There was a heavy silence as my sponsor read my 'death report', And then with a clatter, he dropped the clipboard with a sigh, leaving his stocky frame.
I watched my sponsor. Apparently, another Jake who was reincarnated as a dwarf of all things brushed a hand across his face with a sigh.
"Brother... I get it, but it's just sad. You should have just punched the wench in the throat for being a psycho."
My face twitched before I said flatly. "I would rather die via falling out of that window... Then get pegged by a foot-long twisting, vibrating, and horse semen filled dragon dildo."
My short king of a sponsor shrugged with a wry smile crossing him as he huffed and spoke as he stroked his admittedly glorious beard. "That is a fair point, young man. I killed a number of dragons, but I can also saying that laying said female dragons is certainly an experience haha!"
He shook his head and finished with a chuckle as he pulled out another file. "A good lesson to stay away from Goth's on Halloween, I suppose."
"So... What happens now then?" I asked helplessly as I wondered what was next.
Sure, after getting the trauma of my death eaten by some beautiful sheep girls in a snuggle pile I was feeling fantastic. But I was worried about which world I was going to reincarnate into.
As the people working behind my sponsor, and the other 'Jakes' weren't shy about sharing the bullshit they had to go through to gain power.
Going through Warhammer, both Fantasy and 40k. Horrible and weird chaotic mixes of worlds that were far more dangerous than they should be.
And the most damning... The alternate versions of myself that got sent to hentai fantasy worlds did not all turn out. Mentally sound, and needing therapy/getting thrown at doomed worlds to destroy invading armies of cosmic horrors and hell dimensions.
"Hmm, well you aren't slated for a high-end cultivation world or Warhammer. You can be happy about that." He muttered thoughtfully before shrugging.
"You have a strong, holy, and astral-aligned soul, however. Normally, I would just chuck you into a cultivation world and call it a day, but we hit our quota for the century with the Celestial Immortal Planes." He grumbled at the end.
'Wow... My reincarnation path is being fucked with because they hit their quota of where they could send my alternate's souls after death.' I thought helplessly.
Then my sponsor grunted gruffly before he pulled a gleaming gold sphere that blinded me. And within a flash of movement, the sphere shot into my chest.
"You are getting a true reincarnation, young man. Heh, maybe in a few millennia we can share notes on forging with what you pick up." He said with a knowing smile.
And just as he snapped his fingers and I felt that orb of potential fill my body. He spoke bluntly. "You are now of the blood of Queen Marika the Eternal. An Emperyan to be, but without a curse from an eldritch patron."
He gave me a look before he chuckled and said. "Within your mind, you will learn the magic of Elden Ring, and the forging methods of magical weapons and other things... I am curious as to how the world will react should you make your own Elden Ring within yourself."
Then with a flash of light and song filling my ears I was pulled into a tunnel of darkness filled with twinkling stars that sang a lullably of creation to my very soul.
My mind closed down, and I could feel my body changing ever further as I was bathed in the twisting starlight and then I knew no more. Beyond myself, wondering where the hell my sponsor was sending my ass as he didn't give me a single proper hint.
-
"He was born to the chorus of a thousand birds singing in unison to his arrival and the very moon glowing gold at his birth. His name shall be Othorion Taltharion... The last son born in gold." A regal voice softly upon carrying the child born not of an elven or even mortal womb but of starlight itself.
Almost as though the great tree's final spirit in Arien the sun had born this child and then carried him upon a ray of sunlight, delivered it unto his doorstep.
"Ha... A fostering it is then." The voice spoke tiredly as he carried the unconscious child of gold past several other elves who looked with wonder at the child swaddled in a blanket of gold and embroidered with star-like gems.
The man carrying the wonder child brought him towards his own quarters, and the voice of younger men spoke out. "Father, did one of the valar send something to us?"
The man spoke with tired amusement to his sons. "Elladan and Elrohir, you are not wrong... We have been sent something quite precious indeed. Arguably the most important blessing for a mother to give."
Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, and the Perendhel brought the child towards a table in which he laid a pillow and cloth to pad it before he laid the babe upon it.
"He... It's a he, right? He doesn't look like just a baby?" The eldest of the twins in Elladan spoke as he took in the child whose gleaming golden hair reminded him so much of his ancestor in Lady Galadriel.
Elrond gently unfolded the blanket around the sleeping child and said quietly. "He is no mere babe. His body has the development of a good ten year old." Elrond said pointedly seeing the mark of the eldar in the boys ears as well.
There was a pause before Elrond sighed softly and said. "If only Celebrían was here upon the Middle Earth. She would take this child as her own easily."
Then Elrohir said quietly. "Father, he will be fine. The Valar obviously trust you to raise this child. Though... I am curious as to why the child wasn't sent to Lothlorien and Lady Galadriels arms."
Elrond's expression also hinted at how he wondered the same. Or rather... Why the childen was dropped off with another elf in general but still, he sighed and said helplessly. "He is but only ten years old so he will still need a nurse mother. I will need to find one even if he was fed the milk of Orome's cattle before he was sent here which he has not."
The two boys shared a look before nodding with Elladen asking with a hopeful smile. "Does that mean you will be adopting him Father?"
To which Elrond gave a wry chuckle and said helplessly. "When an elven child is sent on a beam of sunlight to your very doorstep and you are the lord of the land. What else can I do my son?"
Still Elrond gave one final look up to the boy that was in a deep sleep before he said quietly. "Still... I do not envy this child's fate. The Valar do not send those of Valinor to that of Middle Earth without a goal in mind. To think they would even send but a child as well."
Many thoughts wrought havoc within Elronds mind. Did something happen within the blessed lands? Did Morgoth escape his bounds and war was upon the world again?
Did some horror from the void, the unsung lands touch upon the spirit of Laurelin?
Too many possible horrors could have resulted in this child being sent to Middle Earth... But in reality what actually troubled Eldrond most closely was why said child was sent to his household specifically.
As woudn't it have been better if it was sent to Lothlorien, into the arms of Galadriel and Celeborn. Or possibly even the Grey Havens and household of Cirdan?
But then with a sigh, he said quietly. "Elrohir, send for Celestine, perhaps this child will aid her in her grief at losing her own sons to the orcs of the Misty Mountains."
His second youngest nodded and said a bit helplessly. "Father, if Celestine latches onto him, it won't be much of a fostering if she so agressively adopts him as her own. You know how she has cared for others."
Elrond had no answer. Merely a furrowing of the brow as his ring of power. The ring of of air Narya gently glowed a light blue as he checked the child for any issues as the elves formost healer.