One issue at a time Randidly told himself trying to keep his expression even You are implying that humans were are originally created by Elhume By design he just shipped a bunch of worlds to essentially sow the seeds for images later But how could he make sure that
It is easier to think of the process as a grand nudge The Patron shrugged and leaned back on his stone Wind whistled around them on the mountaintop unphased by the import of his words Most of the targeted worlds already had some life forms present in very low tier shapes Unintelligent vermin generally Only a few planets were seeded directly with Elhumes that were already grown IÆm not too familiar with the details but I believe most of the grand finale was reaching out and simply pushing those small animals toward his vision for a more image friendly lifeform
For several seconds Randidly sat and tapped his fingers against his stone Sulfur hummed along with the small impacts enjoying the kinetic sensation His thoughts spun but the whirling snowglobe of his mind gradually began to settle Was there any current danger if what the Patron of the Sun suggested was true That all humans were engineered
It was hard to say Perhaps Elhume had some remnant influence over all humanoids Were all the beings that appeared to have a humanoid shape truly nudged by an ancient ritual from the Second Cohort
But that immediately felt wrong to his senses based on what Randidly had seen of both Engravings and Nether Rituals Perhaps on a small scale some influence could be retained but from the short explanation of the Patron of the Sun and the wide implications if Elhume had a hand in every humanoid lifeform the scope of the accomplishment was mind boggling even before considering lingering ties The act could have only been a massive donation to the universe
RandidlyÆs attention then twisted inward as though he could dig into his own flesh blood and DNA to find answers to his vague questions Flaring the Grey Creature Glimpses Providence and Revelations of the Atramentous Threshold for several seconds earned him nothing but a mild headache and a mounting sense of anxiety He flexed his hands as he turned his focus back outward
The Patron of the Sun didnÆt miss RandidlyÆs rapid thoughts It does not sit well with you yes I would feel the same if I knew that bastard Elhume had such an influence on my existence but heh can I even talk I was one of his Patrons I believed in him Perhaps more than anyone else I can understand the emotions you are experiencing right now
The blatant attempt to build sympathy between them had Randidly rolling his eyes It also served as a convenient point to refocus on his current task turning away the Patron without directly refusing him After all no matter what this figure obviously possessed a dangerous amount of power
Unless he had no other choice Randidly didnÆt want to antagonize him He had too many enemies already
So he took a deep breath and allowed the warm certainty of his heartbeat to filter away all his anxiety No matter how curious he was at the casual reveal of knowledge from the Patron of the Sun including details regarding early fights against Nether the history of the Second Cohort and the existence of Pine Randidly didnÆt dare let himself get distracted
But also as he paused and truly examined the emotional fluctuations of the Patron he felt reassured by how all over the place his emotions were Fear hatred frustration and worry wove together into a dense tapestry as silence sat between them
Then again Randidly supposed that if he had just been freed after two thousand years he might be a bit unbalanced too And feeling those emotional flaws made it easier to trust LucretiaÆs plan would handle the situation
ThatÆs a lot of information IÆll have to consider what it all could mean Randidly said casually even when he truly did need some time to unpack what the Patron had tossed out to attract his attention
Randidly produced a washcloth from his interspatial ring and wetted it so he could wipe some of the blood from YnÆulkÆs sleeping face He was thankful for the anticlimactic end to the meeting but suspicious
When no trouble manifested even after several seconds he nodded at DÆmin Take your fellow Lizakh back with you I believe that he will need quite a bit of rest after that experience But perhaps meeting the Patron of the Sun will help him develop his image
DÆmin nodded and picked the other Lizakh up But before he passed through the portal he looked back at Randidly Excuse me I understand that I have no standing to ask this of you but I was hoping you could arrange for my training I truly wish to proceed out into the wider universe the one where she ahem But in my current state
YouÆll be eaten alive RandidlyÆs lips twitched Then his expression softened wondering what sort of connection now existed between DÆmin and Claudette Had he planted the seeds of it when he incorporated the Lizakh into her image But I know a group of people who can help you train Whether you will grow strong that part is up to you
DÆmin left after giving his thanks leaving Randidly alone on the mountain top He shook himself and spoke to the air How did you know that DÆmin wouldnÆt agree And then that the Patron would choose to withdraw rather than picking someone else
Lucretia condensed next to Randidly She reached up and tied her long hair into a bun Former was more of a gamble than the latter She admitted But as part of the Pantheon we have certain insights into the deepest desires of individuals Honestly the sensation is hard to explain I suspect that we can give a bit more well tailored Paths due to the prevalence of Nether So I could see DÆminÆs desire to grow stronger and experience the universe for himself
As for the Patron leaving of his own accord heh ItÆs a matter of image fidelity Whatever he wanted to pull with getting one of his people onto the Pantheon he needed someone who had a basic capability with images so he could use them as a conduit Other than DÆmin and YnÆulk the Lizakh donÆt have anyone worth mentioning Utilizing his image through someone weak would have aggravating amounts of static on his end He could choose someone and hope to train them to competency but if someone else started showing a lot of potential better just to wait Despite how restless he seemed this is a being capable of patience
He probably had to be to survive so long in isolation Randidly reflected
After conversing a bit more Lucretia left to handle other matters of the Alpha Cosmos Although they didnÆt want it to be the Patron of the Sun they were talking a lot about expanding the Pantheon with the addition of Tellus and the Nemesai worlds they needed to work near constantly to provide even basic Skills and Paths to all the developing individuals
Randidly punched his fists together Sulfur hummed in pleasure ItÆs nice to know that even while IÆm focusing on my own issues the Pantheon is growing strong in its own way Through with the growing significance of the Alpha Cosmos and the thoughts of the population here Somewhat tempting to make myself a part of the Pantheon but to do so would mean that I have a responsibility to help with the tasks And IÆm busy enough as it is
He used the Philosopher’s Key to open a portal back to DonnytonÆs festival By this point night had fallen and the soup stand was humming with activity Delilah had been forced to help with the biscuits with Randidly busy but she now gratefully ceded that responsibility to him and scampered off into the night
After the bustle died down in the early hours of the morning only Neveah DÆmin Randidly and Claudette were left in the soup stand The rest of the visitors had other responsibilities The group lounged in the back area of the kitchen snacking on small hand pies that Katrina had brought over from their stand They all were thoroughly seeped in the small of stewed meat
Yet when they all finished eating Randidly cocked an eyebrow at a yawning Claudette You certainly look more lively than you did before Have fun