Not that it would make me weaker; probably not. However, I'm not even sure what the best constellations are. Did I have only this one chance to choose? Would they vanish forever? I didn't know how much time I still had in this ritual, and there was no way for me to see each constellation to understand which ones to select.
Nevertheless, maybe choosing a concept of life essence as guided by the throne could be my best bet at least to survive. A restricted path, but perhaps an optimal one—a perfect choice for someone lost as hell like me. Sometimes linear beats an open path filled with randomness.
So be it. I choose four constellations. Better to live with a mistake than die with another good choice.
As my being connected to the chosen stars, I was surprised: It wasn't each constellation entirely but only one star in two cases—smaller almost-blinked-out stars got connected instead of entire constellations. Two other stars shone like they had something special about them.
In a constellation near the magic pillar, there was a star that projected an image—a droplet of blood on fire. Anyone with at least one brain cell would understand what it meant, and as soon as I realized its significance, my connection to the star deepened.
I knew how to fucking use this!
The situation is worse than some grimdark fantasies I've read about; at least I'm not suffering in a hole somewhere.
Fuck, why did I need to think about that shit?! Focus on the freaky magic—let's get freaky. Yes, Henrique, let's get freaky. One more cool star to go.
As I focused on another big star, "big" didn't seem fitting anymore; it needed a better name. Magic star? Too childish, like some weird European children’s show. Soon the outline of magic... magic spell... Starspell? Spellstar? Let's get practical: Spellstar it is.
My brain settled on that name because all my attention was now focused on the Spellstar. It projected such a simple image—a drop of blood intersected by a line, soon forming half droplets becoming whole in just seconds. The process repeated itself in an endless loop.
It didn’t take more than a moment as the connection deepened; I understood how to do it. The weaker stars' connections were solid and final even if not quite as strong as Spellstar's.
The constellation of all connected stars looked like a blur in space, confusing my brain whenever I tried to count them. Only the concept remained clear.
Soon, reality came back into focus.
---
I felt another bound making itself known—thin but firm—and then fading into the background. Weirdly enough, my eyes were already open and gazing at a strange figure resembling Houonas. If anything could be summed up in one word for this change, it would be "human." Don't get me wrong; the creature still had three pairs of arms. However, they now seemed straighter and more human-like—normal-sized if not slightly longer. Their body was even more humanoid-looking: stockier with light red skin and vermilion hair, but still tall as hell.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
The greatest change, however, was Houonas face. The creature now had a pair of eyes! They were weirdly round and beady, entirely white without pupils.
Houonas sat deep in thought on a chair, holding a book in one hand while fluffing its antennae with another. After a few seconds, the figure turned to me like an apparition. Their mouth opened into what seemed more of a smile than the feral grin I had expected.
"Thee has awoken," the creature said and got up to make an unnerving curtsy that would have earned him 10/10 in any etiquette class. "Do not be distraught by mine appearance. Thus, thine synchronization affected me as well. Mine paltry illusion became sublime reality!"
Their weird way of speaking was starting to feel less strange—like when you play a medieval game and their speech starts feeling natural.
"So your previous form was an illusion? Why?" The whole insect vibe had given me some clues, but I figured small talk before diving into the meatier topics seemed like a good idea. "It is customary in the Ecclesiastical Order. Shared by many different faiths throughout known domains, our appearance showed time pastime to generate fear and even disgust among your kind."
"Humanoid? Did you see any other people?" Maybe some of the villagers had arrived too.
"People? Nay, mine speech doth not pertain to thee within this sanctified domain. My utterances be aimed at those abominations - the lycanthropic simians, the verminous rat-men, and the revered Erythocetes himself," Weremonkeys... maybe they were some of those dead guys outside. Better to make sure. So I asked Houonas, finally noticing something: the creature was now using his mouth more like a feminine one than before.
"Weremonkeys are known for their resourcefulness—less so compared to the venerable Erythocetes but far greater than that of wererats. Their domain lies in the forests around the palace and beyond; rarely do they venture into our hallowed halls."
"Less akin to sentient beings than beasts, the wererats dwell deep beneath the earth, abhorring the harsh rays of sunlight. Hence, owing to their mutual aversion to light, Erythocetes did employ these creatures to labor within the palace's catacombs and mines." Taking a breath that seemed forced and unnatural, Houonas continued.
"The venerable Erythocetes are not the sole kind known for their vital synergy with blessed blood. Thy visage doth bear a striking resemblance to theirs, yet with notable disparities: mouths full of fangs, encircled by tiny suction cups upon teeth as pure and white as porcelain; hollows at the end of each fang and cup."
"Endowed with minds beyond the norm, they communicate through mind-speech, as does my own kin. Our shared eloquence hath forged a smooth path for their acceptance of not only my kin but also others from the Ecclesiastical Order—those versed in mindspeak—swiftly establishing many appointments within this blessed palace. So deeply are we connected to all that exists!"
This was too much information.
"Houonas, you don't look like any of these beings... and I'm thankful for your help. But what's your deal with me? Why do you care?"
Soon the creature started fluffing its antennae again. "Mine desires are but to act in accordance with the faith I have learned during this existence. Thus, by mine belief in thee and thine promise of burgeoning power, mine strength shall ascend like a booming thunder following light for all eternity! Alas, my actions stem from fear derived from a fleeting time as the last vestiges of reality merge into oblivion, that new genesis may be created."
"... What? New Genesis?"
"Genesis simply is. Mine words be spoken by faith, guided by facts. As how doctors analyze sickness to find cures, or blacksmiths gaze upon their creations; 'tis anathema! Genesis remains genesis, oblivion remains oblivion—our blood is our own!"
Great, so Houonas was either a zealot or some sort of fraudulent priest. Nothing new here.
It's not like I can believe anyone without proof in this world. But if you want to live smartly, get practical clues about the reality around you. Like how to act when coming home and avoid being robbed, which places have better discounts—things like that.
Priorities are key here. So let’s talk magic first. Practical things come later.
