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[colour=lightseagreen][h1][b][i]Ashalla[/i][/b][/h1]
[b]Goddess of Oceans and Storms[/b][/colour]
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Ashalla roamed the oceans once more, exploring and thinking. She had much to think about. She imagined what the winter-spirits would sculpt. She wondered what the Thunderbird was up to. And she reflected on the story she had heard from the magpies and K’nell. Ashalla inspected every passing cloud to see if any carried a fragment of Li’Kalla’s soul, although she found nothing. She considered going to see Li’Kalla or Vakk in person. She knew the large sandy island where Li’Kalla’s influence was strongest. As for Vakk, though, the only definite signs of his essence that Ashalla had noticed were the music box and the boiling strait which was the Saluran Mendidih, although neither were Vakk’s home.

It was then, as Ashalla was thinking about Vakk, that she came across a strange small island she hadn’t truly noticed before, south of the Great Soul Reef and east of Dragon’s Foot. She had known there was an island there, for she had explored Galbar’s oceans many times over and knew their every feature intimately, but somehow this island had always eluded her full attention and had always been mentally sorted as just another rocky island.

The geography was comparable to the cliffs of Pāṟa, with jagged rock everywhere. Some lichen and mosses had taken root on this stony land, but it appeared that the Gemstone Gardeners had either missed or avoided this place since no other life was present. It might have passed for a mundane island if not for two things: strange whispers could be heard on the edge of Ashalla’s hearing coming from further inland, and Ashalla’s divine senses could detect a distortion in the space between Spheres in this vicinity.

The ocean heaved and surged up the beach of the island as Ashalla made her way towards the anomaly. Ashalla climbed inland, flowing up the rocks and around the cliffs. She soon found one rocky crag which was unlike the others, for Ashalla’s divinely attuned senses could tell that there was something unreal about it. She flowed into that crag and the illusion broke, revealing a dark cave leading into the depths of the earth.

Whispered words wafted up from that cave. Most were incoherent or nonsensical, although one whisper stood out from the others. [i]‘That which I am speaking of belongs to another, not myself. This may confuse some, though it is clear as day. What do I speak of?’[/i]

Ashalla did not think much of it, though, as she proceeded to flow down into the cave. But it was not long before Ashalla realised that she was getting terribly lost. The twists and turns and corners of the cave’s path made navigation difficult and disorienting, and Ashalla knew that the exit to this labyrinthine passageway was very, very far below her. Finding her way through this maze was not worth her effort, so Ashalla turned back and followed her trail of moisture back to the surface.

She did not need to visit Vakk’s Sphere. His audience would suffice. There was a much easier way to gain his attention than climbing through some impossible maze.

A voice like thunder boomed through the passageway and found its way carried by echoes to Sanvādam. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Vakk, are you there? I’d like to speak.”[/b][/colour]

After some time, the massive head of Vakk emerged from the entrance of the cave, looking down upon the ocean goddess while the rest of his body was shrouded in the darkness of his cave. Vakk, however, did give a smile to Ashalla before he finally began speaking, [color=9d8618]“Greetings, Ashalla. I believe this the first time that we have met.”[/color] His voice was deep and did not display any true emotion towards the goddess as he seemed to inspect her.

[color=9d8618]“What is it you wish to talk about?”[/color] he asked, moving slightly closer to the goddess. Some tendrils moved out of the darkness like large snakes before they rested themselves on the rocky surface of the island. 

Seeing the large form of Vakk emerge, Ashalla drew up water from the ocean until she had swelled to be slightly larger than Vakk. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“I hear you got into a fight with Li’Kalla,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said with a voice like rolling waves, her tone neutral.

[color=9d8618]“Ah… Yes,”[/color] Vakk confirmed before he held up the broken end of one of his tendrils, [color=9d8618]“She attacked me in defense, yet, the start of the fight was not my fault. Another god had overpowered my mind and compelled me to retrieve an artifact from her. I- I did not want to hurt her.”[/color] His voice had begun to crack up as if he were on the verge of crying, unable to cope with the fact that he had to do such a terrible act. As a sign of timidity, he moved slightly back from the ocean goddess and looked to the ground in an act of shame.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“So not only were you beaten in battle by the most timid and frail of the gods, you were also overpowered by another god.”[/b][/colour] Ashalla gave a derisive wet huff. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Who overpowered your mind?”[/b][/colour]

Vakk let out a sigh before he looked up at Ashalla, answering in a sorrowful tone, [color=9d8618]“Eurysthenes… He took control and told me to find the artifact. Harming Li’Kalla was not my fault.”[/color]  He paused for a moment, allowing a light silence to fill the air between them before speaking once more, [color=9d8618]“I did shatter her wing, for the record, and she had turned into a rather large beast.”[/color]

There was a brief thoughtful rumble from Ashalla. She hadn’t met Eurysthenes outside tasting that one in the Architect’s lake, but she’d have to be careful of Eurysthenes. Although, K’nell’s story had also warned against Vakk, but he was such a pitiful being that he was surely no threat to herself. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“I hear that Li’Kalla’s soul was fragmented when she turned into a beast and the fragments scattered. You wouldn’t happen to know more about that, would you?”[/b][/colour]

He seemed to ponder for a moment, silence dragging by before he replied, [color=9d8618]“I cannot say I do.”[/color] Within a second of silence Vakk had begun to speak again, [color=9d8618]“The artifact that Eurysthenes was attempting to get was a music box that I called the Box of Orchestration. A mortal named Hermes had apparently stolen the box from Li’Kalla, would you know anything about my box?”[/color] he asked inquisitively, tactfully changing the subject, seemingly to avoid talking about Li’Kalla anymore. Whether it was his own fear of the situation or not, was the best any could guess.

Ashalla perked up at the mention of the box. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“That’s the other thing I wanted to talk to you about,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said, her voice like a flowing current. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“I found a music box which tasted of you on the bottom of the ocean between the lands of Li’Kalla and Kalmar, and decided to keep it because it made such lovely music. Hermes said she had lost a music box over the ocean, which was likely the same one.”[/b][/colour]

[color=9d8628]“What?”[/color] Vakk paused for a moment considering all the trouble he had gone through with making a beast to hunt down the thief, his jaw merely dropping in shock. The Lord of Talk let out a laugh, unknowing of what else to actually do at the appearance of this news, and it was a maddening laugh indeed. Many moments had passed before Vakk contained himself, looking upon Ashalla with a wide and crooked smile.

[color=9d8618]“May I have it back? I must hide it from Eurysthenes before he can get his filthy hands on it,”[/color] he requested, his tendrils slithering further across the ground, towards the goddess.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“I have currently placed the box in the nest of my Thunderbird for safekeeping. Although, if Eurysthenes is after it…”[/b][/colour] Ashalla rumbled as a thought came to her. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“What does the box do?”[/b][/colour]

Vakk was silent but for a moment, his tendrils shifting around as he began to speak in a low tone, [color=9d8618]“He sought to make it into a weapon to control people, he knows the music I had made was to induce a soothing feeling. That was the reason I had given it to Li’Kalla, but when I divulged this information to Eurysthenes, he wanted the box like the greedy stain that he is.”[/color] Satisfied with this answer, Vakk moved closer, coming out of the shadow of his gateway.

[color=9d8618]“It will be safe within my sphere.”[/color]

Ashalla seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Yes, it would be safer there.”[/b][/colour] As Vakk came closer, a pseudopod stretched out from Ashalla and brushed against Vakk. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Although, the music did a rather strange and un-soothing thing when Azura listened to it. She was mostly calm, but there was… it was as if something in her, beneath her consciousness, was fighting against the music.”[/b][/colour]

Vakk gave a shocked expression at the news, shaking his head before he began to speak, [color=9d8618]”Perhaps there was something deeply troubling her? I saw Li’Kalla have the same effect, but she grew more at ease as I let the music play, after all, the magic is to remove the stress of a god…”[/color] He thought to himself for a moment before he added another suggestion, moving the tendril away from the pseudopod, [color=9d8618]”Or the thief, Hermes, had done something with it! Mortals are not to be trusted, Ashalla, they will no doubt do reckless things like damage my box. If that is the case then I must repair it!”[/color]

Ashalla let out an extended rumble. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“The words of a mortal don’t carry the weight of divinity…”[/b][/colour] she said slowly. Then she said, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Although, if the effect was due to damage, I would have noticed. Azura was very stressed at the time, so that is the most likely explanation. Although the box could probably do with a little maintenance. I’ve done what I can to keep it clean, but you don’t seem to have designed it for soaking in the ocean.”[/b][/colour]

[color=9d8618]“As I have stated before, it was a gift to Li’Kalla, so it is not meant for ocean travel. However, I do appreciate that you have kept it clean and safe for me,”[/color] Vakk stated, moving back towards the safety of his cave before asking, [color=9d8618]“Now, may I have the box?”[/color]

Ashalla paused for a few moments. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Very well, I shall return your box to you. It seems to have been running out of new melodies anyway.”[/b][/colour]

[color=9d8618]“I thank you. Now, it seems I will also have to ask you something. Who told you that I had attacked Li’Kalla? I feel as if whoever told you would not have known all the facts,”[/color] he indulged, continuing to hide in the shadows of his cave.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“I first heard it from some black-and-white birds, magpies. They’ve been flying everywhere telling the story they have. They received their story from K’nell, who told me more about what he knew,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla stated.

Vakk was silent for a moment, bringing his tendrils back before speaking in a hushed tone, [color=9d8618]“This seems suspicious. First, Hermes, then K’nell… No…”[/color] It was few more silent moments before speaking to Ashalla again, [color=9d8618]“I may need to speak with K’nell. My anxious mind will be at ease once I recover this box.”[/color]

Ashalla began to ebb. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“It seems like I should get the box now. Unless you had more you wished to talk to me about,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said.

[color=9d8618]”Perhaps when this matter settled, but for now, I must plan my meeting with K’nell. However, I do hope you will visit once all of [i]this[/i]...”[/color] he made a general gesture around him, referring mainly to the situation, [color=9d8618]”is dealt with.”[/color]

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Indeed,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said. She started to draw back into the ocean, but stopped just before disappearing. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“If you’re meeting K’nell, look out for any fragments of Li’Kalla’s soul. He is trying to restore her lost and broken parts.”[/b][/colour]

[color=9d8618]“Very well, and thank you once more.”[/color]

With those parting words, Ashalla’s form disappeared with a ripple. As her essence sped off, Vakk was left alone in his island once more, a sinister smile coming across his face before he letting out a singular laugh. It was a laugh of relief that he had managed to get away with his lies. He looked towards the sky and under his breath, said, [color=9d8618]“I am coming for you, K’nell. And you will be silenced.”[/color]

[hider=Did Vakk actually do a manipulate?]
Ashalla stumbles across the Gateway to Sanvadam. She has some questions for Vakk, but can’t navigate the Gateway, so she calls for Vakk.

Vakk emerges. Ashalla opens the interrogation by asking Vakk about his fight with Li’Kalla. Vakk claims that he only did what he did because he was being controlled by Eurysthenes to retrieve an artifact, the Box of Orchestration.

Ashalla appears to believe Vakk’s story. Also, Ashalla seems not to be overly concerned about the violence. She’s more focussed on the fact that Vakk lost (even though it was a tactical withdrawal) a fight against the weakest of the gods.

As Ashalla asks about the fragmentation of Li’Kalla’s soul, Vakk denies knowledge and shifts the subject to the Box of Orchestration. Vakk asks if Ashalla knows anything about it. Ashalla reveals that she’s had it the entire time, and Vakk is surprised.

Ashalla asks what the box does. Vakk claims it was to produce a soothing feeling, and that Eury wanted to weaponize it to control people.

Ashalla mentions the un-soothing effect it had on Azura. Vakk claims that it may have been drawing out stress, or it had been damaged by Hermes. Ashalla dismisses the latter and believes the former.

Ashalla agrees to return the Box of Orchestration to Vakk for safekeeping.

Vakk asks how Ashalla knew of his fight, and Ashalla answers, telling Vakk of the magpies and K’nell.

After Ashalla leaves, Vakk is relieved to have gotten away with his lies and vows vengeance against K’nell.

[i]No Might spent[/i]
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