Otherlife: Extra Epilogue (Patreon)

“Doubt it. Humans in general wouldn’t accept it. They’d probably call them crazy. Dunno. Maybe I bring them here? I’m sure I’ll figure something out,” Runner explained with a grin.

“He’s not wrong, is he?” the goddess asked, looking across at her companion.

Nadine turned her eyes to the goddess.

She was hard to pin down as anything other than “motherly”, or at least Nadine felt so. She looked like anyones mom. A touch heavy, matronly, brown hair pinned above her head, and a warm smile for everyone.

Nadine and the goddess were seated in a simple room of stone with windows that opened out into grassy fields.

She’d been serving as an emotional interpreter to Erma since she died. In that final moment she’d asked Erma to bless Runner.

Instead, Erma had taken her away. Where her spirit could be safe. Where she could remain and watch.

“N-no. He’s not. As a whole, we’re panicky creatures,” Nadine said with a sad smile looking back to the portal. The clear view afforded to her left no doubt of what she could see of the situation. All around Runner was death and destruction.

She felt a pang of sadness for the number of lives lost. Runner had been forced to choose between letting an army rampage through his land or to slaughter an army. Coupled with the belief that he’d lost people he cared about, he’d decimated everything.

“It’s a scary thing. How powerful he is,” Erma, the mother of all said. “He single handedly removed an army from the field as if they were naught more than ants fighting a flood.”

Nadine nodded her head and leaned back in her seat, looking over to her host again.

“And yet, he was instantly calmed by Thana, was he n-not? He always comes back. No matter how deep he goes, he always comes back,” Nadine said.

She looked down at her hands and steepled her fingers together. All of her fingers.

Erma had put her back together. As if she’d never been injured in her whole life.

“That he does. He never fails to amaze me. I think he’s finally lost himself and there will be a reckoning the likes no one has ever seen, and then he’s back to normal. It’s unheard of.

“And what of you? Do you wish to return? To go back to the world of the living? I have no doubt he’d welcome you readily. It would only be a minor use of my power. Many pray to me to intervene in the mainland. I could easily claim you as a messenger and ambassador to a fellow god. That being your Runner of course.”

Nadine felt the words of the offer fall down atop her like a crushing weight. An unending waterfall of force that pinned her to the floor.

I want to see him. To see him with my own eyes. To hear his voice. To feel his touch.

“No. Not yet. If ever. He’s done so much in my name. He strives so hard to preserve the m-memory of me. I do far more for him here, than I ever could with him there. I’d only screw it up,” Nadine murmured, shaking her head.

“I disagree with you, but this is an old argument. Perhaps you’ll change your mind one day.

“Though I must confess, there may come a time where I must force it upon you. Should Jurian join the battle… well, even your beloved Runner couldn’t stop him without warning and assistance.”

“I know. And should that day come, I’ll face it willingly. For n-now. I… I like being his reason. His driving force.”

Nadine looked up to the portal, hanging in the air. Runner stood there talking to someone, yet she heard nothing at all. Unless she focused on the portal, it would fall mute.

“I think you fear more his reaction, and the reaction of others,” Erma teased, her voice taking on a falsetto.

“Oh Runner, I missed you.

“Nadine, I missed you, too. Quickly, let me whisk you away on a honeymoon.

“Please Runner, carry me!”

Erma chuckled good naturedly as Nadine turned a deep scarlet at the imagined conversation, unable to respond.

“Well. It would seem he’s spared my daughter in your name. I believe that’s another favor I owe you, in your name,” Erma said graciously, changing the subject.

“If she’d only agreed to his request earlier, she’d be in a much better position. Rather than that wily little fox Amelia,” Erma lamented.

“Ah well. I warned her. She made her own choices.”

“You warned her?” Nadine asked.

“Yes. I told her I was certain that your Runner would be a harbinger. That she’d be best served to appease him, or at least remain neutral.”

Erma shook her head and then gestured to the table between them.

“What would you like to do next? We can play another game. Perhaps go watch a different part of the world. Explore some of the wonders on the other continents. Or sleep for a time.”

Erma had a smile on her face as she listed out the options. She knew what the answer would be, but as a good host, she had to at least ask.

“I… I’m going to watch Runner some m-more,” Nadine said, turning back to the portal and focusing in on him alone.

Her face slowly grew into a smile as she watched her Runner. He was organizing a relief effort for the city. The Runner who was shaped by her death and her beliefs.

The one who grieved for her even now.

“One day, Runner. One day, I’ll come back,” Nadine whispered.