novelraw Chapter 267: The Lamb
Chapter 267: The Lamb
Chapter 267: The Lamb Glancing at the empty scroll, Soren was reminded of his time before the journey. The day he visited Mistress Sienna’s underground eden…
The first scroll he obtained back then showed him scenes from the beginning stages of the War of Swords. The colossal battles that took place across many parts of the Feylith region and the Eclipse Moor completely shook the continent to its core. Archmages and their legions were constantly dropping like flies, but so were the bastions and the very land itself being sundered and scorched into oblivion.
And now, just as they had theorized back then, the Second Scroll had finally revealed itself at the mountain’s summit. Standing before him, The Sleepless Guide held tightly to the old parchment, awaiting Soren’s decision.
Judging by the fact that he needed to bring me into his dream to stop me from killing myself, it’s safe to assume I really did manage to expunge him from my Three Layers…
There were two reasons behind this conclusion. Firstly, Soren realized that for whatever reason, Merlin did not want to force him into killing his own teacher. At any moment during this period, he could have easily turned him into a puppet that could complete the prophecy as it has been stated. And yet he never even used it as a threat.
Obviously, there was the implication that the Whispering Dream required the dreams of his puppets to align with his own interests. If the ‘dreamer,’ as he likes to call them, possessed a dream that went against his goals, commanding them would be outright impossible. It was likely this reason that compelled him to talk so much with Soren—to the point where he even revealed his own ability’s limitations.
He needed to convince Soren to take the action himself…
Of course, there was also the possibility that this was all a distraction. Perhaps he simply needs more time and him pretending to need Soren’s approval for enacting the prophecy was all a ruse. There was no way of fully validating the truth.
However, there was a second reason behind his conclusion. And that was… his weakness. After his botched attempt at suicide, it became clear to him that Merlin was far more powerful than he had thought him to be. Even if he was still a Tier 6 Mystic Grade Phantasm, fighting him without the support of either Tazzith or the Heartdrinker Sigil was no different from a fish trying to hunt the fisherman that caught it.
This was not even mentioning the Shepherd of the Nameless Fold which could instantly prevent him from even thinking about rebelling. No doubt, She was likely monitoring his Soul Weapon right now, preventing Biblion from ever acting independently.
With all of these disadvantages, it became obvious to Soren that the Whispering Dream had no reason to actively monitor his thoughts any longer. He was simply not a threat. And judging from his current actions, Merlin seemed to be trying to steer him toward a conclusion through both coercion and subtle manipulation. Continuing to linger in his mind would only antagonize Soren further away from achieving the desired goals instead…
Although Soren was clueless when it came to the powers the Sleepless Guide possessed, he was still confident in his analysis of this damned deceiver. He was a deceiver himself, after all. Soren likely would have done the same things if he was in Merlin's shoes.
But beyond all of that, he was also acutely aware of everything inside his Three Layers. Even now, while being stuck in this dream, he could still sense his own mindscape. After the Whispering Dream pointed out his presence, it became nearly impossible for him to hide away in the shadows. Soren no longer felt his presence at all inside his mind.
After settling his thoughts, he took one last glance into Merlin’s abyssal eyes and smiled back. “Fine. Let’s do it.” There was no use in resisting anyway. He might as well obtain more information.
He quickly imagined the usual routine for [Eyes of the Fairy]’s activation, causing golden butterflies to manifest from the air around him. The swarm swirled around him a few times before gravitating toward his irises.
His target stood before him by a yard’s length. With his vision slowly turning into pastel colors, Soren finally glimpsed the first scene hidden within the mysterious scroll.
It depicted a strange yet beautiful garden, fitted with endless flora beyond anyone’s imaginations. An entire world bereft of anything ugly. Amidst this strangely glamourous scene was a tall woman, her silver hair, tucked beneath a white bonnet, cascading down to her waist. She was dressed in an elegant white robe that was embroidered in a pattern of petals and leaves.
The woman simply stood there, holding what looked to be a decorated marble vase filled with alcohol.
“Her name is Astrea.”
A loud yet soothing voice reached his ears from above. A sudden sensation washed over him, prompting him to notice his own body. Soren quickly realized something—this was not just a vision! He had actually entered inside the scenes being depicted. He was now akin to a ghost that no one could see…
Soren immediately connected this to the Whispering Dream and his abilities. After all, something like this didn’t occur when he acquired the first scroll Guntharion left behind. He quickly traced the soothing voice’s source, finding another figure levitating above the scene—Merlin, the Sleepless Guide.
Sure enough… He clicked his tongue. But his mind was more focused on the information he provided.
“Astrea… Where have I heard that name before…” It sounded very familiar.
His brain quickly worked to remind him. It didn’t take long for the realization to settle in.
“The planet! Astrea is the planet after Yarian in the Solar System!”
A planet known for its harsh weather and rugged terrain. From his previous observations at Mistress Solyara’s study, Soren was able to take note of its features. Jagged crimson mountains and ravines stretched across its aged surface, streaked with layers of white wrapping around like bandages.
More importantly though, the planet was heavily related to the Mother of Silver and Her symbolisms in Astrology.
“Is it just a coincidence?...” It also could have been a popular name for humans at the time. Or maybe the name Astrea has always been related to that planet?
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It was hard to say. But since the Mother of Silver only ascended to Godhood around the very end stages of the Third Age, Soren doubted that the same symbolisms for that planet existed at the time.
Continuing to observe, he noticed something else that was odd about the servant woman. She was standing in the middle of a vast and vibrant garden with no one to serve the alcohol to. As if awaiting someone’s presence…
Dawn turned to dusk as the vision continued to play in silence. Although his sense of time was non-existent, he was still aware of the time passing in the scene.
His frown deepened. “Merlin, what the hell is going on here?”
“Keep watching.” The words echoed with patience.
Sighing, he decided to do just that. The woman stood still like a statue day after day without any changes occurring. At times, mosquitoes and other insects would crawl from the surrounding flora onto her skin, and yet she wouldn’t even flinch. After a while, even the flowers began to wilt as the season changed with the passage of time.
Soren began to suspect there was something wrong with his understanding. Was this a trap set by the Whispering Dream? Did he hope to keep him here as a joke? Or perhaps the woman wasn’t a real human to begin with—a doll or construct meant to seem human?
The scene continued to unfold. Blossoming flowers were followed by the wilting of petals. Grass growing thicker with each day… And yet the woman remained standing, awaiting the arrival of someone. Her eyes vapid but full of vigor.
Just as he was about to lose his patience, he noticed a subtle change. The ground… the very soil beneath the floral garden was shaking. A sudden breeze of wind swept past, swaying the grass in its way.
For the first time in a long time, the woman shifted. Her once distant and unreadable eyes flashed with both fear and hope.
Then the garden itself responded to the changes. One by one, wilted flowers rose up, as if being pulled on by an external force. The garden had come alive, turning into a sea of flora that rose and fell like waves. Before Soren could ponder over this change, the garden instantly moved on its own, dragged together to form a mound of root-filled soil next to the woman.
What the hell…? He could no longer tell what was even happening.
“Look away.” Merlin’s voice seemed serious this time. This was a warning.
From what?... The thought flashed for a second, then he received his answer.
The garden that had once spread across the field had now merged together, forming a humanoid shape. Then, the vines and grasses weaved together to form strands of verdant hair that streamed down to the now empty soil.
Almost instantly, pain began to flash through his mind. A sudden chill ran down his spine, screaming at him to look away. Soren didn’t dare to take another glimpse at the earthly woman. Just that one glance at Her hair almost shattered his soul.
His heart continued to beat faster and faster as the realization dawned on him.
“Yasini… The Flower Maiden…
“I actually glanced at a deity…”
A god had descended into the world itself!
Soren watched the silver-haired woman keep her eyes closed as she handed the vase of alcohol to the unseeable figure—the respect and fear in her expression was palpable. He didn’t dare to glance away from Astrea's figure, afraid to catch a glimpse of the Flower Maiden accidentally.
Before he could process his thoughts, a sudden sensation of death gripped every muscle and bone in his body. It felt as though a shadow had wrapped around his soul, threatening to crush it.
“Relax your thoughts.” Merlin’s reminder once again echoed in his mind. He didn’t dare to ignore it this time.
After managing his breathing for a few moments, he realized where this new sensation was coming from. Another figure had appeared in the scene, standing on the other side of the pitiful silver-haired girl who could only keep her head down respectfully. Soren was once again gripped with fear the second he even thought of looking at it.
Another god… Holy shit!
Was there a party or something he wasn’t invited to?
He quickly dismissed the thought, afraid that his heresy might be noticed. After what happened during his acquisition of Cassia’s memories of her tribe’s massacre, Soren didn’t dare to underestimate the power of these supreme beings. Even if this was all a dream, they might still possess the means to notice him…
Soren glanced up at Merlin’s distant silhouette. “This other deity… Are they perhaps the Slumbering One?” He couldn’t make out any details, aside from his shadow being somewhat inhuman… Similar to that of a spirit wolf?
“Correct,” the Sleepless Guide answered with a chuckle. “So then, are you now aware of who that silver haired woman is now?”
Soren paused for a second then smiled joylessly. “The Lamb from ‘The Lamb and the Wolf’… Cassia was right—that myth was true all along…”
Except, rather than an actual lamb, she turned out to be a human. One who was subservient to the two gods.
How exactly did this ‘lamb’ become integral to the War of Sword’s end?...
He had to keep watching.
The scene after this suddenly shifted, showing what looked to be a forsaken bastion ravaged by war. Fragments of the walls, towers, and buildings were strawn across the streets alongside a menagerie of corpses. Some human, others elves—there were even drakari and spirit wolves. Standing atop these corpses was a lone woman. The very same one in the scene before.
Her signature silver hair was now dyed crimson at its ends, waving in the wind like a flag of death. She held tightly to a colossal silver spear radiating in white light, planted firmly into the mound of corpses below her.
Suddenly, a single ray of light beamed its way through the thick cloud cover, highlighting her presence like a theatre spotlight. The woman’s eyes were now strewn by a white bandage, preventing her from noticing its presence.
After a few more moments, another beam of light shined across her figure from the opposite direction. The woman stood still, unbothered by the strange occurrence. For a while, he couldn’t understand why she remained in that position. That was until he discovered what those sunrays were for…
The beams of light were acting as a guide, allowing for something to descend from the heavens above. Slowly but surely, two silhouettes plunged from the clouds in Astrea’s direction.
He glanced at each of them carefully—the one on the left was a mysterious pendant radiating in life and the beauty of nature. The one on the right was a strange eyeball that possessed a ghostly aura to its form, making it seem alive.
The blindfolded woman glanced at the two treasures—her expression unchanging. Then, surprising even Soren, she turned around and descended from the mound of corpses, heading out of the ruined castle.
She didn’t take either reward?...
The scene once again shifted, showing another ruined bastion with the woman standing alone amidst flames and ash. Her figure was as ethereal as the last time—coated in the demise of her enemies. And yet, the disinterest in her expression had grown even more concerning.
The beams of light once again descended, presenting her with the reward for her actions. Astrea looked at both relics and sighed—turning her face away from the heavenly miracle.
I see… I get it now… The scene once again changed, depicting another crimson battlefield. The two gods both want her on their side, but she refuses…
Then, another realization suddenly hit him like a truck. Noticing the corpses spread across the battlefield, Soren’s heart froze for a moment.
If she’s not fighting for one side…
Are they… Are they forcing her to fight for both?...
It finally dawned on him. Astrea was always the last one standing for a reason…