Spiritually Driven 10 (Patreon)

Spiritually Driven 10 - or ‘The Traveler is ‘God’, but I am quite the Messiah in this Dark World’ (Destiny/Destiny II, Spirit!SI)

When the Traveler finally reached Riis, the situation we found there was very different from the relatively similar home-planet of the Harmony.

In fact, I was tempted to say that it was similar to how disruptively divisive Fundament was before the Hive took over. The planet was split in houses, with the Eliksni being in frequent border wars among each other due to this circumstance.

When the Traveler arrived, he brought with him a degree of ‘blunt’ diplomacy which relied on providing gifts indiscriminately that, in many instances, would have worked fine if there hadn’t been an air of distrust among the denizens. I was ready to stage a bit of a plot to get this to work as intended, but the Traveler’s idea was multifaceted as I soon learned within the first months of its presence on Riis.

Instead of picking a major city, the Gardener settled for a small settlement, abandoned by major houses and forsaken by the one meant to rule them.

They were going through struggles in handling their businesses, children dying for a lack of proper medical knowledge and assistance, and many living in outright property as small shacks still demanded resources and money that the settlement wasn’t able to provide.

The Traveler ‘chose’ them just for that. They were at rock bottom, they were at the worst possible, and then… they were uplifted. It was not an immediate process. Distrust still existed in their minds, but as means to attain Ether, their main source of survival, was given to them, their skepticism was mellowed. More tools were provided to aid the improved yield of agriculture and the alteration of a nearby river’s course to flow closer to the village.

That’s when Nokris was allowed to finally visit. Hash was by his side, while I floated by the other as he took care of a practice he had been preparing for a few centuries now.

He was wise, but not as experienced on the matter as anyone would have wanted among those that knew him personally. Something that his quick-wit seemed to assist him in mellowing to the point of providing a smooth speech to confirm the loyalty of these Eliksni to the Light.

Rather than pursue the favor of a house, this action allowed for a new one to be created. I have to admit, I didn’t expect for this to be the ‘origin’ of the House of Dancers. To many, the name may not sound much, but this was the name of the house that preceded the more familiar one known as ‘the House of Devils’.

It was back at a time when they were peaceful elements that were not fully tainted by the militarist and brutal traditions of Riis’ nobility, hence why the one that was taken to become the leader was given quite a burden upon her name.

Not gonna lie, I wasn’t exactly envisioning Nokris shaking hands with Eramis of all people. She was younger and, at this point, still without a mate. Athrys was clearly alive and well at this point as I had checked for her existence- she was working for a clerk and apprentice to a master-builder, one that was currently experiencing grand success due to the Traveler’s efforts to improve construction methods.

At this point, neither would be able to find a way to meet each other, but it was clear that the newly-made Baroness and Kell of the House was going to eventually find her. And while I was curious to see how much that was going to be important for the future, I was surprised when the ‘first day’ since the initiation of Eramis as the leader of the House of Dancers started with a crisis- Eramis herself had gone missing.

Early on, the panic had been muffled by the various clerks handling the administration, but leaks happen and the news was spreading so quickly that some were already calling it the product of an operation led by other Houses. The House of Kings? They were those that acted in the shadow.

Nokris was thus before a dilemma on what to do. Aiding them would be seen as too much of a crutch and a forceful one at that, while not helping may sound too ‘dismissive’ of the topic.

Rather than let him stain his hands with this mess, I decided to handle this on my own. I told him as much, leaving him confused on how I planned to help, but I merely commented that ‘Eramis was missing by her own decision’.

I couldn’t tell him more, not because I didn’t want to but because I didn’t know what was up. I could sense her by a cliff near the village, away from prying eyes beyond mine and those of the Traveler.

As I ‘shifted’ to her location, I was greeted by angry grunts as the Eliksni was bashing a dummy with a sword.

She was angry, confused and upset- all of that so blatantly visible through her posture as it lacked any of the decorum and stancing meant for a rising warrior to maintain at this age. She was young, but she had the discipline to know that the attacks she was hurling were not focused at all.

Baroness Eramis.

She clearly was not familiar with my voice, turning by instinct while wielding her sword in a threatening way towards me. But as Eramis caught sight of me, her posture faltered.

“The O-Oracle? What are you doing here?”

Was that a ‘crying’ tone? I couldn’t see tears, nor could I tell if Eliksni could cry as I expect them to like many other beings.

Looking for you, like many others as they suspect another House kidnapped you.

“...What?!”

Why do you look surprised? You vanished in a moment of delicate balance which many would love to disrupt.

“I just… tell them that I am fine and doing this to ‘think’.”

I am not.

She snapped. “Then w-what? Are you going to force me back? To have me deal with-”

No.

Her current strike paused right before it could stab the tattered body of the dummy. The pause was heavy with confusion and Eramis turned to stare at me with an odd look.

“No? W-Why ‘no’?”

First, I am not sure you were told this, but I am incorporeal and I lack the means to ‘force’ anyone to do anything. What I can do is talk.

“...That’s all?”

I wouldn’t say as such, no. But I am curious- consider me a… listener. What is going on?

Eramis stabbed her sword to the ground. “Father. He wanted this for me. He said I would have been great if I was chosen. I am new, I am fresh, and I am known to be a strong candidate to lead the Eliksni.”

That’s a lot of ambition.

“Yes-”

And only part of that you claim.

She froze, frowning at me. “I- How?”

I am a bit of a parent myself. I know what it means to be ‘tempted’ by trying to do the best for my own child. At times, it comes with the gripe of sounding overbearing or misunderstanding.

Eramis tilted her head to the side. “Is that so? The oracle is… a father?”

I was a father, yes. My daughters- it’s complicated. Nokris is my Grandson and Hash is my Great-Granddaughter.

“...You are old.”

I couldn’t tell if she was picking up my dead look. Still, that bluntness was endearing to some extent.

No, don’t tell. Do you fancy me as less than a couple thousands years old?

She was taken aback by that statement.

“That’s a lot older than I thought.”

I had been around for a long time. Still, that’s not the point of this conversation- how about we go back to you being a quitter at the job?

“I am not a quitter! I just- I am not meant for it. I am a warrior-”

And many warriors tend to be leaders.

My interjection was met with a scoff.

“Yes, many,” Eramis remarked dryly. “I am not many, I am Eramis. I am… me.”

No one is trying to tell you otherwise but… let’s be honest, do you want your people to be hurt by this?

She bowed her head. “I am not hurting them.”

A headless body is no better than a mindless animal. They will panic, they will assume, they will take to war against someone that has nothing to do with this. People will die, children will start again, and you will be at fault for this.

“I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS!”

… Then stop picking on those that had nothing to do with this.

Eramis perked up in confusion at this. “W-What?”

Do you think the people deserve this punishment? You leaving them?

“N-No, but-”

Your father is to blame, then punish him by your own thought rather than your own tantrum. He wants you to do things you don’t like, then show him how petty you can be to him and only him. Not those that have nothing to do with your current role.

…

“How?

I sighed. Well, first, you go back and apologize to those that are scared for what happened with your disappearance.

“I-”

It’s non-negotiable. You made a big mess, missy, so you go and patch that up first. Then, we will deal with the paperwork.

“W-Wait, we?”

Yes. It seems your father, in his ignorance, has decided to provide a leader that is clearly unprepared for this. Then, you will be helped in learning how to ‘cheat’ the system by getting through this job without too much of a trouble.

“...Okay?

And, much to my future self’s chagrin, this is how I ended up adopting someone else in need of parental guidance. This time, however, my new ‘daughter’ will turn out to be a bit of a rascal despite her warrior-themed education…

—---------d-d-d-d—-------

AN

I can already hear Sathona contemplating if the reason Eramis got admitted had to do anything with her big ass being the depraved thinker she is.