[Eblana POV, a short time before Keeno and co find the ruins]
“Oh? Finally, someone proactive in cleaning up those pests. Good thing I like you, or I’d actually have to go and fight you for killing them. Though since I like you, I’ll clean up that small mess you made on the road. Can’t have those annoying paladins tracking you down.”
I ordered several of my undead eyes to land on the unburnt bodies and soon they went up in purple flames.
“Tch. Just barely enough to cover their tracks. I wish she would stop burning all of these. It takes a while to get them there and it’s annoying making more, though I guess I do get why she does it. I mean, I don’t like being watched either. Meh, I’ll just apologize when we meet and come up with an excuse then…hmm?”
I watched as they started walking toward a cave, miss Keeno seemingly getting very excited when something happened with her. Atop her head blue flames in the shape of a crown of horns appeared, reminiscent of someone any dragon would recognize.
I immediately made a stronger undead capable of flight and extreme long-distance surveillance and sent it toward that forsaken country.
“If she is part of her bloodline, then I need to reconsider many things…damn, and I’m already on her bad side…”
My connection to the last of my eyes observing her at the moment was abruptly cut, letting me know she burnt it away again.
“I need to make contact with her.”
I looked around my workspace and practically ran over to a pile of assorted bones. I started to pick them up and sorted them in a shape while channeling mana into them. Once I was done, the bones were in the shape of a somewhat large bird. I then added a human hand to the inside of the rib cage before putting one of my magic pens and several pieces of paper inside. After that I raised it and nearly threw it out the window. Only then did I allow myself to breathe.
“Please make it before they get too far away from that area.”
I sat down in my chair, trying my best to calm down.
“You are much more than you seem, Miss Keeno.”
As I sat there thinking about the little fox, I remembered something.
“Oh…OH…OH!!! I-I don’t know if I should laugh or cry.”
Thinking about the shape of those horns on her head, the fact that her flames are blue, and is a kitsune with multiple tails, I remembered the old mongrel’s nightmare.
“He’s having prophetic nightmares about her…those nightmares are calling for his death…the Death Spirits are becoming more active and have gotten even more excited when she enters the country…!!!”
I then remembered the thing the spirits told me.
“There is no goddess…of……Death………”
If I wasn’t already sitting down, I’d have fallen to my knees. The realization of this fact and the enormity of just what was happening hit me all at once.
“She’s going to be or already is the Goddess of Death.”
I could hardly process this and couldn’t voice my thoughts anymore. All my thinking stopped and the only thing in the room that could be heard was the sound of silence.
“Pffft. Hehe. HehehehehahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahHaHAaHhaAhhaaahaAhHAHahahHa! Forget about offering a contract! I want, no NEED to serve her! She’s the one I’ve been waiting for my entire life! One who will allow me to reach the peak of necromancy…of Death Magic! Then, I can finally…”
I felt something warm run down my cheek. As I moved my hand to my face, I felt a wet sensation before realizing I was crying.
“Hehehe. To think I was still capable of crying…I thought all my tears dried up a long time ago…”
I shakily stood from my chair and walked over to the door.
“I need to commune with the spirits…though I still haven’t figured out what the old man is up to, I can at least make amends for some of my transgressions with them…and hopefully, she doesn’t burn my messenger on sight.”
As I walked to my small room closer to the Dead Zone, I raised several more small undead.
“Go, explore every nook and cranny of this city. Find what the old man is hiding from me.”
Once I made it to my destination, I found some of the Death Spirits doing their usual business. I fell to my knees in front of them.
“Oh Spirits of Death. I ask for forgiveness for my foolish actions and thoughts in regard to the Goddess you serve. I may be a prideful dragon, but even I know my place in front of Divinity. I ask that you pardon me as I attempt to make up for my transgressions and ask that you give me time to find what the foolish mongrel is doing so that appropriate punishment can be meted out.”
The spirits stopped moving as they all looked down at me. Soon, a skull lifted into the air and a spirit started to speak through it.
“Dragon…of death……your reflection is genuine…we……….approve…though our Goddess…hold final sway……continue your…search………we will continue…to allow your…acts of defilement……once…our Goddess……arrives…we shall…lead her to you…for judgment…”
“I will, though if I may ask, why not assist me in my search?”
“We Spirits…should never……interfere with…mortal affairs…though the fool……transgresses……Life…stays our hands…Lady……Amaterasu…asks us…to……allow her Fated One…to pass judgment…now go…do not seek………our counsel again…until judgment is passed.”
I was then practically thrown out of the room by an otherworldly force. After recovering from the shock of that, I slowly trudged my way back as I mulled over the new information.
“Things are just getting more and more complicated. Though I don’t know why it’s taken this long, the Goddess of Life and the Goddess of Death are Fated Ones and they are finally preparing to pass judgment on Odeen…what’s going on? Why not do this long ago? *sigh*Calm down and think, Eblana…or wait for answers to come to you…if things go well, I’ll get some answers soon…I just need to make sure not to offend her even more.”
When I finally made it back to my room, I fell face first onto my bed.
Nykuro: *holding a sleeping Astraea*So…anyone want to tell me what I just watched?
Luna: *gives a rundown on what has happened before Nykuro arrived*
Nykuro: …So we’re basically spying on people? How deliciously evil, I approb!
Atmos: I HAVE AREIV——
Luna: Shut it, Atmos. Astraea is asleep.
Nykuro: …What is this feeling of jealousy?
Atmos: Luna’s tails have that effect…also who are you?
Nykuro: I am the great Nykuro! Goddess of Evil, Nature, and Feathered Beings! And adopted daughter of the God of Chaos and Goddess of Order!
Atmos: *summons and drinks a glass of water before performing a spit take*
Luna: *sigh*When did I become the expositioner?