Tԋҽ Cԋɾσɳιƈʅҽԃ Eʋҽɳƚʂ σϝ Tԋҽσԃσɾҽ'ʂ Pҽɾʂσɳαʅ Sƚɾυɠɠʅҽʂ Tԋɾσυɠԋσυƚ Cԋαρƚҽɾ I σϝ ԋιʂ Aԃʋҽɳƚυɾҽ.ᐟ.ᐟ.ᐟ
Day had long since faded into the blissful, chilled air of night.
A lone flame brought about dancing illumination, accompanied by its song of crackling pops and searing wood...
So to did Theodore's snoring, carried all the higher by the rising winds. Exhaustion's icy grip held tightly, yet comfortably to the sleeping adventurer. Leaving him undisturbed as the rustling canopies above danced to their own noisy rhythm. A risk he opted to take in order to save funds, rather than his distance to civilization. After all, he was only a mile or two from ❲ꪖ᥊ꫀꪶ❳, not even more than a few hours━
The wind's gentle howl began to die down, so too did the leaves overhead and soon... Even the flames became an obscurity as ever slowly, new sounds began emerging... Familiar, yet bizarre and muffled...Closed lids ever slowly began strained attempts to open. Fluttered moments revealing an atmosphere low in visibility and an even harsher reality to his lack of direction━
His eyes would slowly open with accompanying furrowed brows, widening as he came to full grasp on the surroundings that suddenly overtook him in his sleep...He was totally enveloped in a sea of water...
Panic immediately set in as he thrashed about violently, attempting to scream into the abyss... Yet nothing came out... Only the muffled gurgles of air trapped in immensely pressurized water. He would swim with extreme fervor upward, trying with all of his might to break surface... Yet he remained unmoved... He would once more gasp, allowing his body to sink... As if succumbing to the waters...Until he corrected his posture, looking around confused... He wasn't drowning. He wasn't even breathing;˚｡˚ ☁
「Wₐᵢₜ... ᵢ'ₘ ₙₒₜ dyᵢₙg... Wₕₐₜ ₜₕₑ ₕₑₗₗ ₖᵢₙdₐ dᵣₑₐₘ ᵢₛ ₜₕᵢₛ.ᐟ.ᐣ」Thoughts echoed aloud, startling even the adventurer who flailed his arms for a moment as he looked around.˚｡˚ ☁
「ₙₒₜₑ ₜₒ ₛₑₗf... Qᵤᵢₜ yₑₗₗᵢₙg...」A cutesy giggle would come from above, pulling Theodore's attention immediately with alert written all over his frame. Instinctively, he grabbed for the hilt of his blade at his side... Only to realize it was no longer there. The giggling only continued as a figure began to make itself known.
Slowly from the shadows, a figure began appearing, stopping just before visible depths...❝ You really mean to draw a sword on an old friend like that.ᐣ To do something so dumb after being so smart, you're silly Theo.ᐟ ❞Theodore's features would drop in slight discontent, mockingly chastised like a child certainly wasn't something he'd encountered before... But... Was she familiar?˚｡˚ ☁
「ₙₒ fₐᵢᵣ, wₕy dₒ yₒᵤ gₑₜ ₜₒ ₜₐₗₖ ₐₗₗ ₙₒᵣₘₐₗ...」A scoff would come from the shadowy figure, four snake like heads all sprouting from the center of her back. Each head took to life, looking around in search of something to take their individual attention spans. The center, humanoid figure would continue on... Even her frame, however, was raising a flag in his head;❝ You're lucky we get to talk at all.ᐟ I took me a full three years to get this connection with you and you wouldn't believe the amount of trouble I'd be in if my bosses found out about--- ❞Theodore's hand would rise, waving for a moment of clarity... He needed to speak as soon as possible... Especially if this is who he thought it was...˚｡˚ ☁
「ₕy₋ₕyₛₜᵢₗᵢₐ, ᵢₛ ₜₕₐₜ Yₒᵤ.ᐣ」Silence befell the two, the four sprouted serpents all immediately locking eyes on the man before them...Their yellow hues glowing now as they showed their sole target...Theodore was intimidated...
For only a moment, as the figure burst from the shadows with a bubbly disposition, the four draping heads trailing behind with their own cries of joy and, bizarrely enough, wide smiles revealing rows of teeth sharpened beyond comprehension.
The petite figure clung herself to Theodore, giggling as she nestled herself against his chest... A blush flashing against her pale features, which held sinisterly perverse signs...𝐒𝐍𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐅---
❝ ₐₕₕₕ ~ .ᐟㅤꨄ︎ I was so, so lonely Theo, they locked me away after the horrible thing Aqua did to you and stole my favorite wine; they blamed me as soon as she left my chambers.ᐟ ❞The dragons began to wrap tightly around Theodore's frame, making it harder for him to push himself free... His face was beat red, steam exploding from his ears:❝ But now you're here with me too.ᐟ I've got you all to myself for eight whole hours... Well, seven now--- ❞Theodore's head would shake vigorously, pushing herself from his frame as the blush enveloped his very being. Freed, he still felt intensely hot...˚｡˚ ☁
「ₗ₋ₗₐdy ₕyₛₜᵢₗᵢₐ ₚₗₑₐₛₑ.ᐟ ᵢₜ'ₛ ₛₒ ₛₒ gₒₒd ₜₒ ₛₑₑ yₒᵤ ₐgₐᵢₙ bᵤₜ ᵢ ₙₑₑd ₜₒ bᵣₑₐₜₕₑ.ᐟ」The goddess would once more giggle, dusting herself off with her hands; letting one of her dragon heads dust Theodore's shoulder free from any unseen dirt;❝ Right, right, I'm so sorry Theodore.ᐟ Like I said, it's been literal years since I've last seen anyone... And I wanted to see you most of all.ᐟ I wanted to watch your progress the whole way through. ❞Features would look downward to the darkened abyss below, disheartened by the prospects of missing out on so many key moments of his journey:❝ And now you're in a world more dangerous than what was meant for you... And with so many disadvantages... How hard has it been for you.ᐣ How have you managed to make a name for yourself.ᐣ ❞She would look to him as her question poised. Her eyes glossy in building tears... Her tone held such true remorse for a situation fully out of her control, it broke the adventurer a bit...
A hand would make it's way atop her blue locks, gently ruffling at her hair as a heartfelt smile took to Theodore's face.˚｡˚ ☁
「ᵢₜ'ₛ ᵣₑₐₗₗy ₙₒₜ yₒᵤᵣ fₐᵤₗₜ ₗₐdy ₕyₛₜᵢₗᵢₐ, ₚₗₑₐₛₑ dₒₙ'ₜ bₑₐₜ yₒᵤᵣₛₑₗf ₒₙ ₘy ₐccₒᵤₙₜ. ᵢ ₚᵣₒₘᵢₛₑ, ᵢ'ₘ dₒᵢₙ' ᵣₑₐₗₗy wₑₗₗ.ᐟ ᵢ'ᵥₑ gₒₜₜₑₙ ₛᵤₚₑᵣ ₛₜᵣₒₙg ₐₙd ₕₑₗₚₑd ₛₒ ₘₐₙy ₚₑₒₚₗₑ ᵢₙ ₛₒ ₘₐₙy ₚₗₐcₑₛ, ₙₒₜ ⱼᵤₛₜ Bₑₗzₑᵣg, bᵤₜ ₑᵥₑᵣywₕₑᵣₑ.ᐟ ₜₕₑᵣₑ'ₛ ₐ ₗₒₜ ₒf fₒₗₖₛ ᵢₙ ₐₓₑₗ ₜₕₐₜ ₜₑₗₗ ₘₑ ᵢ cₒᵤₗd bₑ ₜₕₑ ₒₙₑ ₜₒ fᵢₙₐₗₗy dₑfₑₐₜ ₜₕₑ Dₑₘₒₙ ₖᵢₙg... ᵢ'ₘ ₛₜᵢₗₗ ₙₒₜ ₛₒ ₛᵤᵣₑ ₒₙ ₜₕₐₜ ₜₕₒᵤgₕ...」He'd sheepishly look off to the side, his modesty washing over his features... But the Goddess had a full read on the adventurer's soul...
And it told no lie... He truly had the hope that he could be the one... That he had it in his heart that he 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 be the one... So no others had to suffer his wrath... Even if he had to go it alone...Hystilia smiled... Warmly and genuinely... A hand gently resting against the adventurer's chest... His heart felt calm beneath her touch, untroubled and pure...❝ Oh Theodore... You remind me of so many heroes before you... All victorious in their quests and all patrons of my power... You're no different, you know. ❞She would look up to the adventurer as his hand retracted aback, a look of slight surprise at her words... Yet she would only smile warmly to the adventurer, continuing on;❝ Haven't you felt it in your travels.ᐣ In your training.ᐣ The mana that flows through you, the strength that knocks at your heart every time you try to tame it.ᐣ That was me, since you first reawakened in this new world, my blessing to you has been trying to make its way free. Now that I have you here, I can finally connect that pathway and you can develop freely into the hero you were meant to be.ᐟ I won't be able to restore your lucky statistic, but you truly don't need it with your heart and strength. ❞Hands would gently caress either side of his head, a faint blue light beginning to rise behind his caramel irises. Her smile only growing at the immediate acceptance of her power...˚｡˚ ☁
「Bᵤₜ, ᵢ dₒₙ'ₜ ᵤₙdₑᵣₛₜₐₙd... Wₒₙ'ₜ yₒᵤ gₑₜ ᵢₙₜₒ ₜᵣₒᵤbₗₑ ᵢf ₜₕₑ ᵣₑₛₜ ₒf ₜₕₑ ₚₐₙₜₕₑₒₙ fᵢₙd ₒᵤₜ.ᐟ.ᐣ」Her head would gently shake, the serpentine heads once more surrounding her as they peered directly into the adventurer's soul... Where once intimidation stood, a newly formed emotion of trust and care for the beasts. After such a time of taking in their appearances, their age was unquestionable... Ancient in both years and visible wisdom, as if containing centuries of knowledge in their own respective paths... Each eyes told their own stories... The only thing pulling his attention back was the Goddess, allowing her gracefully soft tone to once more dance within his ears;❝ To punish a Goddess for her attending to her duties would be a massive and deadly taboo.ᐟ Besides, how else can I make you a proper champion without this and a proper send off message.ᐟ.ᐣ ❞Theodore's brow would rise in both visible curiosity and surprise, another small giggle from the Goddess;˚｡˚ ☁
「Cₕ₋Cₕₐₘₚᵢₒₙ....ᐟ.ᐣ ₛₒ ₜₕₑₙ, yₒᵤ ₘₑₐₙ.ᐣ」❝ Haven't you been listening to me.ᐣ You are my next and final champion.ᐟ You're blessing is to be my patron, to gain my powers in exchange to defeat the Demon King.ᐟ Hopefully with that, I can earn my freedom from exile too.ᐟ ❞She'd giggle once more, though this time with a bit more of a selfish tone to the laughter itself...A tone not unnoticed by Theodore...It seems all deities were the same when it came to following their own agendas...
Still--- Her power flowing through him... There was no limit to how far he could truly go...˚｡˚ ☁
「ₐₙd yₒᵤᵣ ₘₑₛₛₐgₑ ₜₒ ₘₑ ₗₐdy ₕyₛₜᵢₗᵢₐ.ᐣ Yₒᵤ ₛₐᵢd yₒᵤ ₙₑₑdₑd ₜₒ ₜₑₗₗ ₘₑ ₛₒₘₑₜₕᵢₙg bₑfₒᵣₑ ₛₑₙdᵢₙg ₘₑ bₐcₖ...」She would nod, clearing her thought as she did. As if free of normal laws of physics, the Goddess would remove herself from the adventurer, floating back swiftly and standing proudly before him with arms outstretched;❝ Theodore Ezra... You, my final Champion, are now bound by blade to my eternal servitude. The sword at your hip has been blessed with the ability to act as no staff ever will for you. Your hands and your blade will not be your greatest weapon, however, that will be that courageous and warm heart. You will instill hope in any who comes your path and you will flourish as a Hero among men that hasn't been seen for nearly one hundred and forty years.ᐟ However my patron, a great calamity also awaits you... A great scourge of the Demon King is summoned directly to one of your discretions... A city will burn... You must die to save them... That is the way my champion... Good luck Theodore... Our time has come to an e--- ❞Her words began as a calming, interesting look into the near future an his current trajectory on the road to taking down the Demon King... However, her disturbing words caused quiet protests and demands she halt her message... Demands for an explanation not to come...And then... Water vanished as he found himself laying flat against the forest floor he originally drifted off to sleep upon in an instantaneous and nauseating blur.
Daylight immediately blinded the vertigo-ridden adventurer as hands came up to block at his sweat-coated features;〟I-I have to... Again... I have to... 〞He would slowly roll to his side, allowing his arm to support his wobbling frame, eyes looking to the sword that lay nearby... A strange urge calling him to open it from its sheathed covering...
Attempting to stand caused a vomitous episode, clearing the nausea with luck, yet disgust... Especially with his waterskin completely empty...
Slowly rising, Theodore would finally, weakly come to his feet, meandering over to his weapon with a slight limp to his step... Likely the after effects of dragons wrapping tightly against his person... Taking the sword into his hand... An immediate uplift in energy would take hold, a spike in Mana surging through his person in a visible aura of white energy that danced about like a roaring blaze... The adventurer would stare down at the blade, slowly removing the metal from the leather that encased it in protection of the elements... New properties inscribed themselves along the blade in a strange text unfamiliar to him... All aside from a single phrase near the hilt...Bҽϝσɾҽ Hყʂƚιʅια, I ɯαʂ ƙɳσɯɳ αʂ Hყʂα; Dɾαƈσɳιƈ Gσԃԃҽʂʂ σϝ Vαʅσɾ... Aɳԃ ɳσɯ... Yσυ ɯιʅʅ ԋҽɳƈҽ ϝσɾƚԋ Ⴆҽ ɱყ ƈԋαɱρισɳ σϝ ʋιƈƚσɾყ... Tԋιʂ ʂɯσɾԃ ɯιʅʅ ԋҽɳƈҽ ϝσɾƚԋ Ⴆҽ ყσυɾ ԋҽxႦʅαԃҽ... ყσυɾ ʂყɱႦσʅ ϝσɾ ԋσρҽ.A smile took to Theodore's features... Caramel hues looking triumphantly to the skies above...〟I'll trust in you, Hystilia... And I will be the one to save this world from the Demon King.ᐟ 〞
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