[center][h2]Vatarr meets Asvarad[/h2][/center]

Truth be told, compared to the almost endless battle of Node 27/The Ashen Planes the march through the chaos wastes of Node 25 were laughably easy for Vatarr. There had been a small period of discomfort when something tried to get close without his knowledge, but that had resolved itself with a noise that sort of sounded like pouring water on top of a stone that had been resting in the middle of a fire…  If stone was a gas and the water in question was ice. Either way, whatever it was disliked the encounter with the mists of Death and ceased trying to bother him.

He had actually been making some pretty good time towards the Node itself when suddenly the world changed. Where once there was a chaotic mess of possibilities and alternative realities competing for dominance and existence all in the same moment, now the world of Node 25 was a stable realm of metal plants and giant trees. 

For a moment Vatarr paused, looking around at this new realm and feeling a moment of disappointment that he had been beaten to this prize. But with a small shrug he continued on towards the Node of this now stable land. If it turned out that Brey had decided to come south then the chance to catch up with him would be nice. If it turned out to be a new deity… Well, there was no harm in finding out who it was and having a conversation. Get an idea of how the future was going to unfold and all that.

Yellow moss crumbled to dust before Vatarr and grew thick in his wake.  As he neared the node a land constructed [i]tame[/i] itched at the presence of the god and the power he wielded.  Prickly lizards and colourful birds watched from hovels and branches, in the first moments of their existence transfixed by someone they knew to be other and different.  They were not alone in the observation. 

Before the node and in Vatarr’s path stood a sapling.  A silver tree akin to the others in its substance, but itself different in that it truly did stand on its own two legs.  The young tree born anew in the shape of a man faced off against the intruder, a god armed with the power of life and death itself, and managed to only shake a little as it raised its ‘fists’.  The tree spared a glance back at the node where, coiled around the monolith, the violet scales of its apparent creator rose and fell in the steady rhythm of sleep.  Facing Vatarr again the tree seemed to settle on an idea as it began backing up slowly as it could manage.  

For his part, Life and Death had their respective mists turned off as it became clear that the land wasn’t inherently hostile to travelers and Vatarr didn’t wish to make a bad impression. Of course, sooner rather than later he arrived at the Node itself to discover the telepathic snake deity from the original awakening, as well as its relatively tiny guardian. 

There was a moment where Vatarr considered just striking down the guardian with the intent of killing the slumbering god, removing them as a threat and claiming their lands for his own but doing so felt… wrong to him. At least not until it was clearly the only option anyway.

Turning his skull head towards the guardian in question, there was a surprisingly polite inquiry as Vatarr asked “[color=007236]Could you kindly wake him up? I would leave him to rest and talk later but I’ve come all this way and I would like something to show for the effort. Even if it is just knowledge.[/color]”

At Vatarr’s words the tree froze.  As if in panicked thought its head whipped back and forth between its creator and the interloper until it seemed to decide.  Without words, for the tree had no mouth with which to speak, the young sapling turned and sprinted back to the node as quickly as its newfound legs would carry it. 

When it reached its creator it jumped up onto the vast serpent’s head and, rather uncertainly, began trying to pull open the sleeping gods eyelids.  The tree only managed to get hold of one before all six of the serpent’s eyes fluttered open.  The god shuddered as it woke and began to shake the little creature off of its head as it extricated itself from the node and rose to regard the being that had woken it from its slumber. 

Words reverberated in the minds of all that thought in the forest as, unaware of Vatarr, the serpent god questioned the young sapling, [color=785A6E][i]“A... Tree?  What are you?  I was asleep-”[/i][/color]

As if silently warned by the sapling the serpent’s eyes suddenly fixed on Vatarr, and so too did its thoughts, [color=785A6E][i]“Ah, [u]you[/u].  I have yet to perish, despite appearances.  Take your maggots elsewhere.”[/i][/color]

“[color=007236]Oh I’m aware you’re not dead. Congratulations on surviving so long by the way. I was actually on my way here when you beat me to the Node so… I decided that now was as good a time as any to have a chat.[/color]” Vatarr began, looking at the larger serpent with… well, not a smile on his face because deer skulls can’t really smile, but with a positive tone in his voice all the same.

“[color=007236]What is it you want? If you’re the last deity standing, what does your ideal world look like?[/color]” Might as well start with the important question after all.

[color=785A6E][i]“I see you’ve still not found your sight,”[/i][/color] The serpent’s thought came steeped in contempt, [color=785A6E][i]“You witness chaos, peer into the nodes, and ask what I want as if our creator didn’t lay dying in shame and failure when he delivered his lie.  What any of us want is irrelevant, worm-king.”[/i][/color]

Just a one of the serpent’s eyes glanced down at the sapling that’d woken the deity and a thought as foreign as it was determined echoed in Vatarr’s mind, [color=785A6E][i]“What I- What we who see will [u]do[/u], is endure.  If I am the last one standing it will be because the rest of you have destroyed each other in ignorance and the callow belief that this world and its nodes will not betray you at the end.[/i][/color]

The response that Vatarr offered… likely wasn’t the one that the serpent was expecting. Tilting his head slightly to the side, Vatarr gazed into the eyes of the snake and answered “[color=007236]And? You say that as if any of us are going to live forever.[/color]” A small chuckle actually escaped him at the very idea. “[color=007236]Nothing is or can be truly immortal and to pretend otherwise is to invite hardship and disappointment as the lie fails to live up to reality.[/color]”

“[color=007236]Of course, as is the nature of the Cycle… who says death is the end?[/color]” The deer-headed god teased, seeing if he could peak his counterpart’s interest.

[color=785A6E][i]“How very early it is to speak so confidently of nature,”[/i][/color]  The serpent slithered forwards and curled around a towering ironwood, pulling itself further up to glare down at Vatarr as it spoke, [color=785A6E][i]“But perhaps you are right, and all things must end in time whether that be at death or beyond it.  If that is so then we are fortunate.  For this cycle has run its course, its victims beyond counting or memory, and more than I alone will see to its own ending.  If our doom is destined then destiny itself must be broken.”[/i][/color]

There was a brief pause… before Vatarr just sighed a little. “[color=007236]Look brother. Myself and Brey… who’s claimed the nodes just south of where Node 18 is… I like to believe that we’re coming to an alliance of mutual understanding since what we want for the world to be can be combined into the same bigger picture. I would like to offer you the chance to join this arrangement and make this alliance a trio rather than a duo[/color].”

“[color=007236]It appears that rather than unite the nodes under your influence, you’re more interested in understanding the nature of the world upon which we have come and the cycle of deities that seem to be a part of it. That’s fine. If anything, I suspect you and Brey will have a lot of fun puzzling out such mysteries together. But war is coming… while I suspect those who traveled north together will likely start fighting each other first before the survivors turn their attention south, but sooner or later they will come and I would prefer all three of us to be united in defending ourselves.[/color]”

Taking a few steps, Vatarr moved a few paces from where he had been originally standing as he put his arms behind his back. “[color=007236]Of course, I’m sure you’ve considered the idea of being attacked by some of our kin and have made diplomatic moves towards Brey in much the same way that I did.[/color]” 

The violent serpent withdrew in kind as it answered slowly, [color=785A6E][i]“I asked for a message to be delivered to him, yes.”[/i][/color]

[color=785A6E][i]“And we do share an interest in peace,”[/i][/color] Six eyes met Vatarr’s two and the serpent finally introduced itself as it agreed, [color=785A6E][i]“I am Asvarad, and on my name and the safety of my people you have my word that me and mine will brook no interference from the fools that set out north.  If you seek more than that...  I would require assurances.  I will not grant you the power to endanger those under my protection unless I am certain you would not interfere with our work.  We won't share our creators fate.”[/i][/color]

Vatarr shrugged his shoulders just a little. “[color=007236]A peaceful agreement and a willingness to support either myself or Brey when trouble comes around is more than enough for the time being. I am Vatarr. May this be the start of a beneficial arrangement Asvarad.[/color]”

[color=785A6E][i]Hm, very well.[/i][/color]  Asvarad thought back with a tinge of caution.  

[color=785A6E][i]“One thing,”[/i][/color] The serpent god added gravely, [color=785A6E][i]“I mean to leave a piece of this world to chaos, and I ask you respect that if we are to be allies.  Even ones of convenience.  I do not believe it wise to banish what may well be the true nature of this world when we’ve yet to begin understanding it.  Do you?”[/i][/color]
  
There was a small shrug. “[color=007236]Considering that there are two nodes further west of here, part of our arrangement would be to leave them in your care to do with as you wish. I will focus my attention elsewhere.[/color]”

There was a small clearing of the throat before Vatarr added “[color=007236]With all that said, if there is nothing else that needs to be discussed in the here and now, I will let you get back to your slumber.[/color]”

[color=785A6E][b]“That will not happen again,”[/b][/color] The serpent Asvarad spoke for the first time, his voice a low reverberating growl that served as reminder of the hundred feet of muscle trailing behind.  He half turned to the silver sapling that’d watched the two gods meet and thought to it as much as Vatarr, [color=785A6E][i]“It seems none of us have time to waste.[/i][/color]

Turning from the serpent, there was little fanfare to Vatarr’s departure. They both had things to do and first on that last a couple of days of hiking through a metal forest in order to get back to his own territory. Still, a combination of a non-aggression pact and a vague defensive alliance was nothing to sneeze at.


[hider=Summery]
As Vatarr was crossing the chaotic wastes of Node 25, it suddenly stopped being a chaotic waste. Another god had beaten him to the node. Rather then get upset by this, they continue on to meet their new neighbor. 

Vatarr meets the serpent Asvarad for the first time since they parted ways at Node 18. The two have a brief chat, with Asvarad being their melodramatic self... but in the end the two part ways with a non-aggression pact and a vague defensive alliance that includes Brey.
[/hider]


[hider=Might]
None!
[/hider]