[center][h2][b][u][color=C5FAFF]Asceal[/color] & [color=orange]Kalmar[/color][/u][/b][/h2][/center] [hr] Arryn was perched atop a half-eaten troll corpse. The troll’s body was covered with lacerations, the throat had been slashed, and the eyes had been gouged out. The falcon’s master had told him to stay here, and so he had, but the local troll population had others ideas, it seemed. There had been a pack of them - four to be exact - but after he killed one and viciously wounded the others, they retreated, leaving trails of blood. Arryn bent down and plucked another beakful of flesh from the corpse, when he sensed a familiar presence nearby. [color=orange]”Arryn,”[/color] Kalmar greeted the bird. Arryn inclined his head to regard him. [color=brown]”Master.”[/color] [color=orange]”The dispute with Shengshi is resolved. Avoid him and there should be nothing to worry about.”[/color] Kalmar told him, kneeling to inspect the troll corpse. [color=orange]”As for Arya… gone. She left him, and I don’t know where she went.”[/color] That brought both sadness and relief. Arryn did not know where she was, but at least she was no longer held prisoner by that vile serpent. [color=orange]”I need to go talk to Asceal,”[/color] Kalmar told him sternly. [color=orange]”You won’t come with me. Continue scouting out the world for information. Do not give in to despair again.”[/color] Arryn nodded, and the two took flight, each headed in a different direction. [color=orange]”Asceal,”[/color] Kalmar sent out the telepathic message, [color=orange]”Where are you?”[/color] [color=C5FAFF]“Kalmar?”[/color] The Goddess answered, [color=C5FAFF] “Ah. I’ve been expecting to hear from you. I’m in the Lustrous Garden at the moment.[/color] [color=orange]”How do I get to it?”[/color] There was a long pause before Asceal spoke again, and when she did it was with some hesitation, [color=C5FAFF]“You- You need to find the tallest mountain on my Island, Istais, its peak is obscured by clouds. The entrance to the Garden is there, right above the peak and hidden by the clouds. I’ll be waiting.”[/color] Kalmar instinctively nodded, although Asceal would not be able to see it. He was already heading toward Istais, so it was simply a matter of speeding his course. [hr] Kalmar arrived to find that it looked much as it did in the memories of Arryn. Nearly all life on it was glowing. How strange. He watched the land pass beneath him, and aside from some wolves or bears, he noticed a distinct lack of predators. He imagined some of the trolls or griffins here, their hides aglow. He ascended to the top of the mountain, found the gateway, and crossed through it. He found himself at the top of a dome, a crystal floor far below. Using the power of flight, he lowered himself to the ground. Asceal was waiting for him, and just behind her was a woman whose flesh was seemly made from vines. [color=C5FAFF]“Welcome to my home Kalmar,”[/color] The Goddess greeted him. Kalmar looked around, noting the confined space. This was a goddess who preferred security, he assumed. He looked past Asceal, at the vine-covered woman. [color=orange]”Who is that?”[/color] Asceal looked over her shoulder and smiled at the vine woman, who was eyeing the God of the Hunt curiously, [color=C5FAFF]“That is Liana, my friend.”[/color] She turned back to Kalmar and sighed resignedly, her smile faltering, [color=C5FAFF]“I assume you’re here about my talk with Arryn, then?”[/color] [color=orange]”I am,”[/color] Kalmar stated matter-of-factly. [color=orange]”On one hand, I should thank you for getting him to stop flying aimlessly. On the other… I have to ask why you chose to involve yourself in my dispute, or discouraged my avatar from fulfilling his duty.”[/color] [color=C5FAFF]“Because,”[/color] She spoke seriously, [color=C5FAFF]“Your ‘dispute’ could have affected more than just you and Shengshi. I was presented a chance to resolve the situation before it could come to violence and I took it. I’ve spoken to Shengshi and he promised to return this Arya to you, if he hasn’t already.”[/color] [color=orange]”Until Arryn came back to me, I thought any dispute I had with him had been resolved. It was Shengshi who caused it, not I.”[/color] Kalmar explained. [color=orange]”As for Arya, she was never mine to take, nor was she Shengshi’s to give. She’s gone, anyway. Shengshi withheld some information about her father, and when she found out she left in a rage.”[/color] Asceal pinched the bridge her nose in frustration and looked up for a moment before letting go and speaking, [color=C5FAFF]“I see. Well then, have you two at least put this feud behind you? I don’t care who started it. The fact you were both willing to fight over words is bad enough.”[/color] [color=orange]”Threats are more than just words,”[/color] Kalmar told her. [color=orange]”And I didn’t want this feud any more than you did. But I told Shengshi what would happen if he threatened me. I gave my word, so I had to act, or else no one would have reason to trust me or take me seriously. Anyway, the dispute is resolved.”[/color] [color=C5FAFF]“As long as you aren’t going to kill each other,”[/color] Asceal smiled weakly. [color=orange]”I never intended to kill him over this,”[/color] Kalmar interrupted before she could go on. [color=orange]”Why would you think that?[/color] [color=C5FAFF]“It doesn’t matter what you intended,”[/color] She explained, [color=C5FAFF]“I’ve spoken to Shengshi, as have you. Perhaps all would have been well Kalmar, but I took the time to make sure he was willing to pay your price before you asked for it. Whatever it was in the end.”[/color] [color=orange]”In any case, it’s done,”[/color] Kalmar said. [color=orange]”But there is another matter. Have you heard of what Orvus did to Phystene? I’ve been trying to form an alliance against him, to defend creation against him and others like him. Phystene, Ashalla, and Shengshi have joined. Will you?”[/color] Asceal raised her eyebrows in surprise, [color=C5FAFF]“I was under the impression I already had. I spoke with Phystene some time ago and she told me what Orvus did.”[/color] Kalmar frowned at that. [color=orange]”Communication needs to be improved, then. I had not been told.”[/color] He carefully considered his next words. [color=orange]”There is another thing to add. I spoke with Orvus recently.”[/color] It was the Goddess’s turn to frown at that, [color=C5FAFF]“You did? Why? Orvus is a danger to all of us. If he’d attacked you what would you have done?”[/color] Kalmar shrugged. [color=orange]”I would have fought back, and I would have killed him. I have been fighting my entire life. Anyway, I needed to determine his motivation, and if there was a chance to avoid open warfare… it might have been slim, but it was worth taking. Besides, recent events led me to think that he might not be as obsessed with destruction as I originally thought.”[/color] [color=C5FAFF]“And?”[/color] Asceal asked. Kalmar shrugged once again. [color=orange]”He said his soul was frayed. He couldn’t feel life. I told him to fix it, or get over it and change. He told me he would rather die, and drag the rest of us with him. I told him he was making excuses - he wanted to live, and that nonsense about destroying everything was just an excuse for why he hadn’t ended himself yet. He left without responding, so I think I was right. Either way, I don’t know if my words had any effect, which is why I’m still maintaining the alliance.”[/color] She ran a hand through her glowing hair and met Kalmar’s gaze, [color=C5FAFF]“It was a mistake to confront him, then. You can say you’d have killed him Kalmar, but if it were that simple Phystene would be dead already. We can’t afford to take unnecessary risks, especially given the number of our peers determined to destroy us and everything we’ve built.”[/color] Kalmar frowned. [color=orange]”Who else?”[/color] he asked. [color=orange]”I know only of Orvus.”[/color] [color=C5FAFF]“Sartravius,”[/color] Asceal recited, [color=C5FAFF]“He’s already scoured an island of life. Melantha, she attacked Aelius in his own home. Katharsos, he’s murdered almost all the souls that followed us to this universe by now.”[/color] She scowled and looked away to compose herself before going on, [color=C5FAFF]“And I expect others will make their natures known, in time.”[/color] [color=orange]”Did you find out why they did those things?”[/color] Kalmar asked. [color=C5FAFF]“There’s no point speaking to the mad Kalmar. We were tasked to create, and they have all taken it upon themselves to destroy.”[/color] The Goddess grew tense and took a moment to breath before she continued, [color=C5FAFF]“I have no interest in the excuses of killers.”[/color] Kalmar’s frown deepened. [color=orange]”What if I had decided Shengshi was mad, and chose to kill him instead of resolving the dispute through other means? When the bear hunts a deer to feed its young, is the bear mad? You call them mad, but you say you haven’t spoken with them, so how can you know?”[/color] Asceal eyed Kalmar disbelievingly, [color=C5FAFF]“Shengshi insulted you Kalmar. He-”[/color] Once more, Kalmar cut in before she could finish. [color=orange]”He threatened to kill my avatar, and might have if not for Arya. That goes beyond insults.”[/color] He shook his head.[color=orange]”I am asking these questions to gain more information before I come to a judgement. If what you say is true, then yes, they are obstacles that need to be disposed of. But I would not call them mad. Everyone acts for a reason, and we need to know what those reasons are before we decide that.”[/color] [color=C5FAFF]“Even Orvus?”[/color] Asceal fumed, [color=C5FAFF]“Because you have explained his reasons to me, and they are mad. Incomprehensibly so. I can understand why Melantha attacked me and Aelius, but that doesn’t not forgive her action nor change the fact that she chose violence over words. As for Sartravius and Katharsos? They have destroyed, they have wrought chaos and suffering, and there is no explanation which exists that would absolve them of that.”[/color] She paused and again took the time to compose herself. Her body had begun to glow furiously by the time she reigned herself in and suppressed it. Once she was dimmer than usual she went on, her voice far softer, [color=C5FAFF]“Shengshi nearly made a terrible mistake, but the difference is he didn’t. Arryn is alive. Sartravius and Katharsos victims are not. Phystene is merely lucky Orvus only injured her. There is a difference between right and wrong Kalmar, and once someone has crossed that line their actions will always overshadow their words.”[/color] Once again, Kalmar shook his head. [color=orange]”Orvus is mad. I never said he wasn’t. I know he is mad because I spoke to him and heard his reasons. The reason why the question of their madness is important, is because it will determine how they are to be approached. A mad beast will lash out violently - it will not back down, but that recklessness can also be exploited. A sensible creature is less prone to lashing out, and will instead use cunning. An explanation won’t absolve them, but in order to beat something you need to understand it.”[/color] Asceal fell silent and, out of habit, flicked her forehead in frustration. Eventually she spoke, [color=C5FAFF]“Yes. You’re right. Go ahead and speak to them then Kalmar, I think this has proven I’m not suited for that.”[/color] Kalmar’s frown vanished. She had seen reason. Good. Yet a question remained. [color=orange]”What do you intend to do next?”[/color] he asked. [color=C5FAFF]“Prepare,”[/color] She spoke without hesitation, [color=C5FAFF]“Just as I have been doing, just as others have been doing. I can’t be everywhere, so I’ll make others who can watch over Galbar in my place. Who can intervene before all that’s left to do is sweep up the ashes.”[/color] [color=orange]”What would they intervene in? And how?”[/color] Kalmar asked her. [color=C5FAFF]“Destruction, chaos, suffering. And by whatever means necessary.”[/color] She looked up to the portal, [color=C5FAFF]“I know they won’t be able to fight a god. Even all together. I don’t believe they’ll have to, though. If, as you say, some of our adversaries are ‘sensible’ then they’ll reach the same conclusion I have. More hands can accomplish more, regardless of what it is they do.”[/color] [color=orange]”What is stopping you from creating these beings right now?”[/color] Kalmar asked. Surely she had plenty of time to do so. Asceal stopped and looked back at Liana, who studiously hid the small teacup she had in her hand behind her back. The Goddess, rather obviously, faked a cough, [color=C5FAFF]“I hadn’t had the time, yet. You’re right though, there’s nothing stopping me from doing it right now.”[/color] She looked around the room for a moment and then added sheepishly, [color=C5FAFF]“Except for the size of this room. If you’d permit it, I’ll return to Galbar to do it.”[/color] [color=orange]”You don’t need my permission to leave your own sphere.”[/color] Kalmar told her. [color=orange]”I’ll go with you.”[/color] The Goddess waved to Liana and unfurled her wings, shooting up and through the portal with a single flap. Kalmar nodded at Liana, and then followed Asceal, wondering just how large she intended to build these creatures. He was also somewhat wary of their purpose - what chaos and suffering would they put a stop to? In his mind, some suffering was necessary. Still, he crossed through the portal with her anyway. Kalmar met Asceal on the rocky mountain top below the portal. The Goddess stood there for a moment, no doubt considering how to go about making the creatures she’d described. For a long while she was impassive, but eventually grin grew on her face. She raised her hand and a great light ignited before the two gods. It started as a single point, but soon it became a glowing humanoid shape that at least vaguely resembled Asceal. It was also enormous. Hundreds of times taller than either of the gods. After it had been formed the creature slowly lost its glow, revealing a massive white masculine figure. It had vast wings on its back in an approximation of its maker, but these were covered in white feathers. In fact, most of the creature was. Looking at its face Kalmar could see that all but its eyes were obscured by enormous feathers. Asceal eventually lowered her hand, but the creature did not stir. She smiled at Kalmar and announced, [color=C5FAFF]“Two more, before I wake them.”[/color] Kalmar shrugged. [color=orange]”Continue.”[/color] Asceal frowned briefly, but did as he said. The second of the creatures was much like the first, but had a distinctly feminine form. The two of them lay in the snow before the gods, their feet more than half way down the slope of the mountain. Asceal didn’t bother to speak to Kalmar before making the third. As she created the final creature, its shape masculine like the first, she began to blink rapidly and her arm started to quiver. Her breathing became strenuous and she fell to one knee. She looked at the last of her creations, but this one was only half formed. It had no feathers, and more disturbingly it looked [i]deflated[/i]. She muttered, [color=C5FAFF]“Just ah, just a moment.”[/color] As she controlled her breathing. With another frown, Kalmar stepped in. He added his own power to Asceal’s, and helped shape the angel as he had watched her shape the previous ones. The final result was very similar to the others, though the one difference that immediately stood out were the feathers; nearly half of them were brown rather than white, making the creature almost spotted in appearance. The brown was more concentrated around the wings and the torso than the legs. Asceal stood and regarded the final creature, eventually flashing Kalmar a smile and brightening a tad, [color=C5FAFF]“Thank you.”[/color] [color=orange]”Didn’t want to leave the creature incomplete.”[/color] Kalmar said, observing the creation. He thought the brown was preferable to the white. [color=orange]”If I need help to build something in the future, will you return the favour?”[/color] The Goddess nodded, [color=C5FAFF]“Of course.”[/color] Before turning her attention back to the creatures below. She sighed, [color=C5FAFF]“I can’t have them this large all the time.”[/color] She raised her hand and the three creatures shrunk down to beings no larger than she and Kalmar. She flew out and collected each one. It took only a moment before the three sleeping creatures were laid out before the two gods. They looked much like Kalmar, save for their nakedness and the long wings sprouting from their backs. Two had long blond hair, and one had shorter brown locks. Asceal waved a hand and clothed them in white robes much like those Aelius had fashioned for himself on Heliopolis. The Goddess knelt down to the first and rested a hand on its head, and its eyes shot open. It cried out in what seemed to be fear, but she quickly embraced it and spoke softly, kindly, [color=C5FAFF]“All is well child. You’re awake now, and I’ve shown you the things you’ll need to know in the days to come.”[/color] She repeated the act twice more, each time the being below her crying out before she soothed it. Once she was done she helped all three to their feet. The stood before the gods, all glowing faintly, and Asceal smiled at them lovingly as she spoke, [color=C5FAFF]“You’re all awake now, my children. Now all you need is names.”[/color] [color=orange]”What will you call them?”[/color] Kalmar asked. Asceal regarded the three, and they looked back at her with anticipation. She eventually stepped up to the first, the blond male, and rested a hand on his shoulder. [color=C5FAFF]“You will be… A…. Aaaa… Ak… Akam!”[/color] She declared. She stepped over to the next one, the blond woman, and looked into her eyes. [color=C5FAFF]“And you will be… El… Eline!”[/color] Asceal hugged the woman and moved on. The last was the one with brown hair, who could attribute its existence as much to Kalmar as to her. She glanced back at Kalmar, but the god of Hunting’s disinterested expression seemed to ward off any questions she might have had. She held the brown haired man’s hand. [color=C5FAFF]“Your name will be… M…. Mak… Makab!”[/color] She nodded and smiled at the three. [color=C5FAFF]“You three are my children, my Luminous Ones.”[/color] She said happily. [color=orange][i]And Shengshi thought I was bad at names…[/i][/color] Kalmar thought to himself. He turned to Asceal. [color=orange]”If that is all, then I think I will be on my way.”[/color] he extended a hand. Asceal gave him a wide smile and shook his hand, [color=C5FAFF]“You have my thanks Kalmar. I’ll be returning to my sphere with these three.”[/color] She gestured to them, [color=C5FAFF]“If you ever want to speak with me, you’re always welcome to visit.”[/color] Kalmar nodded. [color=orange]”Thank you.”[/color] With those scant words, he took flight and went on his way. [hr] [hider=Summary & Might Costs] Kalmar visits Asceal. They talk about Asceal’s intervention, and the godly baddies. Kalmar convinces Asceal she should probably learn more about the mean gods before she kicks their doors down and stabs them. She makes some kids, Kalmar helps. [b]Might Costs:[/b] [i]Asceal: -5 MP Making the Luminous Ones (3 Heros) -2FP Giving the Luminous Ones humanesque forms {6 FP & 0 MP Remaining} [5/5 Towards Remedy Portfolio][/i] [i]Kalmar: -1 MP Making the Luminous Ones (3 Heros) {5 FP & 4 MP Remaining}[/i] [/hider]