The Realm of Austur Episode 2: New Consequences

Vincent smiles knowingly. "Don't worry, Yekiri. Jet won't try to kill family. Besides, the only one who could actually challenge me is Nivian herself."

Silver blinks in surprise, both at Elia's question and Vincent's words. "What about mother?"

Vincent shakes his head. "Assuming we're both fighting with our true power, yes. She could definitely challenge me. But without her godhood, her true powers are sealed."

He turns to Elia. "Yes, she is Rhea and Tafl's daughter. Just like in the story I told you, I found her when she was a babe and raised her. We only recently found out who her true parents are, and that we're actually related. The Cosmos does have a sense of humor, I suppose."

Silver's eyes suddenly narrow. "I've told you before, and I'll tell you again. Tafl may be my biological father, but you're the one who raised me. You will always be my dad, and I will always be your daughter. Nothing will ever change that."

Vincent smiles. "I know, Sil. I know."

So she doesn't know... I didn't think she did.

"Nivian is my Grandmother," Vincent answers. "In actuality, she is the Royal Consort of the Shiryuan pantheon's Godking, and one of the most revered and ancient deities in Shiryuan culture. You may not realize this, but the Nivian you know is merely a doppleganger of sorts; a watery illusion created by her, so she can be in hundreds, even thousands of different places at once. Her true self is probably still in the Hall of Time, home of the gods, even now as we speak. Of course, this means all the 'Nymphs', as you call them, are my aunts. And since I'm technically the youngest of them all... Family gatherings can be a bit... Embarassing, even for me."

"He hates it," Silver interjects, grinning. "He's always been a bit of a lone wolf, and he's a very proud, mature, and intelligent man. Being the younger nephew, and the youngest relative in general, can be very, ah... Annoying, when the majority of your relatives aren't mature in the slightest, have little to no sense of... Anything, really, and are usually wilder than typhoons."

"I prefer peace and quiet," Vincent agrees, finishing the last of his breakfast. He pauses for a moment before continuing. "But... If you want us to be involved with my family more Elia, then I will relent, if only because I want you to be surrounded by family who love you."

I don't want you to ever experience the lonliness I've had to endure...

Vincent merely nods. He rises to his feet, collecting his empty plate as he does so. "No lessons today Elia," he says softly, smiling at her. "I'm sure you and Silver would like some time to get to know each other. And honestly, I'm not feeling so well today. I think I'll go back to bed for a couple hours."

He heads into the kitchen with his plate and silverware, and Silver glances worriedly at him as he leaves. I thought you said the nightmares stopped...

Silver turns to Elia, and lowers her voice. "I'm sorry for asking such an intimate question... But have you two slept together? I don't mean as lovers, I know you said you haven't done that yet, I just mean... Have you ever been near him while he sleeps?"

Silver bites her lip and nods. "Alright. I'll just follow you then."

Silver closed her eyes, as a brief look of pain crossed her face. "I don't know everything," she says softly. "But I'll tell you what I do know. It was just after dad was officially taken in by the Shiryuan pantheon. He was a new god, untested, and very, very insecure. Only a couple years had passed since... Well, you know. The 'Scourge of the East' was still fresh in the minds of the populace, and he was desperate to atone for his sins. Those first years must have been... So, so horrible. He was all alone, with no one to talk to, save for possibly Nivian. And he did his best to avoid her, according to her... It's a miracle he didn't go insane."

Silver takes a deep breath. "Then, one day, he stumbled across a Cleatian Noble's caravan, under attack by brigands. He was too late to save the Noble or his wife, but he managed to save their newborn child... Michael. At the father's request, dad took the boy and raised him as his own, just as he did me. I... I know they had many years of happiness, and after that, something terrible happened, something that he's always blamed himself for... But I don't know the details. Only dad does, and he won't talk to me about it. Everything I know I learned from Gram-Gram. But you, Elia... He might open up to you. Please, I'm begging you... Talk to him. Get him to see he doesn't have to blame himself anymore. His... His nightmares, they aren't like normal dreams. They're much, much worse... And they can actually hurt him. It's why he always sleeps in so late. His mind needs extra time to recover, in order to help him cope."

A single tear trickled down her cheek. "Please, Elia. I don't know why, but I feel like something is terribly, terribly wrong. And it scares me."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBG1ZZn07Ls

He was terrified of sleep. He had been ever since he was a child, long before he climbed the steps of Fate's Citadel, long before he learned the truth of everything, and was cursed with the eye of prophecy. One of the first clear memories from his childhood was being awoken in the middle of the night, his bedroom on fire, with screams echoing throughout his home. So, perhaps, his fear was understandable. But he had not been a child in centuries, and still, the fear grew, gnawing at the depths of his mind, gradually driving him insane. Why? Because, in the vulnerable state of sleep, when he had only a sliver of the usual control he possessed, he could not stop himself from seeing. A crack would form in the dam, spreading rapidly, and soon everything would flow unchecked; in the span of a few hours, he would be forced to relive centuries of pain and suffering, happiness and loss, fear and uncertainty, and then, then, he would be forced to confront the knowledge he was never meant to have, nor ever wished to have. He would see a myriad of possibilities, a trillion different fates and realities. He would see the past and future of those he loved, and those he knew only as faceless strangers. In only those few short hours of sleep, he would glimpse the makings of all the many universes, and understand the underlining principle of life itself. Even a nanosecond of a blurry, watered down version of such overwhelming knowledge would destroy a normal person's mind utterly. But for Vincent Oda, he saw, and even worse, understood everything, in all its primal glory. The mere fact that he was still breathing, let alone still sane was an incomprehensible miracle, even for an entity as powerful as he.

However... As he saw and understood more and more, and his mind grew accustomed to more and more, the crack in the dam would eventually widen, and the dam itself would shatter and crumble. This cruel, endless cycle would eventually result in his death. It was inevitable. And so, Death feared to sleep, because in the end, he feared himself. He had found ways to manage and cope over the centuries, but there were times when no amount of coping would help; key points in history, when fate swerved and twisted, and endless paths all merged into one. In these turbulent times, his visions were clearer and harsher, and the dam shuddered and creaked with effort. But, during those restless nights in Gorgath, it was even worse. His greatest sorrow and his greatest joy clashed violently with premonitions of Utopia and Armageddon, and for the first time, on one early morning, a piece of the dam broke away and tumbled into the raging maelstrom below...

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Vincent woke with a soundless cry. He sat up in bed, gasping for air and sweating profusely, his head pounding. He half stumbled half fell out of the bed, landing with a loud thud on the floor, on his hands and knees. He barely managed to stand, and with some effort, he made it into the bathroom, using the wall for support. He leaned over the sink, breathing heavily, staring at himself in the mirror in a desperate attempt to collect his thoughts. His white sleeveless shirt was drenched in cold sweat, and his eyes were wild and unfocused. One moment they were his normal dark blue, the next a blood red, then pure black. His hair shifted back and forth as well, and the temperature in the bathroom varied wildly, from extreme to extreme. Reality itself twisted and bent, distorting both matter and space. Darkness and light clashed with each other, flowing outwards from his body in waves. Some deeper part of Vincent's subconscious realized just how much danger he was truly in, and acted out of self preservation. One moment he was there, in the distorted bathroom in his bedroom, and the next he was kneeling before Yggdrassil, placing his hands against the tree's warm bark. He stayed like that for a moment, before turning around and collapsing back against the tree. Yggdrassil's soothing aura washed over him, gradually bringing him back to some semblance of sanity.

"You look like a mess boy," a familiar voice says, materializing out of a swirling cloud of ash and flame.

Vincent turns his head slightly, his vision still blurry and unclear. "Hello to you too," he breathes raggedly. "To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

Raizel snorts and tosses two metal bands at the ground beside him, each one just big enough to fit around Vincent's arms. "Cut the sarcasm boy, and put those on. You're damn lucky you're your old man's favorite son. Even in your best state, I don't think you could comprehend just how hard those were to forge."

Vincent picks them up and studies them for a moment, before doing as he was told and sliding them onto his arms, all the way up to his biceps. The bands immediately tightened, securing themselves of their own accord, and Vincent gasps. This is... This magic is...

"It's not a permanent fix," Raizel states grimly. "But it will prevent any more episodes like this, and slow down the process. However... Artifacts as powerful as these come at a high price, even for the prodigal son. Lord Aanu has summoned you in an official capacity, and you are to report back to the pantheon."

"Did... Did he specify when?"

Raizel grins slightly. "Huh... That's funny. I can't seem to remember. I guess I'll just have to go back and ask Him."

Vincent gives a weak laugh. "Thank you, Uncle. I mean it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about boy," he answers, vanishing in a gust of smoke. His voice, however, lingers for a moment longer, only in Vincent's mind. "Be safe, and remember, no matter what it may feel like, you are not alone."

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Silver felt the sudden surge of magic from the palace, a surge of magic so great it was comparable to an explosion, or a natural disaster. She pulled back from Elia's embrace, startled and scared, her eyes wide. "What was that? Elia, did you sense that too? It felt like it was coming from..."

... Dad's bedroom!!!

Silver rushed back into the palace, with Elia right behind her. She threw open the door to her father's room, and immediately noticed he was gone. His bed was empty and a mess, the comforter and sheets strewn across the floor. She walks to the bathroom, but stops dead in her tracks in the doorway. The bathroom door was hanging on its hinges, nearly blown completely off. But the bathroom itself... Silver couldn't believe her eyes. It was like something ripped straight out of a nightmare. Everything was bent in odd, impossible angles, and frost lined the floors and walls. It was unnaturally dark in the room, and when Silver tried to enter, her survival instincts kicked in and stopped her. Her hands were shaking. What... W-What is this? It's like... Everything has been distorted, twisted...

Suddenly remembering she saw two rings on Elia's hand, Silver turns to her. "Lemme see your hand... I knew it! You do have dad's Signet Ring! Please... Try to contact him! We have to find him!"

Silver was getting more and more panicked by the second, and it was clear she was genuinely frightened.

"Outside," Vincent groans, leaning back against Yggdrassil. His power was back under control, mostly thanks to his Uncle's intervention, but his Mana supply was largely depleted, he had a splitting headache, and his limbs felt like noodles. "In front of Yggdrassil," he elaborates, his voice ragged and hoarse. "Not to trouble you or anything... But I could really use your help. I don't think I can walk on my own."

Silver quickly nodded and hurried out of the room, with Elia right on her heels. They rushed out of the palace, and ran at a near dead sprint through the city. Silver briefly considered changing forms and flying out, since it would have been faster, but decided against it. She had never flown the old mining tunnel with a passenger before, and she didn't feel like experimenting with her soon-to-be mother in-law and the love of her father's life. Besides, time was of the essence. Now wasn't the time for a test flight.

After bursting out of Gorgath and into the cold morning air, Silver and Elia hurried up the nearby mountain path, towards the ancient guardian of Gorgath. They found Vincent right where Elia said he would be; sitting down on the grass and leaning back against the World Tree. Silver immediately knelt down in front of him, her eyes tearing up. He was a mess. His clothes were stained with sweat and torn, his hair was mussed, and he looked like he hadn't slept in a thousand years. He didn't seem to have a lot of mana left... In fact, he was dangerously low...

"Dad...? You okay? What happened?"

He opens his eyes and gives a weak smile. "Long story," he says, his usually smooth, deep voice reduced to a hoarse whisper. "I'll tell you both everything, once I've recovered... I promise. But for now... I need to rest. I don't even know if I can stand, so I'll need to lean on you both. Forgive me Sil, Lia... I didn't mean to scare you two."

Silver furiously shakes her head and wipes her eyes. "Just don't do it again."

She moves to his left side and places his left arm around her shoulders. "Elia, help me lift him. We need to get him back inside."