[center][h1]A Watery Alliance[/h1]
[i]Collaboratively written by BBeast and Adorable Saucer[/i][/center]

The ordeal with Azura had left a bitter taste in the snake’s mouth. Unheard of, he thought, to upset the delicate harmony between life and death over something as simple as the souls of the dead - they were already dead! Why on Galbar would they need to keep living as the soul they are. The whole argument festered in his mind like mould on bread and for a short while, the snake sat atop his tower contemplating various other arguments he could have used to potentially be more convincing. In the end, he cast the thoughts aside, already annoyed by the very existence of such arguments to begin with. He decided he needed to take a breather - a swim would be delightful. Perhaps he could pursue the length of Taipang and inspect the corpse of that foul dragon he so epicly ground to minced meat with a river’s worth of water. Thus, he dove from his tower into the Giant’s Bath below and swam towards the east.

Shengshi followed his newest addition to his portfolio of fine rivers down to the delta and found it distinctly lacking in colossal dragon cadavers. The snake cursed under his breath - he had hoped the monster would have died from wounds sustained by being ground against the rocky lands of the drylands for a distance three fourths that of Nanhe. He would have to put in greater efforts to end that many headed lizard some other day. He gazed to the west, to the smoking borders of his jungle. He felt a large clump in his throat and a need to hasten over there - to slay the intruders and end that fiery demon forever…

He pondered. The minions would be simple enough, yet facing Sartr himself would be… He would have to lay a strategy this time. For all he knew, another reckless attack like the one against the dragons could potentially level his jungle. His eyes fell on the delta again. The delta had sprouted shrubberies, but like any fresh river of his, the waters themselves were without inhabitants. Perhaps that was for the best - the armies of fire would have to cross this river again. It would perhaps be unwise to fill it with life for them to destroy on the way--

A sound brought the snake’s eyes up from the river and outwards to the sea. Turbulent dark storm clouds stretched across the horizon, rolling towards the shore quickly. Waves were driven forwards by the storm, but one wave was approaching at oddly high speeds. Waves and storms in the ocean were naturally no unnatural phenomenon, but these seemed almost guided and unusually fast - intentionally charging at his shores. The snake turned to face them, his mouth in a slight sneer.

The storm closed in on the shore Shengshi was standing on, and he was buffeted by chaotic winds and rained upon by the clouds above. Squalls circled around him, and also duelled in the clouds above which were constantly being torn apart and stitched together by the discordant spirits. The greatest of the waves Shengshi had seen reached the beach, but instead of breaking it stopped and rose up into a towering form which looked down on Shengshi with a watery face. A peal of thunder issued from Ashalla and the squalls harassing Shengshi scattered.

Ashalla did not speak at first, instead opting to look up towards the west. She could taste the smoke even from here, and the clouds of smoke in the west rivalled the swarm of squalls above her.

“Odd how there are still siblings out there that I have not met since the Creation.” Shengshi lowered himself down and kowtowed before the sea goddess. “Welcome to the Dragon’s Foot, dear Ashalla.”

Ashalla turned her face to look at Shengshi again, as if only just properly registering the serpentine god’s presence. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Hello Shengshi. It is indeed odd that we have not met yet, considering the similarity of our domains.”[/b][/colour] Ashalla looked up at the smokey horizon again, her restlessness manifesting in a few more squalls peeling off from her form.

The snake stood up again and followed her gaze with a raised eyebrow and sighed. “A horrible sight, is it not? If you do not mind me asking - are you here to fight the demon as well?”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“I am here to defend the jungle,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla stated with a voice like a crashing wave.

The snake nodded. “How splendid - we really do need some reinforcements at the jungle border. Judging from the wanton destruction, my guardian is either sleeping on the job, or…” He frowned. “Regardless, it is good that you are here.”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Indeed,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said with a huff. Ashalla turned her head behind her, watching a stream of churned white which had appeared in the ocean and was heading towards the shore. She looked back to Shengshi. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“How much do you know of who is burning the jungle?”[/b][/colour]

The snake entwined his hands behind his back and squinted at the horizon. “I saw them briefly earlier - tall, yet weak humanoids of Flame, much like any fodder. They are, however led by a much stronger specimen, though I have not seen this creature with my own eyes.” All I know is that they wish for nothing else than senseless death - an inferno for all life on this continent.”

Ashalla rumbled in consideration. As she thought, the stream of bubbles and steam reached to the shoreline, and out from the water burst a colossal beast. Steam rose off the iron plates covering the crocodilian as it barrelled up the beach on its six legs. It then came to a halt nearby, its red eyes inspecting its surroundings and puffs of steam exhaling from its mouth. Squalls dove around it to drink up the moisture.

The snake blinked at first, then leaned in for a closer look. “My, what an interesting specimen. What is it, if I may ask? Some sort of dragon?”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Narzhak and I call it the Abyssal Leviathan. Born from the magma of the Abyss, the heat of the fiery rabble will have even less chance of harming this creature than their fists, or whatever weapons they have,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said.

The Leviathan met Ashalla’s gaze, and she rose a watery arm to point towards the western horizon. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Go. Trample all who burn down those forests,”[/b][/colour] she commanded with a voice of thunder. The Leviathan turned westwards and with surprising speed it hurtled along the ground, leaving a trail of churned soil and mud. The snake, who had been observing it eagerly, pursed his lips in disappointment at the monster’s sudden departure. 

“Leaving right away? No, that is no issue. There are wars to be won, after all…” he mumbled.

Ashalla then lifted her gaze skywards and issued another thunderous command. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Go. Douse all the flames you find. Let them taste my wrath.”[/b][/colour] The squalls stopped their squabbling upon being issued this divine decree. The wind turned westwards as the squalls flew, carrying the storm clouds with them. The vast storm stretched across the sky, countless multitudes of squalls fuelled by Ashalla’s fury and united in a singular purpose. As quickly as the storm had come, though, it left, receding towards the west.

“Quite the reinforcements, I must say,” the snake mused. “They are most welcome, dearest sister. As are the storms. Will you join in the battle yourself, may I ask?”

Ashalla rumbled briefly. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Perhaps. Although, they should be adequate, especially if the arsonists are mortal. I can inspect their progress later.”[/b][/colour]

“I believe they are indeed quite mortal - the fire demon cannot possibly possess the necessary power to create an immortal army - not without aid, anyway.” He stared across the ashen wastes left behind by the Jotundar army. “So much death… Nanhe is among the most fertile woods in the mortal world - to lose it would be devastating to the future of the realm.” He collected his hands behind his back. “It will regrow in time, but I cannot help but fear that it will forever live in the toxic smoke of Mt. Eldahverr - within the marching range of the armies of flame…” He looked to the river next to him and his lip quivered for an instant. “Taipang will become a lonely village ripe for slaughter with every attack - any life I form within it will be the first to die in case of an attack from the east, as it will be trapped between the land and the sea. A terrible tragedy,” the snake finished with a sniff. 

Ashalla turned her head to peer at the mouth of the river Taipang. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Why should the sea be a barrier?”[/b][/colour]

The snake raised an eyebrow and put his hands on his hips. “Well, fish of freshwater cannot exactly survive in saltwater, can they? Even brack is too much for their fragile gills.”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Then we make sturdier fish for this river so they can survive,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla suggested.

The snake raised a protesting finger, but slowly moved it to tug at his beard instead, humming pensively. “... A valid suggestion, if not a little unorthodox. A river full of life that can potentially vacate to sea if danger approaches…” He looked upwards and pursed his lips. “Nay, why limit it to that? Your seas, dearest sister, are quite substantial in terms of food and nutrients, correct?”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Indeed. I have occupied my oceans with life to fill all parts of the nutrient cycle,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said.

“Then how about this,” the snake said and clapped his palms together. “We will fill the river with life that will not just escape at the sight of danger, but life that will live as citizens of both our two realms, laying their eggs among the safe, tall reeds of the river, and feeding on the bounty of the sea as adults. Their waste will be ferried down from the hatching grounds at the headwaters and nourish the surrounding plant life and insects, and any detritus that is washed out is free game for any sea-dwellers. How does that sound?”

Ashalla rumbled for a few moments as she pondered Shengshi’s proposal. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“That sounds like a good idea. Let us make it.”[/b][/colour]

On cue, a school of ocean-dwelling fish swam up to Ashalla. She modified their physiology and instincts so they could enter the freshwater river. The snake snapped his fingers and from the distant point on the horizon where the river seemingly began came a rolling tide of leaves, reeds, shrubberies and lots of confused amphibians, insects and fish. He splashed them all with a little saltwater and snapped his fingers again. The fish wriggled and twisted as their gills adapted to their new lifestyles; the amphibians grew thicker and firmer skin; the insects’ chitin was reinforced and they morphed into odd, colourful crustaceans that swam just underneath the water surface or dug around in the brackwater sand. The reeds along the riverbanks took on a multitude of colours and seemed to duck underneath the surface whenever curious predators approached; and those at the very edge of the delta combined with wood leaves and grew powerful, girthy roots. Eventually they turned into small mangroves with an exceptionally deep and intricate web of roots that stabbed far into the soil, making them resistant to damage to the trunk itself. Around the roots sprouted saltwater-resistant shrubberies that would lay down in the water to cool off if the temperature got too hot.

As the mangroves took shape, a pod of dolphins swam close, called by Ashalla. These creatures were also adapted to better live in less salty water, and they were made slightly smaller to better fit in the river and cope with the warmer waters. These new river dolphins chittered as they playfully swam and hopped upstream.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“There is much life in the river. Perhaps the land around the river could also support more life,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla suggested. 

The snake pondered skeptically. “The surrounding deserts and wastelands are dry and barren… But the immediate banks could potentially be turned into oases of life.” He picked up a fistful of seaweed from the nearby sea and some clay and rubbed them in with some crushed bark from a nearby mangrove. He then planted the clump into the sand by the river. A moment passed before the ground sprouted a palm tree with bark like hardened pottery and fronds like wavey, brown seaweed, complete with green veins. Underneath the fronds sprouted grey clumps and Shengshi picked one. He took a bite and frowned a little. 

“I was hoping it would be sweet, but I suppose it may take better with other fruits.” He picked another one and offered it to Ashalla. “Here. It tasted a bit like a salt cracker, only that it is a little mushy. It is an odd sensation, actually.” Meanwhile, more trees of its kind sprouted around the delta and further inland, taking on greener colours the further in they grew.

Ashalla took the offered fruit in a watery pseudopod. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“It is amply nutritious, if not more salty than other fruits,”[/b][/colour] she stated plainly.

“Then they will need something to eat it with,” the snake agreed. He raised a hand and the colourful reeds were soon joined by fire-resistant strands of sorghum 

“There… These may burn up should the menace return, but their seeds will persevere in the ash and rise even stronger - in the spring and autumn, that is.”

Biomatter churned in the waves as more creatures were created by Ashalla’s hand. A few crocodiles crawled up the riverbanks. Numerous varieties of sea birds burst from the water and took to the skies. A few colourful long-legged birds waded through the shallows of the river delta. Shengshi smirked and kicked some rocks and sand into the water. Shadows formed underneath the surface as stone and clay grew to organs and hide. A herd of great, plump quadrupeds waddled out of the deepest parts of the water and settled on the bank, one of them yawning to reveal menacingly long teeth for a herbivore inside an even larger gape. From their nose protruded a single, long horn. A few calves swam about with vigour, and some of the males grew suspicious at the crocodiles. These horned hippos surrounded their young and began to roar territorial threats at all the others. Shengshi then tipped a tree into the sea and splashed it with river water. The tree sprouted four fins, two at the front and two at the back, and a long, razor-toothed jaw. Its bark turned into grey skin and the new predator soon became several and began to stalk around the deeper reaches of the delta. 

“Let us see… How about some snails or other mollusks?” the snake suggested.

There was a momentary rumble from Ashalla. The water then swirled and darkened as she created more creatures. Shiny and colourful shells appeared in the mud of the delta, mollusks which would bury themselves at low tide or at any sign of danger, and display their colours and feed when submerged in water. Barnacles sprouted on the roots of the mangrove trees. Several snails with buoyant air-filled shells floated on the water surface, using the currents to carry them along, although they could sink if needed.

“Ah, fantastic!” the snake said happily and put his hands on his hips. He pondered for a moment before looking wryly at Ashalla. “Do you have any other ideas?”

A low rumble followed Shengshi’s question, until Ashalla eventually said, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“I think this ecosystem is adequately populated.”[/b][/colour]

“As do I.” He gazed across the plethora of new species accustoming themselves to mortal life and sighed in satisfaction. “Say, would you like to come by for a drink to celebrate? I know the woods are aflame and the flame demon is burning my home province, but that should not stop us from commemorating this beautiful day of cooperation! What say you?”

Ashalla gave Shengshi a confused look. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Why would I want a drink?”[/b][/colour]

“... Because it tastes fantastic?” the snake proposed.

Ashalla appeared skeptical, although she said, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“I can give it a try. Regardless, we can celebrate our latest creation.”[/b][/colour]

“My thoughts exactly! Come on, I will take you to the Giant’s Bath.” The snake skipped into the river and torpedoed upstream. Ashalla’s form collapsed into the sea and she flowed upstream after Shengshi.

[hr]
Not much later than they had begun their swim, the two gods came upon the surprisingly underwhelming Giant’s Bath - a mere 20 metre tall crater of brown earth and hard stone that somehow managed to sprout three of the largest rivers on Galbar. The crater was intimately surrounded by wildlife, fronds and leaves of green harmonising wonderfully with the warm colours of the crater’s soil. The gods entered the lake atop the crater to see the opulent, gold-sparkling ship of Shengshi. The snake hopped aboard, snapped his fingers, and the servants came with pots of wine. As the servants spotted Ashalla, however, they nearly dropped the pots in a mixture of awe and fear. They cast themselves to the floor and thundered in unison: 

“TEN THOUSAND YEARS AND MORE TO ASHALLA, QUEEN OF THE OCEAN!” 

Ashalla stretched up and towered as tall as the ship, looking down upon the kowtowing servants smugly. Meanwhile, tendrils of water - fresh water here - crawled over the sides of the ship and below the deck, licking against a few servants and inspecting the vessel. A few pseudopods also brushed against Shengshi.

The snake stood like a statue as the watery tongues brushed against him. While his facial expression betrayed a hint of discomfort, he seemingly largely elected to ignore them. He cleared his throat. “Splendid beings, are they not?” Shengshi asked.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Indeed. You have taught these beings well,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla replied. The pseudopods then left Shengshi to search elsewhere,

The snake, in the meanwhile, had poured some wine in two cups and offered one of them to Ashalla.

“Here, have a taste.”

Ashalla stretched out a pseudopod which dipped into the cup, mixing the wine into the water. Shengshi was watching her expectantly, so she said levelly, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Fermented fruit juices with heightened ethanol content; a substance which lowers the inhibitions of fleshy creatures.”[/b][/colour]

The snake lowered one brow over his eye and smiled wryly. “Yes, that is indeed what it -is-, if not a little…” He paused. “Eloquently put. The flavour, though - how is the flavour?”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“The flavour is amicable in small quantities. However, an undiluted body of this stuff would be toxic,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said.

“W-well… Naturally, though part of the charm is that inebriating toxicity.” He sucked in a breath through the nose. “Though I suppose quite a lot of it would be needed for you to feel the effects yourself, dear sister.” He sighed. “On another note, what do you think so far of my servants? You commented amicably at their subservience - dare I say you and I may be of one mind when it comes to the mortals’ relations to gods?” His lips split into a grin. 

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“It would appear so,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Us gods are higher beings than mortals, with power over their very existence. It is only proper that they demonstrate the appropriate deference and give recognition to our godhood.”[/b][/colour]

“As if quoted from my book, dear sister,” he said with a chuckle. “As you can imagine, that very idea pumps through these splendid beings like blood through a fish. I hope, one day, to have them function as my personal messengers. Seeing as the first sailing was a resounding success, I will send them to my various siblings with gifts and messages - adds a slightly more intimate touch than that silly mind speak nonsense, do you not think so?” He tugged at his beard. “Oh, and speaking of the first sailing, I heard through prayers that my precious, loyal servants had been saved by a certain ‘Queen of Oceans’. Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart.”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Your gratitude is appreciated, as is theirs,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Qiang Yi also wrote me a wonderful poem.”[/b][/colour]

“Is that so? My, the servants did indeed pick an able captain. An officer well-versed in the arts is a gift to their crew.” He drummed the railing of the ship in thought. “Have you considered making any personal subjects?”

Ashalla rumbled briefly. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“I have not. I might, although attracting worship by deeds rather than creation feels more satisfying.”[/b][/colour]

“Oh, certainly, certainly. As lovely as they are, there is little satisfaction in being praised by beings fundamentally programmed to, well, praise you. Still, having loyal mortals to run errands and service you makes for quite a comfortable rule.” The snake held out his wine glass and a servant filled it from a pitcher.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“I have made unintelligent creatures to wrest control of the seas, and also to maintain my sculptures on the North Pole. Perhaps if I ever require the loyal service of sapient mortals I can create some. Or, perhaps, I could send off some fragment of myself, as you did with Xiaoli,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said.

“Ah, yes… A holy piece of oneself. I can recommend it - it is always fun to have someone close by of near equal stature and power. My, I miss her sometimes… By the way, how did you learn of Xiaoli?” He raised a curious brow. 

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“I found her flying over the ocean north of the Kick with the Dreamer named Hermes, and a cloudling named Poppler. Hermes impressed me with her dancing. Xiaoli made some lovely music with her flute. Xiaoli also offered me tea, as you had with wine,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said, then added with a wry ripple, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Poppler also claims to have beaten you in a drinking contest.”[/b][/colour]

“Hah,” the snake voiced flatly. “I would rather not discuss that night any further, if you do not mind.”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“That is one of the weaknesses of a fleshy form,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla commented with a wet huff. Shifting the topic slightly, she asked, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Have you seen Hermes since then?”[/b][/colour]

“I have, actually,” Shengshi confirmed with a cordial smile. “After the death of that maggot Vakk, we had a celebratory feast at their mansion and I am happy to inform you that both Hermes and Xiaoli are in good health. Last I heard, they have just gone through with one of my latest ideas: marriage. Oh, and they have two young Dreamer boys too, now. Is that not just adorable?”

Several surprised bubbles rose through Ashalla’s face and popped as they surfaced. Shengshi had managed to answer Ashalla’s yet-unspoken question as to whether Hermes had managed to fix her infertility, but he had raised so many more questions. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“I have questions. I will start with the smaller one. Are you saying Hermes procreated with Xiaoli?”[/b][/colour]

“Correct. K’nell and I worked together to form a fertile womb within the Dreamer’s body as a reward - and one she wanted dearly at that - for having, well, been one of the first truly legendary mortals in this world. Then I believe Arae took care of the issue regarding the difference in species. They are now perfectly capable of ‘procreation’, as you put it,” he said with a sly smirk. 

Ashalla gave a nod. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“The other question: Vakk died?”[/b][/colour]

“Yes,” the snake said rather more grimly. “Or more specifically, he was slain by divine hand.” He paused and looked shamefully at Ashalla’s approximation of a face. “Two of them were mine. The others belonged to K’nell and Eurysthenes. Vakk was mad, insane beyond redemption - it had to be done!” He gripped the railing of the ship and stared out towards the greener swathes of the horizon. “At least that is what I tell myself,” he added somberly.

Ashalla was still for a few moments, and the entirety of the Giant’s Bath was still with her. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“What happened?”[/b][/colour] she eventually asked.

“There was a great battle on Tendlepog’s grasslands,” Shengshi began. “I remember it well. The Warden’s forces clashing with the demonic wave of Echoes, Vakk’s threats against Hermes and Xiaoli, the final blow… The reason for the battle was so dull, too - all he wanted was some box he accused Hermes of stealing…” He shook his head disappointedly. 

Ashalla hesitated. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“It was not to retrieve the box. I had the Box of Orchestration, and Vakk knew it. He had called Hermes a thief, so perhaps this was attempted retribution.”[/b][/colour]

The snake closed his eyes and sucked in a breath of air. “So the whole attack was founded on a misunderstanding… That will certainly haunt me for eternity…” He collected his hands behind his back and slithered over to the dragon’s head, which he promptly mounted. 

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“So you fought Vakk to defend Hermes and Xiaoli?”[/b][/colour] Ashalla asked.

He sat down, propped his head on his right fist and sighed. “Yes, it was all for a mortal and a mere part of myself that I could have easily replicated at a later date - all for a bond of love and loyalty. I fought him for Hermes and Xiaoli, and I killed him for Hermes and Xiaoli.” He hummed thoughtfully. “Emotions are interesting, are they not?”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Vakk attempted to destroy a part of yourself and a being you had promised to aid. Your retaliation is justified. It is Vakk’s foolishness for attempting to fight three gods when he could not even overcome one,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said.

The snake flicked his tongue at the air and hummed again. “That is what my reason is telling me, yet the heart remains blue at the thought of being among the first to murder a sibling.” He shook his head. “Let us not speak of it further. My gut can only take so much. Have you seen the Beihese life I created the other day? I think you would like the colours.”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“I have not yet seen it. Perhaps you could show me,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Although, I still have another question. Why was Eurysthenes there?”[/b][/colour]

“Eurysthenes did it for his continent, I believe - after all, he rules Swahhitteh. Furthermore, I believe he had some… Scores to settle with Vakk from earlier, though I could never decipher exactly what those scores were.” He gave Ashalla a weary look. “Will that be all regarding the maggot?”

Ashalla rumbled for a few moments. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Yes, that is all,”[/b][/colour] she eventually said.

A smile returned to the snake’s lips and he stood up. “Then please, follow me. I am quite certain that you will love this.” With that, he dove into the waters below and began to swim towards the mouth in the crater wall leading to Beihe. Ashalla’s probing tendrils retracted from the Jiangzhou and Ashalla collapsed into the lake to swim after Shengshi.

They entered into the Beihe river and were immediately flanked on each side by a plethora of colours spanning almost the entirety of the visible spectrum. Flowers were beaming in the heliopolis, and bumblebees zoomed about leisurely between the many nectar-dripping blooms. Fish and birds were nibbling on plant detritus and water insects, and frogs sat croaking between the reeds. A farmer ape sat with its hind feet in the stream of the western bank, gnawing on a bamboo stick.

Shengshi stopped and gestured to the surroundings. “What do you think?”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“It is beautiful,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said with the sound of a burbling stream.

The snake nodded. “See, I wanted to create an environment with seasonal blooms, much like those wheat plants I added along the Taipang earlier, and make it a changing experience - constant new stimuli for observers.” He pointed to the far end of the river. “Sadly, towards the Dragon’s Strait, the Saluran Mendidih makes the climate much too hot and wet for most of this vegetation… For most vegetation, really.” He put his hands on his hips and cocked his head to the side at Ashalla. “Would it be rude of me to ask if you could do something about the menacing tropical storms over there?”

Ashalla stretched her neck to better peer at the Saluran Mendidih in the distance. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“With both the Saluran Mendidih and the Maelstrom, it is not worth me permanently suppressing the storms. I can easily create temporary calms, as I did for the Zhengwu. A useful point for manipulating mortals,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“As for the boiling strait, that does pose some challenges for creating life nearby. Although, it does boil away most of Seihdhara’s ichor before it can reach the rest of the ocean.”[/b][/colour]

The snake made the sort of face one would make if someone started discussing cannibalism over dinner. “Please do not even get me started on that abomination of a ‘river’,” he muttered with air-quoting fingers. 

There was a brief rumble, then Ashalla suggested, [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Perhaps we could do something about that river.”[/b][/colour]

The snake grimaced. “Like… Touch it, you mean? Dry it out? Remove it entirely?”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“We can cleanse the ichor before it reaches the sea. Narzhak just made some sharks to consume stray ichor and clean up after himself. While sharks are probably not an appropriate solution, the physiology of something which would cleanse the river should be similar,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla explained.

The snake pursed his lips and tugged at his beard. “... I suppose I could make some sort of seasonal vegetable or grain that would suck the ichor out of the water and collect it in fruits or seeds for the boars to eat.” He counted on his fingers and mouthed silent plans. “Some shrubberies and water lilies could potentially also provide a decent effect.”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Reeds and mangroves to filter the river. Possibly some animals to keep the plant populations in check,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla added.

“That could work…” he mumbled and sneered at the mountains. “Well, here we go, then.” With a quick bend of his tail, the snake burst into the air like a red bullet, breaking through the low clouds around the Qiangshan range.

Ashalla watched Shengshi leap away with a huff. Her traversal of those mountains would not be nearly as fast as Shengshi’s. To travel to and across the Seihdhar she would need to be a cloud, but unless she wanted to keep Shengshi waiting a manner to speed up her transformation was in order. A look downstream to the boiling ocean gave her the idea she needed.

[hr]
Shengshi crashed into the dry, hostile lands of the Charnel Steppes, sending rocks, gravel and dry blood flying in every direction. He surveyed the grey wastes which were only occasionally broken by hills covered in vegetation. Ashen grass that looked more like iron nails stabbed up through the soil, contrasting the red mists that drifted lazily around. The snake sneered.

“How ghastly,” he muttered and looked to the four directions. Ashalla was nowhere to be seen yet - she may have taken the way around, he reasoned. In one of those four directions, or rather more specifically, in front of him, the red Seihdhar cast a stark contrast on the overall deathly greyness about the place. Still, its colour did little to please the snake. He picked up a strand of grass and split it in half with a claw. He dabbed two fingers on his tongue and stroked the inside of both blades before planting them again on the riverbank. Almost immediately, they took on a yellow, sandy colour and grew a metre tall. More like them began to sprout along the river bank, and as the plants drank in the water, they began to redden with an orange glow. Like many of his other plants, Shengshi decided, this one would also be seasonal, as they likely would not be able to handle constantly sucking up divine essence. The first two reeds sprouted seeds and Shengshi picked one to eat. 

“Hmm… Dull, flavour-wise, but the blood of a goddess does make it quite rich in nutrients - and energy.” He snickered to himself. “The animals here will grow frighteningly strong.”

At this time a great storm rolled over the north-western horizon. Unlike the discordant storm clouds made from squalls Shengshi had seen earlier, this colossal storm was unified. As the storm came closer, thunder greeted him. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“It is a start. But we’ll need more.”[/b][/colour]

Where Ashalla’s raindrops fell, reeds and moss grew along the Seihdhar, growing thick and strong in the ichor. Mangrove trees also sprouted up, and soon the river of blood was thick with plant-life filtering the fluid. While the ichor this far downstream was fairly dilute compared to the ichor upstream, as the plants sucked the ichor from the water it was concentrated within their sap. The water around the biofilter simmered from the heat of Seihdhara’s blood.

The snake scratched his cheekbone and looked around. Humming ponderously, he dug about in the ashen soil until he found strands of fungi. He pinched a blue fungus string between his claws and pulled it out of the ground. He rubbed it with a few droplets of the Seihdhar which he reluctantly had dabbed on his fingers, and replanted them on the bank. Next to the moss and around the mangroves sprouted thick-stemmed, orange-capped mushrooms that began to absorb excess ichor that the other plants drank from the river. He then patted himself a disc of gray clay and placed it on the water surface, making a water lily which soon sprouted siblings all along the river’s length and also began to redden from drinking divine blood.

“I reckon they will not survive the stronger concentrations further up, but they may reduce the levels of divine essence a little more for the plant life here.” He went over to inspect one of the local sanctuary trees that had already stood here from before they came. A barrier of energy extended around the tree, but Shengshi seemed to pass right through it, albeit with a slight hint of strain on his face. “Do you reckon we could do anything about these?”

A breeze whistled around the sanctuary trees. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“These creations of Arae are already well suited for this environment. They may help preserve our biofilter against damage,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said. Shengshi nodded with a hum and poked at the shield barrier around him.

The clouds lowered as Ashalla took a closer look at the river so far. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“While we want the plants to be thick and prosperous, these plants will become overgrown as they gorge themselves on the rich blood unless we have animals to consume the plants and expend their energy doing things besides growing.”[/b][/colour]

The snake broke through the shield again and dusted himself off. “Agreed. They ought to be very large, still, as to absorb as much energy as possible without it overbloating and killing them from the inside.” He crossed his arms and glanced across the Charnel Steppes. “They also ought to be able to compete with the… Slightly more savage wildlife around here, I feel.”

Ashalla sent wind to stir up the soil around the river, and from the disturbance emerged many insects who could pollinate the plants of the river. Heavy rain fell over the water, and from the turbulence emerged schools of fish. The smaller of these fish ate moss and plants and hid in the reeds, and a few filtered through the water for traces of ichor which had bled past the many plants. Some larger fish stalked the smaller fish. Their consumption of ichor-laden food led to all the fish being unusually agile, durable and vicious. Some grew blades on their fins, or horns on their skulls, or particularly thick scales. The battles between predator and prey, or between two fish seeking territory or mates, would be fierce and energetic. A few fish also had such martial prowess that they could fire darts of water at insects in the air above them, knocking them down to be consumed.

Meanwhile, the snake had slithered over to the nearby foot of Qiangshan. He patted a tall boulder sticking out of the hillside and beckoned it to follow. Swiftly, the boulder hatched like an egg to reveal a stone-skinned beast with a trunk and two long tusks. It and others from surrounding rock eggs followed along to the river and began to drink the water and eat mangrove leaves. The ichor made them sprout two additional tusks on each side of the trunk, and their legs grew muscular and very swift for a creature of such proportions. These six-tusked elephants were accompanied by birds that perched on their backs and pecked at any curious insects. Water buffalo rose from the waters, their horns becoming antlers, and began to chew river reed cud. One of the water buffalo exited the water for a moment to test the hard ground for the first time, but out of the reeds suddenly came a massive tiger with particularly intense orange stripes and six powerful legs. Finally, smaller critters dared peek out from their hiding spots and began to sample the various grains, mushrooms and leaves around. Squirrels grew wings, tapirs grew thick skulls that could be used to ram predators, mice became bipedal and grew into kangaroo rats, and frogs grew into large, menacing toads with two constantly sneering heads.

Spiralling tornadoes descended from Ashalla and pulled up dirt, red ichor and plants. Out from these twisting winds came birds. Some of the birds possessed a streamlined form, able to plunge into the river like a spear and skewer fish on their sharpened beaks. Some were lightweight and camouflaged, darting with great agility among the plants of the river to eat their fruits while evading predators. And a few avians were colossal birds of prey, hunting all beasts smaller than themselves.

The snake broke off a branch from a mangrove and dipped it in ichor. In his hands the branch became a bundle of red snakes, their backs sporting impressive manes of flowing, golden hair, and their teeth dripping with yellow, nerve-killing venom. He put all but two of them on the ground and watched them slither off. The remaining two, he rubbed with soil and gravel and put down on the ground. The snakes sprouted six legs along their now-thickened central bodies. Their necks shortened and their manes sprouted straight, pointed horns. These maned iguanas sat themselves down by the riverside, basking in the heliopolis light.

The snake wiped his brow and put his hands on his hips. “How stellar! The water is functionally pure as it runs into the sea, now. Maybe in a few hundred years, it will be perfectly clean as it should be,” he said excitedly. “Got any more ideas?”

With her nebulous form it was impossible to tell where Ashalla was looking, but it could be reasonably guessed that she was inspecting their handiwork. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“It is good. I think our work here is complete,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla eventually said.

“Yes, it would seem so… Well, that would be two tasks scratched from my to-do list! Thank you so, so much for your aid with Taipang, and your suggestion to… clean this ‘river’ here. Say, while we are at it, would you like to see what we can do about that Dragon’s Strait, too?”

Ashalla rumbled as she considered the offer. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Perhaps some other time,”[/b][/colour] she eventually said.

The snake nodded. “Yes, on second thought, I do feel quite drained from today’s endeavours. What will you do now, if I may ask?”

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“I will inspect the battle for the jungle. If the fires have not been dampened by now, it will require my direct intervention,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla said.

The snake nodded. “And for a moment, I had completely forgotten that assaillants are at my doorstep… I will return to Nanhe to see if they have been forced into a retreat yet. If not, then I, too, will join the battle myself.”

A distant rumble of thunder signalled acknowledgement. [colour=lightseagreen][b]“Then let us go.”[/b][/colour]

“I will secure the river itself. If you could defend the eastern forests, I would be in your debt,” the snake said.

[colour=lightseagreen][b]“Alright,”[/b][/colour] Ashalla replied. The wind changed, and the storm billowed southwards. Shengshi once more skipped back over the mountain range and dove into Beihe on the other side, swimming along the stream towards the south.

[hider=Summary!]
Shengshi finds himself rather angry at the argument with Azura and Asceal, so he decides to swim down Taipang to look at the corpse of Slaevatein. However, upon arriving there, he finds the dragon graveyard distinctly lacking in dragons, but instead finds Ashalla with a ton of squalls and also the Abyssal Leviathan.

Ashalla explains that she’s here to defend the forest and sends her forces off to do so, to which Shengshi gives a thumbs-up, and then comments on how the two of them never hang out. Ashalla agrees and together they make the Taipang ecosystem, an ecosystem that unites freshwater species and seawater species and is fire-resistant as heck on account of the various species that can escape to sea and live there, or bury underground and so on. Sheng then proposes they celebrate by going for a drink. Ashalla wonders why they need a drink, but follows along anyway.

At the ship, they exchange a bit of awkward dialogue where Shengshi tries to explain that there is more to food and drink than their chemical compositions, by which Ashalla remains unconvinced. Ashalla also learns of Vakk’s death. Shengshi still feels guilty about it, but Ashalla thinks his actions were justified.

Shengshi shows her Beihe, ‘cuz he knows she likes colour, and they start talking about making a biofilter ecosystem around the Seihdhar, because holy ichor in the oceans is icky and the river itself is yucky. So they do that and make the Seihdhar river ecosystem, which is full of species jacked on holy protein shakes and plants with the nutrient contents of animal feed. 

After that, they agree that they should return to the fighting. Shengshi travels along the rivers to protect Nanhe itself, whereas Ashalla heads to the eastern edges of the woods to survey the squalls’ progress on dousing the fires.
[/hider]


[hider=Might Summary]
Squalls are now a 1 FP extraordinary species (enhanced by Storms). 0 FP doesn’t do them justice for what I want to do with them.
Ashalla spent 1 MP (enhanced by Storms) to gather a vast storm of squalls.
2 FP (enhanced by Oceans and Rivers) to create the Taipangese ecosystem, a fire-resistant oasis which thrives in the brackwater.
2 FP (enhanced by Rivers) to create the River Seihdhar ecosystem, an energy-rich biofilter which purifies the water before it reaches the ocean.

[u]Ashalla[/u]
[i]Start:[/i] 6 MP, 6 FP
[i]Spent:[/i] 1 FP to make Squalls a 1 FP Enhanced by Storms extraordinary species.
1 MP (enhanced by Storms) to gather a vast storm of squalls and unite them under a single purpose, for a time at least.
1 FP shared with Shengshi to make the Taipangese ecosystem.
1 FP shared with Shengshi to make the River Seihdhar ecosystem.
[i]End:[/i] 5 MP, 3 FP
[i]Portfolios:[/i] 5/10 Colour
10/10 Ice

[u]Shengshi[/u]
[i]Start:[/i] 0MP, 6FP
[i]Spent:[/i] 1FP shared with Ashalla to make the Taipangese ecosystem and 1 FP for the Seihdhar.
[i]End:[/i] 0MP, 4FP
[i]Portfolios:[/i] 5/5 Brewing
5/5 (10/10) Harvest
[/hider]