Eldritch

 

It takes me a little while, but eventually, I adjust my supernatural senses to guide me to the greatest concentration of spiritual power.
I guess I recently became more comfortable with myself and thus have an easier time doing all this stuff that goes beyond the human comprehension capability by instinct.

This way, I eventually reach what I assume to be the border of Soraja's sanctuary.
Last time a will-ó-wisp guided us in.
Thinking back, it probably also made for an easier passage.
This time, however, I don't have this kind of convenience.
Rather it's somewhat similar to the barrier at the exorcist shrine, and I feel somewhat repelled.
That might be an overstatement.
It's more like a gentle nudge to go the other way.
Like walking against the wind.
Also, this barrier isn't as devious as this loop the other one put me into.
It's far more straightforward in telling me that I'm not welcome as a guest.
Which sounds pretty much like Soraja.

I walk till I'm rather sure that any closer would mean breaking through.
The plan was to wait until Chiaki pestered Soraja into letting me partake in the discussion.
Otherwise, I could've just teleported into her little shrine.

I sit down, reaching out with my senses.
Funny enough, I sense all kinds of things.
Mostly small animals, some bigger ones too, but not as many.

However, occasionally, I can also sense things that don't give off the impression of being animals.
Well, at least not normal animals.
Those creatures have some kind of abnormal aura around them, so I guess they might be magical beasts, or spirits, or fae folk.
Who knows, but I think I should constrain myself not to look because countless opening eyes might cause some uproar in this decently serene place.

For this reason, what I perceive has less of an immediate feeling to me.
Seriously, at the moment I feel like I'm someone waiting for the doctor to call me in.
It even has this waiting atmosphere, sitting on this stump I found for myself.
Suddenly, there's a shift in the air, a figure of light forming, and a brash voice calling out to me.

 

"Get in here!" (So)

"Uh, hi, Soraja." (I)

"Do I have to repeat myself?" (So)

 

I slowly start to suspect that my idea to govern a mortal realm for an, in any sense of the word, indefinite amount of time alongside this person and their rather obvious stance towards me might've been a bit rash.
However, I can assume that she's now willing to let me partake in her talk with Chiaki.
So I shouldn't stall this any longer and answer as confidently as possible:

 

"N-no. Sorry. Uh, I'm coming." (I)

 

What can I say?
I'm simply still not good with people with dominant personalities.
Unlimited power doesn't really change how well I can hold myself in a conversation.

Soraja doesn't even bother to answer and steps in the other direction through some kind of portal I'm presumably supposed to follow her through.
This one is vastly different from the one Chiaki opened in our living room.
It's less of a golden rift in the space and more like a translucent bronze swirl in the air.
Yet the moment I enter, countless popping up eyes and spreading unnatural senses tell me that I'm no longer in the place I was.
However, apparently, the place I am now isn't a totally different place.
It's a bit like a localized side dimension underlying the forest I just was.

Once I gather my senses, which in my case means to stop focusing on all those that are scattered among the dimensions, I find myself in something like a small outdoor pavilion.
Chiaki is right in front of me, waving with a huge grin plastered on her face.
Sigh, I can already feel this is going to be exhausting.
But before I can deal with this cluster of unstable energy, I realize there's a massive issue I should address first.

 

"Ehm, is it fine that I am here? Last time you mentioned that my presence is killing you." (I)

 

This sounds like a fairly pressing matter to settle at the start.

 

"This place is more of a vestibule to my realm. Before letting you in here I made particularly sure that everything's properly separated. Yet as with you there's nothing such as 'secure' and you might eventually overcome it, it's advised not to dawdle any longer and get to the point." (So)

"Well, we already talked about it, right? And the fact that you let Iori in means you're at least open to it." (C)

 

There's something like a massive stone, shaped in the form of a park bench that I decide to make use of while those two are talking.

 

"I let her in because I fear what she might do to the forest without supervision. Even now the magical beasts are all agitated." (So)

"Okay, but still! What about becoming Iori's assigned goddess? There are people who would be glad to have you and it would keep you alive!" (C)

"The very fact that you're talking about this so nonchalantly tells me that you know next to nothing about the implications. Iori is pure corruption while I'm an aspect of prosperity, life, and purity! Just being next to her threatens to overwhelm my very being! Nothing is more susceptible to falling victim to this kind of nefarious growth than pure and orderly life! Already crossing the border to her realm would likely twist me beyond recognition. I wouldn't just lose myself. I would lose my very essence. It would be a moot point to try as I wouldn't be the kind of deity I am upon arrival.  I would be a literal shadow of myself. Unable to bring any positive influence to the people as I could now. If such an existence is all that awaits in my future, I should end myself right now." (So)

"But couldn't we try to figure something out? I just met you. It would be sad if you'd be gone just like this." (C)

 

Chiaki sounds genuinely distraught at this prospect.
Despite my strained relationship with this goddess I don't want to see her sad.
It would be awfully petty of me not to give it my best attempt to help.

 

"I was repeatedly told, by you among others, that I have no real limits, and my very existence defies common sense. So shouldn't it be possible to figure something out? There has to be a way how I can establish you in that world and you still remain as you are." (I)

"As if that's so easy. We simply aren't compatible." (So)

"You're saying it's not easy, but not impossible. I refuse to believe that there's no way. Why don't we start at the basics and figure this out?" (I)

"Sounds great! If you have a big problem, split it up into manageable tasks!" (C)

"You're talking about never attempted madness like something mundane! I'm torn between nostalgia and revulsion at your proposals! Where would those 'basics' even begin?" (So)

 

Okay, the basics.
What do I know about what we're intending to do here?
And what do we even want to achieve?

Thinking about it, we want to provide Soraja with new believers.
That's the desired result.
For this, we need to bring her over into my world and somehow avoid my polar opposite influence from harming her.

 

"What about the souls you'd gather your faith from? They aren't harmful, right? Aureas seems to do rather fine with them." (I)

"Aureas?" (C)

 

Oh, right.
Chiaki never met him.

There's only one sensible course of action.

 

"That's not important. Forget about it." (I)

"Oh no, you won't get out of this that easily! I want you to tell me everything!" (C)

"Sigh, fine. Do you remember how Zika told us that I created a god? Well, that one's really going about in my world now. I had a rather problematic encounter with him. However, what I was getting at, is that according to Soraja, he's a genuine deity. Nothing abnormal about him, right?" (I)

"That god is an amalgamation! A terrible patchwork of thousands of strong thoughts coming together. Their concept at best being sloppy!" (So)

 

Hey, that guy is supposed to be your roommate.

 

"But he didn't seem corrupted. He even fought me out of his own volition." (I)

"Your influence was all over inside him. He's deeply linked to your realm." (So)

"But nevertheless, if Iori really puts in an effort not to change anything about you, shouldn't it be possible in some way to make that work? Even if it isn't perfect, you should still be able to exist, just as grumpy about Iori as you are now. There has at least to be a chance if that other one can manage!" (C)

"Sigh. Yes, maybe, and that's a big 'maybe'. Maybe if I could establish myself with a sufficient degree of inner purity and continuous influx of faith, then maybe I could exist without becoming twisted by her corruption." (So)

"Great! Then what are we waiting for?! Let's get over there!" (C)

 

Both I and the goddess stare in disbelief at this utter crazy who just jumps into the boldest dares without even thinking them through.

 

"Chiaki, we aren't through yet." (I)

"What? Why not?" (C)

"Because if I would spend a single second there without the right precautions, I would perish. That aside, we're talking about a dimension inside your friend. There isn't exactly an easy way to go there. Even traveling to other planes of existence is a feat of greatest complexity. Greater even if you're trying to cross without preexistent paths. However, in her case it isn't just difficult to reach, remote, and isolated, requiring to move through the endless void between, no, in her case it's completely encapsulated by her. The only available way in there leads through her digestive tract. And as mentioned before, I wouldn't make it through this." (So)

"Well, I went there before and am still fine. I could even use my powers and those are kinda holy, right? So there shouldn't be an issue. It's even somewhat nice there in its own way. Your spa was great Iori!" (C)

 

I try not to sigh too much.

 

"I don't even want to think about what this did to you, but there's a difference between me and a human soul. Souls are more compact. They can cross the realms and still remain in one piece without great issues. I, on the other hand, consist of many small parts. Taking those apart would effectively end me. The process of crossing over would be my end." (So)

 

Despite my earlier willingness, this whole thing sounds more and more impossible.

 

"Wait a moment! Can't I summon you?" (C)

"Huh!?" (I/So)

"Well, we're connected by those magics in some way, aren't we? I can make portals directly leading to you. So if I summon you and you travel through the path I create then you could use this as a shortcut without having to go through Iori. And while I'm at it, I could serve as your beacon to make sure that you remain as you are over there!" (C)

"That, that might actually work." (So)

 

Could it be that Chiaki is in truth a goddamn genius?!
Well, in this case, more of a "goddamning" genius.
However, this is slightly suspect in my opinion.

 

"Chiaki, how exactly did you just get this idea? I'm not trying to denigrate you, but I'm rather sure that interdimensional portals and beacons of stability for gods weren't part of your crash course." (I)

"Yeah. I think it's intuition." (C)

 

Sure.
A totally reasonable explanation.
Also, dear goddess, don't think for a microsecond that I didn’t see that look you had.
I have more than enough eyes on you!
Though, I doubt I could force anything out of her without getting excessive.
In addition, I already have an idea on this matter.

 

"But now everything should be settled. This means we can go, right?" (C)

"At no point did I ever agree to any of this! This is so you to just jump to expectations!" (So)

 

Okay, with this she got just far more amicable in my book.
Let's call it shared experiences with Chiaki.
If someone endured her for a lifetime without completely losing it that person deserves my respect.

 

"But we already came so far! Pleeeeeaaaaase!" (C)

"No! By no means, no!" (So)

 

At this Chiaki stands up and walks close to her patron goddess.

 

"I don't want you to perish, Soraja. I don't want you to be gone because of your stubbornness. I don't want your useless pride to be your end! So just this once, listen! We have here the possibly only viable solution that is going to work and sorry, but saying no is not an option! Do you understand me here?" (C)

 

Uh, should it concern me that Chiaki's eyes are glowing with golden light like fucking flashlights?
Okay, might be nifty for reading in the dark, yet something tells me that isn't normal.
And this something tends to always be right.

 

"Anameri..." (So)

 

It's not even a whisper, barely a sound.
More like the presence of an idea.
One that really starts to worry me.

 

"Do you understand me?!" (C)

 

With this, the goddess jerks out of her stupor.

 

"Y-yes. I do." (So)

"Great! Then let's cross over now. Iori, it's your turn!" (C)

 

Alright, it's just transporting Chiaki.
Nothing I didn't do many times before.
However, I should ascertain something.

 

"You know what's coming now, right Soraja? Can I assume that you won't blast me for this?" (I)

"You're doing it on her request, so not now and not for this." (So)

 

That's probably all I can get.

With a thought of mine, the usual cocoon rises around Chiaki.
I found this to be the best way to do the disintegration.
It simply is easier to get behind the thought.
In mere seconds she's in my dimension.
I can feel it.
Time to follow up.
A visit in my world is long overdue.