Chapter 310 - Shibboleth (1/2)

When Asala finished activating the beacon for the Midpath once more, she looked up to Li with a curious tilt of her head.

”Prithee tell me, Seer, if this be not too personal, why doth thee keep thy past secret? So much of thy knowledge hidden? To mine eyes, tis' evident that thy knowledge shouldst enlighten this world greatly,” said Asala.

”I know surprisingly less than you think,” said Li. ”Just enough to know where this world is headed without proper guidance. Which is why I'm here in the first place.”

”But wouldst it not behoove thee to share thy knowledge with me?” Asala eagerly manifested a sand tablet and held a stylus over it. ”Thy divinity, for example, and what it wishes for. Thy past in the East, for surely one of thy caliber has had a most interesting past rivaling even that of the Seeker.”

”I understand how much you want to know, and I can respect that. I truly do. I was once a scholar myself, or something like that,” said Li as he reminisced about studying through college and graduate school. ”But for now, I would like to keep my past hidden.”

”I understand,” said Asala with a respectful nod, the sand tablet disappearing in her hands. She began to slither back to the Vukanovi, but Li stopped her with his words.

”But in time, you will know about me,” said Li. Asala turned back to him with wonder. ”Everyone will.”

He thought about when he wanted to reveal his true nature as a being beyond a god. At first, he did not want to reveal it to Old Thane, but as he began to think about it, he came to increasingly realize that the old man's love for him was not contingent on whether he was a divinity or not.

It was Tia's care for Li that made him realize that. There was something about familial bonds that overcame boundaries of being, no matter how deep or wide they were.

But he could not guarantee that same level of acceptance to the other mortals that his garden would eventually come to encompass. Approaching as a god that had reign over death, very much looking the part as well, would not be conducive to mortals accepting him.

He would first expand his influence, the name of his guild, the faith he had flowered, and when the mortals could understand him as a force of Order, someone that could bring some good to the chaos that plagued them, then he would assume his full nature as a god meant to shepherd them.

”Ah, then it doth seem that I must wait in line with the rest for thy knowledge,” said Asala with a crestfallen look, her face looking down with her lengthy black hair hanging low.

”You are joking, right?” said Li.

”Of course.” Asala flipped her hair back with a smile. ”Tis' a show of theatre. Mine sisters are quite capable in it, though it has been long since I hath practiced any act.”

”I see. Makes sense that plays and historical recordings would go hand in hand together,” said Li.

”And there will be no grander story than that which will be told from thine adventures, I am sure of it,” said Asala as she waved her hand, creating a platform of sand to form under her and float her up to the top of the Vukanovi. ”If thou would wish to keep thy knowledge for a grand reveal, then I am all for it.”

The vukanovi opened up, and she lowered herself down.

”Story, huh,” said Li, reflecting on the nature of his longevity.

Asala recorded history, immortalized it in records and in stories, and yet, he understood that the concept of that would mean something so different to him. He was immortal. He would live through everything, remember everything – history would simply become a part of him.

The idea of that would have seemed so very overwhelming just a few months back, but now, it seemed natural. Not that he had lived many years, that was yet to come, but the prospect of facing it did not elicit any nervousness from him anymore.

A good thing, thought Li. He was getting ready to bring Order to this world. Long term.

===

In the morning, the vukanovi reached the Shibboleth.

”Everybody, wake up,” said Li, projecting his voice to ensure nobody stayed awake.

Old Thane, Vilga, and Sheela woke up in an instant, their eyes flitting open and their bodies tensing up in lighting quick succession.

Mason and Mercer g.r.o.a.n.e.d collectively as they rubbed their eyes, driving away their grogginess.

Tia was the last to wake up, blinking slowly with heavy eyelids as she yawned, but even she soon had her eyes open wide in wonder as she looked at the screen in the Vukanovi projecting the outside world.

The Shibboleth, as its name would suggest, was indeed a massive divide.