"So, your saying, that, this is, the most, important, part, of the, learning?"
Fin gasped for air, his lungs burning, his legs numb from running. A slight weight seemed to fall from Zeniph's shoulders as he watched him struggle.
"Yes, building up your stamina and strength is crucial, as you need to bare through the casting process, which is quite taxing. I've repeated this every morning. Today makes it the twelfth time."
"Hey, anyone's memory would be failing from this kind of training," replied Fin, gulping down water in between comments.
"You think this is intense?"
Fin glared at Zeniph before starting of on a rant, but he ignored him, walking back to the storeroom.
Although it was mostly empty by now, there were still some portions he had made, sitting in wooden bottle in the corner.
Today marked a complete month since the battle with the curse. A whole month of training, brewing, and bearing with Fin. At times, he wondered if the judge had sent Fin just so that he could have a laugh watching Zeniph struggle.
That actually made a lot more sense now. If it was true. Coincidence were only coincidences to a certain point, and it wouldn't hurt to confirm something.
"Hey, Enom."
Silence.
With a deep sigh, he put together his hands and prayed.
After a while of nothing, he felt his conscience get yanked from his body into another realm. It felt like being thrown of a cliff into the ocean. But the ocean was somewhat comfortable, as it was his own soul.
"Yo."
"Where is Enom?"
"Well, not here. Now it's been a good while since I've had visitors, so… how about a chat?"
He couldn't feel any kind of pain in his own soul, but Zeniph was sure if he could, it would most certainly be a migraine.
"How did… what?"
"Not that hard to figure it out, you know. Your part fallen now. And you're not fully human, so your prayers aren't really doing anything except for opening your soul."
It was suddenly starting to make a lot of sense to Zeniph of why he was chatting with this creature.
"And since you kindly requested a conversation with someone, I felt like chatting! Now, how the outside universe? It's been millennia's since you sealed me in here! Cmon, tell me some stories."
"How do I track Fallen in the human realm?"
"Really? That's the first thing you ask me?"
Zeniph paced around for a bit, reforming the world into a room. With a wave of his hand, he made a chair and collapsed into it.
Intricate designs grew like vines into the wall, as the empty ocean of his conscience became a decorated hall.
"Oh, that neat! What else can you do here?"
"Well, any angel of a high enough rank can do pretty much anything in their realm, so a bunch. Now, I know your very bored, so how about you give me some info, and make you a more enjoyable time?"
Zeniph motioned for the being to sit across him.
"Well, you could get some of the fallen blood and track it that way. Or get something it created and trace the magic signature. That one is only a one time use though."
"Will a curse do?"
"How old was it?"
"No idea."
It sighed, leaning back.
"You angels are weird. It's like you have no sense of time at all!"
"Funny you're saying that even though your just as old as me. Probably older."
Its face broke into a grin, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"I still remember the day your legions broke through the lines and slaughtered our world. Ah, the memories."
"You're omitting the fact you're the ones that started it."
"By existing?"
Silence hung for a long time before finally breaking with Zeniph's words.
"You attacked a protected world which we swore to protect. So, we retaliated. That is all."
"There is so mu…"
"Is anything in that statement false?" interrupted Zeniph.
"No, bu…"
"Then that's that. Now, how old can the blood be before it loses tracking ability?"
"A century."
Gazing up, Zeniph thought for a long while again. There was no way he could find a Fallen on his own. And nobody that could help.
"Why are you trying to find one anyway?"
"Retrieval of artifact is the official mission title."
"Well, that fun. Progress so far?"
He chuckled.
"I have adopted a headache."
"Seems like a step back."
"Tell me about it. But hey, I'm teaching him runes, so he will be useful eventually."
"The absolute irony of you killing of most of our race for creating runes and now you are teaching them to humans, who can't even cast them properly without tearing their body to shreds."
"I'm not teaching him anything with that sort of power, and… your still here. So, not everyone was killed."
"BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO KILL ME! That is the ONLY reason!"
Zeniph broke out laughing, doubling over as he wiped tears from his eyes. It was indeed a memory to be forgotten.
A memory of him killing a seraphix countless times only for it to resurrect the next moment, before finally volunteering to get sealed in order to end the torture.
"Haaah, they called us evil, but you guys really take the crown. You only stopped your 'holy' crusades because there was nobody else to slaughter."
"Plenty were left. And we only did the minimal of taking out royals. Can't have power like that being taught again."
"Yet here you are teaching it again. Genius."
"Well, I'm not planning on teaching him runes that you used. He won't survive using them if I did."
The seraphix's eyes lit up with an idea.
"Hey, let me out."
Zeniph doubted his own ears. The seraphix were a smart race, smart enough to survive a holy crusade, so why was he hearing such things?
"It's not as absurd as I make it sound, okay? I teach the lad runes and am also no longer in eternal solitary confinement. You said yourself he's a headache. It's a win-win!"
"Yea, no. I'm no longer an angel, and you'll probably try to kill me as soon as your out. I can handle a Fallen to an extent, not apocalyptic level runes from a seraphix of royal blood."
"I'll sign a soul contract. That works right?"
That indeed does work. But Zeniph wasn't about to let out a natural disaster in order to lighten his daily dose of migraines.
Zeniph wondered how he agreed to let out a natural disaster in order to lighten his daily dose of migraines.
Over the hours of convincing, and then signing, Folke stood in a human body, waiting for a gateway.
"Why a woman? Their bodies are weaker. Surely you know that."
"Listen here mister… sexless? I had a gender before you killed me. And I would prefer, to keep it. Okay?"
Zeniph shrugged as he formed the portal.
"Your loss."
Blue light warped around the edges as it formed, the inside darker than a black hole.
"Is this safe?"
"Mhm."
Folke continued to linger at the gate. Sure, it looked bad, but all gates looked like that.
With his patience at the limit, Zeniph walked up behind and just kicked her in.
"Meet you on the other side."
And with that, he collapsed his realm, the halls and gardens shattering like glass before becoming dust. His soul jolted forward before slamming back into his human body.