I met up with my guides once again, softly shutting the door behind me.
"I hope the meeting went well?" Ohtli spoke up, and I gave a nod in response.
"Yeah, I learned some pretty important information. My journey is going to be a long one though."
"Of course, as such rest is critical. Let us guide you to your room." He continued to speak, a warm smile on his face despite the dog head making it a bit hard to decipher. "Though before we do such a thing, may I make a humble request?"
His sister facepalmed, but I could also see a similar smile on her face, though this one was tinted with malice and aimed at her brother.
"Of course, though I am pretty tired."
"Nothing too serious, just a light spar before bed. I am extremely curious about the capabilities of such an honorable individual such as yourself." His tone held pride in his own ability, but his curiosity was clear.
"That . . . actually sounds like a good time." I have no idea how strong this guy is, or how any of the magic users of this world are. This would be a good way to test the waters so to speak!
"Eh? You weren't supposed to say yes!" Nenetl spoke up, pointing a sharp claw at me with surprise. Her brother however quickly interrupted her, making his way down the stairs.
"Too late! This will be a valuable experience!" He called back to his sister, with a quickly forming laugh of excitement.
"I'm inclined to agree." I wasn't sure why I was supposed to refuse, but it didn't matter. This was a great opportunity I couldn't pass up. Especially because I planned to leave first thing tomorrow morning.
I followed close behind him, but his sister caught up to me and waved her hands with some concern.
"My stupid idiot brother is arrogant enough to think he can beat you, please don't break every bone in his body Champion." I raised an eyebrow at her, and frowned slightly.
"It's just a light spar, it shouldn't be too big of a deal. I won't rely on Gaia either, that would just be unfair."
She peeled back in shock, and gave a small nod. Using the infinite mana generator that was Gaia felt like cheating! I felt the spirit in question pout slightly at my lack of desire to rely on her, but I couldn't just rely on her while on Earth.
I'd been leaving this place for plenty of reasons, and I wasn't going to just rely on her for everything. Especially not during a spar against my fellow mage! It felt sort of disrespectful to use outside help like that.
"We're here." Ohtli shoved open the large doors with gusto, these people were super physically strong, and it reminded me of my Mana Boost a bit. They'd struggled with the gigantic doors from before, but they still managed to open them.
"Should we just go until the other person gives up?" I suggested, and this way I could just back out if I didn't want to do this anymore.
"Of course." He nodded, but the competitive fire in his eyes was clear as he continued into the big training area. It was a big room full of an assortment of weight equipment, as well as separated areas clearly for sparring or warming up.
The place was completely empty outside of the three of us, and it made me wonder about the other members of their group. Where they could be, or if they were even alive. I knew it would be a touchy subject, but these were Gaia's people. I needed to know.
"How many people live in this compound?" My words weren't forceful, but it wasn't weak either.
His smile faded, but he still gave an answer.
"A few hundred." He took in a slow breath, and continued. "It used to hold tens of thousands."
"I see." This place was way bigger than I thought. The momentary shock was ablated as I gathered my mana. His sister had also stopped talking, her expression completely dropping as she stared at me.
I'd certainly touched a sore spot, and their previous actions got a bit recontextualized at his next words.
"A human like you being the Champion of Gaia, despite being from the people who have hurt her the most." He entered a stance as well, and I felt Gaia's energy boil inside me with rage. He shook his head with regret. "It's embarrassing for all of those who promised to serve her over the countless generations."
"Ohtli, you go too far . . ." Her voice was weak, and she could barely put up any resistance to his words. Gaia on the other hand gave me the energy to effectively smite him on a silver platter, but I pushed it away. Gaia didn't like me being demeaned like this, especially since I wasn't a human of 'this world' but I refused to act on those feelings.
"I can see the irony." Their previous belligerence towards me, and respect that would continuously fade away . . . It made sense, as well as their lack of professionalism. "Gaia chose me for a reason, just as I chose her."
His lips twitched, and he let out a small grunt as water mana coalesced around his body in the form of a rippling sheen.
"That's quite interesting of you to say." His tone was that similar backhanded tone from before, but underneath it all, he was angry. That's the type of person he was, someone who hid their intentions behind a veil, but at the same time, felt very strongly about the things they cared about. "To claim you chose her, you speak as though you can hold a candle to the Seamother."
His punch was controlled as he struck out towards my chest, and I could tell the point of this spar. He wasn't just angry, he was jealous too. He wasn't trying to hurt me, he was just trying to prove he was worth being chosen.
I dodged the strike with a flex of Mana Boost, and quickly struck out on my own towards his arm. The sheen caused the attack to flow around his arm, so I quickly shifted my stance and rammed him backwards while targeting his center mass.
Watching his spell at work, I knew it had a limit. It was pushing my attack over him, but I could break through it with a hard enough strike. Still, he wasn't weak either. He barely moved backwards despite the mana being slammed into him with my body.
He went to kick out my leg, a small snarl morphing his face as his body shook with distaste. His mask broke, and his true feelings made themselves known through this fight.
"What makes you so much more important than everyone else!?" He threw out another attack, no longer holding back his strike. Channelling Wind Walk around my body, I forced the spin in the opposite direction of his own sheen. The twisting force collided, but his claw didn't touch me.
I ducked under his claw, and slammed a fist into his stomach, causing him to sputter and go flying backwards as his defense was completely broken through.
"Ohtli!" His sister approached him with concern, but she actually slapped him rather than helping the poor guy. "You stupid idiot! You really think Gaia would pick a human for no reason!?"
I walked over, Ohtli laying on his back, and staring at the ceiling, muttering to his sister.
"Our people are dying, this world is dying, and out of everyone, she chose a human. Of course it's not for no reason, I know the Seamother isn't stupid." He slowly picked himself up with a wheeze. "Still, with how powerful she is, she should at least reward the loyalty of someone like The Oracle."
This had to stop, this man was well aware The Oracle was losing it, and he knew just how bad his people's situation was alongside the world. Unfortunately, even without the knowledge that Omniman was a bad guy, I knew this world was in trouble.
I approached him, and gave him a wry glance.
"If only she could." He flinched, anger being replaced with confusion. "I have an ability that allows me to commune with the world itself. When I said I chose Gaia, I mean I made the initial connection with her, not the other way around." I took a deep breath. "So while I may not be as wise as the Oracle, or nearly as strong as some other servants of Gaia, I can at least be chosen. Like you said, the world is dying. If she could pick someone, she would."
His sister helped him up, as I realized how hard I'd actually hit the poor guy. He was in deep thought, and slowly closed his eyes.
"Please forgive my disrespect. You've defeated me, and proven you are as strong as you are talented. I . . ." He paused, his body shaking as he resisted the urge to hide his feelings. "I'm not angry at you, I'm just angry at everything. The Oracle has lost her mind and will die soon, our people are few in number, and every day things only get worse in our waters. As the one who has chosen Gaia, and been chosen by her, please do whatever you can to fix this."
His eyes were full of resolve, and despite his nearly begging tone, he was practically demanding I make things right. I could only smile at the audacity.
"I was planning on doing that anyway. I don't plan on just leaving everything to rot, I plan on making a difference, and that starts with helping Gaia regain her strength." I took a breath, and slowly let it out as the idea sprang into my mind. "Once she gets her strength back, it could be a good opportunity to show humans that they aren't the only intelligent life on Earth."
Nenetl stared at me, her lip twitching slightly at my words.
"That's unfathomably ambitious." Her brother nodded in agreement, but what could I do but revel in audacity. I was the champion of Gaia! I felt the spirit give off feelings of agreement, and I could only continue in my passion.
"It's unfathomable for a human to be a champion of Gaia, and I've already begun to mend the link between Magic and Mortal. Why don't I take the extra step and offer the hand to the countless amazing magical creatures of this world?"
". . . You're crazy, but I suppose the Champion of Gaia should be." Nentl mused slightly and gave a laugh, while her brother looked into her eyes with a small grin.
"That is undoubtedly true, you certainly are a unique human." I wasn't sure if that was a backhanded insult, or a backhanded compliment! Maybe it was for the best that I didn't know.
Gaia's anger had simmered down substantially from earlier, and a small amount of shame and sadness mixed in with her agreement. Then came the grief, but she quickly stifled it.
I wasn't certain what exactly it was for, but I knew that despite these mixed feelings, she wanted to make things better for her people. Even if it means being a little bit unfair.
Though I guess with the wider beings of space existing, the times have changed?
She let out a snort of agreement, but also mused a bit about our mission. The melancholy holding steady as her mental image tensed.
Times were changing, and Gaia had tried to adapt before. Now it was time to actually get the world to take that next step. I'd need people who'd support me, and despite the strong negative feelings the pair in front of me had, those feelings were fueled by a want for things to be better.
I could only offer a hand of peace, and hope they'd take it.
___
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