Chương 347: How do we Start

The wind howled relentlessly past Vale's face as Tachyon soared through the endless sky, the massive falcon cutting effortlessly through the clouds with slow, powerful beats of his enormous wings. Seated comfortably among the bird's soft brown feathers, Vale barely noticed the freezing air biting at his cheeks. Instead, he remained completely absorbed in one of the books Drago had packed for him before his departure. Its title had immediately caught his attention. When Gods Took Their First Breath.

Curiosity had compelled him to open it almost the moment they had left Irea. As he rapidly skimmed through the opening chapters, he realized the volume attempted to chronicle the creation of the twenty gods and the roles they had supposedly been given by the Creator himself. That alone was enough to capture his complete attention. Everyone knew the gods existed. Everyone knew they had been created directly by the Creator before the birth of the world.

Beyond those basic facts, however, nearly everything dissolved into myth and speculation. Their true purpose, their personalities, even the order in which they had first drawn breath had all been lost to history. Only a handful of Visorians throughout history had ever possessed gods as their Enigmas. Caesar was perhaps the most famous example. Vale remembered the story vividly. Caesar's Enigma had been the God of Progress, yet despite sharing such a profound connection, the deity had spoken to him only once.

According to the records, those first, and last, words had not been encouragement, guidance, or praise. Instead, the god had simply called Caesar weak. Nothing more. That single insult had driven him forward for the rest of his life. Trials were meant to shatter the mind before rebuilding it into something stronger. Sometimes all it took to overcome one was a single push in the right direction. Caesar had received that push from his Enigma, and afterward the god had never acknowledged him again.

Vale slowly turned another page, his expression growing increasingly thoughtful.

'Then... why didn't I lose my mind?' Thousands upon thousands of years. An eternity spent dying, fighting, and suffering. By every logical measure, he should have emerged completely insane. Had Kealix's domain somehow protected his sanity? Was there something fundamentally different about that place? Or perhaps the answer was far simpler. Unlike most heirs, Vale had not suffered alone. Between battles, he had spoken with Kealix, read countless books, and experienced something that almost resembled a normal life.

Yet neither explanation truly satisfied him. He let out a quiet sigh before lowering his gaze back to the book.

"So far this isn't telling me much..."

"What are you reading?" Korin's voice drifted back from the front of Tachyon's saddle. Vale looked up, lifting the book slightly.

"A history book, or at least it's trying to be one." A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"The title?"

"It's about the gods." Korin's interest sharpened. Twisting around slightly on the saddle, he looked toward the worn cover.

"The gods?"

"I didn't even know books like that existed. I thought all we knew was that the Creator made them."

"So did I." Vale casually waved the book in one hand. This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"But apparently someone tried compiling every surviving record." He flipped through several pages before shrugging.

"Unfortunately, most of it just repeats what everyone already knows. The gods were the Creator's first creations, they existed before the world, and..." He shrugged again.

"... that's about it." Korin clicked his tongue in disappointment.

"That's depressing."

"It is."

"I was hoping it'd explain what they actually do."

"So was I." Vale closed the book halfway.

"It barely mentions their purpose at all." Korin released an exaggerated sigh.

"I swear, everything involving gods ends up being one giant mystery." Vale chuckled quietly.

"Personally, I'm much more interested in something else.'' His gaze drifted toward his metallic right arm, sunlight glimmering softly across its polished surface.

"Oh? and what's that?" Vale rested one hand against the metal arm.

"Eidolons." Korin blinked. Silence lingered for several seconds before he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry..." A sheepish laugh escaped him.

"I've got absolutely no idea what those are." Vale couldn't help smiling.

"I figured." He carefully rose to his feet atop Tachyon's broad back, balancing effortlessly despite the violent winds threatening to throw him overboard. One hand rested lightly against the bird's feathers while the other tucked the book safely beneath his arm.

"The simplest way to explain them..." He paused to gather his thoughts.

"... would be mechanical gods." Korin frowned.

"Mechanical... gods?"

"Or beast gods." Vale shrugged.

"Depends on how you interpret them." His eyes drifted back toward his metallic arm.

"That's honestly about all I know."

"There isn't much information?"

"Almost none."

"What is known?" Vale hesitated briefly before answering.

"They supposedly weren't created by the Creator." Korin nearly choked.

"... Excuse me?"

"They have a different creator." For several long moments, only the endless roar of the wind answered. Then Korin burst into laughter.

"You seriously believe that?" Vale simply looked at him.

"There are things as powerful as the Creator?" Korin continued laughing, gesturing dramatically toward the heavens.

"The Creator is omnipotent and all powerful! Even if he's gone, he's still the Creator. For all we know he can hear this exact conversation." Vale remained quiet. Ali's story resurfaced in his thoughts. A strange uneasiness settled quietly inside his chest.

"... Maybe, or maybe there are several." Korin laughed even harder.

"You really are a idiot sometimes man." Vale smiled faintly before turning his gaze toward the endless horizon.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." The remainder of the journey passed peacefully. While the others chatted amongst themselves from time to time, Vale spent nearly every spare moment reading through the survival guides Drago had packed for him. Wildlife, edible plants, migration patterns, poisonous insects, dangerous predators, river systems, he committed everything he could to memory before they entered territory no one had ever properly mapped. Eventually the familiar forests surrounding Irea disappeared behind them.

Hours later, Tachyon finally began his descent. One after another, the three great mounts landed within a vast clearing near the very edge of the explored world. Beyond that point stretched only untouched wilderness. Ancient trees towered over the landscape like silent giants, their emerald canopies swallowing the sunlight long before it could reach the forest floor. No roads continued beyond this place. No outposts stood watch. Vale adjusted the straps of his pack before climbing down from Tachyon's broad back.

Korin gently rested a hand against the giant falcon's neck.

"Take care of yourself, old friend. I'll see you again. I promise." Tachyon answered with a powerful cry that echoed across the forest before spreading his colossal wings and launching back into the sky. Nova offered a similar farewell to her golden wyvern, watching sadly as it disappeared beyond the clouds. Only one mount remained. Inferno. Vale's body stiffened, his eyes settled upon the crimson giant. His breathing became noticeably shallower. Cold sweat crept down his back.

Almost instinctively, his hand drifted toward Shade's bracelet resting around his wrist, ready to summon the living weapon at a moment's notice. He tried to hide it... but in the end he failed. Every muscle in his body radiated distrust. Nym noticed aswell. Her expression darkened as she gently rested a hand against Inferno's enormous jaw.

"You have to go." The wyvern didn't move.

"Go home." Inferno slowly shook his massive head, the ground trembling beneath the motion.

"N-No? I wasn't asking." her voice noticeably hardened as she spoke. Inferno released a deep rumbling growl that vibrated through the clearing before stubbornly planting his feet even more firmly into the earth.

"That's enough. I told you to leave." The colossal wyvern lowered his head slightly. Like a child refusing to obey. Then, unexpectedly, his enormous eyes shifted away from Nym and settled upon Vale. The two stared at one another in complete silence. Something passed between them, something Vale couldn't begin to understand. After several long seconds, Inferno slowly exhaled. Almost... Resigned. Without another sound he turned away.

Each enormous step crushed shrubs and split ancient trees beneath his weight as he gained distance before breaking into a thunderous sprint, the earth shaking beneath every stride. Only after building enough momentum did the colossal wyvern leap skyward. His wings unfolded. A deafening gust exploded outward. Within moments he had joined Tachyon and Nova's mount high above the clouds. Soon all three creatures became little more than distant silhouettes against the evening sky before disappearing completely.

Vale finally released a long breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. The tension slowly drained from his shoulders. He relaxed. Stepping toward the edge of the clearing, one hand resting lightly upon the hilt of his onyx blade, he studied the endless forest stretching before them.

"Alright." His voice had become calm once more as he glanced back at the others with a faint grin.

"So... which way does this expedition begin?"