Divine Apostasy Book 12 - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

The darkness didn’t inhibit Ruwen’s vision, but he needed Pine’s help and the old man couldn’t see in the dark. Thousands of glowing snowflakes appeared in the shed but these Ruwen had made from tiny bundles of Soul power. They drifted haphazardly, slowly spinning from currents only they detected.

 Pine forgot about the door and strode into the shed to study the Soul orbs. Ruwen Blinked to the metal vehicle that gleamed in the light. He’d seen these sleek curves before, painted the same bold red, and the angular design still warned of danger. If this had been a snake, he’d have avoided it. Considering who must have created this, he considered doing just that.

“It’s from the poster in Ash’s room,” Ruwen said. “Ducati,” he whispered, liking the sound of the word.

The vehicle leaned slightly, supported by a stand. It radiated danger, almost hostility, like a coiled spring full of potential energy and contained power.

Pine arrived ten seconds later, carefully holding a Soul orb in each palm. He frowned and shook his head when he followed Ruwen’s gaze.

"The little goddess bought this death machine for Ash," Pine said.

Ruwen turned to Pine. “Death machine?”

Pine caught Ruwen's look and waved a hand. "It's not an actual death machine—it's called a motorcycle. But this particular type..." He gestured toward the shiny Ducati. "This type of motorcycle is extra dangerous. And Ash doesn't always think things through."

The frown melted from Pine's face, replaced by affection. "Actually, he never thinks things through. He'll be over the moon when he sees it. Even though I hate it, it was very thoughtful of the little goddess."

“Over the moon? Does it fly?”

Pine laughed. “No, of course not. It’s just an expression about being happy.”

Ruwen turned his gaze back to the motorcycle. With Harmonic Sight the bike blazed like a red star. Whatever Pine thought this motorcycle was, he’d obviously not spent enough time with Blapy if he thought it was just a bike. Ruwen guessed this motorcycle could fly, perhaps even over the moon.

It took a minute, but Ruwen studied the vehicle with Harmonic Knowledge, comparing it to the designs stored in his Architect Role. He’d been right, Blapy had remade almost every part and the vehicle and the only thing that remained original was its shape and color.

“Okay, we can go,” Ruwen said. “He pointed at the small collection of Soul orbs Pine had collected.”

Pine blushed. “I’m drawn to them.”

That was all the confirmation Ruwen needed. A larger orb appeared attached to the ceiling. Every few seconds it emitted another tiny Soul orb.

“Remember that magic diagram,” Ruwen said, “and how opposite magics balanced each other. I think they provide ways to level as well. I know for a fact aura energy can level a Soul. That’s why I put these Soul orbs in here. I’m confident Soul power can level chakras somehow. What I’ve done here might be completely wrong and lead to nothing, but if you have time could you come in here everyday and spend time experimenting with them. See if you can absorb the orbs without hurting yourself.”

Pine looked at his palms. “These came from your Soul? Like the Soul god gave you?”

“That’s a discussion I’d like to save for another time. I’m not familiar with your specific religion but I understand the model. I’ll just say a lot of change is coming to your world, and I hope you can keep an open mind even if that shakes your faith. Will you experiment with these?”

“Of course,” Pine said.

Ruwen sensed the surge of anxiety in Pine, and how the man tapped his Solar Plexus chakra to calm himself.

“Forgive me if this oversteps a boundary,” Pine said. “I’m not sure how to approach this except by asking directly. Are you a god?” Pine waved at the house. “Are all of you gods?”

Ruwen didn’t answer immediately. He started toward the door and Pine followed.

“I can hear how overloaded your word for god is,” Ruwen said.

They stepped out of the shed and into the night. Ruwen waved at the house. “Are we gods? By some standards, power for instance, yes. As pillars of morality or examples of purity and goodness, maybe not. We’re just as human as everyone else.”

The shadow that had patiently waited for Ruwen stepped away from the pickup truck and stepped into the light from the ever increasingly bright shed.

“Don’t listen to him,” Echo said. “He’s nauseatingly righteous, infuriatingly honorable, and incomprehensibly brave. I’ve met my fair share of deities, and none of them could be called Divine. He draws the same type to himself. They’re all frustratingly decent and certainly meet your criteria for godly.”

Pine bowed, his hands glowing from the orbs that clung to his palms. “Grandmaster Echo, thank you for your insight. That is my sense as well.”

Echo locked eyes with Ruwen and then looked into the sky. “And then there’s that.”

Ruwen already knew where this was headed. He gathered all the innocence he could muster and glanced into the sky.

“Oh,” Pine said, “it’s lovely. It gets better with every passing hour. Our very own Saturn.”

Ruwen studied his handiwork. The moon had grown brighter as the volcano continued to agitate the dusty surface. Particles of pumice, obsidian, and who knows what else formed a ring around the moon. The reflected sunlight made the ring twinkle as if it contained nothing but diamonds. The lava created a splash of orange-red color on the moon’s surface and turned the ring above it a beautiful shade of pink.

 Echo kept her eyes on the moon and spoke nonchalantly. “Everyone’s talking about the new superbeing that showed themselves on the moon.”

Ruwen's throat felt suddenly dry. He kept a neutral expression, though his mind raced with the implications. “New superbeing?”

Pine continued, his voice excited. "A Japanese satellite mapping the moon caught a picture of it, and it was..." He paused, as if trying to process what he was about to say. He turned from the moon to face Ruwen. "This will sound crazy, and many think it’s CGI, but the Japanese swear its legitimate. That volcano was created by a ten-foot skeleton wearing nothing but boots and holding a glowing yellow gem."

"They have a picture?" Ruwen asked in a voice higher than he intended.

"They did indeed,” Echo said and then continued. "You missed a lot of excitement while you slept. A seventy-five-mile-wide lava lake appeared in Brazil, and a massive typhoon formed unexpectedly in the southern Pacific. The typhoon is already affecting the sea and air currents."

Ruwen redoubled his efforts to look innocent as Echo studied him.

"The typhoon," Ruwen said carefully, "is it causing a lot of damage?"

Echo shrugged. "Too early to tell, according to their weather mages—”

“Meteorologists,” Pine clarified.

“Right, meteorologists,” Echo replied and returned her gaze to the moon. “The storm is moving south toward the pole. The warm water and air might cause changes there. Hopefully nothing thaws that should’ve remained frozen. The people here are scared. That Pit appeared around a month ago and just as they started to deal with it, all this other stuff happens. Talk of the apocalypse has increased as has the social unrest.”

“Speaking of the apocalypse,” Pine said, “I need to check what Sift’s left of my kitchen.”

Pine bowed to them both and quickly strode to the house.

Echo’s words burned in Ruwen’s thoughts. He’d caused that explosion deep under Egypt when the Crossing Ring he’d destroyed during the Master’s Trial detonated its paired ring here. Now he’d created more confusion and uncertainty for the people here.

Echo, still fixated on the moon, spoke quietly. “What I’ll never understand is how righteous, honorable, and brave gods can also create such chaos.”

“I’m just guessing,” Ruwen said, “but I’m sure it’s usually an accident, or at a minimum, there’s an excellent and logical explanation.” He waited three seconds before continuing in as casual a voice as he could muster. “You think someone should go fix that storm?”

Echo sighed and the hint of a smile appeared. She turned to Ruwen. “What are the odds it would make it worse?”

Ruwen winced. “I’ll admit my luck hasn’t been the best lately. I really hate leprechauns.”

“That’s what I figured. I have my people monitoring that storm. If something serious happens I’ll let you know. Right now, I think the best course of action is inaction.”

By “my people” Echo probably meant demons. Ruwen needed to talk to her eventually about things like the Infernal Realm and what millions of demons were doing now that their god died. He had enough Wisdom to know now wasn’t the time for that discussion.

“Good advice Echo, thanks for doing that.”

“Sure, but it wasn’t out of the kindness of my heart. I need a favor.”