[center][h2]Courage & Sala[/h2][/center] A curious thing about the ocean is that, once you get far enough into it, you can’t even tell what’s happening on the surface. At least, not without senses beyond mortality. Go deep enough, and you can’t tell anything at all. As Courage sunk the storm faded from her senses, and soon the light began to grow dim. Faster than she could suffocate the Herald of Honor found herself alone in the dark; what few sounds she could still hear rendered alien and strange by the vastness of the seas and the distance of their travel. Even those grew fainter as what energy she had left faded and the pressure of the water inexplicably began to confine her more than her crystallization already had. She could not close her eyes, but she could not see anything either. Her mind was filled with visions of her sister reaching out towards her as they sunk deeper and deeper, until her hand came too close. Courage watched as Fear’s hand became red and crystalline like that which encased her now, and she watched as her sister’s hand snapped off and was pulled along in the violent currents of the sea. Then Fear was pulled away from her as well… and she was alone. Damn it! Why!?! Courage could only curse her foolishness, her reckless abandon that had doomed her and her sister. They had done nothing wrong, and even sought to save those that were stolen, yet they had failed and found themselves punished for their good intentions. DAMN IT!!! She was trapped, and could feel her strength waning. When Homura had left, she could feel her strength begin to fade. The champion knew that the goddess of honor had imbued them with her power, and sustained them in her presence, but without her, their vigor and might became diminished. Courage wanted to become stronger, and prove that the goddess had chosen her to be a herald of honor for a reason. While Fear and Kindness were content to serve and accept what they had been given, the brash champion wanted to be recognized for her own greatness. Greatness that seemed to end with drowning in the sea after an idiotic attempt to be a hero had proven too much for her. She didn’t want to accept this fate though... There was a glimmer in the distance. A tiny beacon in the darkness growing larger with every moment. A fish swam towards her, a narrow, quick, and [i]glowing[/i] animal. It probed at her as Courage died, its gnawing little teeth breaking down the magic crystal that was the only thing keeping her from a gruesome end. For now. She could only watch in helpless anger and despair as the animal, a simple scavenger alone and seeking out what sustenance it could, set about the murder of one of creations first thinking minds. Or at least, until she heard the voice. Where before there had only been silence and the occasional groan of the shifting world Courage heard a voice speaking urgently, [color=f5f4d7]“It has what you need to survive. Take it- Take it [i]now![/i]”[/color] At the prompting Courage felt an inexplicable rush of energy, the provision of a chance. But only a chance. Her crystal cocoon shattered, and she rushed the creature that had attempted to consume the last of her protection. Her hands grasped the fish, squeezing it with intense strength, fingers piercing its scales, and tearing through its innards. Her vision was red with rage, and the blood that poured forth from the vicious wounds she had inflicted upon the fish she held. “Give it back!” She screamed underwater, and could feel the cold liquid filling her throat once more. Damn it! She panicked, and flailed with the now dead fish still in her hand, her mind racing to find a way to prevent the water from extinguishing the fire within her. She suddenly shoved the fish into her face, bits of viscera sealing her mouth and gore pulled towards her nostrils. She accidently consumed chunks of its body, and immediately spit out the wrecked corpse. “Bleh! Bleh! Bleh!” She coughed and spat, with a disgusted expression as she floated aimlessly. She stopped and stared at her hands, then looked to what remained of the fish had half eaten and half destroyed. “What? Wha- I-I I didn’t mean to!” She reached out and held the dead fish in her hands delicately. “No, no. Come on, you’re fine! Wake up! No! Get up!” But the dead do not rise no matter how much you pray, and Courage found herself weeping in the deep depths, her tears mingling with the dark water. A presence, set to depart, lingered as she did so. The ghostly figure watched, just distant enough to be invisible to the faint glow of Godfish viscera around Courage, yet nearing with every sob. A lapse in attention from the Herald was all it took, and before Courage could even notice a pale hand wiped at a tear as it formed from the corner of her eye. The figure before her, a haze of salt precipitating out of and dissolving into the water, regarded the hand they’d touched Courage’s tears with curiously. It spoke with a familiar feminine voice as its blurry gaze remained fixed on the finger, [color=f5f4d7]“You’re not her. But you are familiar. Like the lost ones. They were her creations? There wasn’t a way to save them, at least- then.”[/color] The figure shifted its gaze to courage and swam about her, leaving faint trails of dissolving salt in the sea, [color=f5f4d7]“I’ve never seen one of you like this. Moving, alive, body mostly intact. How... Odd. Did she make all of your people like you?”[/color] Courage’s eyes widened when she realized she was not alone, another being had somehow approached her without her even realizing it. She gasped in surprise, only to then realize that she was no longer drowning. She could breathe, or something akin to it at least. “Are you a goddess?” The reckless champion asked, feeling a familiar sense of awe fill her as she watched the shape within the salt shift and swim around. Honor compelled her to introduce herself then, and Courage attempted to bow while sinking. “I’m Courage, a servant of the King in Heaven, and a Champion of Honor. Thank you for your aid.” She said politely, mustering all of the etiquette she knew. [color=f5f4d7]“Yes,”[/color] The figure stopped circling her and met Courage’s eyes as it answered her, [color=f5f4d7]“And you aren’t, [i]Courage[/i]. You’re Mortal. I’ve not spoken to one of you before. Hm. Well, you’re welcome. Tell me, though, why would someone like you race through a divine storm and plunge themselves into the ocean? My presence here was no certainty, you couldn’t have been sent to meet with me.”[/color] “I-uh… I didn’t intend to take a dive into the deep. I… made a mistake. But, may I ask a favor, your grace. I lost my sister somewhere, and I need to find her. Please, would you help me?” Courage had encountered other deities, and all of them had been kind. She hoped that the goddess before was as kind, otherwise she may have made another mistake. [color=f5f4d7]”My grace?”[/color] The figure seemed to draw itself together at that, and Courage could even make out a smiling face even if for a moment. The Goddess preened, [color=f5f4d7]“Oh I can guess why she made you. I must find- Ehm, a sister you say? If you lost her at sea I can tell you she is not near, there is nothing like you for some distance. Beyond that... The world remains in chaos. Your sister is one creature in all creation, Courage. I will help you find her if she yet lives, but this is not a world of peace.”[/color] “Thank you! Thank you so much! Fear might always be scared, but she isn’t weak. She’s still alive. She looks like me, so she shouldn’t be too hard to find.” Courage exclaimed, and glanced around the darkness. The light of day did not reach so far below the surface, and aside from the glittering presence of the goddess, there was nothing else she could really discern. She wasn’t even certain which way was up after spinning so many times during her descent. “I’m not sure which is the right way though. She was so close, and then she wasn’t. Pulled away from me, and I couldn’t do anything!” Courage shook her head with anger, and wanted to find her lost sister and stolen kin, but she was helpless. Not anymore. “We’ll find her. My Maker said we must have faith in the Divine. I believe in you, your grace.” The pale figure reached out and as its hand swept over Courage’s she began to rise inexorably towards the surface. The Goddess matched her pace and introduced herself seriously, [color=f5f4d7]“I am Sala, the Goddess of Salt, and I promise you nothing Courage. I will help, because you interest me, and because enough has been lost in this world already, but do not mistake my aid for a guarantee. Far greater and nobler beings than your sister have perished.”[/color] “It is an honor, Sala. I hope you’re able to meet my Maker, the Goddess of Honor. She is seeking the other Divine, giving them gifts. The last thing she said was that she was going to the pale orb in the night sky to investigate something, but she must’ve returned by now. If we find her, she’ll know where Fear is, and she’ll give you her gifts. More humans, like myself.” Courage explained as they ascended, seeing the light beyond. “She spoke of a coming war, and wanted to work with the other Divine to protect Galbar. She’s spoken with Voligan, Zenia, and Chailiss, as well as another god named Voi. All of them are going to fight together. I’m going to fight beside them, will you join us?” Courage asked. [color=f5f4d7]”Coming? The war is here, Courage, and we Gods are the ones waging it against the world.”[/color] Sala spoke bitterly as her body began to solidify, and then change. Salt turned to pale flesh, though the Goddess made no effort to imitate Courage. By the time the light of the Monarch’s Palace began to shine through the water above them she was a tall woman with sharp angular features, bone white skin, and wide dark eyes. Sala glanced at Courage evidently concerned regarding this revelation and elaborated more forgivingly, [color=f5f4d7]“We create and your kind, those like you and others besides, are ground into the dirt or smashed on the rocks for being too weak to survive it. I’ve no doubt your maker is well intentioned. I know Voligan would not align himself with an enemy of the world, but even he has done damage simply by being. As have I.”[/color] [color=f5f4d7]“We’ll find your maker, and your sister, but when I [i]do[/i] accept creatures like you under my care the very last place I’ll put them is in the way of war. They would not survive it. Not yet.”[/color] The pair broke through the surface at last, and Sala watched as Courage began coughing up water, the air able to push out what was within her. The champion found that she did not stand atop the water, but sort of stood upon something unseen beneath the surface, held by the will of the divine, it seemed. “Most,” gasp, “of humanity rests within Keltra,” gasp, “and those that are given away are under the protection of the Divine, ya. I want to fight… but if you say we’re not ready, then I’ll wait.” Courage replied after recovering from her ascent, and taking another deep breath. She looked around, and saw that the ocean had calmed now, the storm had passed, and now the song of the sea had returned to its otherworldly melody. There was no sight of the three colossi, or any lands nearby, but the senses of a mortal were so much more limited compared to the senses of a goddess. “Which way, your grace? I was hoping we would be able to see something when we reached the surface, but there’s only the sky and the sea.” Courage sought the resolve within her, and found her strength slowly returning. [color=f5f4d7]“That way,”[/color] Sala pointed southwest absentmindedly. The Goddess started walking as she spoke, her steps unwavering despite being ankle deep in the ocean. She went on, [color=f5f4d7]“And don’t mistake me, the day will come when the world is strong enough to survive the abuse of its creators. My Godfish are a beginning. You’d have died without them, and their gift is more than that alone.”[/color] “I… the Godfish… was I supposed to kill it?” Courage asked, the memory of its blood staining her hands, the taste of its death in her mouth; it sickened her, and she tried to forget it. [color=f5f4d7]“Of course?[/color] The Goddess said bemusedly, [color=f5f4d7]“I created them to concentrate power, to consume the fallout of our Lord’s court’s reckless creation and distill it. How else would you take their power? Strength, resilience, the capacity to breathe water like air, there's no way to wrest the power from the animal without killing it. The world grows stronger with every Godfish that falls prey, every tiny morsel of divinity absorbed into mortality. It is why they exist.”[/color] Courage nodded, and ignored the small feeling of illness that had arisen within her. She could not question the goddess, everything the deity had said seemed certainly true. She had not drowned after she had broken the creature in her hands and mouth, and she found herself reinvigorated as well, despite her stomach continual complaints. The reckless champion wondered whether she should seek out more of these God-fish, and consume them, so that she might have the strength to protect her loved ones and rid herself of her aversion to the sea. “You’re very wise, your grace. I’m happy knowing my kin will be safe with you.” Courage said with a pleased grin. “I can’t let my sisters see me being all sad when we get back, ya.” [color=f5f4d7]“As they ever could be,”[/color] Sala cooed in an immensely satisfied tone as she glanced back at Courage, [color=f5f4d7]“And I can only hope they share your... Demeanour, as it were.”[/color] “You’ll like Kindness! She’s quiet, but considerate of others. She’s not very good at dancing though. Then there’s Fear… she’s reluctant to do anything she doesn’t have to, but she can be fun when you poke her out of her shell. There’s also Curiosity and Wanderer, and they’re as different as night and day. You’ll meet them along with our Maker, and they’ll thank you for saving me!” Courage said, while they walked across the sea. “Have you created life like us? Those that serve the Divine with devotion.” Courage asked. The goddess halted and stumbled at the question, but started moving again just as quickly. She coughed unconvincingly and deflected, [color=f5f4d7]“I look forward to meeting all of them. Especially your maker. A friend of Voligan you say?”[/color] “Ya, Voligan and Zenia visited, and our Maker gifted them with my sleeping kin. Voligan promised to fight beside our Maker, same with Zenia. There’s also Chailiss, from the North.” The brash champion explained. “Have you met with the other gods and goddesses?” Courage continued, crossing her hands behind her head, and wearing a cheeky grin. [color=f5f4d7]“I have felt all of their influences upon the world. Each ripple they left in the ocean. I know them all Courage, even if I haven’t met more than a handful in-”[/color] The flustered Goddess suddenly smirked, and then failed to hide it as she pivoted, [color=f5f4d7]“I have met with the Lord of Reality. We are all, in the end, parts of him.”[/color] “You’ve met the King in Heaven!?! What’s He like? Homura said that mortal eyes couldn’t perceive His shape without being lost in His majesty… I mean, my Maker said that.” Courage quickly amended, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, after asking her question. [color=f5f4d7]“She did?”[/color] Sala blinked and strained to see her own mortal inspired eye, to no avail. She glanced at Courage and went on like she’d never tried, [color=f5f4d7]“Well, eyes are fragile. That is something I’ll have to fix but, hm, our Lord has them. Eyes, that is. And four arms.”[/color] The Goddess' expression grew taut to wither as she moved beyond the Monarch's form, [color=f5f4d7]“And he’s kinder than you might think, but no less terrifying than you’re afraid of. He has the power to unmake everything. Be glad you’re beneath his notice.”[/color] “Hmm… I hope to earn His attention as His faithful servant. I’ll make Him proud, just watch. When that day comes, I’ll remind everyone that it was you that saved me.” Courage replied, after imagining herself with four arms upon hearing Sala’s description of the Monarch of All. She looked at the goddess, and offered her another smile. [color=f5f4d7]”Careful your enthusiasm doesn’t get anyone you care for killed.”[/color] Sala said frigidly. A mote of anguish in her eyes was extinguished as she looked away and bulldozed any possible reply from her companion, [color=f5f4d7]“Your human legs are too short. This will take weeks at your pace.”[/color] The Goddess of Salt stepped up to Courage in the blink of an eye and wrapped her arms around the Herald’s waist. Courage only stared in confusion, and began stammering nonsensical words out at the contact. [color=f5f4d7]“We’ll be there today at mine.”[/color] Sala said before the world began to blur. She’d grabbed hold of Courage instants before a geyser blasted the pair so far into the sky that land was visible in the distance. The wind buffeted them, but never so harshly that Courage was in danger. Again and again they descended only to be caught by a new geyser, and each time they seemed to be moving more quickly. They found otherworldly signs of the Goddess of Honor, the sea held lingering remnants of her power and shimmered like red rubies beneath the shining sun. The land itself could be seen close by, not expecting the sudden arrival of Sala and the startled Courage who was trying and failing to catch her breath as they swiftly traveled so far. All the champion could do was silently scream and cling onto the goddess. The shore was a mix of stone and vibrant flora consisting of a myriad of shapes and colors. However the primary pigment was a deep and rich scarlet painted across and suffused in the leaves and flowers that sang and danced with the wind. All of which was indelicately brushed aside by the huge geyser of falling salt water which crashed down on it. At the vanguard of the destruction, far beyond the shore, Sala pried Courage off of her and placed her on the firm ground before announcing with only the smallest hint of uncertainty, [color=f5f4d7]“Keltra! We’ve arrived, Courage. If you'd, ahm, point us to your home?”[/color] “I’m alive!” Were the first words the champion spoke from where she fell on the ground, before she pushed herself back up, and took in her surroundings. She staggered forward, and began laughing. “That way! That way! Your grace!” Courage shouted as she pointed westward along the shore. “Keltra waits along the shore!” She sang, before dancing around Sala. “Let’s do that again!” [color=f5f4d7]“If that’s what you’d like.”[/color] Sala gave Courage a mischievous smile before throwing the champion in the direction she indicated. Homura’s champion sailed through the air in a long arc only to be caught by the very person who’d tossed her, and before she could get a word in she was thrown again. This happened time and time again until Sala caught Courage and set her down while asking impatiently, [color=f5f4d7]“You pointed the right way, didn’t you? Did you see anything from up there?”[/color] Courage felt her head wobble, and let out childish and confused laughter in response to the question of the goddess. “Eh? Hehe, what?” She managed to ask, still swaying back and forth. Then something else answered Sala’s question. A red light framed with prismatic patterns and filled with divine power approached from the west. The presence of another goddess, as Homura walked towards Sala and Courage. [b]“Welcome sister. I am Homura, and I mean you no harm.”[/b] Homura’s voice reached them from afar, and Sala could easily see the golden spear the smaller goddess held in her hand shrink and disappear in her palm. The Salt Goddess shook Courage’s shoulder and the Human felt a rush of clarity. Sala exhorted, [color=f5f4d7]“Wake up Courage, now isn't the opportune time for hypoxia. Your creator has arrived.”[/color] Sala stepped forwards and answered Homura warmly, though her eyes never left the other divine’s hand. The one the weapon had vanished into. [color=f5f4d7]“Lady of Honor. Your subject here has been telling me about you and her sisters. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”[/color] [b]“Likewise. You have my gratitude, sister. I had thought that I lost this one.”[/b] Homura replied, and gestured to the astonished Courage, who looked between the two deities with the sudden realization of where she was. She quickly bowed before Homura. “Forgive me for my foolishness, everything that happened was my fault!” She said, refusing to rise after apologizing. The red goddess shook her head, and spoke softly. [b]“It is I who should seek forgiveness. I let harm befall you and your sister, when I could have prevented it. Rise, Courage, and face me. I do not want you to surrender to shame now.”[/b] Then she turned to the other goddess. [b]“If my champion has explained properly, then I assume you are aware of my intentions.”[/b] [color=f5f4d7]“You seek allies for a coming conflict. Yes, Courage told me [i]that[/i].”[/color] Sala answered mirthlessly, [color=f5f4d7]“I’m afraid you’ll find no comrade in arms here, Homura, but no enemy either. Violence and carelessness have already taken enough of us, and the world has borne the cost of the struggle.”[/color] Homura allowed herself to smile, a small and forlorn smile hiding the shadows of grief. [b]“I agree, and as long as you do not advocate death nor despair, then we have no reason to quarrel. If there is anything I can do to help you, then feel free to call upon me.”[/b] The red goddess reached out with her hand that had not held the celestial weapon. She moved carefully and gracefully, with sincerity shining in her red eyes. [b]“Let us clasp hands, for the sake of peace.”[/b] Sala’s hand wavered at her side for a passing moment before she mirrored Homura’s actions and clasped the other Goddess’s hand. Even so, the Goddess of Salt met Homura’s grip. Sala met Homura’s gaze as she spoke, [color=f5f4d7]“May it endure forever, Lady of Honor. On that point your subject Courage informed me you’ve already set about entrusting her people to the rest of our Lord’s court. I must ask: Is there a way I could obtain a number of these humans?”[/color] The Goddess of Salt looked at Courage, the human still looking rather windblown, before going on with some mirth in her voice, [color=f5f4d7]“They’re delicate but, mostly, quite pleasant company. And, hm, their fragility can be corrected.”[/color] [b]“I am afraid my means of transportation recently wandered far away, but if you are able to transport them yourself, then there is no issue. Come with me, and I shall show you Keltra proper.”[/b] And the red goddess stepped back before gesturing for Sala to follow. Homura looked to Courage, standing awkwardly nearby. [b]“Your sister awaits, Courage.”[/b] Emerging from her palm, Daybringer stretched forth and shimmered in the hand of the goddess. She pointed its tip skyward, and the weapon released a column of celestial light that reached the heavens. The light was answered by a far away titanic bellow. [b]“Shall we?”[/b] The Goddess of Honor asked, looking at Sala once more. [color=f5f4d7]“I'll await you there.”[/color] Sala said as she eyed Homura and Courage. The Goddess’s body began to change from flesh to white crystal as she spoke, crumbling and cracking and benign carried away as dust in a sudden wind. Just as Sala’s face was breaking apart she added with amusement, [color=f5f4d7]“I’m afraid you’ll have to rely on the speed of your maker this time, Courage. I’ve no doubt she can indulge your travel preferences as well as I.”[/color] Flakes of salt like snow carried themselves away on the wind, flying in a sinuous stream towards that distant bellow. The Goddess of Honor and her champion stood there, watching as the salt soared through the sky towards Keltra. The goddess spoke first. [b]“We will have words later, Courage. What you did was foolish, and has hurt the ones that love you. You should have waited for me.”[/b] She said, and though she spoke quietly, her voice was as sharp as the spear she held. It pierced the reckless champion, and shook her like the raging sea with its mighty waves. “I couldn’t let them - ” [b]“Enough! I will speak with you further when you return to Keltra.”[/b] The red goddess interjected with fierce eyes akin to burning rubies, and a stern tone that did not invite any dispute. Courage simply accepted the words of her Maker, and allowed herself to hold her own words back for now. She watched as Homura said nothing more before Homura began leaping back to the citadel, following the stream of salt in the sky. Courage let out a sigh, knowing there was little else she could, except to wait for the colossus to reach her. “Guess that’s my fault, ya.” She muttered to herself. [center]- - - - - - - - -[/center] The towering walls shimmered in the light of the imperious sun; the stone more similar to the rubies and garnets of the world than any of the more mundane materials more often used for the construction of buildings. However, the citadel exuded a haunting aura, akin to the song of the sea, harrowing and silently sorrowful, touched by death. The essence of the Goddess of Honor held it together, but it was like a corpse strung up and pretending to be alive. All of which was rather lost on Sala. The Salt Goddess skipped the nuance and found herself admiring the glimmering citadel as she swirled about it as a fine dust of salt caught in a living breeze. It wasn’t so much that she was ignorant of the aura, but rather that its effect wasn’t so different from the Goddess’s own disposition as of late. If Sala noticed it at all, it was in a private lamentation that she couldn't even bring herself to enjoy the beauty. As she beheld Homura’s fortress Sala reflected on the fact that the only time she’d felt [i]alive[/i] since her promise to Ao-Yurin had been when she’d accompanied the mortal, Courage. She wondered if that was the real reason the Lady of Honor had created them. The flattery and deference were intoxicating, but more than that? They were a distraction. The world might be crumbling under the weight of its creators, one tiny crack at a time, but obsession was a pit. Sala didn’t need to delve too deep into it to know that. Diversion might not be a cure for the ailment, but it was close enough. In the spirit of the sentiment she focused her attention on the land around her, taking in the ashen and desolate fields, devoid of any flora and fauna, and inaccessible because of the lack of any gates along the red wall of the fortress. In its center, atop a hill, sat the keep itself. Standing before one of the many entrances into the structure was another simulacrum of the Goddess of Honor, akin to Courage. She stood there alone, and looked forlornly towards the sky. Sala pulled herself together before them, grains of salt shifting and melting into the form of a woman. Once more she wove herself a body of flesh, but this time one less alien. At least, to this place. She stood before Homura’s effigy looking distinctly Human. Familiar, yet pale, beige skin, sharp but natural features, the appearance she’d chosen was in ways a reflection of Courage, Homura, and this mortal’s. In other ways, it differed. Sala stood half again the mortal’s height, wore a long cascade of dark purple ‘hair’ that smoked and cracked in the open air, and sported irises that seemed to contain the seas themselves. It was, to her, the least she could do to meet Homura. Modesty and deference were not the preserve of Goddesses who erected giant statues of themselves and made their servants into reflections. Not that Sala would ever say that. [color=f5f4d7]“Unless they [i]all[/i] look like her.”[/color] The Goddess muttered to herself as she regarded the Lady of Honor’s likeness. The second Herald of Honor spoke softly, a stark contrast from the way Courage spoke. “Welcome to Keltra, your grace. My name is Kindness.” Kindness said, introducing herself before she bowed before the goddess. Her entire demeanor was different, more akin to Homura herself, but lacking the more acute manner of articulating her words and those fierce fires that burned in the eyes of the Goddess of Honor. Then there was the lack of true divinity, of course. The presence of something that can only be described as sacred. From behind the mortal, emerging out of the numerous doorways leading into the keep, came an otherworldly light that seeped into the stone, and into the creature that stood in front of Sala. The light was suffused with the essence of Homura, much like the stone, but it served another purpose. It stirred the stone, it invigorated the champion, it sustained them with what divine power it possessed, akin to the Godfish of the sea. Strange sounds originated from within the keep, like whispers on the wind, and then the cackle of a great fire. [color=f5f4d7]“I sense a theme.”[/color] Sala commented thoughtlessly as she paced towards Kindness, gazing around intently at the light. The Goddess stopped just short of the Human to look down at her and ask, [color=f5f4d7]“The Lady of Honor has built quite a fortress. To protect this?”[/color] Sala gestured around her, to the light and the sound and the manifestation of Keltra’s power. The simulacrum arose, and then nodded. “This fortress was erected as a bastion for the faithful. A shelter from the coming storm. That is what my Maker told me. There is little inside, aside from the rest of my kin currently sleeping. Have you come to collect some, your grace?” Kindness asked, and the goddess could hear the faint hint of resentment in the champion’s voice. [color=f5f4d7]“Just a shelter? What a waste.”[/color] Sala’s brow creased in disapproval. She eyed Kindness wearily, [color=f5f4d7]“But our Lord's court are welcome to their indulgences. And I have, Kindness, but not without at least returning one. Albeit, one who has a low opinion of your skill at dance.”[/color] Kindness became evidently confused upon hearing her words, before she regained her composure and the impassive mask returned. “What do you mean? Have… have you spoken with Courage?” The champion inquired with a slight tremble she attempted to hide. For all Kindness’s tremble was obvious to the Goddess, there could be little doubt that the mortal caught Sala’s knowing smirk, [color=f5f4d7]“I spoke to [i]a[/i] Courage. I’m not sure I’m prepared to guess at how many Humans who look just like you named Courage Homura created, at least not quite yet.”[/color] Kindness closed her eyes, wincing from internal pain, before she looked at the goddess, eyes shining with nascent tears and desperation. “Please, where is she? Give her back. It was my fault. I was the one that let her go. I just want to see her again.” Kindness pleaded with the goddess, falling to her knees, and reaching out for an answer, for the words that would bring her hope or despair. Almost immediately Sala regretted teasing the mortal. Courage had given her the idea that- But no. Was that how she’d looked? The Goddess winced and backed away from Kindness as she all but stammered out, [color=f5f4d7]“Your maker, the Lady of Honor- Homura has taken custody of your sister already. I came ahead of them. She’ll be here soon, I’m sure!”[/color] “Please, I need to see her. I have lost one sister, I cannot lose another.” Kindness would not rise, her legs would not move. Only her hands had kept her from falling to the ground, as she placed them before herself. Her words were accompanied by the familiar light of the golden spear that Homura held. Returning to the keep with a powerful leap over the walls, the Goddess of Honor descended near where Sala and Kindness were. She approached, and betrayed the tiniest hint of surprise to find her champion on her knees, and her sister standing there. [b]“Hmm… What happened? Has my herald offended you, sister?”[/b] Homura asked. [color=f5f4d7]“Offended?”[/color] Sala glanced bemusedly from Homura to Kindness and back before a look of realization dawned on her face and she winced even harder, [color=f5f4d7]“Lady of Honor I assure you I’ve not touched her. Your herald was merely inquiring as to the, ahem, condition of her sister.”[/color] [b]“I see… Kindness, you need not fret. Courage will be here soon. She is on her way now. You may go and meet her on her path, if you wish.”[/b] Homura replied, speaking to her champion before nodding to Sala. [b]“I apologize, I did not intend to impose upon you with my mistakes. Your gifts are inside.”[/b] Homura’s words were accompanied by the struggle of Kindness, rising to her feet, before she bowed to both deities. “Please… excuse me.” The champion said, then took a step in the direction Homura had come from. She seemed to hesitate, as though she thought she may stumble, but then she leapt, and soared through the sky, multiple jumps until she disappeared over the precipice of the red walls Homura herself gestured towards the immense doorway of the keep, further along the uphill path. [b]“Humanity awaits, sister.”[/b[ [color=f5f4d7]“Ah- Yes. Of course. Lead the way.[/color] Sala spoke haltingly as she hurriedly stepped forwards, keeping just ahead of Homura as to hide her flushed cheeks and pained expression. She felt ashamed and humiliated all at once. The Goddess pitied Kindness, related to her, and couldn't help but be aggravated by the misunderstanding the Human had caused. As Sala fretted, the press of the wind, and the presence of the light, had changed. She had stepped inside keep, followed by Homura, and found herself swallowed in a strange and forlorn aura, as the touch of the imperious sun had receded, and was replaced by the calm caress of the great monument that blazed before her. The interior was almost as empty as the fields outside… There was little motion aside from the bright bonfire that illuminated the massive hall, but Sala could see the thousands upon thousands of prone pallid forms that were intricately arranged around the edges of the light, on the borders between the dancing shadows that obscured the rest of the vast hall, and the warm radiance of the bonfire. There was divine power coming from the flames, its warmth and light offered strength to the mortals all around; it was sustaining them, suffusing them with vigor. It was quiet, but the Goddess could hear the humans softly breathing as they all slept peacefully. Their stillness seemed to beckon her to come to them, they were like a virgin canvas, and she was a painter with all the tools she needed in her hands. None were like Courage, or Kindness, but they all possessed potential. [b]“Hmm… I must mention my appreciation of your Aspect. I have discovered Salt to be beautiful in its simplicity, yet much like Earth and Water, it is wonderfully woven into the tapestry of creation. I incorporated some of it into the composition of humanity, but my understanding of it is lacking. I hope this has not offended you.”[/b] Homura said, as she suddenly walked beside Sala, and tilted her head downwards, in an act of respective recognition. Sala’s embarrassed blush turned to a flattered one in an instant. She preened, [color=f5f4d7]“It is, isn’t it? And I did notice my aspect in the veins of your creations, Lady of Honor. Far from lacking, it is a brilliant application. In order to live they carry me and my aspect to every corner of the Galbar. It's just as I’d have done.” [/color] Sala paused and her expression darkened for the briefest of moments. She fixed her gaze on the humans at the periphery of the hall and spoke less confidently, [color=f5f4d7]“I only wish it hadn’t meant- Well, nothing. Nevermind. You’ve done me a kindness already, Lady of Honor, and you do me a greater one now. How many of them do you have?”[/color] The eyes of the red goddess roamed over those that slept in the hall, and recalled the number of those loaded onto the three colossi, as she quickly calculated the answer to Sala’s question. [b]“I am in possession of three hundred and twenty one thousand, nine hundred and eighty-five humans. The majority is within this keep.”[/b] Homura replied, looking back at the Goddess of Salt. [b]“You have saved Courage, and for that I would offer you more than that which I have offered our other siblings. You may have as many as two hundred thousand, if you so desire.”[/b] The Goddess of Salt began to pace in the light of the bonfire, violet hair shimmering as it steamed and fumed a trail of thin smoke behind her. Her thoughts raced and her wide blue eyes skipped from the many sleeping Humans to Homura and back again as she considered the other Goddess’s offer. Two hundred thousand was more than Sala had imagined Homura had. It was a reminder that others had been busy while she moped in the oceans and lazed about their waves. And that itself was a reminder of what Sala had lost. She eventually brought herself to a stop, spinning on her heel and raising her voice to speak as much to Homura as to herself, [color=f5f4d7]“One hundred and eleven thousand, one hundred and eleven. I will take that many, Lady of Honor, and I will give them all an equal and opposite born from my own power. And I will build them a... City. A living city that will shield them from anyone or anything that tries to break them apart. A power and protection to grow alongside them.”[/color] [b]“So be it. Do you wish to awaken them here, or shall you transport them while they remain dormant?”[/b] A subtle and sincere joy flickered in Homura’s eyes upon hearing Sala’s vision, and seeing the similarities in it and her own proclaimed purpose for Keltra made her realize that perhaps there were others among the Divine that would be capable of compassion, and willing to protect life, as opposed to just amusing themselves with it. It was a hopeful thought that was reflected in her red eyes for an ephemeral moment. [color=f5f4d7]“Awaken them. I’ll take them to the sea and then across it. I have a place in mind for them, for now.”[/color] Sala replied absently before beginning to muse aloud, [color=f5f4d7]“And when I’ve poured enough into them, made them strong enough, then the whole of the world will be their stronghold.”[/color] [b]“Indeed, sister. We will not let them suffer. We will not let them die.”[/b] Homura quietly agreed, and pointed her spear towards the doorway that had entered through. The rumble of the land announced a great change, but the keep remained still, and nothing visible seemed to have occurred. [b]“The way is clear. Guide them towards their new home, and I hope we can meet again when you have created the world you have envisioned.”[/b] [color=f5f4d7]“When these creations of yours can make even us tremble, we will have arrived there.”[/color] Sala said, thoughts of a greater world dominating her attention even as she built its foundations. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling a mist of salt that snaked and swirled its way towards the Humans, awakening all that Sala deemed to be hers. Which, coincidentally, were those nearest to the exits. Human legs were short and they took ages to get anywhere. As Sala forced her power into the Human vessels and gave them form she, rather unintentionally, let that bias sink in. Her people grew taller, the average man and woman both standing at some six and a half feet, but that was only the beginning. Sala blessed them with endurance, strength, wisdom, and a toughness that would shame their kin. Resistance to poison, curse, and predation of the spirit. With each boon the Goddess poured her aspect into the awakening throng, and neither Sala nor the power she was a manifestation of were unwilling to exact a price for power. For every strength she endowed her people with, Sala bound them more tightly to her. They would drink nothing but water as saline as the sea, and they would hunger for the strange and rare salts Sala had begun to grace reality with. To them her desert, to some of her peers a sore that wounded the world, would be alluring and intoxicating. As the people of Salt awoke, they witnessed the birth of their appointed opposites. From every one of them Sala took a token of flesh, a single earlobe, and used it to grow another living soul. A soul inextricably linked to the one whose flesh had birthed it. Wisps of salt whipped back and forth as the Goddess created from every man a woman, and from every woman a man. One hundred eleven thousand, one hundred and eleven, of each. As they awoke they knew only that they had another they could rely on absolutely, and that their Goddess bid them to follow her. They did not see the small red goddess among them, bidding them farewell. [color=f5f4d7]“Lady of Honor,”[/color] Sala addressed Homura warmly as she stepped forwards to lead the crowds, [color=f5f4d7]“You have my thanks.”[/color] [b]“Shining sister of mine, know that you have my gratitude as well. It has been a pleasure speaking with you. May you find only good fortune on your journey, and please, feel free to come back here whenever you desire.”[/b] The wall of Keltra had opened, a large pass through the southern section that led towards the red sea. Homura followed the humans that were led by Sala, invisibly escorting them outside of the keep. Rather than spread out they formed a long column, some few dozen following Sala, and some few dozen following them, until the ribbon of undulating humanity stretched out for countless miles to the sea. From above Kelta looked less a keep and more a hive disgorging workers into the custody of a departing queen. And perhaps that was what she was. Sala led her people, saw their expressions of awe and trust, and began to think. The Lord of Reality had his court. Homura her servants. If Sala’s people were to one day remake the world such that it could withstand the carelessness and callousness of its creators, why should she not lead them there herself? As she walked the Goddess spotted a stand of trees and pulled at them, forcing them to cannibalize themselves and grow to follow her as great networks of moving roots tunneling through the earth. Any vegetation that dared poke out above the omnipresent grasses fell under Sala’s sway and soon the ground flanking the Human procession was churning with living roots following the deity as surely as her people did. Keltra was not overfar from the sea, yet it was nonetheless astonishing that by the time the Goddess reached the shore the last of her people had only just departed the citadel. As Sala approached the salty ocean she forced the roots, against their very nature, to plunge themselves into the water. A waterfall of living wood erupted from the coast, each tendril of wood bending to Sala’s will in totality the moment it touched the waves and transforming itself into a mere component of a greater whole. The roots wove themselves into great rafts that curled and shaped into colossal ships. Four enormous arks, each one made from living wood now adapted to drink the salt seas themselves, floated off the coast of Keltra mere hours after their creator had conceived of them. Sala simply stepped up, and in a single leap she stood at the bow of the nearest ship. With a voice that stirred the hearts of all those she had shaped the Goddess spoke, [color=f5f4d7]“[i]My[/i] people, your future awaits. And I have made you strong, but not strong enough. You will have to be more. You must prove you [i]can[/i] be more. Come, and show me.”[/color] There was hesitation from some, but those that had strode just behind their Goddess? Who had seen her bend and twist nature as if it were string? They dove into the waters without the need to question or doubt. Others followed, and soon the sea churned with Humanity. Tens of thousands of hands grasped at and climbed upon the arcs even as they began to depart. The few stragglers swam harder to catch up, and catch up they did. The people of Salt had been born, and they were unwavering in faith. [hider=Summary & Costs] [b]Costs:[/b] Sala: -2 Vigor (Making Salty Humans), -1 Vigor (Duplicating, genderbending, and genetically scrambling Humans), 1 Vigor (Making 4 living arcs) Homura: Does not spend any Vigor. Courage gains 2 Spirit (+1 minimum, +1 medium post), and Kindness gains 1 Spirit (+1 minimum) [b]Summary:[/b] Courage is having a very bad no good day. She fucked up at work, got her family to try and bail her out, and now she’s drowning and they’re presumed dead. Nice one girl. Anyway she’s kinda neat, so Sala (who was dissolved in the ocean) notices her thrashing and being a sad little monkey and feeds her a fish. Shockingly, this works. Anyway Courage can breathe underwater now, even if she’s a vegetarian and doesn’t appreciate fish murder. Sala interrogates her a bit, and decides to help her. Mostly because she enjoys being called your grace. So, Sala helps her. Then Sala throws her at mach 2 with water geysers because Courage is slow. Legs? Who thought legs were a good idea. Anyway this goes on until they find land, and then Courage makes an unwise comment, and ends up being airborne again until Homura finds them and is like ‘damn this human you’re yeeting is mine’. Also Homura is lowkey kinda mean to her servants who look exactly like her. I’m not saying it’s weird. It might be a bit weird. From here Sala goes to Keltra, teases Kindness, feels bad, and gets judgey because Homura built a huge citadel full of divine energy as a shelter instead of making like, magical fish or smth that people can use to get beefy. Saltgirl meets Homura again, gets some Humans, and... [quote]Sala blessed them with endurance, strength, wisdom, and a toughness that would shame their kin. Resistance to poison, curse, and predation of the spirit. With each boon the Goddess poured her aspect into the awakening throng, and neither Sala nor the power she was a manifestation of were unwilling to exact a price for power. For every strength she endowed her people with, Sala bound them more tightly to her. They would drink nothing but water as saline as the sea, and they would hunger for the strange and rare salts Sala had begun to grace reality with.[/quote] No avoiding that! That’s what be! Anyway Sala does that and then makes some trees into boats and starts thinking ‘lol if my people should have the world, and i have them, maybe....’ It’s a totally harmless thought. Totally. lol i didnt edit this at all[/hider]