to fill his shoes and take the credit from or the fall for him?" A calculating voice snaked past the men.
"Vassia! We need you at the-!"
"I already told you, Bishop Tanner. I retired from the Glade Order and slew the Augur Guardsmen of the Demon Lord's vanguard. My business with them, and you is done on the matter. I will raise my blade but only for the people who saved me. Not the ones who lost a figurehead to toss the blame onto for every little failure of the High Court and Church." The woman calmly listed her defenses against the man's pleas staring him dead in the eye.
Tiner returns her pointed stare.
"Fine. Please, at least hold this point of the vanguard. I will let Captain August and Chief Blaine of your decision."
"I will put it into writing and accompany you the whole way to Leifalms to ensure no foul play is done out of my watch."
"If that is what it takes," Tiner said dejectedly firmly knowing he could never hope to change the Slayer's mind but was satisfied with this result.
"Norton, I'll be gone for a few days. Please, watch over the house while I'm gone. Sibyl will take up administrative matters. Please perform the patrols in my stead with some hired hands. You can use my personal reserve as compensation if necessary."
"... please, come back safely." Norton muttered quietly. He grabbed his wife's calloused hands, with blobs of ink dried along her palms and fingers and squeezed them in his.
"What are you talking about? Of course I will, fool. ... I will. So, don't drink yourself too silly." With that sharp manner of speaking, she tried to look up at the man's face, glancing away often. Her eyes fluttering as she saw her husband's soft eyes and downturned lips. Once their eyes met, hers widened and opened as a small grin crept onto her face.
"What? Are you that much of a crybaby still? It's me, Norton. I can handle it. I'll get a lot of souvenirs from the city so get ready for when I come back, 'kay?" She finished speaking with a huge smile on her face. The corners of her mouth were twitching. Her eyebrows were drooping down.
Norton looked at her face for seconds until he stretched out his arms and wrapped his arms around her. She felt how weak his arms were by using slight effort to push away the arms against her scapula with a single motion. But she pushed her head into his chest and said,
"I'll be okay. Everything will be fine. That's how things end up. One way or another, right?"
Norton nodded at the woman as she pulled from his arms and she ushered everyone back to work. The onlookers returned to their stalls and buildings to continue their work. Bishop Tanner and Vassia left for their house at the back of town.
"Is mama gonna go somewhere?" the young boy asked.
"Yeah. She'll be back soon. She's Leifalms' one and only Hero, after all."