Blessings

I fly through the air, over more open fields. Up ahead, I notice a short, but really long wall that extends as far as I can see. The grass on the other side of the wall also seems to be… a brighter shade of green? Like, the grass below me looks normal, but the grass on the other side looks too green to be real. Like it's artificial, or a dream, or something.

"Flier. Drop by Elune Border Inspection before entry. Failure to comply will result in you getting shot down."

Huh?! A voice in my head?! That's… ehh, the Elune domain is meant to be filled with a whole bunch of skilled mages, so maybe it's telepathy. Aw, it would be so cool if it was telepathy! I kind of want to figure out how to do that now.

"Flier. Drop by Elune Border Inspection. If you fly over Elune airspace, you will be shot down."

Ahh! Right! Right! More important things to be doing right now! Fly down to where it looks like there's an entrance or exit. Ahh, I hope this goes smoothly…

I land, and start walking up to one of the gates. It doesn't look nearly as intimidating as the one in Arckbay though. It seems much less fortified and the wall is a whole lot shorter. Two guards are waiting for me at the gate, both dressed in what looks like pretty feminine witch clothes. One of them is a guy, too! Aha…

"Ma'am, we're going to need to see some identification." The guy in what I think is woman's clothes says to me.

I hand him my adventurer's guild card, and he looks over it. He hands it back to me. Alright, so I should be able to head in now?

"Ma'am, cast some spells."

"Uhh… what?" I ask. This… I'm not used to this.

"We're not allowed to let any suboptimal mages in. Of course, given your rank in the adventurer's guild and the fact you can fly, I doubt that will be an issue for you. We do need some more proof to write down in a report though, so just cast one or two more, and explain what you're doing."

Um… that's a rule? Well, I guess… no, no, don't overthink this. Beira, I know I'm weak, but it annoys me that these guards are underestimating my abilities, so assist me for a moment. Kari, I just need to borrow some winds for a moment. OK? OK.

I create ice, and shatter it with wind blades. I use the full spell to create and guide a foggy, freezing mist around me, making sure not to hit the guards. Oh, crap, I'm meant to explain what the spell does too, aren't I?

"Um… this is a freezing mist." I string together.

Alright, next. I activate a recently created charm I made with Ctothis's connection. I feel it tear off a small bit of my mana as I aim it at the grass. Out comes a blade of lightning, that speeds though the air and crashes into the ground with a thundering boom. It doesn't cause much damage, but I've seen that spell in action and it's enough to cut off the limbs of smaller monsters and cauterize the wounds.

That's right! It's the lightning blade spell that took all of my focus! I completely automated it with a charm! I have a rapid fire, low cost lightning spell now! It's completely overpowered! Hahaha!

"Um… wow, that's… alright, that should be enough. Here, take this." The woman says before handing me a clipboard, piece of paper with lines, and a quill.

"Write down all your connections here. We need that as well. After that you can keep on flying ahead."

Alright… all my connections, huh? So Kari, obviously, then Adad. After that we have Beira, and I got Diana's connection recently to make birth control and use it in tandem with Ctothis' connection. Oh, I should probably put Ctothis on here too. Wait… how do I spell her name? I've only ever heard her speak it. Oh no…

"Um… I have one entity, that… that I don't know how to spell…" I string together as simply as possible. I would rather have spoken in more detail than that, but taking too long will set off my social anxiety again.

"Oh, that's fine." She says, taking the things away from me. "How do you say their name then?"

"Ctothis… she's obscure…" I say.

"Yeah, never heard of that name." She says, writing it down. "What kind of entity is this? I just need it for the record, in case I spell it wrong."

"Um… a death spirit…" I say, not knowing how to get around that.

"Alright, you're good to go." She says.

Huh? Me having a connection with a death spirit isn't any cause for concern. I got stopped in Arckbay because I had the same hair as the vampire queen, but I'm allowed in here after I admit to having a connection with a death spirit. One would think that would be way more cause for alarm than my hair color.

And… the guy just handed me back my adventurer's card.

"We'd open the gate, but that's too much work since you can just fly over it anyway." She says.

Am I seriously being allowed in just like that? As a matter of fact, the Elune Domain is where the monster congregation happened, wasn't it? Why were we let in then?

"Is anything wrong, ma'am?" The woman asks me.

"Um… I was a part of the monster congregation…" I begin, as I quickly try and string my next words together. "I didn't see any security then…"

"Oh, well you probably came in from the east then. East side of the domain is mostly just open fields, so security's a whole lot more lax than in the north, south, and west. They also had a pretty good reason for letting anyone in at all at the time."

"Truth be told, too…" the man starts, "We are not supposed to let inadequate mages in, but that rule's pretty difficult to enforce. People tend to find their way in all the time because there's so much ground to cover. Border inspection is mainly just to keep a record of all the mages that enter the domain, and what their connections are, and how powerful they are…"

Ah, yes… for a domain filled with mages, I guess you would want to have a way of monitoring the strength of individual people. They probably have regular censuses for the locals too then.

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Aahaha! Even just one city looks amazing! Buildings and streets changing with earth magic, seeing other people flying on wind gliders, watching a huge monster getting blown up from a mile away with a high speed fireball from the city walls! I want to live here, I really want to live here!

This domain is right next to not only the Emednes Mountains, but the Antisor Mountains as well. Not to mention the Ulfur Forests being right behind the Antisor, and the Demon Lord's Territory being right behind the Emednes. I wonder if this super focus towards magical power in their culture developed as a defense mechanism from all of those danger factors?

I save the thought for further research as I walk through the streets of this new city as I see a whole plethora of magical phenomena going on around me. Not wanting to feel left out, I create a cool air, cooling everything around me from the hot, summer air. Everyone I walk by seems to appreciate it.

I walk by a rather large looking building, it looks kind of like a high school, but with a fantasy flair to it. There's a whole lot of open fields around it too. What is this? Well, there does seem to be a bit of a sign, might as well start here.

"Tryouts for Paraside Magical Academy, Litha 30th to Litha 40th. All ages welcome, only advanced mages are allowed."

A magical school?! I want to go! I really want to go! I wonder if this domain has a whole bunch of super advanced schools of magic I could join. Maybe Kari's cult runs some specifically for wind magic? I want to know, I really want to know! I'm sure with my skill and my faith I could get into a school like that super easily!

I have to keep thinking about Kiaran, though. How would Kiaran enjoy living here? Well I mean, Kiaran's trying to find himself, would anything here help with that? There are a lot of libraries here that could probably help.

I'll mark this on the top of the list of potential places to move, but I want to keep looking. I'd like to have multiple options for Kiaran to pick from when we see eachother again. I kind of went northeast from Heafdes and then went south when I ran into the Emednes. So I think I'll keep heading south until I hit Uclait's border then figure out where to go from there.

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I awake to a familiar place. The land after death. This isn't anything unexpected. Every night since the end of the monster congregation, Ctothis has brought me here. I've spoken with her for at least an hour every night. Well, an hour of her time. Converting to my time, it would be a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a second.

"So, Azariah, I'm sure the answer to this question is no, but can you feel anything yet? Any new emotions coming up?"

I go through all of my memories, trying to provoke any sort of emotional response, as I've done every time I've come here. Kiaran kissing me, moments that stir my social anxiety, the first time I flew.

Hm… nostalgia? Nostalgia is this emotion, right? It's certainly a dulled down version of it compared to what I'm used to, but it's definitely there. I have to think back to moments I hold really dearly though. Hm… Killing Olen also stirs that emotion. Oh well, I'm not feeling anything else right now, that's awake Azariah's problem.

"A dyed down feeling of nostalgia at my most clear memories. It isn't much, but it's progress."

"I see so arousal and nostalgia then? Hmm… you mentioned comradery towards my situation earlier. That emotion hasn't come back at all, has it?"

"Not really."

"I see. I'll keep all of this in mind. I am really happy you're making progress though. I just can't wait to be able to speak to the whole Azariah, with all of her emotions intact."

"Yes, I look forward to that too. So, I passed into the Elune Domain today, but I'm sure you already knew that."

"You aren't wrong. I do keep an eye on you wherever you go. Do you like it in the Elune Domain?"

"Yes, absolutely. I really want to move here with Kiaran, but I also want to keep looking at all the options. I want to make sure that this is the best place for both him and me."

"Ah, amazing! Yes, you two are so adorable together, I love you two. Ahh, how I wish that Kiaran could talk to me too…"

"I'll try my best to figure out a method of that."

"Please don't worry too hard about that. I've been alive for billions of years from my perspective and I still haven't figured out an exact method for every living creature. There are just far too many variables involved. I'd rather focus on getting you all of your emotions first before I worry about taking anyone else under my wing."

"That's understandable, but this is something that I'd also like to share with Kiaran."

"Ah, you never stop being so absolutely adorable. That does bring me to another point, Azariah. It's something important that I want you to think about for a while. Just a yes or no question, but you need to put some thought into it, OK?"

Hm? Ctothis hasn't been like this since immediately after the monster congregation? Whatever this is about is clearly important. Why is she bringing it up now, though?

"I'm listening."

"Alright." Ctothis leans down and sits on top of her boat, letting the bottom part of her cloak float up in the water. It doesn't appear to get wet at all.

"Do you remember how I mentioned having a champion a few decades ago?"

"Yes…"

"My memory isn't exact, but I don't believe you know this yet since you're an otherworlder. Do you know what it means to be a champion of an entity?"

"Um… I'm assuming it just means following their orders, and going around acting in their name. That is the definition of that word. It's probably more than that though, right?"

"Yes, specifically it means gaining my Blessing. Now… to my knowledge, the only person you've ever heard mention a Blessing was Cherilyn right back in the beginning, and I know for a fact that the only person you've ever met who had a Blessing is Cherilyn. Not Lucidna, Inell, Conquitus, not even Runicez or Iryis. Just Cherilyn."

"So… this is clearly important. What do you mean by blessing?"

"Magic works by drawing out power from your own soul, or making connections with more powerful entities that understand how to draw power from their own soul, in turn borrowing their soul's power with their permission. Compatibility is certainly a huge limiting factor in how strong a connection can be, but you also have to factor in just how much of their power the entity being borrowed from is willing to part with.

The Archons for instance, prefer to have their powers used as much as possible by like minded individuals. It's why gaining their connections are so easy to get as soon as you know how to go about getting them."

"Ah, like in the cave, and I called out to you. As soon as I even tried to get your connection I got it instantly. It felt as if you wanted me to use your power."

"That's because I did, Azariah. Now consider an entity that really likes the individual borrowing their power. Imagine that this entity likes and trusts this individual so much, that they want more than just a connection between them. They trust them so much that they want to give them a sizable chunk of their power to be used however they see fit. This is what a Blessing is."

A chunk… of Ctothis' power? What… what would that even entail? I haven't really seen her do anything. Other than charms, what have I done with her power? Astral projection, Mana Location and Detection… Thrill on Death's Edge… what could I do with her blessing, then? Ha… this is getting me excited… wait a minute…

"For Cherilyn, she has Erosil's Blessing, which she referred to you as the blessing of the healing spirit. Its effect allows her to understand any spoken and written language, as well as grants her unparalleled healing abilities in the world of humans.

Now, Erosil put a strict rule in place for Cherilyn in order to keep her Blessing. Cherilyn is not allowed to intentionally harm any living creature, no matter what. Undead, angels, demons, and certain spirits are fine for her to hurt, but any living being, and the Blessing is gone. So much as slapping a mass murderer or child molester will cause Cherilyn to lose her Blessing, so she keeps from fighting.

I don't plan on being anywhere near as strict with you as Erosil is with Cherilyn, but I do intend to put some rules in place. It is my power after all, and I'm capable of taking it back whenever I want. I don't even need a reason. Of course, I do intend to tell you why I'm taking it away before I do."

"Um, Ctothis? This is getting me excited. I really want your blessing!"

"Eh? Really? Um… I'll have to keep that emotion in mind for later, but there's a reason I told you to think about this. It's really important to know before you get Blessed by any entity."

"Alright, I'm listening."

"Blessings influence the personality of those that possess them. It's very subtle, but it's there. Cherilyn for instance no longer cares about what kind of injuries befall herself, since she can just heal them. As a result she pushes herself far harder and is much more reckless compared to how she acted before she received her Blessing."

"Hm. I see… As of right now I don't see any issue with this. I probably will when I wake up and have all my emotions, though. How about I only take it when I'm living with Kiaran, so that he can keep an eye on me?"

"Ahh, that's a good idea. You help Kiaran find who he is, and Kiaran makes sure you don't lose yourself to the power of my blessing. How adorable…"

"I'm sure that I'll think something similar when I wake up. I wish we could talk to each other with all my feelings intact. It would make talking about my relationship with Kiaran much… fuller?"

"Yes, I agree. So we'll hold off on this discussion until the two of you move in together. I understand. I won't bring this topic up again until then."

"Um! Actually, just what does your blessing do? I really want to know."

"For once I'm not worried. No matter what you do, at the end of the day I can just not give it to you. As for its effects… well, I have to explain afterlifes first. I know I've mentioned them around you, but you never asked about it.

Simply put they're realms like this one that wayward souls get to spend their existence in so long as they fulfill certain criteria. Basically, receiving my Blessing will mean that you soul will be considered an afterlife. That's the only thing that my Blessing does, but your soul being an afterlife leads to a whole bunch of effects that come from that."

Ooh! What kind of effects?! Her blessing only does one thing, but that one thing has a whole bunch of unintended consequences?! How can I exploit that! I want to know! I really want to know!

"For one, that will allow you to use your soul as a pocket dimension, as well as making it much easier to use spells from your own soul. You see, within your soul is an inner world that reflects your personality. All living beings have it, but the technique to actually use it is extremely difficult. As for people you know who are capable of that technique… I believe that it's just Iryis, Runicez, Cherilyn, and Conquitus. Lucidna's trying very hard to pull it off, but she hasn't thus far."

Aah! I want to do that! I really want to do that! I mean, if Lucidna's struggling I doubt that I could do it at my current level, and I've always known that I would probably struggle with using magic from my own soul, but getting Ctothis' connection sounds like I'd be able to do that right away!

"Of course, since your inner world will be considered an afterlife, that means that as long as you allow them in, any wayward souls will be able to rest inside your inner world indefinitely, until you decide to kick them out or let them leave.

Your soul being an afterlife will also make it extraordinarily easier to gather up mana. You'll be able to absorb mana from souls within your inner world, but also tap into sources you never would have imagined. I'll save the explanation on that for you if you actually take up my Blessing though."

More sources of mana?! On top of my passive mana regeneration! Ahh! There's no way of slicing that that doesn't come out sounding absurdly useful! I really want that! Imagine all the things that you could do with that!

"That means you should be able to keep that astral form up indefinitely, and you'll be able to reincarnate yourself however you see fit. So long as I don't take my Blessing away from you."

Aaha! I want it! I really want that! I really, really want that! Wait though, that would effectively render me immortal. Didn't Ctothis mention…

"Um Ctothis? Didn't you mention having a champion that died a while ago? Wouldn't this blessing have made her immortal?"

"Oh? That… yeah, she had a… philosophy about life and death. She lived to about 150 with my Blessing before she demanded that I take it away from her. She simply grew old and died, and I had to reincarnate her without her memories intact, because that's what she wanted."

Oh… that question seems to have made Ctothis upset. Um… don't ask any more questions about this champion of hers. Change the subject to something else.

"Um… what else can I do with her connection? You were talking about being able to keep my astral body up indefinitely."

"Oh, yes. Not only that, but you should be able to send your astral body into whatever afterlife you want to, since they're all connected to this space. You should be able to enter here whenever you want through your soul. As well as every other afterlife through here, so long as you fit their criteria. You also might be able to meet the Archons and other legendary entities that way."

I want that! I really really want that! Not only will I get to hear Kari's voice, but I'll also get to speak with him in person! Why the hell would I turn that down.

"Stop looking so excited. I'm happy that your emotions are gradually coming back to you, but show some more restraint, alright?"

"Alright, alright, I'll calm down. But you have to understand just how I would feel about that."

"Yes, I have a decent idea of how you function, so it isn't surprising. You have to have some restraint though. Do you even remember how I told you it would influence your personality, or how I intended to set rules in place for you to keep my Blessing?"

"Um… now that you mention it, yes, I do."

Ctothis sighs.

"Do you even remember what I had you promise me in order for me to reincarnate you with your memories intact?"

Um… I promised Ctothis something? I certainly remember agreeing to something in order to get Ctothis to reincarnate with my memories when I die, but what did I agree to? I certainly remember being able to reincarnate as whatever I want…

"That you'd value your life just as highly as before, Azariah."

Oh no, she sounds annoyed. Yeah, she did say that though, didn't she? That is pretty important.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. Just think about it. If you do decide to take up my Blessing though, I'll make sure to write a contract like what Erosil did with Cherilyn. Now, other than valuing your life, there is just one more thing I want from you if you were to receive my Blessing."

"OK, I'll do my best to remember it this time."

"I just want you to do a few favors for me when I ask them. Since you can fly, and would be able to travel through afterlifes, distance will be much less of a limiting factor for you. I just want you to go around and talk about me with a few individuals I think may be able to speak with me here.

I promise not to ask it too much since you'll be living with your boyfriend when I give you my Blessing. I'll try my best to make sure there won't be any language barriers for you to work through as well, but I'm not sure how possible that will be."

"Of course."

Ctothis has done so much for me, and is the source of a lot of my really amazing spells. Trying to get her more people to talk to should be a given. Of course I want to help her break out of this loneliness she has to endure for her job.