immortal.
It was just that Tanath looked so young. The man had entered his twenty-fifth year only a few weeks ago, and Tanath appeared to be of an age with him. Perhaps even younger. Yet if she were indeed a demi-God, Nathaniel chided himself that it should be expected that at some point she would stop aging. After all, how threatening could an eighty year old immortal be if they declined into old age like everyone else?
“I know,” said Tanath lightly. “I barely look a year past fifty. But there are demi-Gods who are a lot older than I am. I'm still really new at all of this by comparison.”
Nathaniel considered before asking his next question. “What makes you think I am this Godslayer then?”
“Part of being a demi-God is that we can kind of tell when we're close to the Gods or their power. Sort of like a built-in danger sense. We know when one comes close, so we know to usually run the other way. Your sword practically screams like that. I've seen a lot of holy relics in my years, but nothing like that. It's almost got the power of a God all by itself. Mind you, I've never actually seen a God in real life - felt a couple, but never let one get close to me. But if I were to guess what a God would feel like close up...” Tanath pointed at Two . “... that's what I'd imagine it would feel like.”
Nathaniel flexed his grip on Two 's hilt. “But if you felt this like it was a God, why would you even approach me?”
“Because you're not a God, Nathan,” Tanath answered simply. “I can't explain it better than that, but it's not the same. Feeling the sword's power and you along with it, it's just not the same as what a God feels like. It's similar, but it doesn't raise my hackles like being close to a God does.”
“And you want... what? To have me work for you? Go after your parents? Sorry, but I already have a self-centered group trying to send me off like that already. I don't need anyone else trying.”
Tanath waved her arms quickly. “No, nothing like that. We want to help you, that's all. We have a common goal, but we don't want to be involved anymore than we have to. My only thing here is to let you know we're here, and we'll help you if we can. That's it. Promise.”
Tanath laughed. “It's actually a really good thing that I was the first one to find you. Because of my power. I have close to a hundred of myself all over the place, all of us sort of acting like a network, passing information for the Conclave...”
“The Conclave?”
“Oh, sorry.” Tanath actually blushed at that. “Forgot that. I said there were some of us working together. That's what we call ourselves: the Conclave.
“Anyways, like I said. It's kind of good that it was me that found you, because now if you run into any of my other selves, you'll already know who you can get help from. And I can tell the others a lot faster than anyone else could that we've found you, so they can watch out after you, too.”
“That's assuming I want your help,” pointed out Nathaniel.
“That's true,” said Tanath, hopping down from her perch, brushing at the wood flakes left behind on her skirt. “But I'd like to think this was a good first meeting. I hope you'll let us help you, because I really do think this would be good for both of us. But you're right - it's completely up to you.”
The woman turned around and began to back away. “Look, I'll just let you think about what I've said. I know you have friends. I've seen you with them. I've actually been trying to find you alone for a couple days now. But talk to them and let me know what you think after a few days. I'm not going anywhere for awhile. If you don't find me, I'll find you.”
Before Nathaniel could say more, Tanath turned and sprinted away. He considered following her, but only for a moment. She was right - he needed time to think on what she had said, to share it
It was just that Tanath looked so young. The man had entered his twenty-fifth year only a few weeks ago, and Tanath appeared to be of an age with him. Perhaps even younger. Yet if she were indeed a demi-God, Nathaniel chided himself that it should be expected that at some point she would stop aging. After all, how threatening could an eighty year old immortal be if they declined into old age like everyone else?
“I know,” said Tanath lightly. “I barely look a year past fifty. But there are demi-Gods who are a lot older than I am. I'm still really new at all of this by comparison.”
Nathaniel considered before asking his next question. “What makes you think I am this Godslayer then?”
“Part of being a demi-God is that we can kind of tell when we're close to the Gods or their power. Sort of like a built-in danger sense. We know when one comes close, so we know to usually run the other way. Your sword practically screams like that. I've seen a lot of holy relics in my years, but nothing like that. It's almost got the power of a God all by itself. Mind you, I've never actually seen a God in real life - felt a couple, but never let one get close to me. But if I were to guess what a God would feel like close up...” Tanath pointed at Two . “... that's what I'd imagine it would feel like.”
Nathaniel flexed his grip on Two 's hilt. “But if you felt this like it was a God, why would you even approach me?”
“Because you're not a God, Nathan,” Tanath answered simply. “I can't explain it better than that, but it's not the same. Feeling the sword's power and you along with it, it's just not the same as what a God feels like. It's similar, but it doesn't raise my hackles like being close to a God does.”
“And you want... what? To have me work for you? Go after your parents? Sorry, but I already have a self-centered group trying to send me off like that already. I don't need anyone else trying.”
Tanath waved her arms quickly. “No, nothing like that. We want to help you, that's all. We have a common goal, but we don't want to be involved anymore than we have to. My only thing here is to let you know we're here, and we'll help you if we can. That's it. Promise.”
Tanath laughed. “It's actually a really good thing that I was the first one to find you. Because of my power. I have close to a hundred of myself all over the place, all of us sort of acting like a network, passing information for the Conclave...”
“The Conclave?”
“Oh, sorry.” Tanath actually blushed at that. “Forgot that. I said there were some of us working together. That's what we call ourselves: the Conclave.
“Anyways, like I said. It's kind of good that it was me that found you, because now if you run into any of my other selves, you'll already know who you can get help from. And I can tell the others a lot faster than anyone else could that we've found you, so they can watch out after you, too.”
“That's assuming I want your help,” pointed out Nathaniel.
“That's true,” said Tanath, hopping down from her perch, brushing at the wood flakes left behind on her skirt. “But I'd like to think this was a good first meeting. I hope you'll let us help you, because I really do think this would be good for both of us. But you're right - it's completely up to you.”
The woman turned around and began to back away. “Look, I'll just let you think about what I've said. I know you have friends. I've seen you with them. I've actually been trying to find you alone for a couple days now. But talk to them and let me know what you think after a few days. I'm not going anywhere for awhile. If you don't find me, I'll find you.”
Before Nathaniel could say more, Tanath turned and sprinted away. He considered following her, but only for a moment. She was right - he needed time to think on what she had said, to share it
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