The Outlands

Tess and Ellie got in Ellie’s car, and began their drive over to the church.

“So…how are you feeling?” Tess asked. “Are you nervous?”

“A little, yeah.” Ellie admitted. “I know, academically, that we’ve met with more important people, that we live with someone more important, but, like…I dunno, this is the Archpriest. He was like…number one on the list of super important people growing up. It just feels different, you know?’

“Yeah, I know.” Tess said. “I feel the same. Like…it just sorta drives home that we’re not…the same as we were before. I mean, obviously I’m not the same, but like…in terms of status it shows that we’re different.”

“Yeah. Just…yeah.” Ellie replied. The two ended up falling into an awkward, nervous silence for the rest of the car ride over, and all too soon were walking into the Holy Room in the church. In a flash, they found themselves whisked away from Mael and back to the plane of the gods, where Life, Death, and Fortune were awaiting them.

“Hey.” Death said. “Don’t worry about it. The guy’s almost as stuffy as Life is, but there is zero chance he’s even going to think about being disrespectful, not after I Descend.”

“But…what are we even doing?” Ellie asked. “Just introducing ourselves, or…?”

“That, and you’re also going to be in charge of introducing the concept of the other planes to him, as well as laying out our plans for what we’re doing. If you get lost as to what to say, we’ll just feed you lines via chat.”

“I’m going to be Descending too, as part of that.” Fortune added. “Help add a bit more oomph to the idea of there being more out there, if you know what I’m saying.”

“Seriously, just wing it, you’ll be fine. It’s not gonna get easier if you keep worrying about it, so might as well just do.” Death said.

“That is not the right thing to say in this situation.” Life chided. “They are feeling anxious, you cannot just say “stop feeling anxious”, that is unhelpful and often counterproductive.”

“That’s not what I’m saying!” Death protested. “I’m reassuring them that they’ll be fine and telling them it’s best to just get it over with, and then they can stop feeling anxious. They’ll feel better once it’s over.”

“We’re stalling.” Fortune said. “Is there anything else you to tell them before we send them in, or shall we just go?”

“I…think I get it. I’m ready.” Tess said. She wasn’t ready, but that didn’t matter; she felt like she was never going to be ready, so waiting until she was just wasn’t going to work out.

“Yeah, I think Death is right, I just want to get it done.” Ellie added.

“Well, I don’t have anything more to say.” Death said. “How about you, Life?”

“Make sure you remind him that the scythe is mine.” Life said. “I wish to get that misconception cleared up, and this is a perfect opportunity.”

“I can handle that.” Ellie replied.

“Perfect. Fortune and I will preemptively descend, then, and we’ll be off!” Death said.

“Ready?” Fortune asked.

Tess nodded, and Fortune’s body sort of…went limp as she Descended and entered Tess. Death, likewise, did the same, and the four of them were suddenly whisked away.

Tess found herself in an austere room unlike the one they had teleported into the god’s realm from. There were no statues or decorations, save for a single red rug upon which the Archpriest was kneeling. He was a man in his sixties, wearing a simple brown priest’s gown. He didn’t look like anything special, he wasn’t someone Tess would pick out of a crowd had she not seen him on TV before.

He was praying with his eyes closed, though he seemed to be aware of their presence, as he lifted his head and opened his eyes shortly after they teleported in.

The Archpriest stared at them in confusion for a moment, and then Death spoke up. “My child, I have come here today to introduce to you my Appointed.”

“Your Appointed, my Goddess?” The Archpriest asked, frowning slightly for a moment before catching himself.

“Yes. Life and I have made this girl our Appointed, our hands in the mortal realms.” Death explained. “Her name is Ellie, and you are to treat her as you would me or Life. Her commands are our commands, and she is to be treated with respect second only to the respect given to me or Life. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes, my Goddess.”

“You appear to have questions. Speak.”

“W-who is the other, and why…why make an Appointed? Have I failed you in some way?”

Death shook her head. “You have not failed me. In fact, your works have been to my satisfaction. No, an Appointed fills a different role than you do. You are my mouthpiece, the one who informs the people at large of my will. She is my sword, the one who performs tasks that cannot be left to any except to one of exceptional ability and devotion.” Death paused briefly, then nodded at Tess and Fortune.

The two stepped forward, and Tess let Fortune speak. “I am Fortune.” She said.

The Archpriest let out a gasp, eyes widening as Fortune’s voice drilled itself into his soul, informing him exactly who was speaking.

“I am, as my name implies, the Goddess of Fortune.” Fortune continued. “I am one of several other gods in charge of the other planes, and this is my Appointed, Tess. We are working closely with Life and Death in regard to Mael, and as such, are here as representatives of the other planes.”

Oh, wait I have an idea! Fortune said to Tess. I’m gonna activate your fox traits, that cool?

Do it. Tess replied.

There was another gasp from the Archpriest as he beheld Tess’s now-inhuman appearance, but he said nothing, waiting respectfully for Fortune to continue.

“We have many things planned for this plane, but our time runs short.” Fortune said. “Mortal bodies are not fit to house the power of gods for an extended time. As such, we will be leaving shortly, but our Appointed will remain to explain our plans. You are welcome to ask questions, but know that the events of which they speak are non-negotiable. They will happen as they are being explained, despite any protests you or others may have.”

“Do not try to disrespect these two because of their age or the fact that we are not physically present within them any longer.” Death added. “We will be watching, and will be very displeased if you do so. Do you understand?”

The Archpriest nodded. “Yes, my Goddess.”

“Good. When we are finished here, we will collect our Appointed in the same manner as we brought them. You are not to speak of their existence to anyone until you receive revelation saying otherwise. Even then, you are never to reveal their identities, only their existence. Farewell.” And with that, Death and Fortune stopped their Descents, leaving Ellie and Tess alone with the Archpriest.

“So…hey.” Ellie said. “Like the gods said, I’m Ellie and this is my girlfriend, Tess.”

The Archpriest swallowed. “It is an honor to meet you.” He said nervously. “I am Archpriest Lucius the Fifth. How may I be of service?”

Ellie shrugged. “We’ll get to that. For the time being, there is little we require of you, we’re just relaying the gods’ plans and making our presence known.”

The Archpriest nodded. “I understand. Please, tell me their will.”

Ellie frowned, looking to Tess. “Where do we start with this?” She asked.

“I suppose it’s best I begin?” Tess said. “As Fortune mentioned, this plane or dimension is not the only one in existence. There are, in fact, dozens of others, of which Mael is the newest. With Mael, the gods decided to run an experiment; they would withhold knowledge of the other planes and the usage of magic from the people to see how they would grow in its absence.”

She held out her hand and let a ball of phoenix fire appear on her palm. The Archpriest watched, captivated, as the flame flickered and danced, and Tess continued to talk. “The time is fast approaching for their experiment to end. Within the next thirty to forty years, the gods will be granting this plane magic, and will introduce it to the greater universe.”

Tess closed her hand, extinguishing the fire. “The two of us are in charge of overseeing this process. As natives of this plane, we will be its defenders from those who seek to take advantage of it for its inexperience with magic. I am afraid that Mael is at a significant disadvantage in this regard; the other planes know of its existence and have a modicum of information about it already. We will have much to catch up on if we hope to make Mael powerful enough to not need our help.”

The Archpriest was listening attentively, and was struggling to keep his expression neutral, but Tess could tell he was bursting with questions. “Ask your questions.” She instructed. “We are here to answer.”

The Archpriest nodded. “You…said you are a native of Mael?” He asked. “Are there…other nonhumans living here without our knowledge?”

Tess paused. Back when Gramps had first introduced them to the Outlands, he had mentioned offhandedly that there were a couple other families from the other planes living on Mael, but she didn’t know their species. That would have to be something to ask Fortune about later.

“There are roughly a dozen in the entirety of Mael.” Tess said. “The rest of them are not affiliated with the gods as the two of us are, however. You have no need to fear them, they are not hostile to this plane. If they were, we would have taken care of them by now.”

“I understand. Are there…many non-human races?”

“Yes.” Tess said. “In fact, they greatly outnumber humans. From my estimation, humans make up perhaps five percent of the total population, discounting Mael. With the introduction of Mael to the other planes, that percentage will likely increase to seven or eight.”

The Archpriest nodded. “That is all my questions for now.”

Tess nodded to Ellie, who stepped forward. “We are beginning our work already. We are attempting to get more people to accept the existence of the supernatural in hopes that it will make the eventual transition that much easier.  We are based in the town of Kaas, in the United Federation. You may have already been told this, but we would very much appreciate it if you do not send Hunters to that area.

“Do not misunderstand that request; it is not for our safety. We are at the point where Hunters can pose no threat to us. It is simply an annoyance that we do not wish to have to deal with regularly.”

The Archpriest let out a sort of unconscious shiver, but nodded. “I understand. I will make sure to inform the head of the Hunters. I am afraid that my word is not always to be accepted in cases such as this, however; as a countermeasure against mind-altering anomalies, the Hunters have to do their own investigation whenever unusual requests like this are made.”

“That is fine.” Ellie said. “We have been given to understand that some might come regardless of what we tell them, so as long as they are kept to a minimum, it is acceptable.” She paused briefly before continuing. “And, finally, Life wants to stress that the scythe is his, and not Death’s. I am sure you have been told before, but it seems important to him.”

The Archpriest sighed. “I am aware, but unfortunately changing the perception of the people is not a simple task. I have tried to fix this issue multiple times, but it is always sidelined for “more important issues” or even ignored. At the very least, I have been able to stop it from appearing in new statues and paintings, but getting more than that has proved troublesome.”

Ellie nodded. “Very well then. I suppose we’ll have to take matters into our own hands when we debut publicly.”

The Archpriest looked to Tess and then back to Ellie. “This is somewhat presumptuous, but, when you make a public appearance, could you find time to publicly announce your relationship?” He asked. “I am afraid I have attempted to deal with those that denounce homosexuality, but many simply will not listen. Like with the scythe, there is a culture around certain things, and my word alone cannot change that. However, knowing that the handmaiden of the gods is homosexual should greatly alleviate the issue.”

Ellie nodded. “I am glad you asked. We were, in fact, planning on doing so. However, our public debut is going to wait until people are more…receptive of the supernatural, so the issue will, unfortunately, have to be put off until then.”

“I understand.” The Archpriest replied.

“Good. Are there any other questions you have before we take our leave?”

The Archpriest shook his head. “How should I address you?”

“Just use our names.” Ellie said. “We’re not much for standing on ceremony.”

“Very well, then. Thank you for taking the time out of your schedules to meet with me.”

“Likewise.” Ellie said. “Thank you for your service of the gods. We will be getting out of your hair now, enjoy the rest of your evening.”

And with that, Tess and Ellie found themselves pulled back into the realm of the gods.

“See, told you it wouldn’t be that bad.” Death said. “How are you feeling?”

“Better.” Tess admitted. “I’m…not quite sure what I was worried about in the first place, he seemed…well, harmless enough.”

“I’m afraid introducing yourself to my church isn’t going to be so easy.” Fortune said, grimacing. “It’s…quite a bit more corrupt. Life and Death got pretty lucky with their clergy, and they’ve only had to have a couple of audits.”

Tess sighed. “Well, at least I haven’t been looking to whoever’s in charge of your church as an authority figure for my entire life.” She said. “What’s the worst that can happen? He tries to beat me up, and I Descend and kick his teeth in?”

“I suppose that’s one way to look at it.” Fortune giggled. “I’d be more worried about her trying to ruin you financially, but that’s…also pretty much a nonissue. Either way, it’s probably best not to reveal your identity to her, she could get nasty about it.”

“Ah, the head of your church is a woman?” Tess asked.

“Yeah. But…enough about that for now.” Fortune said. “Do you two want to hang out? It’s been a while since we all played games together.”

Tess looked to Ellie, who shrugged. “I’m game if Tess is.”

“And I’m down too, so…why not?”

“Perfect!” Fortune said. “Death, you in?”

“Absolutely!” Death replied. “By the way, since you’ve technically debuted, do you remember that item I wanted from that MMO? Well…I’ve been working and haven’t gotten one yet, so I was kiiind of hoping you could take care of that while you were here, Tess.”

“Did you write the numbers down like I asked?” Tess asked.

“Yeah, I even had Life look them over, right, Life?”

Life rolled his eyes. “She did. She has been working at this, so I suppose it is acceptable for Tess to help her.”

“Cool, just tell me what I need to do, then.” Tess said.

Death grinned. “I’ll show you, it should only take like five minutes, it’s not at the end of a raid or anything. Ellie and Fortune, you wanna get things set up and maybe start a round or two of a game while we’re out?”

“On it.” Fortune said. “This way, Ellie!”

She and Ellie left, and Death towed Tess a few rooms over to what appeared to be a bedroom, decorated in bright colors and with a lot of plushies, figurines, and various other paraphernalia. She sat down at a computer, logged into the game, then stood up and motioned for Tess to sit. “So, first you need to cast a couple of spells, I’ve set their hotkeys to one and two, so just press those. Then you’re going to go inside that door…”