Mana Mutation Menace (Journey to Chaos Book 3) (46 page)

No one knows which nature god molded the first avatar.
Some have argued for Fire because of the Promethean Theory. Others argue for
Earth or Forest because of agriculture or fertility. Still others argue for Air
or Lightning because they were seen as more divine due to association with the
skies and a fourth grouped argued for Water because it is the source of all
life. Regardless, the avatars existed before humans invented means to record
their existence, but none of them lasted long. Inevitably, every avatar would
melt into their respective element and become one with their patron deity. A
decade or so BAA (Before Avatar Alliance), this changed.

A group of special individuals appeared who were different
from the avatars or old. They were more personal than their predecessors were;
more alive and distinct as individuals. Secure in their powers, they set about
doing the will of their patron on a more long-term scale than ever before. It
was to them that sapients now directed their prayers (a footnote ascribed to
the theory that the avatar and its patron were the same being or became close
enough over the ages).

There were ten of them in total, one for each mana gate.
The most prominent were the Four Earthly Elements that made up Tariatla: Fire,
Water, Earth, and Wind.

Eric pulled out his crystal and confirmed that two of them
were present.
I suppose the other two will show up sooner or later...

Next were the Four Composite Elements that were created through
combinations of the Earthly Four: Lava, Ice, Forest, and Lightning.

If I remember correctly, Kallen used lightning to fly
in Ceiha. She might have the others by now...

Finally, the Two Cosmic Elements, Light, and Darkness,
lived beyond the world. They’ve been happily married for two millennia.

Their main job was tremendous in scale: ensure the smooth
running of the world. This involved everything from regulating the weather to
governing two of the world's Outlaw Nations, to preventing any one species from
dominating all the rest and more.

I have enough on my plate as a mercenary....

They also worked on the individual level. A human
deserving of extra help could see an avatar appear before them to offer it.
They might stick around for years until they were satisfied.

The book had an entire chapter dedicated to speculation
about what made a person deserving of such help, with references to volumes
more. Eric made a note to check them out.

The one he had now only described the Method of Operation
for each. Waol, the Avatar of Water, changed their identity to what they
desired. Wiol, the Avatar of Wind, showed possible futures and allowed them to
choose what they wanted. Eaol, the Avatar of Earth, presided over knowledge and
experience, and helped them learn what they needed. Fiol, the Avatar of Fire,
did it by removing personal obstacles.
Like shyness...
He shook his head
and continued reading.

The avatars rarely made public appearances, but they left
traces everywhere. The Monarch of Ataidar had more firepower than a den of
dragons because their royal bloodline went all the way back to Fiol, who
founded Ataidar. Eaol had his own religion and some scholars credited him with
the birth of chivalry. Wiol had as many greenhouses named after her as Forest's
tool and had shrines in chemist labs. Anything about modern sea life could be
traced to Waol.

All this and more Eric read before Fairtheora called his
attention. By then, the light from the windows waned and his stomach growled. He
hadn’t eaten anything since lunch with Annala.
Hopefully, this will be
quick.

“Her Majesty is about to make her entrance.”

When Kasile appeared, she did so without fanfare. There
was no one in the room other than her confidant and sentinel and she wished to
finish this quickly. Following behind her was Siron. While she sat in the
judge’s chair and spread her skirts, he stood behind the chair and watched for
danger.

“Eric Watley, the jury has reached a verdict for all the
crimes you have been charged with. Assault: not guilty via self-defense.
Attempted murder: not guilty via self-defense. Disturbing the peace and public
indecency: not guilty via monsanity. Voluntary manslaughter: guilty but the
sentence will be lightened at the request of the victim.” 

Said victim, a brand new sower, fist pumped. Everyone was
surprised to see her sitting in the aisle, only a yard away. They could have
sworn she wasn't there a second ago. She waved. The trial proceeded because
there wasn’t anything any one of them could do to make her leave.

“However, due to the nature of the charges against you and
the fledging science that saved you, you will be assigned the following
punishment. You will be on probation for ten years, fined an amount to be
determined by the victim’s family and approved by the Knight of Justice, and
sentenced to one hundred hours of royal service without pay. You are now free
to go until such a time that I summon you.”

She banged her gavel.

In other words, my punishment is to continue helping
you as I have been for months, except now you have a legitimate excuse that
doesn’t involve guild fees.

I thought the only payment you wanted was my laughter.

Touché.

 “Royal Sentinel Fairtheora, you may return to your normal
post in my castle.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The orc walked calmly and stoically, but Eric was certain
that his pace was a little faster than usual. He didn’t acknowledge the sower
on his way out, but Eric was struck dumb.

She was a young woman glowing with divinity. Her long,
pink hair resonated love, and her blue eyes spoke of bright life. A golden ring
hovered above her head with all the power of chaos. Two angelic wings folded
behind her back, seemingly made more of light than feathers. The weasel fur
stole around her neck looked like it might come alive at any moment. Even her
skirt and blouse, which came from the local department store, appeared
otherworldly.

She blinked at his awe-struck expression and gasped.
Closing her eyes, she focused, and her divinity dimmed. When she opened her
eyes, her essence was concealed to a level that Eric could withstand without
adoring her.

“Sorry. I’m not used to having Divine Presence.”

Eric scratched the back of his neck. “I’m the one who
should apologize. I feel awful about killing you the other day.”

Her smile radiated the utmost compassion and forgiveness. “If
I were truly dead, I’d be upset, but now, I’m more alive than I’ve ever been.
How about we start fresh?” She extended a hand. “I’m Shiro Kami. Pleased to
meet you.”

Eric shook her hand. “I’m Eric Watley. Likewise.”

Suddenly, the fur stole jumped onto Eric’s head and peed.
Eric’s eyes slitted and he grabbed the offending creature, only for her to slip
out of his grasp and down his shirt. There she clawed through his shirt and bit
off pieces of his skin. Eric reached for her, but she clung to the one area he
couldn’t reach.

“Hombey! Stop that right now and come back!”

The weasel scurried down his shirt and came out
distressingly near his genitals. She stared at the sower and said, “He hasn’t
been punished enough! Because of him, you can never have children, so he
shouldn’t be able to either!”

Eric made another grab for her, but she evaded him a third
time. He settled for protecting himself with his grendel hands. Shiro's next
words mixed softness with reprimand.

“Hombey, do you remember what happened the last time you
wanted to ‘punish’ someone for my sake?”

Chastened, she left Eric’s shirt and jumped into Shiro’s
hands. The sower tapped her lightly on the head three times. Judging by the way
Hombey slumped in shame, this was far more painful than anything Eric could do
to her. Shiro followed up by kissing her head and placing her on her shoulder. Hombey
rubbed against her neck and settled down again.

“Again, I’m sorry. Hombey’s protective of me.”

 “Don’t worry about it. Familiars don’t have to apologize
for being protective.”

“She’s actually my pet from when I was human. Suriel was
kind enough to apotheosis her along with me. Unfortunately, she ascended into
an infernal creature instead of a celestial like me, so she’s a
little...harsher than she used to be.” She petted the weasel around her neck. “She’s
still my best friend and sowing is a lonely job, so I’m glad she’ll be with me.”

“Does it start right away or are you sticking around?”

“Sticking around for now. I’m a med student at the UoR and
Suriel said I could stay until after graduation and residency. I just have to
restrain my new divinity because it would have adverse effects on my
classmates. You could say I have a job lined up and waiting for me.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

Meanwhile, another criminal awaited his trial in the dungeons
of Roalt Castle. A winding staircase descended into the cold and dark;
unpleasant for anyone but especially for those used to the warmth of Fiol. It
was here that Harry Butchin, a.k.a. Nulso Xialon, was imprisoned.

Stripped of his orderly power, he was a mortal human in a
body that did not belong to him. He gave up his original for chaotic technology
and then the second for orderly power. Then, that one mutated. His right arm
was no longer human. It was instead a fusion of an elephant tusk, a cat’s paw,
and a lizard’s leg. It was a prime example of what he used to treat alongside
Hasina and Nunnal. He chuckled at the irony. Because he kidnapped the latter’s
daughter, he was now the same as the former's patients.

If that came to pass, he would be killed and Order would
claim his soul before he reached the Abyss. He would lose his freedom and,
following that, his identity. The only thing he could hope for was an Act of
Chaos that would purge his soul of ordercraft without obliterating him
entirely.

The door to the cellblock opened and someone stepped out.
It was not the human warden, but a troll photographer. To be specific, it was a
troll head on top of a human body.

“Grunt!”

“It’s
Gruffle;
Benjamin E. Gruffle. For that, I’d
leave you to rot if it weren’t for orders.”

“Orders?”

Gruffle brought out a two-way video camera and flipped it
on. Instantly, the screen showed Lunas sitting at his desk in Blayce, Latrot.
Standing behind him was a green-haired beauty. She wore the same sort of collar
he himself forced on Annala, but hers was made of silk.

 “Greetings, Nulso. I trust you are miserable.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Every second without ordercraft
leaves me empty and the seal compressing my soul is agony.”

“Glad to hear it. Kidnapping the elf girl was not part of
the plan. You were supposed to collar her and then back up the Obelisk. Your
obsession with revenge and, dare I say it,
carnal pleasure
is the reason
I am not sitting on Ataidar’s throne right now. Thus, you have no one to blame
for your pain but yourself.”

Nulso prostrated himself. “Please, Your Highness, forgive
me. I beg you to pardon my transgressions. Give me another chance and I will
not fail you again.”

Lunas made a show of thinking about it. “In any other
case, I would leave you to your fate. However, there is a mission that someone
of your background is uniquely qualified for.”

“Anything, Your Highness. Name it and I will do it.”

“The Mana Mutation Summit will reconvene in Dnnac Ledo. I
can think of no one better suited to crash this meeting than the man who
originally reached out to them. If you can do this, then all is forgiven. If
you can destroy the village in the process, then my father will reward you with
a couple of elven slave girls. They may not be the one you want, but I’m sure
they will serve your purposes, and you will obtain her eventually as a reward
for future success.”

“I look forward to fulfilling your command, Your
Highness.”

“Rise to your feet.”

Nulso stood with hope in his eyes and joy in his heart.
This puzzled him. He hadn’t honestly felt those emotions in years. In fact, it
was ever since...

The light in the camera’s screen shifted from electric
projection to the eldritch light favored by Order. Lunas raised his hand and
created an ethereal hand. This hand reached out of the screen and struck Nulso
in the forehead.

“Cast in the name of thy god; Ye Not Guilty.”

The chains restraining Nulso’s power emerged all at once
and, all at once, they shattered. Power returned to his soul and strength
returned to his spirit. His eyes glowed with it and he smiled. Then his
ponytail resumed its suffocating grip. All hope and joy left his heart. In its
place was cold duty and obligation.

“If you are sufficiently successful, I may solve that
problem for you as well.”

Nulso kowtowed again. “You are a benevolent superior, Your
Highness.”

“Leave, both of you. If that ugly fire ghoul has not
detected you by now, she will soon.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Gruffle switched off the device and opened Nulso’s cell
with a stolen key. Then he waved him forward. On their way out of the cellblock,
they passed by two dead and shriveled bodies.

“How many years did you gain?” Nulso asked.

“Eighty each; that can also absorb a bunch of fatal
wounds, you know.”

“I wouldn’t know. Order’s power makes me invincible and
immortal. Once I get my hands on an elf, my eternal life is guaranteed.” 

They walked up the stairs unopposed until the top.
Guarding the doorway was Taylor Jones. She stood politely on the top step and
regarded them with a neutral expression.

“Nulso Xialin, return to your cell. If you do not, this
humble one will force you to.”

“Gu-fey, how did you get past her the first time?”

“
It’s Gruffle
and I snuck past her. She pees like
clockwork; 7:45 on the dot. Why do you think I waited until now to spring you?”