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“That’s normal, don’t worry,” Audomar replied, sitting back and crossing his arms. “You’ll feel this… ‘happiness?’ for a few days, but it lacks each day. It’s just your wound internally healing, so the power will stick around for a while. Don’t worry, it won’t impact you much, besides the sort of floaty feeling.”
Scipio nodded a bit, releasing his shirt collar. "Alright… I'm not normally a particularly cheerful person, so we'll see how that goes." He looked around the cabin more thoroughly now that he wasn't distracted by pain, seemingly curious. "I guess all you gods have different styles, huh?"
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“Of course,” Audomar said as if it were simple fact. “Normally weather and architecture varies with a certain field. For example, my students and I prefer colder weather because it’s easier to keep medical equipment sterilized and preserve medicines and foods. The house, though? We just like the cosy feeling of cabins. I guess that’s just Pixie’s preference. She’s the god of self-health and attuning to ones needs. She’s currently out fulfilling a prayer, so you probably won’t see her around.”
(Aa I'm so sorry! I thought I responded!)
"I bet she gets a lot of requests, huh?" Scipio snickered a bit and ran his fingers through his hair. "There's a lot of people who are fucked up mentally in way or another. I'd know; I'm one of them. I never prayed to her or anything, though. Religion was never exactly my thing. I prefer to dictate how I live my life on my own terms."
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(Don’t worry bout it, you’re all good :)
“Moderately a lot of requests, but no one really takes time for themselves, so it would be less than you think,” Audomar replied. “And… it doesn’t surprise me you didn’t pledge to a god. Otherwise, I’m not sure how Xellis would have gotten you.”
“Hey!” Xellis growled. “I’m totally capable of getting my own associate.”
Audomar payed him no mind, keeping his attention to Scipio. “I wish you good luck with this god for eternity, eh? He can be much but he means well.”
“‘He means well’— wha— Audomar!” Xellis yipped, throwing his hands down. “Really gotta do me like that?”
The man just chuckled, standing from his seat and giving Scipio a nod. “You’re all good, sir. Pleasure to meet you. I hope you enjoy the afterlife.”
Scipio snickered again when Audomar started poking fun at Xellis. "I guess since I'm a soldier, the goddess of war would've probably had first dibs on my soul or something? What does she even do with souls? What do any of you guys even do with souls?" He asked, looking between Xellis and Audomar curiously. "Xellis said something about fulfilling prayers or something, but then I have no idea what I'm supposed to do since he apparently doesn't get any of those."
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(Omagoodness sorry I thought I replied too)
“Excuse me—,” Xellis began, holding up a finger and glaring at Scipio, but before he could finish he was cut off by the other god.
“We contain all souls that aren’t associates in small gems, where they live out whatever afterlife they choose. For example, one of my souls was a researcher, and I supplied him with whatever equipment he wanted, as well as a few completely unalive subjects to test on,” Audomar explained. “Us gods normally keep them in their gems until we need to call on them.”
He opened up a side of his coat, his kind eyes drifting over the various gems placed there.
“It’s not imprisonment, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Audo said quickly. “They can come and go at will. Many just tend to like the days they spend there better than being out with the gods. Too many politics, and all that.”
(No problem lol)
"Mm…" Scipio examined the gem warily. "How is being in the gem different than being out here?" He asked. "What all could I be supplied with?" He glanced between the two gods, smirking when he noticed how annoyed Xellis was with him. Pissing people off was definitely one of his specialities. "I assume gods have some sort of powers that they can do whatever with? I mean… probably varies from god to god, but you get what I mean."
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“You can be supplied with whatever you’d like, depending on the god’s power,” Audomar explained. “For example, many of my souls require laboratories of sorts. It’s possible, for Xellis, his gemstones would be different. Perhaps it’s a ship sailing the world, or perhaps it’s a new civilization each time you enter. Though, we don’t really know. The gods aren’t allowed within souls’ gems.”
He paused for a moment, flicking his eyes up to Xellis before continuing.
“However, the associate to a god always stays in the manor from which the god comes, and always works with the god for tasks. It’s considered a very large compliment if a god takes you in as his right-hand-man.”
"Mm. But wouldn't Xellis take anyone? I mean he was only able to get my soul because I wasn't religious, apparently. I don't see how desperation makes me all that special." Scipio shifted in his chair to be more comfortable. "And he said he rarely gets prayers because of all the advances in technology making travel safer or something. The hell am I even supposed to do most of the time if there's nothing to attend to?" He asked, raising one eyebrow questioningly.
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Audomar raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t really thought about that. Why had Xellis made this guy his associate? He could have just made him a soul…
“Perhaps he saw a potential acquaintance?” Audo asked, looking up to the other god. “Maybe? I mean, he could have just made you a kept soul…”
Xellis’ cheeks turned a bright shade of pink, clearly caught off-guard. He was about to speak when Audo stopped him, knowing not to push.
“Or maybe he still plans to make you a soul…? Considering it’s one of your first days here, everything’s still uncertain and up in the air.”
"I dunno. I told him I'm pretty shit for company." Scipio shrugged, yawning boredly and examining his hands. "I'm not good at much other than killing people since that was sorta my job. I'm also not great at… let's say… doing what other people tell me to do. So I'm not sure I'd be great at the whole 'doing his bidding' for prayers and shit anyway." He hummed thoughtfully. "Can you use souls as like, a show of how rich you are? Like, the more souls you have, the higher up in the economy you are?"
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“Yes, that’s technically the hierarchy. It’s not a form of currency though, if that’s what you mean,” Audo replied. “Just more souls signify the percentage of those kinds of people within the mortal plane. Like, since learning and knowledge and education became prevalent, Ivodyr started receiving souls. Those pledged to teaching others, as well as learning themselves, are now part of Ivodyr’s arsenal, so to speak. The Harbingers of Knowledge.”
Scipio nodded a bit. "Mm. Makes sense." He glanced around the room again. "I guess there's almost a constant influx of souls, but most of them don't get claimed. Why me? Why not just let me go… uh… wherever the unclaimed souls go?" He asked.
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Xellis still looked very uncomfortable, wishing the boy would stop asking so many questions relating to his reasoning.
Although, Audomar was curious as well now, so he just looked up to the younger god, cocking his head and awaiting a reply.
“You were around my same mental age…” Xellis began, looking elsewhere. His face still held that flushed red hue. “I— I figured you might have been cool to… hang out with…”
He paused, taking a deep breath and resiting the urge to scream into his hands.
“I just didn’t wan’t to be alone anymore.”
Scipio ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. This guy really is desperate… "I mean, I already told you I'd stick around, but I'm really not a nice person or anything. From what I can tell, I'm not exactly the ideal companion. It's not like I've got anything else to do, but… still. I'm not good with people."
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“Doesn’t matter,” Xellis said, voice slightly harsher. “I don’t care if you’re good with people or not, you seemed like a chill dude and you’ve already helped me a lot.”
He let the silence set in before gritting his teeth and continuing.
“I can absolutely let you slink into a gemstone, if that’s what you want. I can also let you seep back up to where lost souls go. How about it?”
He seemed offended but tried his best not to show it.
"Mm. How have I helped you? I've done nothing but piss you off and get pissed off. Mostly by doors. I also got very drunk and probably gave you a lot of information I don't remember. I gotta stick around to make sure you don't tell anyone." Scipio smirked a bit and sprawled across the armchair. "Living in a literal gemstone could be glamorous and all, but glamorous isn't really my style."
(Bump)
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“Well then if you wish for a glamour-less way, feel free to sink into oblivion,” Xellis murmured with a sing-song voice.
Audomar cleared his throat, placing a hand on Xellis’s arm. The two locked eyes for a moment, before Xellis closed his and sighed.
“Doesn’t matter,” he whispered. “Just— come on, let’s go.”
He gave a small nod to Audo, flicking his head to Scipio and gesturing out the door.
Scipio got to his feet and stuck his thumbs in his pockets, whistling idly to himself as he followed Xellis out. He waved to Audomar before he stepped outside and glanced around now that he had the opportunity to do so. Having taken a portal here meant that he couldn't see the surrounding area.
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Without another word, Xellis opened a new portal, the interior of it looking like the main room of the manor. The temperature change was drastic, so steam billowed at the edges of the rosy gold ring. He stepped inside, offering Scipio a hand.
Scipio hesitated before accepting Xellis's hand and stepping through. He managed to not fall over this time, but only very nearly. He stumbled and clung tightly to Xellis's hand to keep himself up, but immediately released him as soon as he felt steady.
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Xellis resisted the urge to smile at Scipio‘s trouble. Not because he was making fun, but because it was moderately cute, and he wanted to be angry.
He looked up to the manor, but what he was greeted with chilled his heart instantly. A man, the man from before in the picture, sat at the table. His eyes were locked on Scipio.
“Who do you have here?” he asked, his voice fluctuating mockingly.
"Uh… who the hell are you?" Scipio asked, brushing himself off before crossing his arms. He clearly wasn't afraid of the stranger, even though he had a feeling he was probably supposed to be. "Another god? Fuck, there's way too many of you guys…"
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The man let a moment of silence pass before speaking. He looked more… mortal than Xellis, if it wasn’t for his pitch black eyes— no white to be seen. His skin was paler and his hair was a dark brown, yet his sickening grin was anything but mortal.
“Well?” he asked. “Xel? Are you going to introduce your dear brother? Or are you that incompetent?”
“His name’s Elandorr,” Xellis said without missing a beat. He knew better. “The god of the art of getting lost. The god of losing oneself. Basically my counterpart, as I’m the god of finding oneself.”
As he spoke, he looked extremely domestic, like a puppy who had just been kicked.
“And look how good that’s treating you,” Elandorr muttered wickedly.
He was older than Xellis, by many millennia. Probably about 25 if it were related to human years.
"Mm. Siblings. Didn't know you gods could have those, unless you're adopted or something." Scipio examined Elandorr closely, trying to pick up as much information about him as possible. Older than Xellis? Their powers seem to counteract each other's… and they don't seem to like each other much. Probably bicker a lot. That'll be annoying… "Are you around often or are you going to get lost?" Scipio asked, raising one eyebrow questioningly. "Seeing as that seems to be your specialty and all."
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Elandorr narrowed his eyes slightly, although his smile still shined through. Xellis kept his eyes locked on the man as he spoke.
“Family trees are odd. None of us are related, as we’re born from human consciousness. We’re just sorted into houses, and raised as different roles from then,” he explained quietly, his voice bleak.
“No, I’m not going to ‘get lost,’” Elandorr muttered. “That’s the people’s job. I just reap the benefits.”
Xellis turned, motioning for Scipio to follow. Although he didn’t go back to his room, he went up adjacent stairs, where a few rooms stood at the top.
As he walked off, Elandorr called from behind, “Nice seeing you, brother.”
Scipio narrowed his eyes a bit as well, only looking away when Xellis motioned for him to follow. He hesitated before trailing after him quietly. He hardly made any noise as he stepped up the stairs. He only spoke once they were out of earshot of Elandorr. "Where are you taking me?" He asked softly. "And what is your brother doing here?"
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“Well, it’s his house, too,” Xellis murmured. “He’s probably just stopping by after a prayer. He might be gone soon.”
He took a small key from his pocket, where Arci had been hiding. Although, in order to do so, he had to be much smaller. He now looked like a wallet, with little hands grabbing on to the rim of the pocket. Xellis turned to one of the doors— the one that looked the most well-kept— and opened it.
“I’m taking you to your room,” he said, opening the door and motioning for Scipio to step in.
It looked roughly like Xellis’s, although everything was a shade darker, and much more monotone. It looked well-cared-for, only a bit of dust on just the highest of shelves. Other than the bed, wardrobe, vanity, bed stand, and chair, the whole place was empty. Nothing on the shelves except older books, and small candles lighting the place.
