35 Chapter 35 - Sogu, the Historian (2/2)

”Rebecca, this is an 'old friend' of mine I called on to help examine you after you and the rest returned, but for his help, he requested to ask you three questions. He will 'compel' you to answer his question, so as to get the full truth, even if you do not know it,” Alice said.

”Did he actually help me?” I asked.

”No, I cannot meddle in mortal affairs, only consult,” he said with a cheery grin on his face.

Even though I wasn't looking directly at her, I still noticed Alice's eye twitch at his words, but she said nothing, so I could only nod to the old man.

”Excellent, brace yourself. For my first question: did you truly die?” he asked.

I didn't understand his warning, but that was only for the fraction of a second before he asked his question. My eyes were still locked on him, but everything else around me seemed to fracture and crack, revealing a shining, golden light. Dazed, I dimly answered in an unnatural voice, ”Yes, my heart was destroyed, and brain activity completely stopped.”

”Then how are you alive now?”

Once again, the answer was pulled from me and I quoted, ”Death does not stop Chaos.”

The man's eyes seemed to sparkle and then he asked his final question, ”Those words are not your own, who's, then, are they?”

This time, before I could speak, a thunderous dragon's roar erupted from deep within my body, shaking the room. The man snorted and banged his cane in the next instant, canceling out the rumble on his side of the room. He waved his hand and the golden light vanished, returning the surroundings to normal.

”No need for the final answer, I know that arrogant roar,” he said with his lip curled up in disgust. ”He gave me the same answer then as well. I've infringed on your hospitality long enough, but before I leave, let me give you this, Alice. Waters are beginning to rise, see that you aren't lost in the flood,” he said as he pulled a folded letter from his robe and placed it on the table. He gave me one last look of distaste before he tapped his staff twice and simply vanished into thin air.

”Alice...” I started, but she stopped me with a hand.

The tips of her lit up in blue, green, red, yellow, and white and then she began tracing a number of runes, creating a small formation that was only the size of her palm. The runes shimmered in their own color, representing the five elements, as she finished the formation with two bands of multicolored light around the runes and the whole thing burst into twinkling lights. The sparkles zoomed over to where he was sitting and swirled around as the golden crack I had seen before reappeared. The specks of light slowly seeped into the cracks and healed them.

”That little hermit still tried his little tricks even after I dispelled them last time,” Alice grumbled when the lights faded away.

”Just who was that?” I asked.

”Sogu, the Historian, as he prefers now, but the names he has gone by in the past are more memorable: Prometheus, Thoth, Fuxi, and many more,” she replied, picking up the folded paper on the table.

”Prometheus? Like the Greek god who brought fire to man?”

”He was also credited for creating man from clay, but it truth, he just created the first golems,” Alice said as she opened the letter. She scanned through the contents quickly and pinched her brow between her eyes with an exasperated look on her face.

”Everything okay?” I asked when she put down the paper.

”As much as they can be. It's a letter from another 'Old' friend, but if she is contacting me, others must be inquiring about the state of the 'Great Ward'.” She leaned over and kissed my cheek then said, ”Go hang out with the others, I've got some work to do.”

”Alright,” I replied as I stood up.

I walked out of the room while she moved over to her desk. After I shut the door behind me, I closed my eyes as I stretched out my senses for the first time since I had woken up. As I had guessed, despite being unable to utilize my new form, there was still a major improvement to my ability to sense life, even with the wards and formations built into the house. I swept the house and was even able to reach outside where I found who I was looking for, Yue. If anyone had any idea about what was going on with Alice and her 'friends', it would be her, the closest thing Alice had to a daughter.