Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

The ancient book, now in Kaizen's steady hands, exuded an ancient energy, as if it were pulsating with a life of its own. He had expected to find some strange things in this place, because it was the vault of knowledge of the mages who made Olaynore, but a magical and mysterious book like this was something surprising even here.

His fingers slid carefully across the yellowed pages until he reached the second chapter, entitled "God of Death and Time". A sense of anticipation and dread hung in the air as Kaizen began to decipher the words interwoven in those handwritten pages and in a very ancient language, so much so that he could hardly understand it.

The text described a dark god, whose existence transcended the limits of time and death, more powerful than any god or entity, more powerful even than chaos. The representation of the death of all that exists. Kaizen found himself mesmerized by the gripping narrative, his eyes capturing vivid images of titanic battles between cosmic forces.

However, before he could fully immerse himself in the second page, a voice cut through the silence of the library.

"Found it!" Alina's voice echoed through the room, interrupting Kaizen's trance.

Kaizen raised his eyes from the book, meeting the gazes of his fellow explorers. Vorian, Alina and Jayaa were already gathering around a section of the library.

"Finally, the gods we've been looking for," exclaimed Vorian, with a gleam of triumph in his eyes, as he saw a drawing of a large tree on the cover of a book that had previously been in Alina's hands.

Kaizen approached and saw that the spines of the books in this particular section were different from the others. The names of the books were not written in cuneiform script like the spines of the others, which made it practically impossible for ordinary people to understand what they were, but in Norse runes.

With a beaming smile, Alina took another book from the shelf and began leafing through the carefully decorated pages. "Yes, yes! It's all here! Everything about the Aesir gods! Now we can find the information about Týr and how to summon him!" She said cheerfully.

However, a tense silence then took over, and Alina slowly realized, as the silence wore on, that she had missed more information than necessary. She looked up to find Vorian and Kaizen staring at each other with concern.

Vorian opened his mouth to speak, but it took him a few moments to articulate the words he wanted to say correctly. "You're joking, aren't you? You're not really thinking of invoking a god, are you?"

Kaizen crossed his arms and wasn't afraid. "What if that's our only option?"

"No, no, no... You said you intended to find him, not summon him."

"And what's the difference?" Kaizen asked.

"I can tell you've never dealt with a god, you don't understand how easily irritated they are. And to make matters worse, you want to summon a god who has been in exile for ages. Týr will surely be furious when you summon him and he won't make it easy for you, and I'm not just saying that because he won't give you the information you're looking for, but also because he'll probably kill you all."

Vorian was undoubtedly the most experienced of them and knew what he was doing. He had wrinkles of worry marking his forehead as he tried to find the right words to express the gravity of the situation. His eyes, normally so calm, now sparked with apprehension.

"Don't underestimate the wrath of a god," Vorian murmured, his voice laden with an almost palpable seriousness. "Especially one like Týr. His motivations and reactions may be far beyond our comprehension."

Kaizen, for his part, stood firm, a fierce determination shining in his eyes. He wasn't used to backing down in the face of challenges, especially when it came to seeking answers to help Og'tharoz.

"If Týr holds the answers we seek, then we must seek him wherever he is," said Kaizen, his voice echoing in the silent room. "We cannot allow fear to prevent us from reaching the truth."

Alina remained silent, her hands trembling slightly as she held a book containing knowledge about the gods. She understood Vorian's concerns, but she also shared Kaizen's determination. The knowledge they sought could change the course of their lives and perhaps even the world around them.

"But what if there is another way?" asked Alina, her voice laden with uncertainty. "What if we can find the answers without invoking Týr's wrath?"

Kaizen pondered for a moment, his expression serious as he considered Alina's words. He knew she was right to express her concerns, but he also knew that it could take a long time.

"If there's a safer way, I'm willing to consider it, just as I was at the beginning..." said Kaizen, his voice softer now, reflecting a rare vulnerability. "But we can't afford to ignore this opportunity without exploring all the possibilities. The woman of Og'tharoz can't wait for us, because she's suffering more with every passing second."

Vorian nodded slowly, trying to understand the situation superficially. He understood that there was an urgency driving them forward, but he also recognized the dangers that awaited those who dared to defy the gods.

"Then let the will of the group be done. Let's just look for a way to find Týr, without summoning him." declared Vorian, looking calmer and more relieved now.

With a determined look, Kaizen turned towards the shelf where the books of the gods rested, his mind already plotting the next steps of his journey. He knew that the road ahead would be full of challenges and dangers, but he was willing to face them in the name of the quest to enable others to travel between worlds.

…

Edited by: DrHitsuji

If you want to see original illustrations of Rise Online characters, consider helping me on pa treon: Pa /NandoFalske

More character images in:

Like it? Add to library!

Don't forget to vote with Powerstone to support the book if you like it...