Season 3: Catpurr 12: A Truth

  Quiet, the only thing spoken between Adam and Junith as they sat around the campfire.

  Adam glanced over, the former paladin still sullen as she hugged her knees close to her chest.

  Wait… why do I feel bad? I shouldn't feel bad! Adam grimaced, poking at the flames with telekinetic hand. She's the idiot that got me into this mess in the first place! Damn woman, if it wasn't for her and her damn god, my life would be smooth sailing! I'd be with Schroedinger right now spreading the joys of necromancy!

  Junith curled into herself tighter, tucking her head inward.

  Wait. Is it her time of the month? Adam thought to himself, taking out a piece of paper with dates and names of each of his companions from his storage ring. A ring that was SUPPOSED to be upgradable from his daily gatcha rolls but after months of getting nothing he gave up. No, they haven't been extra moody lately. Should be another week and two days.

  Unable to find the reason, Adam decided to do the obvious, ask the woman what was bugging her.

  “What's wrong with you?” Adam growled, staring at Junith who didn't reply. “Hey! What's wrong? You're creeping me out.”

  “Leave me alone. I'm fine.”

  “Ah. It must be your time of the month then.” Adam said, more assured that it wasn't his fault Junith was behaving this way.

  More silence, the pair sitting around the flame with both growing colder until fog began to leave their lips.

  “Of course it starts snowing,” Adam sighed, eyeing the flakes of white that fell from above. “Could this trial get any worse?”

  Suddenly Junith was beside him, the woman sitting close, too close with her head resting on Adam's shoulder as his face twisted into a scowl.

  “I'm sorry, what are you doing?”

  “I'm cold.”

  “THEN JUMP INTO THE FIRE!” Adam shouted, pushing the girl away.

  “Okay,” Junith said dejectedly, rising and moving towards the flames only for Adam to snatch her wrist and pull her back.

  “Have you gone addled-headed?! Sit down!”

  “Okay…”

  Junith did as told, her attitude lethargic as she sat down.

  “What the Hel is wrong with you?!” Adam asked.

  “I…” Junith trailed off. She looked away, unable to respond to Adam.

  “Fine,” Adam said, getting up and setting away from the paladin. “If you won't talk, then just stay there!”

  Junith nodded, closing her eyes as her thoughts turned elsewhere.

  ***

  Twenty minutes prior.

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  “Damn it! Junith now! Attack!” Adam shouted, the brand upon Junith's chest reacting to his command and causing her to hesitate as she prepared for the pain.

  Yet no pain came, instead she froze, her eyes widening as her surroundings changed to that of a realm absent of light, her senses picking up nothing but herself and the void. The ground was solid at least, which helped to ease Junith's anxiety.

  Where am I?

  She blinked, her voice not escaping her lips but reverberating through the space to echo around her.

  What? What is th-

  “Hello, Junith Oathheart.”

  Junith spun, eyes darting around only to focus on a skeleton with gold eyes staring at her.

  Yo-

  Before the words could leave her mouth she was vomiting, a sensation akin to a hand reaching into her chest and gripping her entire soul like a vice.

  She was small. Insignificant.

  A tiny mote of something that was seen by a thing that should not be seen.

  Coldness took root, a chill that crept along her skin like permafrost that froze her in place. Yet… it wasn't painful, it was…

  Nothing and somehow, everything.

  Then like a caterpillar breaking free from her cocoon, she was let free, the ice that bound her shattering as her eyes looked upon the man with kind features, his blue eyes dancing with gold that twinkled like stars.

  What are you? The question Junith asked yet already knew.

  “I am he who all living things greet at the end of their journey.”

  Death?

  “More than death. More than life. I am Eternity made manifest. And you, Junith Oathheart, will be an instrument of my will.”

  I refuse! I-

  On reflex Junith wanted to retort, wanted to say she served Voltrain… but before the man whose gaze was endless, she held her tongue. The identity she clung to far from her reach.

  I… do I have a choice? Junith asked, looking up at the man who towered over her.

  “We all have a choice. It is the privilege of sapience. Your will to choose.

  Will I be punished?

  “No. Instead, I will show you the truth to ease your transition into my arbiter, if you wish it.”

  The truth?

  “Of the Six and their sacred duty,” the man said before standing to the side and gesturing to a doorway of light.

  ***

  “This, is the truth as you've seen it. What you do with this information and my request is up to you.” Eli said as he turned and vanished.

  “Oh… oh crap baskets,” Adam muttered as the creature’s eye blazed with power.

  “VOID WARP!” Junith yelled as her consciousness shifted from the realm of the endless.

  She could feel the power of divinity turning night into day, strength not her own but something that belonged to everything, that was a part of everyone.

  Junith clenched her jaw, the enormity of the words spoken to her festering at the back of her mind as she eyed Adam.

  Why him? Junith said to herself as tears began to fall from her eyes. Why him?

  ****

  Sitting at the vampire Junith continued to sulk, leaving Adam in a bad mood as he rubbed his tail for warmth.

  Fourth minutes and still no talking? I should be happy! Why am I so damn annoyed? Adam seethed to himself in-between munching on jerky taken from his storage ring.

  It was one thing for her to ignore him if he did something wrong but it was another if it was because he did nothing at all!

  “Fine, if you won't talk, will you at least be useful and fight?” Adam asked, drawing a nod from the girl. “Hmph.”

  [5:19:33 Until Trial Begins!]

  “Well, I'm going to sleep,” Adam said, deciding to pull out a tent kit from his storage ring, a nifty item once owned by a pair of adventurers who invaded his dungeon.

  Of course they didn't need it anymore so Adam was more than happy to procure it for himself as the yellow boxed item unfolded at the press of a button to expand into a large leathery tent.

  Adam stood up and stretched, surveying their surroundings. With Junith's attack, it was clear the predators of the forest were now weary of her presence, which worked out fine for Adam who was tired of beasts.

  He turned, scurrying into the tent, the innards displaying blankets and pillows already provided by the contraption.

  “Ah… this is nice,” Adam said, grabbing a blanket and wrapping himself to get warm with a smile on his face. However, that smile didn't last long as Junith soon crawled into his tent.