Astral World
-Earth Mother-
She watched as Abel's figure vanished from the dream, and then looked to the left, "What's your opinion, Amanises?"
Suddenly, in the place She was looking, a figure began to materialize beside her, not stepping into existence, but sketching itself into being. Like an eraser drawing a figure back into view.
The figure materialised, an extremely beautiful lady taking shape beside Her. She wore a layered black dress covered in countless specks like distant stars. Her black hair shimmered with the same starry light, and Her red eyes glowed faintly. From Her ribs and waist stretched three pairs of arms, each moving with a calm, unhurried grace.
This was the Lady of Crimson, The Mother of Concealment, Empress of Horror and Misfortune, Mistress of Repose and Silence—
The Evernight Goddess.
And Earth Mother's ally—though that truth was known to none but the two of Them. Three if She counted That man from the Third Epoch.
"What do you think, Lilith?" Amanises returned Her question with one of Her own.
"Abel's Spirit Body hasn't changed," Lilith replied. Unlike Klein Moretti—now a Soul descended from the cocoons in the Sefirah Castle inhabiting the former Klein's body—Abel's soul remained the same. "But he has regained his past life's memories."
Her friend's serene expression did not shift, but Lilith had known Her for thousands of years; the faint change in stillness told Her She now had Amanises's full attention.
Lilith had long been aware of Abel's abnormality. From the moment he first stepped into the Harvest Church as a child, she had sensed it—his soul was older than his body.
Reincarnation was one of Her Authorities as the True God of the Mother pathway, and She had recognized the truth almost instantly.
When She saw he had no memories, She allowed him to be, watching only on occasion when he came to Harvest Church. It was part of a deal She had made with the De Sade ancestor—to watch over Her descendants.
In return, She left Lilith with a straightforward revelation, something wholly uncharacteristic for a Seer, whose words were usually tangled in riddles and half-truths.
An opportunity lies for you in the De Sade family to reclaim what you lost, and with it comes the rise of the De Sades.
Lilith knew the woman had hidden more from Her, misdirecting by making it seem like aligning with the Goddess would simply help the De Sades. While that may be true, there had to be more, there was always more when it came to Seers. She even considered the possibility Celestial Worthy' will affecting Her as, how could an Angel get a revelation related to a God?
"From the Pre-Epoch?" Evernight's serene voice brought Her thoughts back, making the Earth Mother incline Her head.
Amanises fell silent for a moment, before speaking, "That one didn't tell us much about The Summoner, only that He will be key to surviving the Apocalypse."
Lilith thought back to the prophecy the Ancient Sun God had left behind before His death and echoed it aloud.
"When the veil between worlds grow thin,
The Summoner shall awaken and tread the Myriad Realms.
Beasts of memory and myth shall rise at His call,
And all that is Named shall answer."
The "veil" was, of course, the Astral Barrier—the barrier keeping the Outer Gods from breaching Earth. The mad yet rational Original Creator had known the inhabitants would not be ready for the Great Old Ones. In one of His rare moments of lucidity, He had set up the barrier… before splitting apart once more.
"The Summoner," Lilith said thoughtfully, looking at Amanises, "perhaps He is one of the Original Creator's many split personas—like the Celestial Worthy and the Primordial God Almighty." She paused briefly. "Perhaps, just as Klein Moretti is part of the Celestial Worthy's resurrection plan, Abel is part of The Summoner's."
There were, of course, other possibilities. The Summoner might be an Outer God whose symbolism is similar to the Seven Lights—Guiding—making Him instinctively benevolent toward humanity. The 'Shepherd of All Creatures'—part of His Honorific Name—could point toward such a symbolism.
Or perhaps, as She had just speculated, Abel was a resurrection plan. Like Klein Moretti, who played the role of The Fool, Abel might simply be playing the role of The Summoner.
The title TheSummoner and His Honorific Name might be inventions of Abel's, not the true title of the being in question. Yet that seemed unlikely. The only reason The Fool had been able to coin an Honorific Name was because of the Sefirah Castle, a Sefirot.
One of the keys to reach Above the Sequence, to become a Great Old One.
Lilith had detected no trace of a Sefirot's aura on Abel—only the layered taint of various Outer God corruptions. As a Sequence 9, without a Sefirot, Abel shouldn't be capable of creating an Honorific Name at all; such things only became possible at Sequence 3.
This fact made Her lean into the possibility of The Summoner being a Great Old One, whose godhood -driven instinct to "Shepherd All Creatures" had drawn Him to Earth.
Seemingly reading Her thoughts, Evernight coolly remarked, "That one loved Humans and wouldn't put Humanity at risk."
Lilith let out a soft chuckle. "He didn't raise His children properly. Are we sure He's reliable?" Said offspring was Amon—natural-born Mythical Creature, devoid of Humanity, incapable of empathy for them. His emotional spectrum barely stretches past His own survival, self-interest, and amusement… parasitizing others without the faintest hesitation.
Her words made the corner of Amanises' lips curl up ever so slightly, "The Demon on Hanth Island, let Him recite The Summoner's Name. Even if The Summoner is malicious, He might likely help counterbalance the corruption of the Mother Tree of Desire, to prevent Her from seizing control of the Devil Monarch."
The Earth Mother hummed in agreement at the plan, though Her expression soon grew serious. "It seems Celestial Worthy is not betting everything on Klein to revive?"
Lilith was referring to the release of more souls from the cocoons within Sefirah Castle—more Transmigrators.
"The Summoner's Honorific Name became known yesterday. Abel was pulled into the Sefirah Castle and became The Lovers." Amanises connected the two events, the pattern clearly marking The Summoner as the cause of Celestial Worthy's sudden actions.
This made Lilith circle back to the question of whether Abel truly was The Summoner, or had The Summoner awakening—as prophecy foretold—within him and the former, and true Lord of Mysteries, Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings detected Him.
….
Loen Kingdom, Backlund, Rose Street, Harvest Church
-Dominique De Sade-
Dominique really did love her brother. Very much so. But she was starting to realise—painfully, and with a growing sense of exasperation—that as socially adept, clever, and silver-tongued as he was, he was equally reckless. Reckless in a way that had been made glaringly obvious over the last twenty-four hours.
For one, who in their right mind swallows a Beyonder Characteristic raw—without making it into a proper potion—just because some stranger says, "It makes no difference"?
Two, as someone walking a pathway infamous for hearing and seeing things beyond mortal comprehension, why would a Monster pay more attention to a curse after realising it's a curse? Especially when that curse ends up being a direct line to the ravings of a high-level existence?
Three, who hands over two thousand five hundred pounds to someone they barely know, upfront, for a job? Don't get her wrong, it's not that she thought Xio was untrustworthy. But it was the principle of the matter. And it wasn't just any job, it was one involving tracking down traces of an Evil organisation, with the potential to cross paths with a Demigod.
Yes, the chances of actually encountering one were about the same as bumping into a stranger in the street and never seeing them again. But still, it was the principle of the matter.
Fourth and lastly—lastly, fornow—who just straight-up demands to speak to a god? Not prays, not petitions, not humbly requests. Demands.
When she'd seen Abel go still and unresponsive for a full minute, not even reacting to her tugging at his sleeve, she'd honestly thought the Earth Mother had struck him down for his audacity. After all, there's a reason the saying exists:
Believe in the might of deities, but do not trust Their benevolence.
So, naturally, she went to the one person who might actually have an idea of what was going on—Father Utravsky. After explaining what happened, she asked him outright what he thought.
The Father's answer had dumbfounded her, even though some small, quiet part of her mind had already considered the possibility.
"The Mother hears all Her children," he said, voice calm and warm. "If She has granted him an audience, then in this moment, he is standing in Her presence."
Even the doll-loving fool, Emlyn, was left stunned. He suddenly began praying and cleaning the candle stand with renewed vigor.
As amusing as the scene was, Dominique understood him. The usually untouchable and unfathomable gods now felt so close, practically in the same room. It was only natural to display piety, and to feel a measure of instinctual fear toward Them.
Her gaze shifted to Abel. He had removed his hat and gloves, maintaining the prayer posture for the last ten minutes. It would be a lie to say the Vampiress wasn't worried. After all, what could Earth Mother possibly be discussing with Abel? And more importantly, why had She accepted his request for an audience?
Dominique quickly pushed the thoughts aside. It was best not to question a god's motives, or attempt to comprehend them.
"Hm?" As her eyes lingered on Abel's face, she noticed his forehead faintly glowing with a green light. Leaning forward, she moved the hair covering his forehead and caught sight of a… "Tattoo?" It was shaped like a wreath.
Then, Abel's eyes suddenly snapped open, his arms that were in the prayer gesture of Earth Mother lowered as blinked in confusion. "Blessed?"
Dominique ignored the word and immediately looked him over. "How are you?"
Her brother's momentary confusion gave way to amusement as he asked, "What could possibly happen to me in the presence of the Mother? Domi, were you worried I'd be smited?"
It was, in fact, the first thought that came to Dominique's mind—wondering if Earth Mother had finally had enough of Abel's impiety and decided to return his soul to the Earth
But instead of voicing this, Dominique scoffed as she instead glanced at where the mark was on his forehead with mixed emotions, "So…Blessed?"
….
-Abel De Sade-
"So blessed?" His sister's tone carried barely concealed envy and disbelief. Abel could understand her reaction; even he was still baffled by the goddess's actions.
Had his identity as The Summoner already been compromised before it even took shape? Did the blessing allow Her to monitor him? With Loremaster, Abel recalled everything he knew about Gods, whether it be True or Outer.
Sequence 0. Gods being former Beyonders. The Outer Gods seeking Beyonder Characteristics on Earth. Grafting. Corruption from knowing godly knowledge. Mysteries. The Fool. Goddess of Fate. Circle of Inevitability. Mother Goddess of Depravity.
For a Sequence 9 Beyonder, Abel's accumulated knowledge was absurd—impossible even. Any being at that level, even a Demigod, would be corrupted merely by glimpsing such truths.
Abel's Intuition unraveled, tracing his thoughts back to Mysteries. With what he already knew, it was only natural that the ObsessionWhispers working in the background began to grasp a piece of the puzzle:
She thinks The Summoner is reviving in me, or has already revived? Like Lord of Mysteries is in Mr. Fool?
With the right context and information, Abel could see why someone might come to that conclusion. And upon reflection, questioning or considering whether he was The Summoner wasn't all that surprising.
Earth Mother hadn't confirmed whether She knew
if Mr. Fool was in fact Mr. Fraud. But it was wiser to overestimate. If She did know, and given that Mr. Fool had already set a precedent for a mortal pretending to be a god, it wouldn't be unnatural to consider that The Summoner might simply be Abel himself.
Making him Her Blessed could be a method of monitoring him—or more specifically, whenever someone from the Earth Mother Church chanted The Summoner's Honorific Name, She might feel out the blessing She had bestowed.
Could such a kind and motherly goddess truly be that cunning?
"Indeed that is the mark of the Mother." Father Utravsky's approach snapped Abel back to the real world. His kind expression was somehow gentler than usual, almost reverent as he looked at his forehead. "The Mother loves all Her children, even the wayward ones."
He repeated the words he said not long ago, words that now seemed prophetic.
A thought Dominique shared as she questioned the giant Bishop. "Father Utravsky, did you know this was going to happen?" She referred, of course, to Abel becoming a Blessed.
"No." Father Utravsky gently shook his head, "To grant Her mark, to declare Abel Blessed… that was the Mother's decision, one I had no knowledge of."
Dominique turned back to Abel, worry evident on her face. "What now? Should we go tell Father?"
Ah, right. Abel almost forgot the political implications. As a Blessed of the Earth Mother—whose church was the state religion of the Feynapotter Kingdom—and the second son of the Earl of Loen, the matter was delicate. The Earl oversaw Desi County in the south, whose waters bordered Feynapotter, and one-third of those waters belonged to the kingdom.
Abel wondered what William Augustus I had been thinking when he made the De Sades—worshippers of Earth Mother—the governors of a county bordering Feynapotter. Had he been certain the De Sades wouldn't betray Loen? Perhaps the First King and the ancestor had made a secret deal, now only known to family heads.
Shaking his head, Abel rose from the pew. "Can you see the mark?"
Dominique shook her head, "No, the mark or tattoo, whatever you want to call it, is small enough to be covered by your fringe."
"Hm, that's fine then. We'll tell Father when we get home." All the political nonsense could be handled by the Earl. What did it have to do with Abel, a second son? "For now, though…"
The Monster's gaze shifted to Emlyn, who had been furtively glancing at him—and failing miserably—clearly having overheard Father Utravsky's words.
A small smile curved Abel's lips. "Emlyn, my good friend, I have a favour to ask."
The Sanguine stiffened, not knowing how to act before him, the Blessed of Earth Mother. But when he heard the second part, his posture straightened, and he turned quickly.
"Hmph. It seems even a Blessed can't do without the help of a noble Sanguine such as myself." He raised his chin, smiling smugly at Abel. "Speak."
"O noble Sanguine, have you forgotten the Mother's attention was here not long ago?" Dominique interjected, clearly enjoying the way Emlyn's face paled, his arrogance deflating instantly.
Abel chuckled, and decided to give the Sanguine a hand. "Emlyn, can you acquire the formula for the Hunter potion and its ingredients?"
At his words, Emlyn regained his bearings and puffed out his chest, "Of course! Us Sanguine have a history dating back to the Second Epoch, it's only natural we possess a measly Sequence 9 formula."
Second Epoch…Abel almost forgot that the Sanguines were an ancient species. Keyword: almost. Such information was impossible to forget when Emlyn never failed to boast about it whenever they came to the church.
He was, in fact, a decent source of information thanks to his incessant need to talk in that regard.
"Then I'll leave that to you. I'll return in three days for it." The same day Xio would report about any unusual happenings in East Borough… "Father Utravsky, Utravsky, may I use the basement for a ritual?"
The Dawn Paladin nodded without hesitation, "You are the Blessed of the Mother. Anything in this Church may be used freely."
Abel raised an eyebrow in surprise, then inclined his head in thanks. "Thank you."
He shifted his gaze to his sister, and before could speak, he explained, "I'm going to summon one of the Seven Lights, Hilarion. Unfortunately, I cannot bring you with me, as this involves matters the Mother has mentioned."
After a moment's hesitation, Dominique said, "I'll wait for you here then."
Abel inwardly sighed and ruffled her hair. He hated keeping secrets from Dominique, but some truths were too dangerous. Half-truths would have to suffice for now.
He would summon Hilarion to complete his mission
[Rise, My Summons], and inquire about Summoners in this world, and ask what he could about The Summoner and Lord of Mysteries. Given that the Earth Mother herself had mentioned these matters, he was not truly deceiving his sister.
"Stop messing my hair up," Dominique grumbled, gripping his arm, which made Abel chuckle fondly.
"I'll be back shortly." Abel stepped away from the pews, heading toward the basement near the Sacred Emblem of Life.
+++++
A/N: Feels like a while since I uploaded when it's been just under a week. Well, what can I say, I got distracted by my Chaos Gacha Lord of Mysteries snippet.