Re: Timeless Apocalypse-Chapter 179: Emrys
The first time Uriel had seen Mariah, he’d felt something strange.
Endless sorrow.
It had consumed him from the depths of his soul and coloured his mind, and he was almost sure it was the reason he’d suddenly dreamed not too long ago.
On the surface, he’d feigned confusion, but deep down, he knew. He’d always known.
His Sin was to feel, but not to see.
The reason he was so eager but also so afraid to meet Ayah and Enoch once more was that once he laid eyes on them... his heart would speak the truth.
He’d feel the truth.
"Whatever."
SHOO!
The small beast jumped from his head, landing on his lap, its usual indifference and moodiness gone as it looked at him with what he felt was almost worry.
He found it amusing, especially when it gently rubbed its head against him.
"Oh, no, no. Do not let this old man worry you." He gently scratched its head. "I’m fine. And so is she."
"Buddy, I’ll soon be going on a dangerous trip. Do you want to come with me? It’s probably going to be a bit scary, and a bit bloody."
"Well, a bit is an understatement, but, you know."
"Kih!"
He picked up the little fox and brought him to his face.
"Is that a yes?"
"Kih!"
He smiled. "So we’re actually buddies now, not just roommates, hm? I don’t mind if you stick with me. I need a partner to vent to anyway."
"But I need to know you’re really my buddy. How do I know you’re not going to try and eat me again, hm?"
The fox did the closest thing a beast could do to hum, its face scrunched in deep thought as it truly considered a way to prove its honesty to him.
In truth, Uriel wasn’t very worried.
In part because he could feel his ’heart’ be familiar with the fox, as it had been with Mariah, but mainly because he didn’t care.
He did not care in the least if the fox eventually betrayed him.
It made no difference.
"Kih! Kah! Hoh!"
Uriel lifted a brow. "Would you look at that, you’re learning new words. Is that four now? Kih, Kah, Koh, and no?"
"We’re making progress."
The fox snarled, one of its tails whipping down to smack his thigh.
Uriel winced, but eventually laughed. "Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I won’t make fun of you anymore if you stop hitting me."
"Deal?"
"...Kih."
Uriel nodded. "So, you were saying you wanted a name? Is that a big deal amongst Sand Divinities?"
The little guy nodded.
It was Uriel’s turn to fall into deep thought. "Hm."
"A name... a name... a name..." he repeated.
Eventually, he had an idea.
"My mother often called me Ciel. In fact, I don’t think she’s called me by my real name more than a handful of times."
"She said it meant ’Sky,’ but also represented an idea. To her, ’Ciel’ was the home of Heaven, the softest and purest of places and ideas."
"Ciel was also the name of her favourite hero, she told me. He was a hero that always forgave, and always gave more than was asked."
"How about that? Is Ciel good?"
"..."
Seeing the fox wasn’t very receptive, he found himself taken aback.
He thought the name was perfect.
"You don’t like it?"
"Kih?"
"Of course not. It’s a gender-neutral name. What, so you want a ’manly,’ masculine name? A war general’s name?"
"Kih!"
Uriel rolled his eyes.
He paused for a moment and thought about everything he knew of the little creature. But just as he was about to do so, a thought flickered across his mind.
He’d just learned how to forge and comprehend runic languages.
But more importantly, had he not just learned how to translate intent into runes?
Could he do the same for words? To turn amorphous intent and thoughts into something spoken?
"Close your eyes," he said as he brought the little cub closer and pressed his head against his own.
"Then think of what you want to be, what you really like, and what your dreams are. Think of everything you find nice. All of it, all at once."
As he uttered these words, Uriel did the same, thinking of all the positive traits of the fox, all he’d seen of it, and his most positive impressions of it.
The little fox scrunched its face hard, digging deep and thinking as intensely as it could, manifesting within its mind the countless and endless dreams it had.
It wanted to be the strongest, to be the wisest, to be the most luscious of all beasts, to be the kindest, to be the most cruel, to be the most intimidating—it wanted everything.
An endless amount of paths, and it—no, he—wanted to rule it all.
Uriel and the fox’s minds resonated, and from the union of their thoughts and hopes, unknowingly fueled by his runic scar, a word was born.
"Emrys."
The Immortal.
Only an immortal could rule and master all paths, and only an immortal could endlessly ascend the ladder of existence and the universe, constantly asserting their dominion.
"Emrys."
...
Uriel granting Emrys a name seemed to have triggered something deep within the little beast, as he instantly fell asleep, his tails tightly wrapping around his body.
The little guy snoozed on Uriel’s lap.
Meanwhile, Uriel’s focus was elsewhere.
His rewards.
...
[•> Evolutionary Quest: Burgeoning Maestro’s Seed
~> Objective: To the world, the Young and Stubborn Maestro is mad, and perhaps he is, but to him, the world is simply wrong, beneath his feet and lesser than his vision—"If madness is recognising the flawed and imperfect creation of the gods, then, yes, I am the most mad of all!" he’d screamed at the skies, holding flesh and cutlery in hand.
>The Maestro must cook. The Maestro must taste. And the Maestro must be delighted, or else...
• Details: Let your heart blaze and create a dish worthy of the Maestro’s name, worthy of your name.
•> Rewards: {Rank Elevation}, {Elemental Heaven Star Pill}, {Traveller’s Trusted Garb}, {Maestro’s Seed}]
...
[Evolutionary Quest has been completed!]
[Rewards will be placed in Abode mark!]
Uriel didn’t waste any time and, with the flip of a hand, summoned all his rewards; four floating cubes of platinum appeared in front of him.
"Let’s see what this is all about."
