Chapter 332 - Crossing The Border I

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~~~(POV: Cera Adamo)~~~

~~~(Location: Temporary Home, Border City)~~~

~~~(Time: 7:14 AM)~~~

My eyes are still heavy with sleep, and it takes me a few seconds to force them open. The sun is just starting to rise and shine through the broken windows. Lighting the room to blinding levels. My spin and neck pop in the motion of leaning my body up. My legs flex and stretch out, popping my joints as the action spreads to the upper half of my body.

A premature unfurling of my wings occurs. The brilliant golden feathers reflect the light in the room and make it brighter. My wings coming out without me toggling them on have happened from time to time. They just want to be stretched too, sucks the room isn't big enough for me to stretch them all the way out. The slight stir of Sally causes me to look at her.

She's looking at the wing that's above her, upset at the light that's being reflected off it. "C'mon, Cera... It's barely the crack of dawn... Turn those miniature stars off..." She turns on her side and buries her face in her pillow. The wooden floor isn't the most comfortable place to sleep. Now that's she's up, she'll not fall back asleep.

Before I can say anything in response, a creak from the direction of the door grabs my attention. Turning my head, I see Jasmine. Her expression is many things. Fear... Confusion... Shock... Surprise... Hailey told me she's a devoted follower of The Church of Light. "Uhhh... Umm... Whaa..." She can't find the words to speak. From her perspective, this is a shocking revelation. 

Jasmine is a sweet and slightly airheaded girl, but that's just a defense mechanism to keep the creeps away. I've come to understand a bit more about Jasmine, and she's a bright girl with a great life ahead of her. "Morning, Jasmine. Sorry about the bright light." My wings disappear into my back at the end of my apology. Her eyes bulge slightly, and she takes a step back.

She leans against the wall, and she starts to take deep breaths. The longer she tries, the more breath she loses. She's starting to hyperventilate. She might need some help, and with that, I'm the only one around at the moment. "Jasmine, you need to take slow breaths. Pace them." She starts to freak out more as I stand up and approach.

My closing proximity causes her to slide to the ground. Once I make it to her, I squat down and place one of my hands on her shoulders. Her eyes are squeezed shut, and her breathing is becoming more desperate. She's elevated into a panic attack. I lean her forward, and her head is between her legs now. Her breathing is ragged, but she's not panicking anymore.

Sally's soft footsteps glide across the wooden floor as her bare feet smack it in a rush to get over here. "Jasmine, what happened?" She sits next to me and places her hand on Jasmine's free shoulder. Sally was still waking up when Jasmine saw my wings. "She saw them? That's the only explanation I can see." My nodding head confirms her question.

She lets out a soft sigh and wraps Jasmine in a hug. Jasmine immediately responds and wraps around Sally like a constrictor to its food. Jasmine lets out soft cries, and I see the tears falling to the ground from Sally's clothed chest. "Hailey told me how much you follow the church and the Gods of Light. We were waiting for the right time to tell you." I don't know if my words get through.

Going through all she has, the church and the Gods of Light were all she really had for a while. Many ex-slaves turn to religion and common jobs to fade into the background of society. Few rarely go beyond those two paths. "I'm sorry... I'm acting... Like a weirdo..." She tries to talk through gasps and choking sobs. People react differently to situations than others.

I'm glad she isn't bowing her head and calling me things that I'd rather not be called. In all truth, I'd prefer this reaction over the alternatives. "Ohh, you don't need to be sorry, sweetie... Cera understands... You're not the first one to freak out from learning the truth..." Sally's giving a good attempt at consoling her, but I would've been more selective with my words.

That's just me being picky, though. Dealing with sensitive people all my life has taught me to use a certain approach when speaking to people. Especially in the state that Jasmine is in. "I never thought... I'd ever... Meet you..." Too many NPCs of Gaia, I'm a beacon of hope. Knowing that I exist among them brings a feeling of safety for them.

At least, I think that's the case. Sally looks at me and wants me to say something in return. This means a lot to Jasmine, and Sally doesn't want me to disappoint her. "You've impressed me, Jasmine... You've even made me proud..." She looks up from Sally's chest with red puffy eyes. Both Sally and Jasmine are waiting for me to continue.

Speeches aren't really my thing, but I know how to tell people the truth. "You've had a life harder than everyone I know except for one." My eyes meet Sally's as I say that. They've lived a mirrored life. "Many would've given up, or worse... You fought and kept fighting... There are only a handful of people that can say they have such a will..." They both have wills greater than anyone I've met.

It inspires me to be better than who I was... Who I still am... If they can do this after everything, there isn't a reason I shouldn't either. "Thank you..." Her face scrunches up, and she starts crying harder than before. I look at Sally to make sure I did this right, and she just smiles and nods her head. I know how to read people, but reading distraught people isn't my thing.

It feels wrong to try and dissect someone mentally that's going through such a hard time, hence why I don't do it and why I'm bad at it. "I'm going to talk with Hailey, there are some things we need to discuss before Helda and Melimora get here." Sally nods as Jasmine continues crying, but she's slowly calming down. 

~~~(POV: Saliandra Orvello)~~~

~~~(Location: Temporary Home, Border City)~~~

~~~(Time: 7:23)~~~

She's slowly calming down and isn't whaling into my chest anymore. My fingers run through her hair and I gently scratch her scalp. "Y'know, Slayer Zern is Cera's name here on Gaia. Has Hailey explained how the new people work to you yet?" She shakes her head and looks down at the ground. "When you get a chance, ask her." After Cera explained everything to me I understood.

I've also put some things together myself. She dries her eyes again and I see a bit of myself in Jasmine... More than a bit... When I was her age, I was similar... Lost in the fog of life of a former slave... "He's different than I thought he'd be... I expected something more... Godly..." She's yet to see him fight and the extent of his power.

Her face flushes red and she twiddles her fingers in circles. "So... You've slept with him..." Now my face is becoming flush. To many, I'd be considered the luckiest woman in all of Gaia. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said that..." It's a natural deduction to have after seeing what we've been through. "It makes sense though..." That's confusing to me. 

She smiles as she sees my confused look. "It makes sense that only an Angel would see past what either of us used to be... Accept us wholely regardless... I'm jealous, Sally... He might be the only one that can see past the bad things..." She's thinking the same way I used to. Finding someone that does see past it... It's hard... But they're out there... I'm not so cynical anymore.

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A/N: Below this line, I'll be keeping Cera's player information. That way, I won't have to place it into the story above anymore. It takes about 180 words up.

[Slayer (Zern) Lvl.193]

[Exp: 3/100%]

[Title: The Son of Arch-Angel Michael (Hidden)]

[Stats] [Strength - 7095][Endurance - 7045][Dexterity - 7215][Speed - 8240][Focus - 19,660]

[Mana aura control: 6/100%]

[Health: 76,560,000,000/76,560,000,000] [Mana: 216,600,000,000/216,600,000,000]

[Stat Points: 30] [Armor rating: 500]

[Inventory] [Dice of Wayland (Divine)] [Hardened Tree sap Armor (Very Rare)] [The Witness (Legendary Sword)] [Fenrir's Whistle (Divine)] [Sally's Dresses 5x] [Camping gear] [Food Rations 4x] [Dried meat 4x] [Fishing poles 2x] [Fish 8x] [Festival Garbs 2x]

[Passive Perks]

[Inheritor of the Sword] [Son of Heaven] [Slayer of Evil] [Holy Willow Trees Savior] [Finder of Legends] [The Divine who has Legend] [Destined for Greatness] [Dungeon Diver] [An Overachiever]

[Active Skills]

[Heavens light Lvl.59 325/5900] [Protected by Heaven Lvl.59 225/5900] [Slash Lvl..77 4600/130000] [Parry Lvl.53 80/5300] [Double Strike N/A] [Kingslayer N/A] [Raging Machine N/A] [Winged Glory] [Angelic Flight] [Divine Pressure Exertion] [Divinity Pulse] [Controled Fun]