Divine Apostasy Book 12 - Chapter 56

Chapter 56

[Author’s Note: I’m conflicted about the following chapters (through 60) because I’m trying to thread the needle between a behavior/shtick I love and my desire to show character growth. Specifically, this relates to Sift. After reading these chapters (56-60), if you have a feeling about them, good or bad, please leave a comment or send me an email/IM. Even if you can’t explain why you feel that way, I’m very interested in your impressions. If anything else bothers you or if something made you laugh or happy let me know that as well. I know my writing can become a little self-indulgent sometimes at the expense of the story’s pace. All these thoughts really slowed me down this week and I almost scrapped this entire section. I might still do that as much as that pains me, or pare it down. I feel this section might be going on for too long as there are still a couple of chapters left in this section. Although chapter 61 should be epic. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and opinions. Don’t worry about hurting my feelings, I know you all love this story as much as I do and only want what’s best.]

Echo’s admission surprised Ruwen. She wasn’t the type to ask for help and something must be terribly wrong for her to overcome that reluctance. He sensed a small dimensional bend on the other side of the pickup truck hidden from his view. Somebody wanted to eavesdrop, and thought they were sneaky. Interestingly, Echo didn’t seem to notice the short range teleport, which was mostly because she remained in the Gem tiers and hadn’t yet Fortified into the Divine tiers.

Echo’s anxiety spiked and Ruwen sensed it with his Divine Perception, chakras, and simply by looking at her. He wondered if she might empty her stomach.

“A favor?” Ruwen prompted.

Echo nodded, then cleared her throat. "I need..." She paused, and he could see her struggling with the words. "I need help with Ash."

The admission hung in the air between them. In all the time Ruwen had known Echo, she'd only asked for help once. That had been on the beach during the Master’s Trial as she worked to perfect her Steps. She was still dealing with the emotional devastation of her mother’s murder and her father's death. Her asking for assistance was the last thing he expected.

Energy thrummed in Ruwen’s Heart and Solar Plexus chakras, and the energy coalesced in his Throat chakra. Suddenly Echo’s words, her expressions, the way she stood all took on a different context. The energy in his Throat pulsed to his Third Eye and now he could see the turmoil of emotions saturating her.

Echo’s stress had pushed her past her limits. Every choice she made now carried weight far greater than in calmer circumstances. The extreme pressure acted like an amplifier, making new choices possible but at the cost of extreme danger. The balance of her life had never been more important. If she could keep her balance, new possibilities would unlock, but if she lost it, the consequences would destroy her.

Ruwen blinked the chakra vision away and removed any hint of judgement from his voice. "Of course. What's going on?"

Echo’s shoulders slumped. “He’s talented, but he's..." She frowned, searching for the right words. "He's stuck. I've corrected the worst of his mistakes, but there's something blocking him from taking the last step."

Ruwen studied Echo. Sadness clung to her and exhaustion shadowed her eyes, but something else hid just under the surface. Concern. Genuine worry.

"What do you need?" Ruwen asked.

Echo met Ruwen’s gaze, and her jaw tightened. "He reminds me of myself from before, but not in the same way. He wants to succeed, but like me he can’t see what’s preventing his advancement. I've done what I can, but I'm not a natural teacher. Not like you."

The compliment made Ruwen uncomfortable, but he recognized the truth in it. Especially when it came to the Steps, he could see the balance issues, mental and physical, that held others back.

"You are a superb Sisen, Echo," Ruwen said quietly. "Asking for help isn't weakness. It takes strength to recognize when someone else might serve better."

For a moment Echo’s carefully maintained mask slipped. "I know what it's like to think you've mastered something only to discover you've barely scratched the surface. I don't want Ash to waste years like I did."

Ruwen considered how much Echo had grown, the way Hamma and Lylan liked her, and the current state of Echo’s precarious balance. He made a decision and it turned out to be easier than he expected.

“I’ll help on one condition,” Ruwen stated.

Echo narrowed her eyes. “What?”

“You agree to hang out with us for awhile.”

That shocked Echo and she leaned back, her confusion evident. “What? Why?”

“Because everyone likes you, and—”

“Not everyone,” the eavesdropper whispered.

Echo's head snapped toward the sound. "What did you say?"

A slew of curses erupted from the hidden listener.

Sift materialized from behind the truck, hands already raised in a calming gesture. "I was just joking.”

Echo leaped toward Sift and he yelped, jumping over the truck to try and evade the angry Echo.

"Can’t you take a joke?" Sift asked. “You’re so prickly all the time.”

Echo growled and summoned the Aspect of Death. She rose into the air, her black robe whipping in an invisible wind. She pointed her massive scythe directly at Sift.

"Ruwen, help!" Sift screamed.

Ruwen laughed. "You dug this hole yourself, brother."

"It was a joke!" Sift protested as Echo's other hand came up, the skeletal fingers crackling with dark energy.

"I actually love having you around!” Sift continued. “You're terrifying—but in a good way!"

The hooded Aspect of Death tilted its head, considering. Then, the Aspect disappeared, and Echo hovered in the air.

Sift sighed loudly in relief.

Echo slowly, deliberately, smiled. Her canines glistened in the moonlight and the overpowering scent of cinnamon filled the area.

“Echo?” Sift asked with concern. “We’re good, right? Right?”

Echo removed a black leather book from a hidden pocket and the moonlight surrounding them dimmed considerably. Strange symbols writhed across the book’s surface, and when she opened the cover the temperature around them dropped ten degrees.

“Oh,” Ruwen said unable to keep the excitement from his voice. “That’s the death grimoire the Death Tower enhanced.”

The pages turned on their own as Echo studied the book. "There's an interesting spell," Echo said in a matter-of-fact tone. "It turns the living into zombies. Temporarily, of course. Usually."

"Usually?!" Sift squeaked.

“Here it is,” Echo said and began chanting. Her voice changed taking on an otherworldly quality which made the strange unintelligible words more terrifying. The symbols on the grimoire glowed with a sickly green light.

Ruwen laughed harder. The fact he couldn’t understand Echo’s words, which came from a Destruction Realm item, meant they were nonsense. He had to hand it to her, she sold the act extremely well.

"I'm sorry! I'm really, really sorry!" Sift clasped his hands. He turned to Ruwen. “Does Death magic work on god bodies?”

Ruwen turned serious. “I’ll take care of Shelly when you’re gone.”

Sift’s eyes widened in fright, and he turned back to Echo. "Please don't turn me into a zombie! I need my brain! It's where I keep all my best ideas!"

Echo continued chanting, the green light growing brighter.

"Ruwen!" Sift howled. "She's actually doing it! Make her stop!"

Ruwen shook his head, suppressing a smile. "You insulted a Bamboo Viper Grandmaster who also happens to be the Mistress of Death. This is a learning experience."

The chanting reached a crescendo, and then—Echo snapped the book shut. The green light vanished, and she tucked the grimoire away.

Sift studied his hands and touched his head. “Did it work? I don’t feel any different.”

"Next time," Echo said as she lowered herself to the ground, "don’t snoop in my business."

Sift pulled his shirt away from his body and tried checking his chest. “Do zombies know they're zombies?" He whispered.

"You're probably fine," Echo said. "The spell takes three verses to cast properly, and I only did the first."

“Probably?” Sift asked. “Did you say ‘probably fine?’”

Echo shrugged. “Death magic is hard to control, and your brain is already mostly jello.”

“Jello?” Sift asked pressing on the sides of his head. “What’s jello?”

Echo suddenly looked concerned. “You don’t remember what jello is? It’s started then. Your memories are already going.”

“Going where?” Sift shouted. He turned to Ruwen. “Do you know what jello is?”

“Of course,” Ruwen answered having no idea what it was. “It’s your favorite.”

Ruwen walked over to the obviously worried Sift and steered him toward the house. “Let’s see if Lylan can fix you.”

“Right,” Sift said hopefully. “She’s a powerful witch. I miss jello so much.”

Inside the house, Ruwen’s parents sat at the table with Lylan, Hamma, and Rami, all focused on their domino game. The tiles clicked softly as they played. His dad winked at him and his mom blew him a kiss. Ruwen felt a wave of contentment.

Blapy had disappeared and Grandpa Pine cooked something that smelled like corn in the kitchen.

"We need to go do some Bamboo Viper stuff," Ruwen announced. "Anyone want to come?"

Lylan looked up briefly. "Is it dangerous?” She frowned at Sift. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Echo turned me part zombie and now I miss jello,” Sift said.

Lylan nodded as if that made perfect sense. She removed a small black oval from a pile of colored ovals sitting on the table between her and Hamma. Lylan whispered a chant that sounded once again like complete gibberish. She squished the black oval between her finger and thumb which released a powerful scent that Ruwen found unpleasant.

“Open up,” Lylan told Sift who immediately complied. She dropped the pill in his mouth. “That might take awhile to work, so try and resist your zombie urges until then.”

Sift winced as he chewed. “That tastes terrible.”

Hamma pulled a red one from the pile, but it smelled like strawberries. “Jellybeans,” Hamma said to Ruwen as she popped it in her mouth. “They’re amazing. Well, not the black ones. Those taste like medicine.”

Sift went to the kitchen for a cup of water and Lylan looked up at Ruwen. “Jello?”

“I have no idea.”

“That sounds about right,” Lylan replied.

“You never answered,” Hamma said. “Is it dangerous?”

"I doubt it. It will probably be a lot of Step philosophy and sparring.”

“Ugh,” Lylan said. “I’m out.”

Hamma smiled. "Yeah, I'm good here, too. Create a party so we can stay in contact though."

Ruwen created a group and put his friends in it, including Echo. He left his parents out as they had their own responsibilities here.

“I think my toes are numb,” Sift said as he returned. He looked at Hamma. “Do you think that’s the medicine or zombie stuff.”

“Too early to tell,” Hamma replied without missing a beat. “A lot depends on how soon you remember jello.”

Sift turned to Lylan. “Are you coming?”

Lylan shook her head, playing another tile. "Rami’s teaching me the triangle strategy."

Ruwen looked over at Rami who didn't even look up as she responded. "Your mother's about to win. I need to focus."

Clarysa smiled at Ruwen. "Be safe."

"Always," Ruwen replied.

Lylan held Sift’s arm. “Are you sure Echo wants you to go?”

Sift looked confused. “Why wouldn’t she want me to come? If it’s because I’m part zombie that’s her fault.”

 Lylan glanced at Ruwen, and he gave her a small nod.

“Okay,” Lylan continued, looking back at Sift. “Don’t upset the Death Mage, and under no circumstances should you do anything that both you and Ruwen think is a good idea.”

“That’s easy,” Sift replied. “Ruwen’s never had a good idea.”

“Wait,” Lylan said as if suddenly remembering something. She removed the remaining five black jellybeans from the pile and said a quick chant over them before handing them all to Sift. “Every hour smash one of those and eat it.”

Sift wrinkled his nose. “They taste terrible.”

“What’s your fish’s name?” Hamma asked Sift.

“I have a fish?” Sift asked.

“Oh, no,” Hamma whispered. “The zombie-ness is spreading fast. You might need to ask Echo nicely to see if she can stop it. The pills might not be enough.”

Ruwen almost felt sorry for Sift as he pulled him toward the door.

“I miss my fish,” Sift whispered.

Back outside, Ruwen found Echo pacing in front of the pickup. She held out a set of gate runes carved into dark stone.

Ruwen took them but didn’t create a portal. “You never gave me an answer.”

Echo's expression cycled through several emotions—surprise, discomfort, something that might have been longing—before settling on conflicted. "I don't... I'm not good at staying in one place."

"I know," Ruwen replied. "But you're good with people, even if you don't think so. Look at how natural things are with Lylan and Hamma. They treat you like a friend because you are a friend."

"Terrifying friend,” Sift muttered.

Echo tried to kick Sift but the Grandmaster was too fast.

“Is he coming?” Echo asked pointing at Sift.

“Of course I’m coming,” Sift said. “This place is driving me crazy.”

Ruwen raised an eyebrow. "Even after she turned you into a zombie?"

"Part zombie,” Sift clarified. “That's how I know she likes me. She only did it part way. Plus, I have medicine for that now."

Echo sighed, but Ruwen caught the tiny smile.

“Well?” Ruwen asked.

Echo's expressions cycled through annoyance, consideration, and finally resignation. "Two months?"

"Two months,” Ruwen stated. “Starting when we get back."

Echo closed her eyes, clearly wrestling with a slew of emotions. Finally, she nodded. "Fine. Two months.”

Ruwen created a soul portal with the gate runes Echo had provided. The runes confirmed the dungeon Ash resided in remained on this planet.

Echo stepped through without hesitation and Sift only paused for a moment. Then Ruwen followed them, pleased with how things had turned out.