A Jaded Life Chapter 455

“I see, you made progress.” the Grandmother greeted me, a kind smile on her face, looking very much like the kindly Grandmother she was named after. Not the elder power that I thought her to be.

Smiling back, or at least trying to, I nodded. The shell of Astral Power I had constructed to communicate was more sophisticated than the stick-figure I had used the last time. Compared to last time, I had added more details, even incorporated Blood-Astral-Power into the shell, in a way that simulated blood vessels in a body, with a more concrete shell of Ice around it. My hair was still pure Darkness, as were some of my facial features. Just keeping everything roughly in the shape I wanted it to be was difficult, an exercise in concentration that I knew I would soon fail but without effort, I wouldn’t be able to move forward.

It also demonstrated just how far the Grandmother was above me, to be able to create and control a shell that looked exactly as her real form, it was incredible attention to detail, coupled with nigh-perfect control over her magic.

“Thank you.” I replied, carefully controlling my form, to perform a curtsey, causing her to chuckle in amusement. “However, I doubt that I would be able to control this shell sufficiently, while paying the necessary attention to you, so please, excuse me.” I added, before vastly reducing the amount of pseudo blood vessels and simplifying some of the anatomical details I had added. It reduced the stress on my mind by an order of magnitude, to the point that I thought I’d be able to keep it going, without completely reducing myself to a simple stick-figure.

“Now, I doubt you projected your mind here, just because of my tea and cookies. Why don’t you have a seat and tell me about it?” she asked, waving her hand in the process. That simple handwave, without any magic I was able to detect, just drove home the difference between us. The simple Ice-platform I had created as a mental anchor for myself within the Astral was changed, creating what looked like a simple, if comfortable living-room in the process. There were even windows, through which I could vaguely see a couple of trees. I had a long, long way to go, if I wanted to reach her level of mastery.

“Oh, I don’t know, the tea you allowed me to taste the last time, it was exquisite.” I responded with a smile as I sat down.

“Alas, it is not the reason for my visit, that is true.” I continued, trying to present a wry smile, as much as it was possible with my limited shell. “No, I’m here because you are the most knowledgeable being I know of, outside the Gods. And I somehow doubt that any of them would sit down with me, let alone serve tea and cookies.”

“That would be a miracle of a very different kind, than their usual work.” the Grandmother admitted, chuckling as she nodded, before gesturing for me to continue.

“A few days ago, my companions and I approached a mountain-valley, shrouded in constant mist and entered it. We’d been told that there is a place of power within, it was even the reward for a Quest that had been confirmed with the system, so we thought that caution would and vigilance would be sufficient to keep us reasonably safe.” I could see the Grandmother’s amusement on her face, even as I continued on.

“I’m not sure if we are safe due to our power, our vigilance, sheer, dumb luck or because there was never any danger in the first place. I have the unpleasant feeling it is due to a combination of the last two, but I cannot be certain.” I admitted, part of me still scared of just the memory, the powerful image of the bound titan and its winged tormentor, seared into my mind.

“Can you tell me the story of the Titan, Prometheus, and the reasons for their captivity and punishment?” I finally asked the question that brought me here. There was a long moment of silence, stretching out as the Grandmother looked, for the first time since I’d known her, a little lost, her normally unshakable composure cracking, if only a little.

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“The story, you say. I could tell you a dozen versions of that story, some of them closer, some of them further from the truth than whatever you may have heard so far. I could even tell you the truth, to the best of my knowledge, but there are times, where ignorance is indeed a bliss and knowledge can be harmful, to the one in the know.” the Grandmother explained, and for maybe the first time, her age was showing, not in the dignified way of an elder being, with powers and knowledge far beyond mortals, such as myself, but in a tired, exhausted way of someone who had been living far too long and seen far too much. Instead of trying to answer her, I simply waited, letting her continue with her thoughts, while I enjoyed the tea she had created.

“But we can discuss some of it, some of the things that will not see me harmed for telling you, or you harmed for hearing about it.” she decided after a few moments, slipping back into her lecture mode.

“You are already aware of the way the Gods normally dispose of those too powerful to just kill, by sealing them in Soul Prisons, letting time slowly grind away their soul and will, until those sealed are merely broken husks of themselves, fading away for eons, if they ever re-emerge again.” she explained, her eyes flickering to my middle, where I’d normally carry my magical bag. With just such a Soul Prison within it.

“Why don’t you try telling me why they didn’t do so in this case.” She challenged me, turning the story into a lesson.

“One option I could see is that, for some reason, they weren’t able to do so in that case. Maybe something about the Titan that prevented them from putting their soul into a prison. I know far too little to even estimate the truth of that idea, but I think it would be a possibility.” I began, missing Lenore’s presence, who would normally be my go-to partner to bounce ideas off.

“But if that was the case, why would they put them into a relatively easy to reach place? While my companions and I have a modicum of power, more than many, we are far from being truly powerful, just as the difference between us demonstrates.” I continued, gesturing at the difference between our shells for a moment.

“Why not put him in some out-of-the-way dungeon, far below ground, hidden and guarded by powerful monsters that tear apart whatever tries to come near?” Thinking about it, I realised that there should be a bit of truth to my earlier idea, about our survival being mostly due to never having been in danger in the first place. We had survived, because we had never been in danger, because the eagle was not supposed to kill those that witnessed the titan.

“An object lesson?” I wondered, the idea felt strangely correct.

“Question, or statement?” The Grandmother asked, amused, continuing to speak, without letting me answer.

“But you are right. Nobody is useless, they can always serve as an example to others, you know? In this case, the Titan serves to show that nobody should rebel against the gods, or they will suffer for all eternity. And what good would an object lesson be, if nobody could ever learn from it?” she explained, making me nod in agreement. It also meant that there really hadn’t been any danger, not unless we actively attacked. Somehow, that annoyed me, the treatment as a child, to be educated by her betters.

“Even this could be called an extension of that lesson. You, who is still weak and of little consequence, reminds me why I’m living my life in Neyto, not trying to change the world to something that might suit me a little better. With each re-telling of the story, the Gods cement their superiority, driving it home just a little deeper.” the Grandmother continued, driving home a point of her own.

“I will not speak of it again, not unless or until I have the power to do something about it.” I ground out, annoyed as I realised the truth of her statement. Not every preacher needed to worship in the Gods, fearing them and spreading that fear might just be as useful to them, as worship was. There was a hard-to-read smile on the Grandmother’s face, one that made me wonder if she approved or not.

“Would you tell me a little more about the Gods and their dealings? We recently met a Cleric of Eleutheria and somehow, she managed to create more questions than she could actually answer.” I asked, changing the topic a little, hoping to get a little more lesson-time from the Grandmother.