Whispers of a Dead Empire - Chapter 77

I crossed my arms as I waited for him to tell me. Midir stared at me for a moment, bobbing his foot before he spoke. “Well, you came into contact, either with a dead god or a divine spark. Though judging by how you smell, it was a long-dead god. Once you did that, the divine spark changed you.”

I thought back to shortly before I woke up here. I remembered the strange sphere and the area where I found it. It was a set of ruins. Now that I think about it, though, I didn’t even really realize what it was in my exhausted haze. But really, I couldn’t even think of a god that focused on unlife on Earth, though I was sure that there was one. “I see. So, I guess I should ask why I’m on Tenith then.”

Midir looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows, darling? Maybe one of the elder gods decided that the planet that you were on had no need for a godling.”

I perked up at that, but a whole slew of new questions danced around my mind. “Wait, what are elder gods?”

“Well, those are gods who have ascended to another plane of existence and oversee the universe. They are to gods, as you are to us. Beings beyond understanding and thought. Ones who care nothing for the gods that may exist.”

As he spoke, I felt a headache arrive. Whatever he was saying was beyond me, and it was something that I really didn’t want to think about. If it was something that applied to me now, then by all means, but this was a little over my head. As I pinched the bridge of my nose, I replied, “Okay, so if I ascend here, does that mean that I can go back home?”

Midir bobbed his foot and gave me another smug grin. “Of course, darling. Once you reach your apotheosis, you will be able to. However, would you even want to go back? “

The brief elation at his words quickly faded as doubt came in. Was it even worth going back to Earth? “Can I bring everything that I made here?”

Midir shrugged. “I don’t see why you can’t. It is your domain, after all.”

I suppose that would be a bridge I would cross once I got there. I mean, I had a whole slew of questions that I wasn’t sure how to answer. “Well, that’s good to hear. Anyway, you said you were here about giving me my summon?” I steered the questions into another topic since I wasn’t sure how much longer the dragon would entertain me. At least I got a handful of them answered so far. Better to chip away at them now, then let them linger.

“Ah yes!” He snapped his finger, and a second later, the small black dragon jumped from a bush nearby. The bloodied corpse of a squirrel clenched between its teeth. “However, what I come with is more a gift of goodwill than anything else.”

I stared at Midir, trying to judge what he would gain from befriending me. He mentioned something about the great game. “Before we go any further, what can you tell me about the great game?”

“What is there really to talk about? All the gods on Tenith play it, all for the sake of who can pull in the most worshipers. Rather mundane if you ask me, but the ploys can be rather interesting at times.” Midir replied as the small dragon curled up in his lap and stroked its head.

“So, I’m going to be blunt, then. What’s with the gift then. What do you stand to get out of it?” I was exhausted from getting used by people for whatever schemes they had. Though I was still annoyed with that adventurer. Thankfully, I pulled it back in my favor, but still. I wasn’t pleased with people using me.

“My, you are rather on the nose. But I’ll humor you. You possess a fragment of a dragon soul. A small fragment, but a fragment, nonetheless. I come intending to give that fragment life. On paper, that puts you within my domain. However, I have no desire to lord over other deities, so it is more like a peace offering. Whatever course you are on, stay there, and do not interfere with me, and I will leave you be.” The playfulness around him seemed to fade once more and was replaced instead with a blood lust that was palatable.

I swallowed dryly and nodded my head. His threat was as clear as day. I had no intention of making any enemies right now. The blood lust faded, and that same cocky smile appeared on his face. “Good, good, I’m glad we can come to an understanding. Anyway, this little guy here will be your familiar from now on.” The little dragon that sat on his lap popped its head up and gave me a strange look.

I stared at the small dragon and then at Midir. “Uh, you expect me to take care of that?” How was I supposed to take care of a dragon?

“Of course, it is your doing, after all. Though I wouldn’t stress about it too much, darling, it is an extension of yourself, so there really isn’t much you need to do.” Midir snapped his fingers, and the small dragon jumped up and glared at me with indignation.

“How would I even take care of it?” I found myself pinching the bridge of my nose as my stress levels rose once more. Why did this all have to be a pain in my ass? Can’t a girl have a break?

“Simple darling, it’s a soul-bound summon. All it really needs is to feast off a portion of your soul reserves now and then. It won’t hurt you, of course.” As Midir spoke, the little dragon jumped down from the bench and held its little head high as it landed and strutted around me.

“Isn’t that a bad thing, though?”

“No. You just broke through the first stage of soul cultivation, so your soul will regenerate much more quickly. The familiar will grow in strength as you do, but if you want it to keep evolving, keep feeding a portion of your soul.” The little dragon sat down in front of me, its black eyes staring at me as if I were inferior to it. Which already annoyed me, but let’s be honest. It was a chance to have a pet dragon.

I quickly ran through all the possibilities in my head. Having this familiar would be great. It would allow me to protect myself, and it would be a solid addition to Asterian lore. The most significant trade-off would be raising it, which would force me to worry more about my soul, which wasn’t a bad thing. After all, this was a vital part of my current class, which I have been neglecting lately. Mostly because of handling things in my domain. “How do I take it as my familiar then?”

“You just reach your hand out and push part of your soul into the hatchling. It will take it and awaken itself within you. From there, well, it’s a learning experience.”

I felt myself shudder under his gaze as a strange smile crossed his face. It wasn’t his usual self-assured grin, but something that lingered in my mind like an ominous warning. I reached out to the dragon with my medium-clad hand, only to stop a few inches away from its head. Was this really a good idea?

I honestly didn’t know, but what I knew was that I needed to keep getting stronger. I was already drawing the attention of gods, and if I was drawing their attention, then who knows what else was looking my way. This wasn’t just for me anymore, but for everyone that lived within my domain. We were all tied together, and I needed to do my best to make sure I could protect them all. No matter the cost. With one last breath to steel my nerves, I channeled my soul into my hand and placed it onto the hatchling’s head.

As the world around me flickered, Midir stood up and walked over to me. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Calixa. I will keep an eye on you for now, though we will meet once more in the future. Oh, one last thing, I added a little something into your familiar. Hopefully, you enjoy it.” He gave me a condensing wink as he snapped his fingers. A split second later, a force slammed into my chest, throwing me backward and into the abyss.

“Mother, I demand you awaken at once!” A voice bore into my mind, and I opened my bleary eyes. A headache hung just behind my eyelids, and a strange heaviness sat deep within my chest. For a short time, my mind seemed sluggish, wondering who would call me mother in the world. At least until I cracked open an eye and saw a child standing by my bedside. Her arms were crossed, and an impatient gaze was glued to me.

She wore a black dress that hung down to her knees and had multiple tiers of ruffles that hung on the flounce of the dress. A small black ribbon with a silvery sheen adorned a small head of flowing raven black. A set of emerald eyes sat on a round face that stared at me with almost startling familiarity. Her flesh was a strange silver color that seemed to scintillate in my bedroom’s ambient lighting. The two small canines that poked from just under her lips were the most striking feature.

I stared at her for a second longer before my body seemed to wake up. “Who are you, and why are you calling me your mother?”

The little girl next to my bed crossed her arms and turned her head, huffing at me. “I didn’t realize I was so easily forgettable. I’m your familiar.”

My heart sank slightly as all of my memories came flowing back to me. Damn you, Midir! I was expecting a dragon, not a child, to take care of.