Azimuth: The Elden Throne

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"A Spirit?"

Kuddan's voice was marked with a touch of uncertainty. For a few seconds, he remained still, trying to make sense of the word before he finally understood what Dale was referring to.

It wasn't the first time he heard the term in this language, but it was so long ago that he had difficulty tying the meanings together.

"Are you referring to the Ancient Spirits that dwell within the depths of the woods?" Kuddan's voice was tinged with a hint of unease, his brows furrowing, almost obscuring his eyes as he said so

His pronunciation of the word 'Spirit' was off, as if he was swallowing the phrase instead of spitting it out.

This could be due to the uniqueness of the languages. Now, Dale was speaking in English, which was then translated to the common Imperial Human language before reaching Kuddan's ears, who then had to peruse his mind for terms and meanings he hadn't thought about in decades.

Even if the system perfectly translated every word Dale uttered, Kuddan still lacked proficiency with the language.

As he knew, the system wouldn't translate for every language unless some conditions were met. However, even that was speculation on his part.

"Yes. At least... I hope we're talking about the same thing." Dale said with a light smile as he coughed lightly

"The reason for the questions is... Moments after I lost consciousness, I was pulled somewhere and met with a being that recognized itself as the 'Old Spirit'."

"Soon after, I was forced awake due to what he called "separation of mind and body"..."

Kuddan listened with great focus, and once Dale was done speaking, he touched his chin, deep in thought.

"But of course... The mind cannot exist outside the body for long as it is far too easy to corrupt and affect when unprotected by the shell that is one's flesh." Kuddan replied with a knowledgeable nod, drawing his conclusions from Dale's words

"It seems you were temporarily drawn to the Heart of the Woods, where the 'Spirits' reside. A great honor, for sure."

"Can you tell me anything about them?"

"Hm... Not much."

"What they wish you to know is what I can share. No more, no less."

Kuddan stopped to think for a while, picking the right words to explain his thoughts, but it was evident he was having difficulty selecting the right words for the job.

"As you know, my kind lives deeply attuned with nature. What you call "magic" or "technology" is not apparent in our civilization. But you would be wrong to assume it is non-existent."

"We seek connection to the earth as the Spirits of our ancestors live within it; through our rituals and practices, we attune with it and seek comfort and guidance."

"You live in a world of Magic and Vitality; we live in a world of Hexes and Spirits. But as divergent as they may seem, they are all connected and part of the same wheel."

"That is what Spirits are to us."

He moved his hand to the side, grabbing a small crystal torch from a nearby shelf.

"Your kind has a name for these... I forgot what they were called, but roughly translating it, we refer to them as 'Tears of the Forest'."

"These represent the power of the forest, the crystals shine according to the 'breathing' of the woods."

"We grow learning to feel these movements and to respond in kind, interpret them, and act according to what we hear and see, very much akin to my interpretations of the Stars above..."

"My point is that to us, Ancient Spirits, beings that define the forest which we revere, are no different from what you call a Divine."

"Their will is absolute, and their secrets incorruptible."

"But you already knew that, didn't you?" Kuddan asked as he looked at Dale

"..."

Unsurprisingly, Dale was already quite knowledgeable about the Karkavan and their practices.

Even if they interacted little in the past timeline, Dale's intentions hadn't changed much from then to now.

Before, he approached them to solve issues and progress with the development of their relationship, now, he approached them to push forth beyond where they stood before.

When he had the chance, both then and now, he asked Kuddan these same questions, intending to resolve these issues ahead of time.

Still, why ask these particular questions again? Well, for once, he didn't feel satisfied with the answers he had been given in the past.

And second, for the sake of pushing his Quests forward.

"Can you be more specific? What they are, their origins and..."

/Shake.../

Kuddan shook his head.

"I cannot. Because even if I wanted to, I do not know."

"Even their home, the Wood's Heart, evades us..."

"In modern times, the Ancient Spirits are present but not materialized. However, it wasn't always the case."

"There are tales of times when Spirits and the Children of the Woods lived in harmony, together, hand in hand..."

"Nonetheless... We have far too few records of the ancient times when the conditions were others. Of the times when the Great Tree still stood."

"What made them change, their reasons for transforming... I sought answers to these questions before your ancestors were even born, and I came face to face with a wall."

"When I had the chance to ask my questions, they were enigmatic... So I can understand your frustration."

"The Ancient Spirits remain around us, but they've chosen to observe rather than intervene. They still do, but not as often."

"I believe they're still recovering from the catastrophe that was the fall of the Great Tree... Maybe, even sustaining their existence is a hurdle for the ancient forest they lived in is as good as dead post the fall of the Tree of Legends..."

"It's hard even to say if our ancestors were even here when it fell... So the veracity of our records is dubious." "But seeking them on your own is but a road with a dead end. As the path towards them is a secret they hide dearly..."

"... That didn't sound very reassuring..." Hina said with an awkward expression as she tried not to interfere

"If they approached you first, they'll certainly do so again if they see the need. The Spirits overlook the Great Woods, and their embrace covers it all. If they see the necessity of approaching you, be sure they will."

"But seeking them on your own is but a road with a dead end. As the path towards them is a secret they hide dearly..."

"... That didn't sound very reassuring..." Hina said with an awkward expression as she tried not to interfere

She felt like she was watching a movie; there was no space for her in this conversation at all.

From the very start she had been pushed aside from their conversation. Starting from her humiliating behavior just moments prior.

And although she had already recovered from that, she still had no place or time to speak.

It was a strange feeling... She never felt this isolated at a table before, maybe once when her father got really angry with her once. But it amused her greatly nonetheless.

More than Dale, she wished to hear and learn more about everything Kuddan spoke about.

"It wasn't meant to be, child." Kuddan replied as he coughed lightly

"Should we proceed?" He asked as he turned to Dale

"... Okay..."

Once again, Dale was given nothing, just a bunch of empty words.

'I thought this would be the case, but there's no harm in trying. At least I got this out of the way.'

'The Ancient Spirits aren't easy to pursue, that much I was aware. They're immaterial beings that manifest to whomever they wish, and even if they wish to appear, not all can see them. Much less communicate with them.'

'I was never doubtful of their existence. I'm not seeking them to prove their existence.'

'I know Nature Spirits exist, their existence was proven during my time in Zenith and through the archives of the Southern Corps.'

'Even then, they recognized their presence arching over the forest.'

'Not finding them isn't too much of a bad thing. Most of what I wanted to ask them is irrelevant to my current goals.'

'Mostly things of the past, questions that only someone who saw it themselves would be able to respond... Something only a Spirit could answer.'

'Even so, I wished to cross over it from my to-do list as it could lead to a Questline.'

'Understanding the people who lived in this forest before and who they were could aid me greatly, especially the origins of the Great Tree and why it collapsed.'

'I fear these questions will tie to the strange seed I possess... So are many of the things I acquired from Babylon.'

"..."

Sorting his thoughts, Dale opened his inventory, grabbed a small white gem, and gently placed it on the table atop a white cloth.

The gem was highly opaque and seemed to produce light on its own. Being warm to the touch.

It shone like one of the crystal torches around Kuddan's room. It almost seemed fake... Not belonging to this world.

It was a beautiful gem; if it could be carved onto jewelry, the end result would be...

"This... I see. So that's where it fell." Kuddan said with a tint of surprise, but also helplessness How could he not recognize what it was? [White Comet's Tail (Half-Fable)

Type: Material

Description:

The Karkavan believed the very night post the birth of a Legend, a white comet streaks across the skies to celebrate the birth of a new Tale.

The brighter it is, the more honorable the Tale.

They believe the Comet represents the Spirit of the Ancient Warriors who fell in battle, unable to prove themselves and achieve their full potential.

So by shining across the skies, those that already fell cultivate the living for their efforts so they may continue striving amidst the thorny road ahead of them.

This shard, however, goes against their beliefs as never before did the comet cast away part of itself into the earth.

What could this signify? Would this be the Omen of a Legend like none before?...

Or the calm before the most violent of storms?

]

"So the omens were true... A piece of the White Comet fell... Right upon your hands. And as per the stars, you brought it to me."

"Did you know this would happen?" Dale asked, surprised

"The stars told me not long after you left the forest, I've been waiting for your return ever since."

/Creak.../

Kuddan pushed his chair back, getting up from his seat.

He seemed impatient, maybe even in a hurry...

Dale was surprised by this entire sequence of events. That reaction was something he hadn't seen before, something he hadn't experienced in the past timeline.

Before, Kuddan gave him a lengthy explanation of the comet. He was surprised beyond belief by its appearance and spared no breath in talking about it.

However now, Kuddan seemed to already know of its existence, and above all, he spoke of the stars and their will... However...

It had been decades since Kuddan last tried to read them.

And above all, he said he received their omen days before Babylon opened... Didn't that mean the past changed before he even time-traveled?

If this had happened in the past timeline, he would've been aware of it, but he didn't.

It wasn't like he did anything different... Aside from him bringing Hina with him, little had changed.

What was going on?... And what did he want?

No... He was looking at the picture from the wrong angle... The question was already there.

What did the 'Stars', want?

"Follow me." He said as he climbed the stairs to the second floor

"... Where are we going?" Hina asked with curiosity as she looked around

"The fourth floor."

"What's on the fourth floor?"

"... My regrets."

He said nothing after. But his silence was deafening.

Hina looked at Dale, but he shook his head.

Once they arrived at the last few floors, he opened his mouth to ask:

"You said you received an omen from the stars... But didn't you say you stopped reading them because you 'lost your touch'?"

"I did, I stopped because I couldn't read them properly anymore. I gave my people untrustworthy readings, signs of disaster coupled with visions of prosperity and fertility."

"When what I saw started to become contradictory, I knew I had lost the ability to listen to the Skies above properly."

"Thus, the Karkavan stood without the guidance of the stars, and for a very long time, I feared this lack of belief was what drove us to this corner."

"None of the visions of prosperity I had envisioned ever came to be... And neither did those of catastrophe. Everything we're experiencing now is a mystery to me."

"For many years, I yearned to go back and gaze upon them for guidance..."

"However, the Stars led our kin to the deadlands beyond the wall... This very act led to our downfall."

"And for long after, I was regretful and doubtful of having done so. Fearful of their intentions. So much so that I wished... They were never there."

"... Maybe that was why their words stopped having any meaning to me..." He said deeply as he coughed lightly

""...""

"Yet... A few weeks ago... I saw the Comet streak across the sky. The sign of a good omen, the birth of a new tale... A Great Warrior..."

"You."

"The moment I did, I knew what I had to do..."

"Cough..."

Dale coughed in light embarrassment as he looked at side. At the same time, Hina chuckled, finding the situation funny... Before she quickly returned to her stoic appearance.

There wasn't anything to laugh at this old man's tale.

"I knew that even if whatever I read was absurd, it was my task to listen..."

"I was reminded of my duty."

"And for the first time in a long time, what I read was coherent and clear."

"The Stars showed me a path, a future... And they showed me how to reach it."

"But they also showed me the pain my people would have to endure... One I cannot support."

"No matter how brilliant the future may be, it is not worth the sacrifice of the few. That is not how we are. Not the way I wish to live."

"We stand on the shoulders of thousands, and their passing was one we embraced and sang. Not one to mourn."

"The Stars showed me a path, and I know, deep down, that if I follow it, prosperity like none other will bless the Karkavan."

"But I don't plan to follow it... I'll make a new one."

"Even if I may be scorned after, this is the curse I must bear. This is the pain I shall take upon my shoulders as the one tasked with leading the Karkavan."

"Even if the chosen ones are ready to sacrifice themselves, I am not ready to throw them into the fire."

"I am old; not all of them are. There isn't much I can offer them, but there is much they can do for each other. So if there's someone to suffer, someone to carry the burden, then may it be me."

"I'll throw myself into the fire for the sake of the Karkavan. That shall be my last contribution."

"Child, you came at the right moment, changing the odds and carving a new path where we thought impossible..."

"The White Comet has fallen; a great omen is on the horizon..."

"I ask you... Will you see it with me?"

"..."

"I'm not asking this without consideration; this isn't something I wish to push on you. This path is dark, and I cannot envision its end. It is a future the Stars are unaware of."

"I wish to attain that future, one where we can all thrive. A future without needless sacrifice."

"I offer you my everything, this remnant spark of life."

"Will you..."

"Kuddan." Dale interjected "...?"

"What are you talking about? Can you be more clear?" Dale asked as he smiled slightly

"Do you need help, yes or no?"

Dale smelled a Quest...

"... Yes... I need help." Kuddan said with a smile as he clutched onto his walking stick

"Then I'll help. Let's change the future. I hate prophecies after all..."

'Technically speaking, the entire future I lived through is a prophecy... One I must diverge from.'

"Prophecies... Right." Kuddan closed his eyes, thinking of a past that has long passed...

[DING]

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Notes