967
Medici struggled out of the waters of the River of Eternal Darkness, looking as though he were playing a water ghost.
A Death Imprint certainly counted as a kind of water ghost of the River of Eternal Darkness. The Outer Deity considerately stepped aside. He felt around in the water, found something else, and stuffed it into his camera.
What appeared on it was a gloomy room, as dark as a burial chamber.
The surrounding walls bore scorch marks left by burned-out torches. Three high-backed metal chairs were faintly visible in the center, wrapped in heavy chains. Two of the three chairs were empty. Only one still bore a red human silhouette, like bloodstains left by a corpse.
The Red Angel Medici had died twice: once in his actual death, and once when the City of Calamity devoured and destroyed him. Each death left another imprint in the River of Eternal Darkness, so Medici naturally had two imprints.
"The connection between this earlier imprint and the City of Calamity ceased to exist long ago, replaced by the aura of the River of Eternal Darkness. It's been soaking in there for nearly two thousand years, and counts as half a King of Angel belonging to the River of Eternal Darkness... This one imprint certainly won't be enough, but taking water now would provoke the River of Eternal Darkness's resistance and hostility. I'll try feeling around for the imprint of the Ancient Death God Gregrace when the time comes..."
The fresher imprint was of little use precisely because the death had only just occurred. Its connection to the City of Calamity was stronger than its connection to the River of Eternal Darkness. Since it was of no use, giving it to Ouroboros was a convenient favor.
A King of Angel of