Twicen
Twicens are the prophet's of Lianite. They translate god's language into human language. Twicens are only selected from humans whenever a god feels the need to select one. The name "Twicen" comes from the belief of one's old sinful self dying and being reborn as a new person.
Part 10
Two seconds. Two seconds were all she had until she could take actual damage. She started sprinting at full power towards the crumbled wall. She teleported past the bandits blocking it off before summoning a blaster in each hand again. She turned back towards the house that was on fire, jumped and activated them. The blasters gave the little boost she needed to disappear into the woods. They were of course on her tail even inside the thick forest. As a last resort she teleported five times consecutively draining her essence completely. She didn't stop there as she began running again. Please, if you're there god, show me some mercy. The sounds were getting louder, some trees were being cut down behind her.
Up.
Dog tamer frantically looked around her.
"Come out little bastard! I can sense your essence!"
The leader was right below her. Even a little movement would alert her of Cyeen's position. They had been able to track her by the essence she was emitting but now with an empty reserve they had nothing to go off of.
"Damn it! Split up morons, she shouldn't get away."
Cyeen started doing the one thing she actively avoided doing before, praying. Praying that the gods would spare her soul. After an excruciating four hours on top of a tree, the bandits finally gave up. The seven gathered at a set spot before leaving the forest. Cyeen looked under and around her with two hands still clasped. There were no signs of any danger anywhere. She jumped off the tree and immediately felt her legs wobble. Her hand went into her newly made pocket, grabbing the note really tightly. "Súko..." Now that she had lost someone she started realising how important she had become in her life. If it wasn't for Súko, she would have probably died of starvation in the middle of the forest. What did that woman get herself into? Cyeen finally started feeling the pain all over her body. She would have definitely broken all of her ribs if not for her shield.
The note she pulled out from her pocket was folded in half. Though the paper was a bit small it was filled to the brim with words. Well it probably had contained something really important. She could have maybe read the contents if only it wasn't covered in her blood.
"God dammit!"
Cyeen clenched her fist. She couldn't do anything against mere bandits once again. More... I need more power. She took one last look at the note before shoving it back in her pocket. She wasn't shedding tears for a random stranger. So then what were those that were flowing down her cheeks? Was it because of the pain or the feeling of powerlessness? Neither. Cyeen knew there was no way of getting out of here unless she started walking. She did not want to, not until her tears had dried.
She walked, walked and walked for hours until it started raining. She didn't have anything that could protect from the rain. This situation was already making her miss her old 'tent'.
On your left. The cave.
Cyeen noticed the cave entrance. It was a particularly big entrance for a cave on the lowest point of a mountain. When did I arrive at this mountain? She was too tired to defy the voice. It was becoming useful by the day. She had already thanked the voice countless times for saving her life on top of that tree.
Cyeen was mumbling four words constantly.
"I need more power. I need more power. I need... "
Hungry yet again. Hurt once more. When would she get a rest? Cyeen was curled up in a ball somewhere inside the cave. She didn't bother going further than ten meters away from the entrance. A dripping sound could be heard from further inside the cave. She ignored it for a good while before sticking her head out of her safe ball.
Don't even think about it.
Cyeen got up. The voice was angry, why was it angry? What if she didn't want to listen to it anymore? All she did these days was getting ordered around. This was exactly the reason she had fleed her house, wasn't it? She started walking further into the cave.
Turn back, now.
Cyeen couldn't be bothered to care anymore. She took a few more steps.
"I need more power... "
You don't understand.
Cyeen didn't, so what? She took another step.
"I need more..."
CYEEN I SWEAR IF YOU GO ANY FURTHER.
A ray of sunlight was shining into the cave from a hole in the roof, highlighting the statue in the middle. The statue was as tall as a forearm, it had a white color with cyan outlininig the figure's curves. It was on top of a pedestal that reached Cyeen's hips. There were countless types of flowers and vegetation inside this dead end of the cave, almost like they formed around this statue. Most of the flowers were poisonous. She took a closer look at the statue. It was that of a person holding a weighted scale in it's left hand and a dagger on the right one.
"Welcome child, I've been waiting for you."
Cyeen was lost for words in front of this scene. Did it just talk? She got closer to it.
"What, couldn't make out what I am?"
Cyeen's eyes opened to the point they looked like they could pop out of their sockets upon realization.
"Are you... A god?"
"Why of course, I merely changed into a physical form you could process."
She looked at the statue in hope. Gods usually didn't show themselves unless they were selecting a twicen. She could finally gain the power she wanted. This was the "it" she fantasized about.
"Oh dear god, please do tell, is there anything I could do for you?"
The statue was silent for a moment before speaking without the use of it's mouth again.
"There's this one thing only you humans are capable of."
Cyeen's hands started shaking out of anticipation.
"Yes?"
"I need someone to be under my watch. Someone to monitor the corruption of this world. And for that I have chosen you, Cyeen Flameberg. So I ask of you, would you make a deal with this god?"
Cyeen was speechless. Her prayers were answered. This was a deal she just couldn't refuse. She nodded.
The statue spoke once again.
"Let me specify what I want and what I'll give. You will receive my old arsenal along with my old passive skill. In exchange, I want your left eye."
Cyeen took a step back. My eye? She looked at the statue, maybe the god was joking? No, it looked serious. Even then, I can't possibly decline something this important like this.
"I'm guessing your answer is yes. If so all you have to do is hold this statue in your hand."
Cyeen walked forward hesitantly. Her footsteps were the only sounds interrupting the perfect silence. She stood next to the statue. Upon further inspection she saw the body had neither of the genitals humans had. The weighted scale it held in it's right hand was heavier on one side and the dagger looked to be dripping with something. Cyeen picked up the statue.
"One intelligent human aren't you?"
The statue disappeared right before her along with the stares she never noticed. She looked around. Huh, was that all? It was pretty anticlimactic. The earth shook underneath her feet. Cyeen swung her arms around to regain her balance. She saw her arms flash white right before the second earthquake happened. The lady held onto the pedestal as another flashing white and earthquake combo hit. After that earthquake, her body started flashing white constantly as the earthquakes merged into one continues one and then... silence once again. Flowers all around the cave had started looking at her. She raised her right arm, looking at the white particles swim inside her veins before they disappeared. She talked into the empty cave.
"So, is it really done? Am I a twicen now?"
A whisper could be heard in her head,
"If that's what you want to call it yes, you are. Now, fulfill your part of the deal mortal."
Cyeen felt a cold invisible hand go past her left eye and bump into the furthest point of the eye socket. The hand gently grabbed the eye from behind and...
"Oops."
Was what she heard as the hand tore through her entire eye leaving a huge diamond shaped crater in it's place. Cyeen screamed in agonising pain. Blood was gushing out of the wound. She covered her eye with both hands and tried pushing the blood back into it as she wiggled on the ground, groaning loudly in between her sobs. Why isn't it working???? It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts... She barely managed to get back on her feet. Cyeen dragged her feet towards the exit leaving huge puddles of blood wherever she went. Please, someone..! Her head felt like it was splitting open. Blood had started covering her other eye. She could barely make out the dirt road she followed as she wobbled forward.