[Center][h2]K’nell and Company[/h2][/center] K'nell let himself fall into his throne. The ballroom was devoid of the usual dancers, but retained a light contemplative song. Should his friends Eurysthenes and Shengshi not have joined him in comradery after the fact, he could only fathom where his conscious might be. Weavers wisped by and the Dream God thought, hand on his face, about every detail leading up to where he sat now. There was no doubt in his mind that he had done the right thing, but only a heart of beating stone could resist the leech of pondering. “What seems to be the matter, Mr. K'nell?” A posh, clear voice with perfectly enunciated words echoed from behind the Throne. A figure with silver eyes and long hair dressed in a white and golden gown walked into K'nell's field of vision and tilted her head slightly at him, hands clasped neatly. K'nell sat up and cleared his hand from his face, “I'm afraid that Vakk could not be saved,” He rested his hands on his throne, “And so the deed is done; he is no more.” The woman pursed her lips and after a while, began to speak. “Such an-” “Vakk is DEAD?!” A high pitched shrieking voice came from a girl that suddenly jumped out from behind the throne. The elegant woman rolled her eyes and covered her mouth. The girl seemed to shake nervously. “Yes,” K'nell turned his head to the shaking girl, “And I understand it can be quite a lot to process, so just know my dear, that I am here to listen.” “B-But…! He was so big! And green! Wait, was he green?” She balled up her fists and held them close to her chest as she turned quickly toward the elegant woman. “Why are you looking at me? Mr. K’nell saw him first hand, he knows much more than I do. Is that correct, Mr. K’nell?” The woman asked, raising her eyebrows curiously at K’nell. The girl turned to him again. “How did he die? Did you kill him? B-But, wait! Wasn’t he… Being controlled? By big sis? S-She broke our wing…” The girl said, her voice losing volume and her demeanor making her shrink. K’nell squinted before offering the girl a furrowed look, “He was rather dark -- more of a fleshy beige and purple.” He waved a hand, “Pardon me, but I think the color matters very little, now.” The Lord of Sleep cleared his throat, “But yes, he died by my hand. As suspected he --and he alone-- had decided to launch an attack on Tendlepog and left me with little choice otherwise.” “So… Big Sis wasn’t the one behind it all…?” The girl said with a shaky smile growing on her face, eyes glistening with fresh tears, “I-I knew it…!” “Now now,” The woman took in a subtle breath, “[i]Girl,[/i]” She let the word hang for a second as the girl visibly recoiled and winced, “It may be too soon to jump to a conclusion like that. Let’s avoid expressing ourselves until we know the entire story. It’s the right thing to do.” With that, the woman turned to K’nell and nodded curtly. “You seem distraught. Doubt lies in your heart, Mr. K’nell.” K’nell removed his finger from his chin, “Oh?” He shook his head, “I’m sorry to mislead you, my dear. There is no doubt in my heart; Vakk was working alone under his own accord.” “Indeed, however,” She paused and cleared her throat, “The doubt I speak of is more along the vein of whether he had to be… [i]Eliminated[/i]. Shall we say? A heaviness on your shoulders. Your skull closing in on you, a shiver at the core of your teeth. Do you feel any of those? That is how I tend to feel when doubt fills my being.” “The elimination of another, as you say, should never be taken without careful consideration,” K’nell folded his hands, “Should I have not calculated this before hand then yes, perhaps I may feel doubt in my actions. I instead feel resolute that I have made the correct choice; by taking the burden of being the executor in the defense of Tendlepog, I have shouldered the pain that would have otherwise been given to another God or mortal. It was not a rash choice, and was not made alone.” K’nell leaned forward, his voice swirling, “I do not pull joy from this, but neither would I pull joy from inaction and the allowance of what is warded under me to be-” He paused and smiled, “I’m sorry my dear, you’ll have to excuse my racing thoughts. I’m afraid you caught me contemplating.” The woman bit her lip and opened her mouth to say something, but after a split moment, closed it and frowned. She sighed and shook her head. “I understand.” The girl, who had been distracted by a nearby dreamweaver, suddenly tore her attention right back to K’nell and whizzed past the woman to the side of the throne, resting her elbows on the armrest and propping her head up to look at K’nell. “What’s ‘contemplating’? It sounds like something a knight would wear!” “Thinking, dear, it is thinking,” K’nell offered the child a smile, “And I would hope a knight would wear it often.” “Oooh…” The girl cooed, her gaze wandering off for a moment, before snapping back to the God, “What were you thinking?” K’nell rubbed his chin and glanced over at the elegant one, “If I could be so candid, I was wondering what our elegant guest was thinking.” “Merely contemplating,” She said, tilting her head slightly, “Are you certain Vakk is dead? Should there not be more… Consequence to a Divine Death? He was the God of Speech, how is it we still speak? We are no God.” K’nell laced his fingers into a knot, “Intriguing question. If you had to make a supposition on why that may be, what would you suppose?” “There is no record of Divine Deaths. Perhaps, it is meant to be this way? Perhaps Gods die much like mortals do. Perhaps it truly is this dull, and one ends up forgotten.” She averted her gaze. K’nell slowly stood up and folded his arms behind his back, elbows square. His throne shimmered away - a tiny gasp echoing throughout the hall as the girl struggled to find her balance. K’nell began to walk down the steps of his dias, “I invite you two to walk with me, I am inclined to discuss this in the gardens.” The girl skipped to K’nell’s side and quickly grabbed onto the sleeve of his jacket, while the woman nodded and walked beside him, moving gracefully in well practiced steps. K’nell approached the great door and it opened obediently, revealing the many doored hallway. With little words K’nell walked through, offering his elbow to the elegant one and a smile to the girl. The woman gently rested her hand around the God’s arm, “Thank you.” She said with a small smile. The girl grinned back at K’nell and pulled on his sleeve again, grabbing his hand once it came into her reach. A silky chuckle came from the God and he allowed his hand to be conquered by two tiny claps. The trio exited the Palace, their steps reaching down to the cut stone below. Bizarre plants flanked them as they walked down the front garden path, the bronze gate dead ahead. Fluttering butterflies flickered in and out of view, and craning trees waved above them. The gate creaked open and they passed through, a wash of a feeling only described as a forgotten longing seemed to coat them. Cutting through the forlorn air, K’nell finally spoke, his words as scented as the flowers that now sprouted around them, “You bring up a very interesting thought, and not one that I haven’t pondered myself.” “Should a God be killed, what would happen to their place of residence, and its pull on Galbar. What potential calamity awaits mortal life, or even divinity itself?” K’nell looked at the elegant lady, “I suppose such questions should have prevented me and my compatriots from our plan, but you see to imprison a God such as Vakk is as equally dangerous as doing away with him. Would you be opposed to an explanation?” The woman watched as the girl released K’nell’s hand to go try to catch a blue butterfly, and then turned her attention onto the God. “Please, go on.” “You see,” K’nell began again, the trio walking by freshly blooming cherry trees and a few ruby hummingbirds, “Should we trap Vakk in Sanvadam itself, there is little stopping him from artificially starting the very calamity we speak of. It is the same thread in which I could --should I be so evil-- shut off the palace from Galbar. So why not throw the perpetrator into a realm different than his own?” K’nell swiftly plucked a pink blossom as he walked by a low branch and offered it to the elegant lady, “There is nothing stopping a God from leaving --given time-- nor creating a new trouble should they be left to their own devices. In this line of thinking, there was only two definite ways of pacifying the situation.” The woman took the blossom and nested it between her ear and head, “Death and, ironically, speech?” “Precisely,” K’nell offered a cheshire grin, “I of course favor the latter, and in two instances witnessed his inner working. I’m afraid in both instances I found him dangerously unreasonable and sinisterly slippery. It was an advertised calamity should I put my trust in him. A gamble as it may be, I was of the mind to go with the former.” He stopped as they came upon a tranquil pond wreathed in decorat flowers, crystal ripples running through it as a swan boated across. Water splashed and the swan flew off as the girl jumped into the pond. After a moment, she peeked out from under the water and spoke, “Yes he was slippery, it was gross!” And she promptly went back underwater. “I see,” The woman said, apparently ignoring the girl, “I suppose I’m naturally more hesitant in such matters. Royalty has to keep all cards on hand, you see. Sending one to an early grave is a rather final action.” “If I may say, you’re hesitancy is a glowing virtue,” K’nell complimented. “Do not mistake my demeanor for a lack of remorse. I do wish it could have ended differently, of course.” He paused and turned to the woman, “There was more than my conscious at stake, I hope you understand.” “Oh, I do. It was a difficult choice…” “Ahh!” The girl gasped for air as she resurfaced, a wide grin on her face. Even with her eyes mostly obscured by the blindfold, she stretched her arms toward K’nell and the woman and chuckled, a lilypad on top of her head. “This water’s tasty, come swim!” “Huh, I might have to pass, girl. My gown isn’t designed to come into contact with much water.” K’nell stared on with amusement, his wide smile growing, “Antics of a dream, but a nightmare to the landscaper.” He looked at the woman and offered his elbow again, then looked at the girl, “Come with me.” “Aaaw,” The girl pouted, but quickly got out of the water and grabbed one of K’nell’s hands. The woman once more grabbed onto the God’s arm. They took a single step and the world faded away. Flecks of existence slowly settled and they took their second step. K’nell walked confidently forward, golden sand under his boots. The sun peered out from a hilly distance, but stretching for miles before then was a sea of endless sand. It was impossibly flat, if not rippled by a light breeze. On either side of the three stood ancient fountains and canals, glistening water spewing from them. At the end of the canal works stood a massive tree, its roots knotted and curling in and out of the sand, its needle like leaves a dark green. Despite the strong heat, the cooling effect of the canals continuously sprayed cool air their way. “So much sand,” Said the woman. “I like it! But, where are the sand mountains Mr. K’nell?” The girl asked K’nell, looking up at him hopefully, her eyes shining a bit through the blindfold. “Far to the north and east,” K’nell answered, “The winds here have pushed it all away.” He looked down at the girl and put one hand in his pocket, “But I suppose they could also be right over there.” His finger pointed out, and just as if noticing it for the first time, there was a large sand dune. “Oohh! Where was it hiding? I didn’t see it before! Can we go to the top? Pleaaaase!!” She begged, pulling on K’nell’s arm and turning to look at the woman pleadingly, “I wanna roll down the sand mountain!” The woman pursed her lips and looked at K’nell, “You decide, Mr. K’nell.” K’nell looked at the girl and smiled, “Go ahead, my dear, there is something I wish to discuss here before I rejoin your company.” The girl opened her mouth as if to speak, but quickly began bouncing in place instead, “Ooookay, I will go!!” She said shakily before running off to the dune. Meanwhile, the woman sighed. “She’s so…” “So?” K'nell raised a brow. “So childish. Carefree.” “Does this trouble you,” K’nell turned to the woman, his elbows square behind his back. The woman turned her face slightly towards K’nell, eyebrows raised as if surprised that he’d ask such a thing. “O-Of course not-” She averted her gaze, “Either way, what did you mean to discuss, Mr. K’nell?” “I’m afraid I’ll have to apologize in advance for the topic,” He said, “But in relation to the distressed Li’Kalla, how are you?” She kept facing away, although the minuscule waver in the woman’s voice did not go unnoticed by the God, “I’m… As well as can be. It was a rather distasteful situation… I worry for Laina’s safety.” “As do I,” K’nell turned away to look at the tree. He put his hands into his pockets and stared for a moment, “What’s your name?” “I don’t have a name. She,” The woman nodded her head towards the girl rolling down the sand dune while giggling, “doesn’t have one either. We’re all parts. We’re not meant to be separated.” “Of course,” K’nell seemed to apologize, “Would you mind if I asked of what you remember before divinity was bestowed upon Li’Kalla?” “Aah,” She sighed again, but this time it was one of sudden elation, “Laina, she was a Princess, I enjoyed it all, the etiquette classes, the servants, the knights…” She turned to look at K’nell’s back, a sad smile on her face, “It didn’t last long. She… We, were just a child, relatively speaking, when they stripped us of… Everything. A future, mostly. Laina’s heart hurt ever since. And, you know, now that we’re all away from that pain, I think I can see why she is so happy now. The girl.” “I think you do as well,” K’nell said without looking from the tree. “Excuse me,” He turned to her, “But you said ‘they’. Now, if I remember correctly, and please stop me if I’m wrong, but Laina was disposed of by another faction and,” He paused, “Polite company withstanding, imprisoned.” “Another faction? Whatever do you mean?” The woman asked, tilting her head slightly. K’nell waved a hand, “Perhaps I was mistaken, I am rather ignorant in the knowledge of Laina’s time before Galbar.” He turned back to the tree, “Either way, I’ll be doing my best to see you all reunited.” “... My father betrayed me. Our father betrayed us. The entire family, too. Thrown into an over glorified cell, to be [i]visited[/i] by dirty, less than human pieces of [i]shi[/i]-” She caught herself, panting and eyes wet, and turned around to recompose herself. “And when the one I loved came to rescue me, he was defeated and humiliated and executed in such a shameful display… One so mighty, so renowned, my Hero…” A white handkerchief dangled before the lady, as K’nell averted his gaze, “I did not mean to disturb you.” She took the handkerchief and carefully took care of her teary eyes. After a long moment, she spoke. “It is fine.” “It is curious,” K’nell suddenly changed topics, “That you have such vivid memories and details from a life before Galbar, and I suppose it’s even more curious that the Architect had pulled souls into this realm to create what he and now we call Gods.” “It is rather curious, isn’t it?” The woman said as she handed the handkerchief back to K’nell, “I’d hazard blasphemy and propose he may not be as powerful as he seemed those first few moments we became.” K’nell took the handkerchief and in one swift movement, it was gone. He looked over at the woman, as if studying her face for a moment, “Potentially,” The God nodded, “Or perhaps he was driven by something other than necessity -- who is to say? There is one truth evident in your words though.” He smiled, “We are not Gods, not in the traditional understanding at least.” “That much is clear. However, we still have duties to tend to, don’t we? I do have this feeling that our world feels rather… Cramped, though.” “Cramped, my dear?” K’nell raised a brow. “Too many powerful beings. There is so much potential for trouble.” “The Architect paints with a wide brush,” K’nell smiled, “But you aren’t wrong.” “Architects don’t paint, Mr. K’nell. They draw beautiful buildings on pieces of parchment. Engineers are the ones that make sure the beautiful building does not fall apart after a fortnight, killing all its inhabitants. I wonder whether the Architect is also an Engineer.” “I suppose time will tell all,” K’nell gave her a grin. As if thinking for a moment, he suddenly opened his mouth, “Forgive the hypothetical, but if you were the Architect, and could do it all over again: How would you see to your creation?” “I do not know what it is he did, how he did it, nor why he did it. I would most likely be a less than desirable host.” “A thoughtful answer,” K’nell nodded in satisfaction, “Then again what else should I expect?” He turned back to the tree and walked a few steps towards it, “I apologize if I had kept you far too long, we may end our walk should you wish.” “I have nowhere else to go, and nothing else to do. You decide, Mr. K’nell.” She said simply, taking in the sight of the girl climbing the sand dune once more, a wide grin on her sweaty face. K’nell turned to her, “I suppose then, I shall live up to my earlier commitment and then send us back to the palace.” He turned from the tree and began trudging towards the girl. He suddenly stopped and turned back to the lady, “Thank you, for our walk.” “One last thing, Mr. K’nell, I’d like to ask about that tree.” “Oh?” The God turned, one boot on the foot of the dune. “I’ve never seen any tree like it. Laina never did, either. And we visited deserts. Where is, well, here?” “A place in another life,” K’nell answered, “Well before Galbar.” He tapped his head twice and smiled, continuing up the dune. [hider=Summary] K’nell returns to the palace where he reveals the death of Vakk to two of Li’s fragments. They then decide to go on a walk and discuss the politics of killing a God. K’nell reveals why he had chosen to kill Vakk, opting not to imprison him. They then go to a different sandy place and discuss Li’Kalla’s preGalbar days while the girl plays in the dunes. The talk devolves into a short discussion on the legitimacy of the Architect and then ends with a quick question on where they exactly are. [/hider]