Divine Apostasy Book 7 - Chapter 88

Chapter 88

To Ruwen’s surprise and dismay, the Founders didn’t punish his lack of judgement. He had hoped for some type of rebuke, anything to help blunt the guilt and pain. They mourned the loss of so many Masters but took if far better than he’d expected. Didn’t anyone understand the depth of his responsibility? Why would no one make him pay for his actions?

Instead, they buried the Masters in the bamboo grove overlooking the sea. Permanent death for people so young was new to Ruwen and he hated the idea of placing people under the ground.

The Founders insisted, explaining the Masters would live on forever as part of the grove. After burying the dead, nothing remained for Ruwen. Mist requested that Nymthus stay in the village a little longer. Mist and Padda would start her training in the Bamboo Grandmaster path.

Echo, too, needed to stay. The Founders told her a Master had fallen ill, and his Sijun still required training. They informed her she shared a bond with the student and would understand eventually.

Thorn and Mist planned to instruct Sift themselves but could not start his Grandmaster training immediately and offered him a place in the village to wait. Technically, he could take the Grandmaster test immediately and pass, but he wanted to leave.

Kysandra had still not responded to the Founders so Ruwen had nothing tying him to the village either. He turned down the offer to rest there, expressing his gratefulness for the offer.

Ruwen, just like Sift, wanted to go home.

They hugged Nymthus, and Ruwen promised he’d visit her when he could. Echo flashed Ruwen and Sift an elbow, which made Ruwen smile. He bowed to her and Sift followed a moment later.

As they strode toward the portal stone, Sift looked at Ruwen. “Do you think she knows what that means? Maybe someone told her it meant ‘thank you.’ Like as a joke.”

“I don’t think a lot of joking happens in the Infernal Realm,” Ruwen responded. “Her childhood was probably horrific.”

“Yeah, I can see that. It’s weird being on the same side with her.”

“Echo has more than her fair share of internal conflict. Some battles are hard to see.”

“Well, I’m glad to put her, and this whole trial, behind me. I just want to get home and find Lylan, and then my turtle.”

“I wouldn’t worry about Shelly.” Ruwen said as he removed the portal chalk. “She will reappear shortly. And speaking of home, I’m taking us to my lair. I need to talk with Fractal and hopefully Rami, before I inevitably get sidetracked. If Hamma is with Lylan, tell her I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Sift winced. “Maybe I should wait. It might get you in trouble if I show up and you didn’t. It might make Hamma feel like you don’t care as much.”

Ruwen glanced at Sift. “Wow, that is some real emotional intelligence.”

“It’s just common sense. Even appahs know the greenest grass gets eaten first.”

“I have no idea what that means.”

“It’s about priorities, my brother.”

Ruwen shook his head. “Hamma knows her importance to me. I trust she’ll understand.”

Sift tilted his head. “If you spoke the language of—”

“Stop! Love is not a language. I should know, I speak like all of them. Even if it was, I’d communicate just fine.”

After a few steps, and a little consideration, Ruwen continued. “But I see your point. How about this. After we arrive you get Lylan and Hamma and bring them back to the lair. That way I get a few minutes alone with Fractal and hopefully Rami and then we can figure out what to do together.”

“That is a much better plan.”

They had almost reached the portal stone.

“With everything I’ve discovered about balance,” Ruwen said. “I still haven’t found it in my personal life.”

They reached the portal stone, and none of the gate runes had faded away on their own yet, and Ruwen didn’t know what runes he could clear to draw his own. So instead, he created a Shed behind the nearest hut, and drew the gate runes for the Dungeon Master’s Lair inside Fractal on the wall.

Ruwen’s stomach turned. “I’m nervous.”

“That makes two of us,” Sift said. “True God knows where this will take me. Remember last time when you dropped us in the middle of a forest?”

Ruwen started to argue but Sift grinned and stepped through the portal. It might have been the first time he’d voluntarily gone first. He must really be anxious to see Lylan but couldn’t resist poking Ruwen while doing it.

Letting out a long breath, Ruwen stepped through the door and into his Dungeon Master’s Lair.

Sift stood just a couple feet from the wall, and Ruwen almost stepped into him.

Rocks, gems, and crystals, ranging in size from inches to yards, covered the floor, making it hard to walk.

“I love what you’ve done to the place,” Sift said.

“Wow,” Ruwen replied, unsure what else to say about the mess.

Ruwen? Rami asked.

Hey, Rami. I missed you.

I’m headed your way.

Thanks.

Sift took a deep breath. “It feels good to be back.”

Ruwen nodded, but fear of the unknown tempered his joy. He removed Sift’s Cultivator robes from Inventory, and channeled Scrub over the clothes as he handed them over.

“Thanks,” Sift said as he changed out of his formal Bamboo Viper Clan attire.

Ruwen did the same, changing into the soft black cotton of the Black Pyramid garments.

The stone floor vibrated, and a faint glow came from one of the thick crystal veins running over all the surfaces.

“I think Fractal is almost here,” Ruwen said.

Sift dropped his formal attire into his dimensional belt and shuffled his feet toward the wall, not wanting to step on any of the scattered items. He touched his wrist to the stone. “Lylan,” he said simply. A portal opened, and he looked back at Ruwen. “Thanks again for everything. I guess, maybe after all you did, teaching me and fighting the Founders to help me, when compared with the eighteen months to fetch you, maybe we’re…” Sift paused, looking for the right word.

Ruwen held his breath. After all his attempts, might Sift say “even” on his own? Ruwen desperately wanted to complete That’s Not a Number, and remove the Uneven debuff that put the taste of maple syrup in his mouth every morning.

“Balanced,” Sift finally said.

Ruwen hid his disappointment but nodded. “Of course.”

Sift turned back to the portal but paused again. He looked over his shoulder. “Or, what’s that word you’ve been trying to get me to say for months? Even? We’re even.”

Sift winked and jumped through the portal.

The Uneven debuff disappeared and Ruwen stared at the portal in shock. How long ago had Sift figured this out?

Fractal arrived, traveling through one of the many crystal tubes that ran everywhere. He erupted from the floor and shot toward Ruwen at a very unsafe speed. He caught Fractal and stepped backward a few steps to bleed the momentum from the impact.

Fractal shatters in joy at your return.

Ruwen grinned at the small crystal sitting in his palm. When he had first met Fractal the Dungeon Keeper had looked like a handful of quartz crystals mashed together into a vaguely human shape the length of his index finger.

Now, just over two years later, Fractal had grown up. His speech came faster and clearer, and physically he’d grown to the length of Ruwen’s hand. The Dungeon Keeper had taken on more human traits as well, with tiny blue sapphires for eyes, and a cape made of small colored gems. His arms and legs still ended in points, but he could instantly morph them into hands and feet when required. Wherever his body touched a surface, rainbows appeared from his body fracturing the light.

Ruwen hugged Fractal to his chest. I shatter as well. It’s good to be home. He glanced around at the scattered mess. It looks like you’ve spent some time in here.

Fractal keep his favorites here while wait for Dungeon Master.

I’m sorry it took so long. But I brought you some gifts.

Fractal jumped up and down on Ruwen’s hand, and a thick stone pillar erupted from the ground a foot in front of him. It stopped rising when it reached his waist. Fractal jumped down onto the stone altar and ran around in a circle.

A portal opened on the wall Sift had used to leave, and a young woman stepped out. She dashed toward Ruwen, her dark hair streaming behind her, and her bare feet making small slapping noises against the stone floor. She leaped at him and he caught her.

“Hi, Rami,” Ruwen said, returning her fierce hug. “I missed you so much.”

Fractal continued to run around the altar, and after a few seconds Rami let go.

Rami looked up at him, concern on her face. “What happened? Why are you so sad?”

Ruwen’s throat tightened, and he couldn’t speak. Easier if you just look, he thought to Rami.

Rami kept her hands on Ruwen’s forearms and closed her eyes. After ten seconds she gasped, and tears streaked her cheeks. Five seconds later, she let go of Ruwen, opened her eyes, wiped them as best she could, and gave him another tight hug.

“I’m so sorry,” Rami whispered.

“Thank you,” Ruwen whispered back. “The guilt and responsibility have unbalanced me. I can feel it, but I’m still able to use Harmony. I need to find a way to deal with the sorrow and guilt before it overwhelms me and pulls me completely out of balance.”

Rami continued to cry and Ruwen frowned. “Are you okay?”

Tears flowed down Rami’s cheeks, but she nodded.

Ruwen hugged Rami again. “What’s wrong?”

Rami sobbed into his chest.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Ruwen asked gently.

“My mom,” Rami said. “She’s so alone.” Then after a small pause she continued. “And I’ve never really met her.”

Ruwen closed his eyes and hugged Rami tighter. He had forgotten about that revelation during his time in the Third Secret. Miranda had remained in Pen’s Divine Realm since Pen had died. Every interaction Rami had ever had with her mom she now realized, had been with an apparition created by her actual mother trapped in the third secret.

“I have a plan,” Ruwen said. “I’m going to finish this business quickly. Then you can see your mom for real. Okay?”

Rami nodded, and after a few seconds Ruwen released her. A part of his heart had returned, and most of the rest would arrive here soon.

Overlord cast Fallen Heroes and appeared next to Ruwen.

“What’s this?” Overlord asked. “I thought I was the favorite?”

Rami laughed, wiped the rest of her tears away, and hugged Overlord.

Ruwen turned to Fractal who still raced around the altar in excitement. “Okay, Champ. Here you go.”

When Ruwen placed the Void Band over the Altar, the top of the stone turned into a bowl as Fractal jumped to the edge. He sat swinging his legs and looked up at Ruwen expectantly.

The items for Fractal were spread haphazardly throughout Ruwen’s Inventory. So he just started at the beginning and scanned the contents, dropping Fractal’s gifts whenever he came across one.

Into Fractal’s dish Ruwen dropped:

10 black crossing stones from Savage Island

Infernal Banishment Band of Physical Protection taken from the Aspect of Drought

3 gallons of ocean water that glowed when agitated from the Master’s Village

33 razor weed plants from the third trial

Floot adhesive and acid from the fake boxes

3 spiral mass fern spores from the space plant

10 cacti also from the Floot trial

A clump of grass and 5 flowers from under the first trial’s tower

Clothes covered in demon blood and desecrated infernal soil

23 Slugs of Forced Meditation

Fractal jumped up and down in excitement, and Rami laughed at seeing his obvious joy.

Ruwen looked back and forth between them. “I have three important tasks for the two of you.” He waited until Fractal stopped moving and looked up at Ruwen with full attention. “Each of these tasks are incredibly important, but if I had to put them in order, here they are. First, my Spiritual network of paths and meridians are badly swollen and inflamed. I need something to heal that damage as soon as possible. Not having access to Spirit weakens me massively, and this is no time for weakness.”

“I’ll start looking immediately,” Rami said. “And Fractal has added significantly to your personal library. He offers adventurers loot bonuses for books. The rarer the better. He has become quite the scholar, although his shelving method makes no sense.”

Ruwen looked down at Fractal. “Is that true? I’m so proud of you!”

Fractal dropped the spiral mass fern spore and jumped upward. Ruwen caught and hugged him. Fractal stood on Ruwen’s palm, and he held out his hand so the Dungeon Keeper was between him and Rami.

“Okay, so the second thing is related to the first,” Ruwen said. “Once I heal myself, I want to transition from Gem to Divine as soon as I can. From what I’ve gathered, that process takes a long time. Maybe even centuries. I want to do it vastly faster than that. We need to figure out an elixir or some process to accomplish it.”

“Those are tall orders,” Rami said.

“I know,” Ruwen responded. “But the sooner we start the faster I can finish the Fourth Secret and live my own life. Which brings me to my last request.” Ruwen brought his face close to Fractal’s. “The God Stone you are working on with Miranda, the one that will allow revival without a god involved, how is it going?”

Need Energy. Need Dungeon Master. Close, close, close, Fractal kept repeating the word close as he jumped up and down.

Ruwen smiled. “Okay, great. It made me think though. Your God Crystal stores not only the person’s attributes and skills, but their core, meridians, paths, and all that stuff. Basically everything.”

Yes, yes, yes, Fractal repeated. Everything.

“Okay,” Ruwen said. “Here is the part I’m hoping you can help with. I want you to test changing the information you stored before you do the revival. Specifically, I want you to attempt attaching pathways to Meridians.”

“What are you thinking?” Rami asked.

Ruwen faced Rami. “I don’t want to lose the people I love. With Fractal’s help, and your mother’s crystal-based revival, I plan to remake you all into gods.”