FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Bootstrap Paradox

After hearing what Anubis had to say, Ifrit turned to Anarim, which by now he called 'Eshdar'.

"(But, Eshdar, why...didn't you tell us about it sooner? About you being Eshdar's older self?)"

"(Well, uh, where do I start? I guess it's safe to say that I can start from the start of my life journey back in the hellish Outer Ring. But don't you have an immediate problem right now?)"

Ifrit knew what Eshdar meant, but when he wanted to see the problem, everything seemed to be over. He smiled to one of the hellhounds who cheered at him, but then he returned to Eshdar.

"(I guess Ensalder's brainwashing wore off the moment he ran away from us. I don't know what is going on, but I think he realized that I practically fulfilled my own future)."

"(I'm at the loss here)."

"(Everyone is, considering the bulk of knowledge that I suddenly lost and recently gained, I fulfilled my own future by letting that time wraith took my younger self into the past. Ifrit, Ani, do any of you understand what is called a bootstrap paradox?)"

When his old friends shook their heads, Eshdar then said, "(Let me give you an example. For example, a time traveler, let's call this person A, is a writer, and he adores a writer B, who wrote masterpieces in the past. By a freakish accident, he suddenly found himself 100 years earlier than his time. As he tried to find out the whereabouts of his idol, who lived during the same era, he came to a shocking realization that the idol he knew did not exist, nor did anyone knew any writing from writer B at all. And so, to prevent those stories to be removed from existence, and how lucky he was that he had re-written many of Writer B stories for preservation, instead of trying to find a way home, A decided to go find a publisher and publish those manuscript, so those stories could inspire his earlier self. Now, here's the golden question. Who wrote those stories?)"

"(Uhmm...A?)" replied Ifrit.

"(Your answer could be correct, but A believed that writer B existed and wrote those stories. He may not think so, but if he saw writer B's face and thought of it as similar to him in any way, he had fulfilled his own destiny. Now, do you understand what that means?)"

"(So...Anarim does not exist?)"

"(Yes, he does not exist. Anarim Winsel is only an alias I came up when I was thrown a hundred years into the past by that time wraith. I was confused when I returned back to hell and instinctively tried to fight this wraith, but of course, I did not have Time Alter back then. The time wraith, of course, fought me, and three days later, when I became exhausted and was on a brink of death, the time wraith somehow removed itself from existence, and suddenly I gained knowledge of how time works, and how paradoxes happened. I was nursed back to health by a couple of brown-furred hellhounds, who I recognized from my...own picture in the Winsel castle. They were my great grandparents who had recently lost their son in a scuffle. I was confused back then and thought 'If Anarim Winsel does not exist, then who is he?')

"(My thought quickly raced, still thinking that 'Anarim Winsel' will be their adopted son. How surprised I am when they decided to adopt me instead of a random orphan. I realized that this was what they called 'Bootstrap Paradox', so when they asked my name, I told them 'Anarim'. I discarded Eshdar Winsel and went on living as Anarim Winsel)."

"(Around 15 years later, when my wife had Ensalder in her womb, I almost persuaded her to abort him. If he never existed, then my existence, and the whole Winsel family, would not even exists. That gave me a crisis. I can kill Ensalder right at that moment so the rebels won't have anyone to start a rebellion. You guys won't need to suffer, and everything beyond my great grandparents would not existed. But my new knowledge of time stopped me from doing that. By becoming Anarim Winsel and bore a child, I've locked myself into a permanent fate, and by that was when I told my younger self about all of it during my bout of amnesia)."

"(Amnesia?)"

"(Ah, you might not understand, but I do. I know that to prevent a paradox to happen, I must become the identity I have become. I need to be Anarim Winsel. And so, I asked a shaman to make me forget all my life with you all and started one as Anarim Winsel, an orphan child adopted into the Winsel family from a small village near a lava flow. I did not even remember having Time Alter, and I did not even remember knowing anything about time or you guys. I simply became someone else).

"(I know that would still cause paradox because our DNA are the same, but somehow it did not even do anything. And so, I went on to live as Anarim Winsel, until these months caused me trouble)."

Eshdar sighed and trying to catch a breath. Anubis and Ifrit kept waiting for him to say anything, alongside Kghron. After a while Eshdar continued.

"(My memories came flooding back to me and overwhelmed me. My past self as Eshdar told me that 'the future is the past', which is a code message to the time wraith that I needed to fulfill the future. I realized it some hours ago that I specifically asked the shaman to give me a subconscious message approximately at the year when I will be returned to the past. I am in debt with that shaman, but he did not want to know what the future is, so he committed suicide the next day after I altered my memory. He kept my secret to the grave)."

"(But...has your younger self...I mean the Eshdar we knew...ever got suspicious?)" asked Anubis.

"(No, he never did. I did my part as 'Anarim Winsel' so well that I practically became him. I became the wise, calm-talking, and father figure to a younger me. It's weird to know all about it...I practically became my own grandfather)."

"(Yeah...and you still are Anarim to us, and to Albreich)." Ifrit then realized something's wrong. "(Albreich! Oh, shit, we forgot about him!)"

"(Don't worry about him, Ifrit. I know he can do things his own...well, at least that creature is out now because of Rhynsa, it's easier to kill it, right?)"

Meanwhile, on Albreich's side...

"Are you kidding me? I thought we have destroyed the eye! And how can a dragon got caught by that thing?! I thought they are..."

"Don't get so full of yourself, humans. This abomination is not even close to kill me!" exclaimed Azureath when she heard that. But even then, she was struggling to get away. She knew her ice breath did not make problems easier. If a fire dragon was there, it would be as easy as burning a sheep, but the ancient creature was far too resilient.

What's even more frustrating for her was how its weakness was not the same as the one Hans killed. Azureath, starting to lose her cool, keep struggling to get away from the abomination.

On Rhynsa's part, he was still trying to shoot the creature from afar, yet his position posed a problem. He was at the blind side of the creature and he could not find the core. Even though he knew the core was destroyed by a handful of hunters, it did not stop them, which made Hans starting to panic.

"Why is that bloody thing not dead already?! I need to get down there!"

"Relax, Hans, don't get too worked up or you won't think clearly," said Rhynsa while scouting the situation with the demon hunters.

"Look, Rhynsa, the only reason it is killed permanently is that I am cutting it with my sword! I am the only one who can kill it!"

"Hans, I think you ought to stop panicking and listen to me."

Hans realized what he had been doing and shut up.

"There's no way that creature has the same weakness as the one you kill. If you think everything is similar, I won't believe any feats you have done to survive to this day. That creature may look invincible, but those paladins did not finish the job well."

"You mean the position of the heart changed?!"

"That last paladin who cut through the eye did not stab deep enough. I can say that's only a shallow injury for the creature. It only made the creature mad. The only way to kill it is to make the weapon to get in even deeper."

"Let me do it! I can change to a wolf at will now..."

"I know you can do it, Hans, but the problem is your sword. That model is suitable for you because you can bite the hilt and fight with it. If a longsword belonging to a paladin cannot pierce the core, how can a sword half that length could pierce it?"

Hans then looked at his sword and groaned. He wanted to help, but Rhynsa's observation was spot-on. Hans then stopped arguing with Rhynsa, though he said, "Then how the hell are we supposed to defeat that thing?"

"Unless we have someone who have a sufficiently long object that can jam through that thing, I'd say we are hopeless against it. We need something like a beam to destroy the heart, but..."

"Then I guess the only way to attack it is to utilize my ability," said Nergora's voice from behind Hans. After the surprised Lycan move away, Rhynsa looked at the white-furred hellhound and said, "(How can you do that? We are out here, and they are inside the white shield! You'll be fried if you attempt to get past the shield!)"

"(I know that, so I am wondering if you could use at least three of your special bullets to get me through?)"

Rhynsa looked at his bullet and the Nergora, but then he said, "(No, I can't risk that! That shield regenerated fast enough due to the mana supplied to it. If your body does not get through the shield in time, you'll end up decapitated!)"

"(I know my risks, Rhynsa. Just do what I ask). Oh, and Hans. One day or another, you need to understand that your partner is an ice dragon. It's not good to train out of sync with her."

"So, you've noticed the property of my blade?"

"Yes. I promise I'll save her from that thing. (Rhynsa, whenever you're ready)."

Rhynsa nodded as he loaded the special bullet into the rifle, but he was surprised as Nergora jumped and landed on the shield's top, which starting to burn his feet. Rhynsa hastily shot three consecutive bullets towards Nergora's legs, during which they penetrated the shield and let Nergora fall. The ice hellhound landed roughly in the middle of the camp, groaning as he glared towards the tower. He could see Rhynsa sighed, but then he remembered he still had an immediate problem.

"Look, a demon!" exclaimed a paladin when they saw Nergora. Some even tried to brandish their swords towards him, but he did not heed them any attention. He quickly ran towards the creature and where Azureath was struggling to get free of the tendrils wrapped around her.

As Nergora reached Azureath, he tried to get the dragon's attention, but the dragon had noticed him from afar and started to struggle even more. Nergora then drew his sword and coated it with ice. Then, he cut through the tendrils with a feat of swordsmanship that made the paladins stopped their fights in awe. The tendrils that got hit by his sword turned to ice and froze.

He then jumped on Azureath while cutting all the tendrils restraining her. With a triumphant roar, she opened her wings and flew upwards. Yet, before she could fly higher, Nergora shouted, "Azureath! Stop that! I don't want to get fried by the ceiling!"

"Because you are a demon, right, Nergora Schelkz? Now, are you going to do what you are doing back at that small human town?"

"Yes, but hear me closely first! I want you to shoot it with a direct ice breath instead of the one you usually did."

"Like what, exactly?"

"Something like a directed fire?"

"I know that is one of the options, Nergora, but what are you trying to do?"

"When you have spread your magic on the atmosphere, let me do the rest. We need to get that creature's heart, and the only way to do it is to jam one big sharp spike through the core. I believe I can trust your flying skill?"

"Do not underestimate me, ice hellhound. I've flown the rough ocean and the desert of Main Continent."

"Then I can trust you. Now, do it!"

Azureath pulled her head back as she inhaled a big breath. As she did that, she concentrated all her breath to the exposed core. Meanwhile, Nergora extended his hand and concentrated on flowing his demonic energy to the atmosphere. He had done this trick before, and it could only happen if the temperature was cold enough. With Azureath concentrating the might of her ice breath to a point, it decreased the temperature around the point where she shot it.

"I hope those demon hunters don't mind getting an early winter," said Nergora as he released the cryomancy spell. He then whispered, "Cryogenic Winter: Hailstorm."

All of the sudden Azureath's breath started to become more and more solid. The ice breath she did slowly became solid and became a tower of ice. Azureath herself was too surprised that she stopped breathing ice, but Nergora kept flowing his demonic energy through the ice that it formed into a long and big stalactite-like ice spike. It was not as big as Azureath thought, but seeing the form, she realized what she must do.

"C'mon, don't fail on me now!" exclaimed Nergora as he was panting. Using that ability took a big toll on his body as it forcefully froze icy air. Coupled with the use of demonic magic and his half heritage, he could only do so much before he started to lost consciousness.

"Stop your effort, Nergora Schelkz. This much is enough," said Azureath as she grabbed the long spike. "Now, unholy creature, prepare yourself!"

She then moved her wings to dash into the creature, all the while roaring with all her strength. The creature tried to stop her with tendrils shooting at her with incredible speed, but Azureath managed to dodge three of them before one grazed her side. Ignoring the pain she pushed the spike into the core. A high-pitched shriek similar to when the smaller creature's demise was heard, as it drew black liquid out of its core. It quickly died, withering like a dead sea creature on land. Azureath then landed near the creature and checked if it was truly dead. As its body gradually decomposed, she roared in triumph, followed by the paladins and the Valkyries around her. As she did that, however, she felt her companion slumped and fell beside her, unconscious. She nudged the ice hellhound and tried to find breathing or heartbeat. She found both, yet faintly.

"Nergora Schelkz, your sacrifice enables us to win the day," said Azureath to the figure. "For a hellhound who fights for equal rights and recognition, you have earned it all. Nergora...I've never met such strong-willed hellhound, similar to the rider who I chose to ride my back and I love. Our fights together...left me a lasting memory of you. You've earned my greatest respect, as I will remember your deeds from this point to the future."

The rest of the hunters who heard this declaration started to wonder if the 'demon' who saved them in the nick of time was actually considered a hero by a dragon. They began to flock around Nergora, who was still unconscious after the exhausting battle, despite of only giving the battle a last touch of finish. Eventually, a hunter asked for medical unit to help the demon, for which some carried the slender ice hellhound out of the danger zone and to the camps. Yet, another problem came for them because of the hellhound's race. Their magic could harm the hellhound.

Alex saw the hellhound and asked about his presence, but Albreich looked at him and said, "He saved all of us and you still doubted him?"

"He may have saved us, but why did he come at the last moment?"

"Alex, I'm warning you. He's not what you think he is. That dragon out there declared him worthy of her praise and you still make him a suspicious fellow? Well, bad news for you, he's the brother of my responsibility."

Alex looked at Albreich and grunted. As he left the tent, he said, "Call me if your trust is betrayed."

"I will. It will be a long time before I did just that."

After the shield was down, Albreich walked towards the gate and found Anarim, Ifrit, and Anubis walked out of the gate. The trader was confused as to why Anarim followed the two teenaged hellhound, until a lengthy explanation provided by Ifrit convinced Albreich that Anarim was, in fact, an older Eshdar.

"You gave me one big flunk there, old friend," said Albreich with a laugh. "You have known me for a very long time."

"Yes, and we are back together now. Al, I wanted to say this, but...thank you, for all you've done to me and Ifrit. Also...I'm really sorry about me dying back then."

"Don't mention it, Eshdar. Whatever fate you've found yourself into, it's a predetermined path that you have to fulfill. Right now, we are facing a dark future."

"We are. It's time for us to be on the offensive. Wouldn't you agree, Ani? Or...whoever the one talking to Anubis?"

Anubis then heard the entity's voice replying to Eshdar through Anubis. Despite of being annoyed and still angry of the entity's actions in the past, Anubis still said, "They said...you are ready."

"It is an expected answer from a race of a higher dimension level than us," said Eshdar. "Now, with the demon hunters and rebels coming to our aid, I'd say it's time for us to end our civil war and fight the unknown."

Ifrit and the rest of the group nodded in approval as they looked at the broken landscape and the rest of the demon hunters regrouping and approaching the big tree city wall. The day ended without further incident, yet many could not ignore the fact that the day was full of death and destruction never seen in and around the tree city. The demon hunters, experiencing the least death from the two, started to help injured refugees and civilians and help bury the death. Many hellhounds preferred cremation over burial since they did not believe in burial ceremony, a gesture the demon hunters reluctantly accepted.

Despite of the fact that a hellhound saved the demon hunters, many would still reluctant in trying to talk to the hellhounds. Lidden and Albreich saw this as a progress. The hellhounds could not be called a demon anymore, given how they had developed humane feelings of fear and love, something that the demon hunters thought would not be possible. Even two of the wrath demons they knew, Azgal and Kghron, had somehow developed a little humane feeling.

The portal going to Arbal was closed and they needed to find another way to return to the town instantly. After a while, however, Rhynsa decided that he could just call Tyrall on the matter of running the town. When he called the place, however, Lilac answered the phone and complained about another influx of rebel deserters flocking into the outskirts of the city. While it was tolerable, the moment the leader demanded an authority in the town made her almost thought the rebels tried to attack them. Fortunately, Tyrall quickly convinced them about it.

Thus, the days went on without any incidents from the demon hunters. Things had gone pretty well for all factions, but to what extend both sides did not know. All they knew was that now they have a mutual enemy.

And a cooperation was the only thing that could win the war once and for all.