Bastet approaches Edmin. "The Observers make an excellent point. In order to be ready for anything, you must train for everything." She pauses for a moment and looks at Edmin, head to toe, before saying, "How's your sword arm?"
Edmin takes a step back, holding his hands up. "Hold on a second, I've only just started this journey. I've no interest in becoming a deity. I'm a merchant with simple morals, my only goal is to find Burus and face my demons." He drops one of his hands and holds the other out. "Besides..." He sighs. "What if this... so-called prophecy is wrong? What if I die alone in the journey? What if I don't end up finding Burus? All this training is only delaying my end goal."
Bastet, staring at Edmin with an amused look: "All valid questions. However, I am not omniscient. I cannot give you the answers you seek, but I can ready you for what is to come."
Finally, Edmin relents. He sighs and says, "Fine... you've convinced me. Where do we start?" he asks.
Bastet replies, "First, we need to hone your skills and your fighting prowess. If you truly are the mortal of myth... there are those who would see you unmade. You will need to defend yourself." She turns away from Edmin. With a flick of her wrist, she opens a portal. She looks toward Edmin and gestures for him to follow her.
Edmin pauses. "Where are we heading?"
Bastet replies, "To the realm known as Aakhet-Heru, the Horizon of Horus. He is wise in terms of battle... he is what you mortals would call... a respected colleague of mine. He and I fought Morningstar alongside other deities."
Edmin, concerned: "I take it we're going to talk to him about improving my skills in combat?"
Bastet replies, "Indeed." Then steps through the portal.
Edmin, though hesitant, murmurs to himself, "More and more, I find my patience tested by the setbacks of this endeavor..."
Just before Edmin steps through the portal, he pauses. At the back of his head, he hears a strange voice he has not yet heard. The voice is calm and reassuring. It is that of a man: "Have faith. We shall soon resume our journey. The deity, however, is correct. If we are to continue on this crusade, we should at least learn to defend ourselves."
Edmin immediately turns around, expecting to see someone. However, he sees nothing.
Edmin lightly yells out to the halls, "Who said that?!"
There's no reply. He glances around the room one more time, yet still he sees nothing.
Bastet walks through the portal and sees Edmin staring around the room as if he is looking for something. "Edmin... is everything alright? What's troubling you?" she asks, with concern in her voice.
Edmin turns his head slightly, acknowledging Bastet's voice. "Nothing... I... I'm fine... I thought I heard something, is all," he replies.
Bastet's look of concern turns to confusion. "Well, if you're done chasing shadows, Horus is waiting."
Edmin turns back to the portal, fixing his clothing and hair. "Yes... of course... it would be unwise to keep him waiting then."
Bastet gestures to the portal. "Unwise indeed."
Edmin and Bastet both step through the portal.
As Edmin and Bastet step through the shimmering veil of the portal, the air shifts, light bends unnaturally, forming golden streaks across a sapphire sky. The sensation is weightless, as though stepping into a memory not their own. The realm around them unfolds like a celestial painting: towering spires made of sunstone, floating platforms that drift in circular orbits around a massive Sky Citadel, and at the heart of it all, the Celestial Arena—its floors carved with runes of trial and triumph. A warm breeze carries the scent of ozone and ancient incense.
YOU ARE READING
An OV Odyssey: Eclectic Ascension
FantasyHow far would you go to keep a promise... even beyond death? When Edmin Night cradles the lifeless body of his black cat, Burus, something inside him breaks. In his final breath, he vows: I will find you again. His heart stops. But death doesn't gre...
