Chapter 17: Oh My Deity
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POV: Astaros
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I ran faster and faster to the point where I couldn't focus on anything. It was all a blur as I blasted towards the city kicking up a dust cloud. Fillia's arm was broken but something else was wrong as well. The blood had drained from her face and she had broken out in a cold sweat. It was obvious she was in pain as well.
I began to boost myself with jets of flame from my calves and back. I also used my wind element to streamline myself and reduce resistance. I was now rocketing through the forest at maximum speed. The dirt, scorching and turning black from my burning sprint.
As I made it to the clearing where the city was, I cloaked, slowing down and leaping over the wall and then continuing my cloaked dash to the hollow. Finally I arrived and slowed down as I reached the doorstep
…
I de-cloaked as I reached the door of the Hollow and opened it. Dryis looked up at me and looked down uninterested. Then her head snapped up when she noticed the unconscious Fillia.
"FILLIA!!!!" {Dryis}
As Dryis came running up to me I passed her off to the worrying innkeeper and walked away. Dryis said something about what happened and not being able to get away with this as I dragged myself upstairs while too tired to care.
I opened my door and my mana seemed to drop as Val Systin was forced out of my shadow. I was barely functional after that mad dash back home.
I knew I was going to get chewed out by Dryis later but I was too tired to care. I just blasted through the entire elden forest and I was just too tired for the rantings of our resident innkeeper.
I then dropped into bed and then dropped out of reality.
…
I awoke laying down in the tall grass of my soul scape and I got up and looked around.
'Oh there's the hill.' {Astaros}
I got up and walked towards my soul conduit tree but I stopped. Val Systin was underneath the tree but he was growling and his hackles were raised. I whipped around and turned to face three women who seemed to have entered my soulscape yet I felt no link to them. The grass waved as I sought out answers from their attire and faces.
One had long white hair that fell to her shoulders and was wearing what looked like a white chinese dress with a lotus embroidery.
Another was wearing dark grey plate armor with gold embellishments and a scalemail undersuit. She had golden locks that were neck length and piercing wrathful red eyes.
The final was a woman in a white one piece dress with a plunging neckline. She had fuschia hair and purple eyes with white irises.
'What the hell is going on here' {Astaros}
I spread my stance out slightly splashing in the shallow water.
"Who are you all?" {Astaros}
'Val come down here.' {Astaros}
Val began approaching, still snarling and baring his teeth. The armored woman looked at me and spoke.
"Tell your mutt to heel" {Unknown}
"To hell with that. Who are you and how did you get in here."
The one with pink hair giggled. She then spun and curtseyed while speaking sarcastically.
"Ira goddess of love at your service"
Then the robotic voice of the damage core blared out in my head.
'Warning mental domination in progress ERADICATE THE OPPONENT QUICKLY' {Damage Core}
I instantly began charging up a fireball as the second armored woman began to speak
"I am Theadr-" {Theadr-Unknown}
*FWWWWOOOOOOOOOSHHHHH*
A wall of bright yellow flame surged up and crashed down on my opponents. I felt pain throughout my body and I looked back at the tree which represented my soul. Several dry leaves had fallen off the tree. I had consumed soul power when attacking with mana within the soulscape. In essence due to their being no mana here I was substituting my soul energy for mana.
The wave spread out as the three women jumped back.
"WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING US WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION" {Theadr-Unknown}
'Charm nullified due to connection interruption. Divine charm resistance gained.' {Damage Core}
"Tell that to me when you're not trying to manipulate my mind." {Astaros}
They looked at one another before their eyes settled on the whistling Ira.
"Te He" {Ira}
""THIS ISN'T A TE HE MOMENT IRA"" {Both Intruders}
The armored woman drew a claymore from her back and slammed the flat of the blade onto Ira's head. Ira bent down and covered her head looking up at her aggressor with puppy dog eyes.
"Why would you do that Theadris?" {Ira}
"Enough both of you" {Unknown}
The one in the white china dress turned to me.
"I apologize for my comrades' insolence. We are simply here to investigate why there is a soul older than our own in our world." {Unknown}
I looked at the person in front of me and realized the problems this may cause if they figure out an unknown figure sent me to their world without their permission. So I cut them out.
"For your transgressions I banish thee." {Astaros}
I had always wanted to say that but only had the opportunity once or twice back in rome. Then they disappeared with the one who hadn't introduced themselves trying to say something as I closed off my soulscape to them. The grass wavered as the wind calmed and began to carry relief to billow in the branches within my soul. Val rubbed up against my leg as I rubbed and patted his head. Then I looked up at the sky and closed my eyes.
…
I awoke to light filtering in through the wooden window frame the dust in the room illuminated by the yellow sunlight. There a clean white sheet was covering me as I stared at the wooden struts that made up my ceiling. I tried to raise my body however there was someone holding my hand.
"mmh" {Fillia}
I looked over to see Fillia on a rickety stool holding my hand and laying her torso over my waist. She lifted her body off my legs returning circulation to them and preventing a bad case of necrosis.
She rubbed her eyes and stretched before looking at.
"Hey Fillia, how long have you been sitting there?"
She looked at me and her eyes slowly widened as she began to turn red.
"I-I was sitting here since last night when you didn't come out of your room." {Fillia}
Suddenly something clicked. Fillia was far too sick yesterday to have woken up and came to wait at my bedside for my awakening. So what had happened?
"Fillia, how long have I been out?" {Astaros}
"Two days Astaros you've been asleep for two days." {Fillia}
I was shocked. Why had I become so powerless for so long? I hadn't received any real damage from the troll or orcs and I hadn't faced anything on the way back. The battle in my soulscape? But I was tired before that.
"You used up so much mana in your run back with me you knocked yourself out." {Fillia}
I didn't realize that was possible.
"I see" {Astaros}
I had looked at the pushed myself to bring her back to the Hollow.
"Are you okay?" {Astaros}
"I had been far too eager with mana output and damaged my tails" {Fillia
"Though I lost one it should grow back so they're fine now" {Fillia}
Three fluffy tails popped out of her rear as she reduced her mana connection to the necklace.
"I'm sorry about the orcs. I should've realized you were in trouble and came to back you up sooner." {Astaros}
Fillia looked down.
"I was the one who said I could do it so it's fine." {Fillia}
"Well then let's leave it at that. We both should have been more careful about our limits back then. We still have time to figure it out though. If you want to keep adventuring with an unobservant guy like me." {Astaros}
Fillia looked up at me and smiled.
"I would love to!" {Fillia}
I laughed at her cheerful reaction and stood up as she moved back blushing at the embarrassing things she was saying. Though I was laughing, my mind was busy spinning as I thought again about what I needed to do better in the future. I need to go and do more research. I need to learn more about the goddesses I faced, I needed to know more
Then Val Systin yawned and got up off the carpet before licking Fillia's arm.
"I'm fine I'm fine Val so stop licking me."
She giggled as she stroked Val's head and played with his ears. She really was cute when she abandoned the tsun and went for more dere.
'Initiating Soul linkage with target: Fillia' {Damage Core}
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Blue_Robin
Blue_Robin Some Fillia content. And don't worry she isn't going to become some useless child in danger for the rest of the book.
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