Chapter 8: Finding your voice.

 “Hey, *pst! Archibald!” 

At the edge of town, Archibald sat on a tree stump, planing out his next moves with Jade, when he was interrupted.

“Who’s there?” He looked around, finally spotting the priest behind some trees a few dozen feet away.

She waved him down, blushing when she leaned in close to whisper. “You needed to use the church right? Well, we all thought that the least we could do was to see it that you got what you came for! Come with me, we’ll have to be quick.”

‘Jade! The angel priest is sneaking me back to her room! If Aurelia finds out, only heaven knows what she’ll do!’

Jade buzzed in amused agreement, feeling his stress levels rise.

Sneaking around the edge of the village, the priest moved rather deftly, waiting to move until Aurelia’s out of sight. Her ability to silently man our er around the outskirts impressed Archibald immensely!

Her footsteps were silent, she didn’t break even a single twig, and her foot placement was impecable!

“How are you doing that?” He whispered to her.

She looked back, and ran a circle around her heart with her finger, giving him a knowing nod.

He nodded back.

…

‘Jade what does that mean?’

Jade rolled her non existen eyes and thumped his heart in response.

“You really think she’s saying she likes me!?

Jade sent giggles down his nerves for another few seconds and brought to mind Aurelia giving him that one and only thumbs up!

‘Stop doing that.’ Archibald awoke from his reverie again, he was rather fond of leaving his memories of Aurelia behind him.

They made it to the back door, where unfortunately they were met by Bennet, one of Taiga’s boys, who held the door open, and ushered them in.

Archibald slowed, fanatically admiring the interior.

‘Jade! Who’s that? Wait- I remember! it’s Saint Argath, a Saint of the poor! He fed entire villages out of his own pocket up until his immortality. These memories are real odd.’

Archibald stood at the foot of the statue, looking at the visage of one of the heavenly immortals.

“She won’t come in here, not until she suddenly decides to kills me.” Ruantha placed her hand on Archibald’s shoulder. “How are you?”

Archibald looked over his shoulder, faced with her look of genuine human kindness. 

Honestly, if it were anyone else, he would have jokes and moved on as usual, but he was caught unguarded.

“I- I’m… it’s been hard, blessed. But, I’m all the better for it…”

Pity, warmth, kindness, hope, closeness, sadness. He saw many things in her eyes reflected back at him.

“Many a priest hasn’t made it as long as you, Archibald. She’s a terrifying woman, I’m scared to face her myself, when the day comes. But selfishly, I’m glad you did. It-… truthfully, it’s a lifeline that’s brought me hope.”

She caught herself being too honest, the prolonged eye contact, the closeness and the physical touch sparked. He felt it, and he thought, hoped, she had too.

 Bennet chimed in “All of us, blessed! You’ve brought all of us hope! If you can last a round with her, you’ll clean up the rest of the monsters around these parts! Surely!” His eyes fixed on Archibald with the same awe Archibald had given Saint Argath.

“Well, she’s certainly something…” Archibald had a heavy heart, he tore his eyes away, wavering at the thought of leaving these people, this child, at the whims of such a woman.

“Archibald.” Ruantha turned Archibald around, facing her. She placed both hands on his shoulders, and she squeezed face flush red. “It has to be you. If you’re truly heaven sent, then,-“ 

Tears started pooling under her eyes. 

“-you’ve got much more than just Southfield to worry about. 

Please Archibald. I know it’s unfair, but we all need you to be who you say you are.

I need you.” 

A small tear streamed down the her cheeks, she pulled Archibald into a hug, which he hesitantly reciprocated.

‘I’m- it’s not that… Jade, I don’t feel…Don’t they have just a bit too much faith in me? They’re nice people, and shes incredible, but I’ve known them a month! And I’ve only been alive a month, supposedly!’

Jade surged with confidence, steeling his heart, and she reminded him of his own words, “My name is ARCHIBALD THE REBORN!”-  -To SAVE HUMANITY!”

His body strained and his mind back to the present, he found himself in the arms of an angel, being compared to a saint by a child, and all this, just because he took a few blows to the face from some demon.

His resolve solidified, somewhat.

*ahem!* “Y-Yes! Well, of course! After all I’m Archibald the reborn, here to save humanity and all that! Ha ha!” He forced a smile and put on his happy voice, this time, not for himself. 

‘Heavens, Jade. I feel like a completely different person than before.’

All he could do was surge into action. “Now, why don’t you get us some nice tea, and I’ll get to praying! Shouldn’t keep whatever higher, or lower, power waiting any longer!” 

He gently rubbed the priests back and she raised her head, a glint in her eyes, a smile on her flush face, not that it was easy to notice with her vitiligo. “Yes, I won’t keep you waiting.” She leaned in, and kissed…

…she hesitated…

-his forehead. “Your faith is strong, keep that bond safe, and there might just be hope for us.” 

She turned back to Bennet, “Bennet, let’s get some tea ready, shall we?” She grabbed his hand and ushered him out to the side room.

“But blessed Ruantha, we don’t have  any-“

“Shhh- there’s bound to be some somewhere, heavens only knows how many priests have lived in this church.”

And here he was, Archibald found himself alone in a consecrated building, in front of an altar.

“Well that’s step one down! How many more to go? Heh” *ahem*

He closed his eyes for a brief moment.

…

And nothing, *sigh* ‘here we go.’

Archibald knelt before the statue, and recalled the words of the heavenly scrolls.

“Oh, heavenly realms,

Oh, heavenly immortals,

I, your child of faith have come to thee.

In our time of need,

In our cries of faith,

You who are our guiding light,

Bless us, and forgive our faults.”

…

“OH, COME THE HELL ON! Overseer, more like over-sleeper!”

*Ding* An ethereal church bell rang in his mind.

 Archibald stood to attention, shutting his eyes that instant.

A white void greeted him, and above, heavenly golden-jade light.

An ethereal wind grew stronger, forming a feminine voice. “Archibald, welcome back.”

“It’s good to hear from you again demon- or uh, what do I call you? We never got the that part.”

“You were correct, Archibald. Overseer is just fine, I refuse to be called the over-sleeper though”

“Ah, um, I apologize. But look, before we continue, I need some honest information from you.

What are you, what’s your purpose, and what does it have to do with me?”

… 

The ocean of wandering lights swirled and coalesced above him, it was beautiful, and  frankly overpowering.

“You’re right to be cautious Archibald, it’s understandable that the situation would seem rather too fortuitous, to a demonic level even. But I assure you, I have not lied,  your soul was in a fortunate circumstance to be repurposed for a specific need. That being a vessel most suitable for a divine spark.

As blessed Ruantha stated, your connection to the heavenly realms is strong, and that is something in decline as of late.

You have seen your effect on a simple village, your purpose is simple Archibald. Guide the divine spark to immortality, become a revered saint of the heavenly realms, if you can do so, then human faith shall shine brighter than today.”

Archibald stewed in thought. “But is it really that simple? Just become a savior! If it were that easy humanity wouldn’t be in this situation!”

The voice echoed, flashes of light dances between the golden-jade waves.

‘Are those more divine sparks?’

“I said your purpose was simple, not tue journey. And you are not taking it alone.”

A wave of light descended like a waterfall, his instincts screamed as soul crushing pressure threatened to destroy something precious inside him.

He flinched as it engulfed him! But the pressure washed over him, like a blanket has blocked it out. Bathing in light, Archibald felt Jade stir in his soul, like inside the light was calling to her.

Nausea and dizziness afflicted Archibald all of a sudden, and panic arose when he felt Jade begin to shift and, decouple from his soul, for lack of a better explanation.

‘Jade, JADE.’

“JADE!”

The wave of light vanished, receding like waves on the shore. And left there in its wake, was a tiny Jade angel.

“Archibald!” She awoke, launching herself at him gleefully the moment she could!

“Jade! You can speak!” Archibald took in her voice, surprised at how high pitched and sharp it was!

“Only in here it would seem, it’s the lights. Archibald, there’s no doubt about it now, this is no demon! I would shrivel and disintegrate if it were! 

But in here, it feels like, well, abundance!” She twirled and motes if goles light fluttered around her jade translucent wings, dancing in her jade hair that flowed as if it was underwater.

Before he could utter a word, she laughed into another storm of words. 

“Archibald! First off, you’re an idiot! A complete an arrogant fool! You know that?! Do you know how hard it is to sit there and watch you make mistake after mistake, ignoring my guidance!”

She huffed, fluttering in circles, her arms gesturing wildly. 

“Well-“ Archibald tried to respond only to be interrupted by another tirade.

“It’s like, hey! You were on to something when you attacked that monkey! But noOoOo, I don’t want to think about that anymore, Jade! I’m Archibald and I’m a big winey pee-head!!”

She put her hands on her hips and looked him in the eyes.

“YOU, need to give me more to worn with! I need more memories that I can use as responses, because it’s so frustrating having to communicate a complex thought through simple images that your to stupid to understand! We could have taken down Aurelia far quicker if you’d have actually listen to my plans!”

“HEY!! You’re not the one that had to suffer her wrath! And I’m sorry if after getting mentally and physically tortured, I’m not the best conversationalist! And what with sending me just an image of yourself! What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“It means, trust me dumb ass!! Just listen to my nudging, my guidance in the moment! You’re not alone in a fight, you know! I’m there with my life in the line too! And it’s like you cut me off and then tell me what to do!”

“Well what do you-“

“It doesn’t work like that Archie!! Let me guide heavens light through you!! We need to work as one! Not as a team! We need to be one and the same, understand!?”

*sigh* “I think,… we got a lot better as we kept going-“

“Yeah, but-“

“Let me finish. I think we got better, the more we tried, we’re not always going to see eye to eye in these situations, but through experience, … I think we’ll figure it out just fine.”

“Oh, you’re such a man! You know that! I’ll figure it out! Well if you’d listen to me you wouldn’t have to figure it out! Let me in your head, Archie!! Neither of us knows any better than the other! We’re both no more than a month old! Let’s work together more in the future yeah! I hate being stuck as a pasanger, just sitting there waiting for you to tell me what to do.”

…

The ethereal voice softly interjected into the conversation.

“Well that’s never happened before. As I was saying, you’re not alone in this, you have your divine spa-“

“Jade! My names Jade!”

…

“Yes, you have Jade here, to pass on guidance and blessings in your time of need.

As your overseer, I collect all the  information I can and formulate an ascendancy plan of sorts. 

Not every blessed has an overseer, very few in history ever have, so count your blessing you do.-

“Hah! Good one!” Jade chuckled to herself

“Count your blessings, you know, because-“

Archibald hurried her along. “Yeah I get it, let’s listen to what she has to say.” 

Jade crossed her arms and floated up to Archibald’s head, sitting atop him like a throne.

“Keep going, then!” She huffed.

“Overseers provide summaries and future options, is the point I’m making. So without further ado.

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