245, 1/2

 

“We gonna try for Avandrasolaro today?” Solomon asked, over breakfast.

Erick said, “I still haven’t heard from Koyabez about that, but it’s only been three days since I met with him.”

Poi said, “I’m surprised it’s taking him this long to get back to you.”

“I’m rather certain he wants to do something special,” Erick said. “I got the impression that he might send us a Paladin of Peace to join us here in the dungeon for that summoning. Maybe a whole slew of people.”

“That’s more than what I know,” Solomon said, sounding a little down.

Erick almost asked him what was up—

“Eh! It’s just… I don’t like being out of the loop like this.”

A silent moment passed.

Erick got the distinct impression a Big Conversation was coming.

He prepared for it.

And then Solomon said, “It’s painful to not be able to call up Rozeta or any of the others. It’s like I’m a complete non-entity to them. Which is fine. But it’s hard to go from… Well. You, to me. Maybe I need to start up my own international organization.”

Erick was stunned, but not really. Looking back, he had seen all the signs of Solomon’s discontent. The guy was a great uncle to the girls, and he loved that role, but he also missed just being their father. He wanted to be the person who called upon the Black Gate, to open the past to the present. He wanted to be the one to talk to Poi about whatever was happening at House Benevolence while he wasn’t there, to see if there were things that needed doing, that he could do. But how could he act at House Benevolence while also being here at the dungeon? He couldn’t; he might have [Gate], but he didn’t have Ophiel. Which was another thing. He desperately missed having Ophiel, both to enact his will upon the land and also to just have there upon his shoulder, singing tiny songs and talking about this or that when no one else was around. Yggdrasil had shown up a few times to the dungeon, and he always spoke to Erick but never to Solomon.

“Sorry, Solomon,” Erick said, and then he tried to be more positive, adding, “Zolan made me promise to not start a different international organization when I was done with this quest of Yggdrasil’s, but that promise doesn’t tie into your future. Whatever you want, I’ll help you achieve. You want to make some sort of organization? I’ll be there for you, to help with all of that.”

Solomon didn’t smile, or seem relieved at all. The pain he was feeling was too deep for Erick’s simple solutions. His sort of pain would take time and distance from the source of his pain, but this quest of Melemizargo’s was going to take a while longer. Months, at least. They wouldn’t be able to separate at all for that length of time, and Erick knew, in that moment, that his and Solomon’s proximity to each other wasn’t doing Solomon any good at all. But afterward…

Erick said, “Maybe some of the girls would want to go with you, too? To do whatever it is you might feel like doing after this Dark search is over with? I’m pretty sure Beth wants to explore the world, and she seems much more willing to be near you than Jane is willing to be near me. She could be an enforcer for you, or something like that. And Abigail wants to settle down with a man, for sure. She wants children…” Erick wasn’t too sure about his next words, because he wanted to be a grandfather, too, but Solomon needed a certain win, and if Erick wanted to be a grandfather a whole lot, then Solomon certainly did. “And you could be their grandfather? And I could be the granduncle? Maybe we could… I don’t know. Switch who is father to who?”

Now that seemed to cheer Solomon up, if only by the pure weirdness of it all.

Solomon said, “Now I just need to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.”

Poi spoke up, “If we’re allowed to do this Black Gate thing past this quest, then this searching of the Dark for people and trinkets is much too valuable to ever give up. So, if you want to have a long term goal, Solomon, it could be an organization built around this dungeon.”

Erick perked up. “… Really? I mean… Yes. That could be an option.”

Solomon’s eyes went a little wide. “… I was thinking that we would… I’m not sure. Close it off? Dismantle it all?”

Erick decided, “There’s no need to close this dungeon, though, if Melemizargo decides to leave it active. You could stay here if you wanted? Provided Melemizargo agrees to it, which is not a sure thing.”

“I can’t control the gate like you can,” Solomon said.

“A skill you can learn,” Erick said, “Or maybe you need to become a Wizard. An ignition event of your own? You’re already Benevolence, but maybe… I don’t know?” Erick was suddenly lost. “Go further that way?”

Solomon chuckled.

“Yes, yes,” Erick said, “I realized it was silly the second I said it, because you can’t really ‘go further’ with Benevolence, and you’re already that way, anyway… But perhaps you can ignite with Benevolence, directly? … I have no idea. Probably safer to go your own way and try to become a Wizard of something else, that you can make fully your own.”

… Even though ‘Solomon’ had invented Benevolence, too.

Hmm.

Solomon winced as he probably had the same thoughts as Erick. “A harsh truth. I did not create Benevolence. Benevolence is not me.”

“Sorry, Solomon.”

“It is how it is.” Solomon looked away, his thoughts drifting. “… I probably do have to pick a different path to ignite…” And then he looked at Erick, and said, “I’ve tried to ‘ignite’. I’ve kept that from you, but I have tried. Elsewhere. In between dungeons with the girls. I’d take a little trip through a [Gate] and step off onto some mountain peaks and trying out some rhymes and songs and just pure [Physical Domain] touching upon the universe. Tried talking to Yggdrasil. Tried poking around at the various Elemental Caves in the Underworld… All of it felt weird. Nothing felt right. Even trying out some no-Script spaces in the dungeon weren’t very inspirational. I don’t think I can ‘ignite’ with Benevolence. Or maybe who we are is so different from who we were when we made Benevolence that that option is closed to me.”

Erick’s eyes widened. He hadn’t known any of that, for he did not keep perfect track of the girls or of Solomon when they went out to delve dungeons for base generation. “I knew you had tried to ignite in the no-Script spaces, but I didn’t know you had gone on a trip? Any trips at all? … I suppose you do have [Gate], though.”

… Which could be a problem, actually, to his attempts to achieve an Element of his own, or even just a future of his own. The Worldly Path was a very deep magic, after all.

Solomon smiled softly as he saw that Erick had picked up what he was putting down, and then he said, “I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. I believe I need to do the Worldly Path again, but I can’t. Having [Gate] pre-installed ruined my chances of going my own way, for I am, right now, at the end of that particular Path, with nowhere else to go.” He lost his smile. “I’m thinking about getting rid of the spell and starting over.”

Ahh. Yeah.

That tracked.

This was a much bigger conversation than the ones they had been having here and there for the past two months of this Sundering Search. This was definitely a Big Conversation.

In a utilitarian sort of way, Erick was conflicted. Emotionally, he wanted Solomon to become his own person. But it was nice to be able to count on someone else being able to step up in case anything happened. Solomon might not have Ophiel, but he still had every other part of Erick’s capabilities. He still had [Gate], and could get around as much as he wanted. Nothing had happened so far that required another ‘Erick’ to come out of the woodwork, but it was only a matter of time, right?

And yet, they had Ezekiel for that. Unless—

Erick asked Poi, “Does Ezekiel still have [Gate]?”

“Yes,” Poi said, as though he was waiting for Erick to actually say the words. “And I was waiting for you to say the words, so that both you and Solomon are on the same page. Solomon and I have spoken about a lot of this stuff already, but you weren’t involved in this until now.” He looked to Solomon, and said, “You’re going to be your own person eventually. I’m going to eventually become two people, too, when this [Hive Mind] is broken. The girls are going to become different people when this ends. Fate willing that we all survive this, of course.”

Solomon said, “Right. I don’t need to break the [Gate] yet.”

Poi nodded. No need to get Fate involved in this Sundering Search; there was plenty of time for that later.

Erick looked to Poi, “You’re worried about a Worldly Path interfering with the Sundering Search. Maybe you both are.” Solomon winced a little bit, as Poi sighed and frowned. Both of them knew what was coming next. Erick said it anyway, “Maybe a bit of Fate is exactly what we need in the coming months to make this work out how we want. The end goal of that Fate Magic is the opening of new opportunities and the expanding of worlds and people. That power is anti-Sundering in effect, though not in its core. And that’s good. It’s more assurances that we’re doing this right. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I am sure this is the right course of action.”

Solomon seemed to turn more solid at that moment.

Poi frowned a little. “I… I reluctantly agree that maybe it could be a good idea for Solomon to walk the Worldly Path as we Search, but… I would err on the side of caution.”

Erick said to Poi, “We’re taking this slow, and it might be a while.” Erick said to Solomon, “I think it is fine if you wish to break your [Gate], though we should prepare before—”

Erick had been about to say some more caveats, to address security concerns and health concerns, but Solomon did as Solomon wanted, because Solomon was Erick.

The soul was a mostly-opaque thing that looked like a cloud, or mist, or a dust storm. It was mostly impossible to suss out one part of it from another. Even Quilatalap didn’t know all the parts of a soul, because souls were largely unknowable. And so, even without knowing exactly what he was seeing, Erick logically recognized what was happening inside Solomon, inside his soul, his core.

He had broken his [Gate].

Something deep shifted in Solomon’s soul, parts of it shredding in a cascading event. He had to have been in monumental amounts of pain, but he smiled at Erick’s decision. He said, “Oh thank the gods. I was hoping that… it would be… Okay?” He paled. He winced. The pain had become too much for stoicism. His soul twisted upon itself inside his core, and inside his body. He breathed out, “Ohh…kaaay. That doesn’t feel—”

His core cracked, a third of it splitting off, spiderwebs of destruction weaving through the rest of it, blood spurting out of his mouth as a shard of his core passed through his left lung, only stopped by his rib cage. Lightning zapped through his chest, from his broken core to the fragment he had lost, cauterizing his internal wounds as it damaged him at the same time.

Erick almost [Return]ed, reversing course.

But Solomon pulled back. He struggled, muscles tensing in his neck and shoulders as he tightened his stomach. His aura flared, lightning flickering all throughout his body, erupting from his arms and shredding his skin as it danced between his skeleton and the table. One jolt went toward Poi, but Erick was already there, defending against that, and Solomon’s lightning struck a shield. Poi hadn’t even managed to flinch before the discharge was already over but now Poi moved as fast as he could to get away, to stand behind Erick. He stared hard at Erick, communicating without words that Erick should have [Return]ed already.

But Solomon’s condition looked a lot worse than it really was.

Erick had gotten into a lot of bad situations over the years, and having a smashed core and a skeletonized body certainly qualified, but he had pulled through stuff like this before and in much worse situations. Solomon wasn’t in any danger that wasn’t self-inflicted.

And Poi was out of the danger zone now, so all actual concerns were handled.

Breakfast was totaled as Solomon’s body crackled with power, Benevolent Lightning shattering his skin and his clothes as it crashed into the egg container and danced across the sausage and pancakes. Half of the food was blackened beyond recovery, but the other half turned into wheat growing from a field and bits of moss crawling across the table. The syrup erupted into some cactus, for it was cactus syrup, so of course that’s how it reacted to Benevolence.

Solomon huddled in his chair, head down, blood and muscle falling off, as he regained his core. He had to discharge his lungs and his heart from his body, for they were all in the way of gathering up the pieces of himself, which is what he did next, sparks of white racing out of his core to grab the pieces that had fallen to the ground, latching onto them like positive current meeting a negative sink.

Solomon was half skeleton by the time he regained full control of his power.

In a flashing instant, his broken pieces came together into his body, his core restored to its former self, but a bit less bright, if Erick were guessing.

Erick stood, saying to Poi, “Now I help.”

“Well thank the gods!” Poi said, miffed.

Solomon’s body was technically dead by the time Erick rushed him out of the dungeon, back onto Veird, where Healing Magic worked a lot better. But Solomon was not his body. Solomon was his core, and his core was very much alive.

Erick applied Healing spells; [Greater Treat Wounds], [Regeneration], and [Blood Restoration] were the big ones. Solomon was already doing all that himself, but help was help.

Soon, Solomon was breathing and half-asleep upon a conjured bedroll, spread out upon the grass outside of the dungeon’s crystal-golem-covered grove. The sun was barely up, so the world was still kinda blue below the treeline, but above, it was all red and gold.

Solomon opened his eyes. He breathed. Erick had fixed up his clothes and the rest of him, but Solomon took a moment to check himself out again, his aura flickering across his body, his clothes ruffling in his investigations.

And then he lay there, as the full weight of what had just happened really hit him.

Erick looked down at Solomon, saying, “[Gate] appears to be one of those spells that is too big to simply erase, and especially outside of Script assistance.”

“… Appears that way,” Solomon said.

“You know… You claim not to be me, but only I would do something that irresponsible. Reminds me of the time I tried to make [True Anti-magic] and my blood turned to water and they warned me against ever trying to control the Script like that again.”

Poi held himself back from spitting, as he said, “I thought we were past you doing stupid things outside of proper protections and preparations. I thought we talked about you waiting to see if Erick said okay.”

Erick had said ‘okay’, but he wasn’t going to bring up that point right now.

Bleary eyed, Solomon looked to Poi. “… Shouldn’t you be inside the dungeon?”

“I am panicking right now, yes,” Poi said, “Don’t deflect. You always deflect.”

Solomon blinked a bit, then smiled a little, saying, “Thank you for caring.”

Ah.

Solomon was having a really bad time of it, wasn’t he, if he was saying stuff like that.

Erick softly said, “Of course we care. We care a lot, Solomon. I care.”

Solomon breathed deep, then sat up. “I know you do. But… It’s not ‘caring’ how I’m used to. I don’t like being on the receiving end. I’m used to being the center. Of caring for others… Not… This.”

He went silent.

Erick conjured another bed roll and sat down—

Poi said, “I want to be here for this, but I cannot. I am panicking right now. I have to go into the dungeon.” He said to Solomon, “We will talk later.” He walked back to the dungeon, and—

Erick gave voice to the thought in his head, “Want the other you to be here for this?”

“Yes!” Poi said, and then he rushed back into the crystal copse, into the dungeon.

Erick opened a [Gate] to Poi, sitting at home, in his office.

Poi walked right on through and sat down on another bed roll that Erick had conjured.

Solomon smiled softly the whole time. When Erick closed the [Gate], Solomon looked at both of them, and said, “I have the Worldly Path Quest box again.” He waved a hand.

A blue box appeared.

 

Erick could already imagine Rozeta, sitting in the Core, cursing up a storm.

Poi said, “People care about you, Solomon. Don’t pull shit like this. It is self-destructive and dangerous.”

Solomon sighed. “I had it under control.”

“And now you’re deflecting again,” Poi said.

Erick asked, “How can I help?”

Solomon’s breath hitched again.

Poi said nothing as he sat there, watching Solomon. He waited. Erick waited, too.

Solomon said, “I want to use the Black Gate in the dungeon to find out more about Wizards, and how they happen.” He looked to Erick. “And how they actually ascend to True Wizardry.”

Erick nodded, “Then that need has shot to the top of the list of things to find.”

Solomon added, “And when I ascend to True Wizardry, and completely discard my dungeon master slime origins, I will be treated as an equal. And not this subservient thing we have going right now.”

Erick was a little hurt by that. “I didn’t think I was… doing that.”

“You weren’t. But it was happening, by the very nature of what we’re doing. You are in charge, and I am not in charge. You have no idea how difficult it has been for me to… to be calm about all this, Erick. To accept that this is happening, as it is happening. I have discovered for the several-th time that I don’t like being less than who I was. It’s Storm’s Edge and keeping quiet while Vanya did all that stuff all over again.” Solomon said, “But a lot larger. I have to pretend that I am not here to the entire world.” Without sparing a single moment to let that thought hang out, Solomon got to his feet, saying, “And I’ll pretend for a while longer. So let’s get back to it.”

Erick almost didn’t let Solomon get away with yet another deflection. But then he realized that Solomon simply wasn’t willing to talk about all this right now, because Solomon was without agency, and there was no way to fix that. As soon as Erick had that thought, he thought about his own history, which was also Solomon’s. Was this how Poi felt, when Erick always deflected, when he was having emotional problems with his Wizardly nature and his kingly fate, all those years ago? Probably.

Erick could do one thing to give Solomon some agency, though.

“What item do you want to go after?” Erick asked, as he stood. “Or person? I don’t think we’re quite ready to rescue Avandrasolaro… Actually. Let’s find out.” Erick looked to the sky, and asked, “Koyabez? How is that Avandrasolaro question going?”

Solomon’s face dropped in pure embarrassment and a mix of other emotions. Erick guessed that he was fearful of his situation being called out in such a way, and directly involving the person whom Erick —and therefore he— considered a friend. But Koyabez wasn’t a friend to Solomon, was he? None of the gods were too friendly with repros, and Solomon’s situation had been no different. This direct confrontation was a bridge that Solomon hadn’t managed to make on his own, and for more than normal repro-reasons. He probably just never wanted to actually pray to any of the gods, because that would be fucking weird, because Erick had very much outgrown that, and now, here was Erick, pulling Solomon along in something that Solomon had missed being able to do himself.

But it was too late for Solomon to say anything one way or the other.

The air flickered and a demi man descended. Koyabez wore his normal form of a lithe violet-skinned man with tiny horns and a simple loincloth. He smiled a little, as he said, “Hello, Erick. Avandrasolaro is still being vetted by my mortals, for they would wish to be heavily involved with his potential resurrection. There’s an argument right now about who is actually going to come here to receive that ancient Angel.”

Erick nodded, then said, “Solomon wishes to be involved in this more than he is. Can your people talk with him?”

Solomon was stoic in the face of his own embarrassment.

Koyabez almost said, ‘No’.

That was surprising to Erick. Sure, the gods treated repros as new people, but… Really?

The reaction had been instant, too. But then Koyabez stopped himself. He paused. He looked at Solomon for the first time since his descent, and he still didn’t look at Poi. That’s how it was when gods descended sometimes; they didn’t look upon those who were not directly involved in whatever situation caused them to descend. It wasn’t a hard and fast rule, though Erick had seen it happen like that more often than not. Once, he had believed that that disregard was almost a shunning, but it was more a preservation of the self, and of boundaries. If people wanted to talk to gods, they could talk to them directly; the gods certainly didn’t proselytize themselves, though. They had people do that for them, and then if converts wished to speak with their new gods, then they spoke—

Koyabez looked to Solomon, and in that moment, Erick saw the god of Peace as a God. The effect was likely larger for Solomon. With muted power, Koyabez asked, “You wish to rescue ancient angels from the Dark, and bring about an end to the Quiet War? And the Forever War?”

“I do.”

Solomon’s answer had been quick.

Koyabez demanded more, “Why?”

“Because I stayed out of it for a long time, and now that I’m— Now that I’m not Erick, I can do certain things that I was never able to do, like actually get involved in all of that Forever War business, to try and end it for all time before it spreads out to other worlds. Erick will be busy. I will not be busy.” Solomon said, “And I want a purpose besides regaining my Wizardry. Peace seems like a good one.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Koyabez stared hard, his silver eyes glittering like his moon, the Silver Star up above, forever separating Hell from Celes. He flicked his gaze to Erick. “Do you trust him with the world?”

“Yes,” Erick said, “As much as I trust anyone, and even more than that.”

Solomon’s heart beat hard. His face showed hope at recapturing some of his old life.

And then Koyabez said, “I will be honest with you, and with all who listen, because it is you asking this of me, Erick.”

Solomon’s face fell a fraction, and no more. He was a rock, and he would endure.

Erick was mad on Solomon’s behalf; he knew a rejection when he heard one.

Koyabez said, “Until Solomon is fully extricated from Melemizargo’s power, then I will not interact with him as I would a normal person. None of the gods will. The same goes for Ezekiel, but he is not center stage right now, asking to be a larger part of the Sundering Search. Ezekiel is not attempting to become a Wizard, either. Solomon is both those things.” He looked to Solomon and said, “I will always hold you at a distance until you are fully cleansed of Melemizargo’s influence, but since you have a goal of becoming a Wizard, two things will happen. Either you will ascend to Wizardry and separate from him fully, becoming your own person. Or you will become a Wizard under his power, which will demand our concerted efforts to destroy you. We still do not trust Melemizargo enough to let him have a Wizard at all.”

The shadows gathered under the morning sun, and Melemizargo’s voice carried in the clearing, “That’s a bit harsh isn’t it, Koyabez?”

“My old friend, you are still not yourself, and it will take many centuries until we believe otherwise. Do not take my unwillingness to fully embrace you as any sort of condemnation, for we are on a good Path right now.”

“Hmm!” Melemizargo’s shadow swirled. “I’m not weak-willed enough to think that. I do find it strange that you wouldn’t allow me a Wizard now and then. They all used to be mine and they come from me, anyway, and you have Erick.”

Koyabez said to Solomon, “This is why no one answers your queries; it was nothing personal.”

“Just personal toward me.” Melemizargo huffed, “Pah! Solomon isn’t anywhere near achieving Wizardry.”

“Which is why I’m stepping halfway toward him,” Koyabez said to Solomon, “I accept your pledge of peace, but I will not ordain you in any way prior to your full escape from Melemizargo’s influence. I have no doubt that this trust I place in you will bear prosperous fruit, and I trust Melemizargo to not endanger his own goals moving forward, but you are a new person, no matter what memories and powers you might have. Trust of the sort you enjoyed as Erick will have to be built again.”

Solomon said, “I accept.”

Erick just watched; this was not his show right now. He was very glad that Solomon accepted, though. If it were him being offered these sets of choices, he would have accepted, too. He had already done so once before, with Rozeta, in order to remain his own person, and that turned out well.

For a brief moment, Erick recalled when Clarice, in the Glittering Depths, had said that they were just playing parts that had already been played before, and for a moment, Erick felt that this was true. But choices were still made, and Paths still forged anew, and different, and bearing superficial resemblances to the old.

Koyabez softened slightly, seeming more like the Koyabez that Erick knew. “You’ll either need a [Reincarnation] of your own to rid yourself of Melemizargo’s influence, or ascension to True Wizard. Both would be fine. Good luck on whatever Worldly Path you choose, Solomon. My priests will be here within a day to meet with you, and to discuss what they have decided with Avandrasolaro.”

Solomon spoke up, “Did you know him? Personally?”

Koyabez smiled softly as he looked into the distance. “I did. Once upon a time.” He looked to Solomon. “Whichever version of him comes back he’ll probably call me a ghost, too. We’re all so changed from who we used to be.”

And then Koyabez faded, gold and silver turning to nothing. Koyabez had always had a bit of a silver tint to his divinity, which was by choice; gold was the color of power and everyone cleaved to that thinking, but silver was the color of Peace, and that was all Koyabez, and his Silver Star.

The shadows in the clearing did not fade at all.

Melemizargo muttered, “They have the nerve to talk to me about putting levers into people, but they do the exact same thing. That’s what gods do. How else are we supposed to communicate with you mortals?”