The news had reached the far north, the south had fallen with the capital city of Wek-Nor. The priesthood of Wek-Phon, the northern center of civilization and religious site of grave importance to all of Welkos, had come together with a solution. It had then subsequently helped that surviving armies from the south and Royalty approved of such action, too many of the lay priests had been wavering to the more end times approach than the higher powers could easily force back in line. Stability and recovering from the disaster were the goal, settling the populace, rebuilding and retaking what was rightful underneath the Divine Mandate of Welkos.
The Divine Mandate was a curious thing, coming from the days of the conquest of all of Welkos under the rightly guided rule of the Renabussan. When the High Divines were chosen, Mother and Father, the Aunt and Uncle, the Sister, and the Enemy were known to all and made to be feared and worshipped across the land, but they were not all that were known to the people of Welkos. All divines large and small supported the Mandate. In villages, in towns, in cities across Welkos on the Holy Days and Nights of realm, deities of the house, of a stream, of town and city, of bread and of beer, of fire and of sword. Those to be feared and those to be worshipped, the state cultivated all Divines, all favors forward to the state as all had to be united from the rightly guided people against all that was evil and cruel.
And so with the Divine Mandate so secured in the fight against all that was evil, it was of course a matter of great pride and importance who to petition for aid against the accursed. It had to be of the High Divines first, and after speaking and laying their request at each that they chose, they would seek to enlist the aid of lesser deities all through the realm. This was the chosen course of the High Priests of Wek-Phon.
Of who to choose to petition for aid and advice, there was no shortage. There were of course the Great Kitz’lae Father and Mother, paragons of good behavior, justice, and all good things. They were the ultimate inspiration and the guardians of the Kitz’lae. However no child wishes to admit that as they are in the world they cannot handle themselves, even as they go to their parents for advice, for what to do, it would be a great shame for the entire race if they went to them now tail in hand asking for help to take back the south and set back the righteous order. Much better to achieve the task then speak of their achievement to the Mother and the Father, prove that their children were capable and full of excellence!
No, the priesthood had decided they would ask each of the other deities for aid, and proving themselves knowledgeable they knew just who to ask first. Sister of the Great Kitz’lae Father, Supreme Goddess of the Moon, Keeper of the Dead and the Epitome of Envy, Vasj’casa. As known to be the most envious of the gods, asking her first was the clear and present choice, to ask one full of envy first could saite their pride and prove things good, this was known as common wisdom. And so the High Priests commanded, and as was custom the laity obeyed.
The city was mobilized, in the streets the Kitzon mobilized to lend their voices to the prayers of the lay priests, the Kitz’lae of the city crooned sacred praises of the moon, the High Priests gave sacrifice of Gold and Bronze, and upon the Altar of Prayer a humble monk led the whole procession word by word. Such as she was chosen to lead such events of importance by the High Priests, but rather than important matters such as Holy Days and Contemplation and Prayer this was a time to request aid. None could compare to divine splendor, so none would dare compete, such was the reasoning to elevate such monks. To her right and left, and behind her, the streets of the city were filled, eight of every nine were Kitzon, children of the Moon Goddess it was known they had been granted leave from work for this occasion. To the front of the monk stretched the river as the Altar of Prayer was elevated above all else in the city atop the half-ziggurat that supported it.
And her voice rang out, “Oh Vasj’casa, blessed Divine Goddess of the Moon!”
And the crowd followed, lending thousands to the cry.
And again her voice came, “We beseech you first in our call for aid, Great Sister, oh Hallowed Mother, and Beloved Aunt! Come to us and give onto us your most Holy Word!”
And the crowd followed, once more, each taking the opportunity after the call of family to ask for their own personal connection for aid in the calamity. Most however echoed the monk, it was easier if one did not have family in the south, or fears for others in the midlands.
The heavens quaked, clouds parting away from the moons to reveal the sacred orbs in the sky, still a few years away from overlapping, but both visible either way. There came another quake, this one slightly… Ceramic in nature? Glass-like, maybe, as though a stack of glazed pottery fell over somewhere in the cosmos. Then came a groan, a long groan of pain and exhaustion before it subsided in an instant, being replaced by a short, curt and flat, ”Yeah?”
Kasda had given herself over as a monk a long time ago, to expect to have a goddess speak to her was beyond all things she had held in mind when she did so. Even now it seemed surreal, and yet she had been coached by the High Priests on what to say next. “We call on you first among all the Divines of Welkos, please give aid unto us to save our homesteads, protect our clutches against the suhrvuj and drive them back into the sea!”
The crowds took up the final phrase repeating once, “Back into the sea!”
The voice was quiet for a time, just for long enough to produce doubt of her continued attention among the adherents. Then came an ”uh” followed by, ”Do I have to? It’s kinda, kinda… Effort, innit? What are they, even?”
Kasda had been asked questions by a goddess, it was duty to answer, “Evil beings of that most vile suitor Vuj’ar, webbed and finned, of taste for egg and blackened heart. Anathema to all good things!”
And the crowd took up a chant for a brief moment, “Anathema! Anathema!”
Kasda spoke again when they had quieted, she knew not whether this was a test nor what Vasj’casa was getting at but it was not important, she had been asked by the Divine and so she must answer. “All things must fight against evil, Lae’nat means it must be so, it is the Will to Resist! Good can only come when one puts themselves to effort and difficulty, evil bubbles forth slipping between any crack or defense yet the Will to Resist is the only path!”
And the crowd came back much more enthusiastic, the Will to Resist was well known and it became clear that the Divine was testing the monk’s moral fortitude, “Resist Evil! Do Good!”
The masses joined the chant, it was a phrase that came up often in speeches and holy phrases, now to them they found it as explanation of purpose.
”Yeahyeahyeahyeah, I get it! Be quiet, alright?! Ugh, my head...”
The crowds fell into an awaiting silence, quickly following the commands of the goddess that spoke to them. There came a dry rub, as though chafed fingers scratched a cheek exposed much too long to the elements. ”Right, okay, will you leave me alone if I destroy these soorvoojies or whatever? That’s what you want, right?”
"We would be overjoyed for you to aid us Oh Great Vasj'casa! All the Kitzon and Kitz'lae of the river would sing your praises till the eggs of now hatched their own!" It was more than Kasda would have hoped for, all the crowds stayed silent in wait of a reply.
There came a sigh. ”Got it. Where are they?”
"In the south of Welkos Oh Munificent One, they swarm from the sea and have overwhelmed the villages and even the city of Wek-Nor!"
”Sure, whatever…” With that, time seemed to stop for a very brief moment. It wasn’t clear exactly when it happened, but everyone present could very clearly see that the white moon at some point suddenly flashed like a star. Then, as briefly lived as the flash, a white beam crashed into the targeted location like an arrow of light. At first, there was no sound - only a distant, oozing, swelling cloud of steam, stone, droplets and sand that seemed to grow like a mushroom on the very edge of the horizon; then, a shockwave, strong enough to sway the trees and quake the houses even this far away from the actual blast. Nelven traders unfortunate enough to not have their cotton in went temporarily deaf, and pottery on the edge of the shelves in the pottery shops fell over and smashed against the floor.
The whole of all of the crowds were silent at the vast manifestation of Divine power, Kasda had not expected such a great display herself. Slowly however, even with the shaking and broken pottery, the crowds broke out in cheers, such a display of the supremacy of the Divine will of Goodness was apparent. The crowds fell into revelry even as Kasda watched the horizon and the vast plume still present over it, "Thank you Oh Divine One..."
She didn't know how she felt, it was something beyond anything she had ever known or heard except in the most sacred of stories.
There came a surly glug. ”Urp! Yeah, sure, whatevs. Will you leave me be now?”
Still more than stunned watching the horizon, Kasda replied, "As the Divine of the most Holy Moon wishes..." With that, there came a surkling sound like water down a drain, and the divine presence disappeared.
The crowds continued to cheer, Kasda eventually would be escorted through them by the Temple Guards, the High Priests would have much to ask. Pots not cracked began to circulate through the streets in a celebration, beer was most likely given the reed straws that came out as well, such an event would likely become a Holy day.
Still all thoughts of that would come later for Kasda, right now she had the view Divine Action in the sky to watch. She had never seen something so beautiful, and yet, still seemed so terrible and mighty at the same time. She would have to head south to see more. She had to know more.
The distant dust began to misshapen from its plume due to the soft and continuous efforts of the winds as Kasda was led away, crowds cheering over the apparent destruction of their enemies.
Gibs 5/5 1DP (reduced to 0 with Moon portfolio) Activate Moon Nuke and obliterate the enemy of Welkos.
We open in the city of Wek-Phon, a Holy city in Welkos, after a brief acknowledgement of the logic behind it and the gods they open communication to Vasj’casa (Gibbou) and ask for deliverance from the suhrvuj (Akuan Enemies of the Welkossians) and fight against them. GIbbou is generally not to pleased with being contacted and after asking if she needs to (which they take as a moral question and test) ends up Moon Beam Nuking the main suhrvuj armies (and the still standing remnants of Wek-Nor) with the plume coming up above the horizon after a bit of being stunned the crowds break out in cheers as the contacting monk thinks deeply and continues to be generally stunned by the sight. She is led away by Temple Guards through the crowds as Gibbou ‘happily’ is left alone.
A shining barge, golden in all color and aspect, coming down the river from the mountain way. None could see anyone on the deck of it as it moved with purpose down the flow, although they could have hidden in the interior of it as could be seen.
It was a bit overcast as the day had gone on, not something completely enjoyable but it was still warm enough. The barge moved on past the wonderful scenes of plant and animal life. The myriad of colors and luminosity that still bombarded every sense as any who called the Luminant home grew used to in time. And down it came further and further from the mountain getting closer and closer.
The barge suddenly stopped moving. The water beneath it laid still. The current moved along it. Slightly pushing up against the banks of the river they flowed around. On those banks, safely removed from the coursing water, stood Kal supported by his staff with his pet leon sitting beside him. Eyeing the barge with the natural paranoia of a predator. The human mortal looked more at ease. “Hail, avatar of the divine.” He shouted out. “I would ask a moment of your time before you continue on your journey.”
The ground beneath them lifted, carefully collected and solidly stable as it brought Kal and his Leon over the water and onto the barge itself. Three snake heads of large size appeared from the interior darkness of the vessel, and began to speak.
"You may have it servant of a God that we both know."
"Although we do not appreciate the interference with our vessel, you are granted option to speak."
Next to Kal the Leon began to growl at the creature. Spreading its wings wide as it tried to look ever bigger than before. “Easy dear. Easy. They won’t harm us.” He said as he petted the side of his companion. It didn’t particularly listen. “And my apologies for the diversion of the currents. I didn’t anticipate my siblings taking a note of this area so soon. I would’ve tried to reach you earlier if I was prepared. Regardless, I’d simply ask for your purpose here, in this quaint little corner of the world.” Kal was still smiling, but inside a battle raged between the primal response of the body and Qael’Naath’s own will. The god was winning, easily, but the flesh was still fighting the desperate battle.
Two of the heads ignored the Leon, the other looked with hungering eyes briefly before turning back to match the being before them. "Our master has sent us to gather information, and converse among such things. I'm sure you understand his wish for knowledge."
"And you know this corner of Toraan is hardly quaint or of little import, especially to the Undying God." The one of hungering looks chimed in.
"We bring no harm or such intents do not worry about such." The third and previously unspoken provided.
“That is a relief to hear.” Kal said with a smile towards the last of the three heads speaking. Then he turned to the second head. “Apologies. I forgot your master and I have a different viewpoint on what quaint is.” Then he turned to the final head. “If it is merely information and conversation you seek then I shall no longer keep you up. Qannet, veros nee utzelf.” The river began to flow normally again. Allowing the barge to carry on its journey. Meanwhile the older man climbed up the white fur of his mount. Atop the leon he said: “Before I forget. I know you refrained from speaking a certain name to a certain person far from here. You have my thanks for that but I would also ask you to still refrain from speaking that name now and here.” With a soft smile then, the leon lifted up from the deck of the barge. Flying away towards the riverbank again.
With him departing via flight, two heads, Kiim and Jaav watched and Guul dutifully returned the lifted with him originally back to the river back before the barge traversed too far down the river. And so they continued on their journey, visitor departed and earthen waste deposited, the three continued on the barge, disappearing back inside as the shining ship traveled. It would not be too long until the untamed realms along the river grew used with farmers and farming done all along its backs as they grew nearer to Soleras and the target of their mission.
Soleira was walking amid the planted fields. Standing amid rows of wheat. Her hand going over the kernels of the grain. People were standing behind and around her. Seemingly waiting. “Yeah.” She finally said. “Yeah I think they’re ready to be harvested.” She didn’t sound particularly happy about it but knew that if people wanted to survive, they had to farm. Still, slaughtering so much plantlife in one fell sweep hurt. The people behind her already walked away to grab their sickles to reap their bounty. Soleira remained, sitting down amid the plants. “I’m really sorry you know. Just know that your children will grow up tall and strong as well. And some of them will be planted free.” The plants just waved in the gentle breeze. “I’m sorry. That probably doesn’t mean much to you now. But I’m grateful. We’re all grateful for you.” She said, then looked up at the cloudy sky. “And thank you too. For a bountiful harvest.” She quietly said with her eyes closed, as a prayer to whatever god was responsible for the reaping.
“Soleira!” A kid came running. “A-a boat!” He yelled.
Soleira stood up. Almost towering over the golden plants around her. With a single clap of her wings she was out and saw the kid. She landed close to him. “What do you mean? What’s the problem?” She asked. Boats weren’t such a strange sight around Soleras. They had small fisher’s rafts of their own to use on the rivers. Some strangers liked paddling up and around the rivers to trade.
“No it’s.. it’s coming from the mountains.” The kid said, pointing up north. “It’s big and… like wheat but glittering!”
The Oraeliari frowned. Usually boats came from the south, from the lake. Once again she took to the sky and headed towards the river. The barge wasn’t hard to spot. She flew closer. Curious who’d come downstream in such an opulent fashion. Several farmers were looking at it as well.
The barge continued on its course regardless of the gaping sight of the many farmers. Three large serpents heads emerged from the interior, lazily gazing around before centering themselves on Soleira herself. No words or great sounds came forth from them but the barge stayed in course and travel with her.
Farmers screamed and shouted as they ran away seeing the three massive serpent heads. They were fleeing for their lives no doubt. The screams in turn pulled the attention of the few guards. Some swallowed their fear and ran towards the riverbank with javelins and spears. “Wait!” Soleira yelled. It was too late. The first few javelins were already thrown. Soleira dove down, right in time to create the shield. The javelins bounced off harmlessly against the translucent, blue shield made of hexagons. “Wait.” She repeated, keeping her eye on the three-headed creature. From her vantage point up high she saw it only had one body. Despite the frightening sight, it didn’t seem like it would attack.
“Maybe it’s a friend.” She said to the warriors at the riverbank. Who stood ready with javelins again. “You are a friend, right?” She then asked the three-headed creature.
"Friendly enough at any rate!" one of the serpent heads spoke out loud, its meaning understood by all present.
Another one of the heads watched the throwers speaking thus, "We have to thank you for your consideration alas we do not need more spears at this time." It turned towards Soleira. "And for your consideration although the donation of spears would not have harmed us."
The Three heads continued watching Soleira and the populace, but now came more fully out on the barge, revealing themselves to be three serpents heads and bodies serving as necks connected to a great lizard like form. A golden spear rested on one side of the creature.
“Oh.” Soleira said as she dropped the shield. The javelin throwers refrained from attacking, though kept their eyes on Soleira flying above. From the distance several more Oraeliari armed with spears came flying towards the barge as well. Those few outcasts that had chosen to join the relative security of Soleras. For a second everyone was quiet. The four winged Oraeliari observed it’s scaled body and the spear it seemingly carried. She didn’t land on the barge, but kept hovering just above it. “So… can I ask why you’re here?”
The barge lifted ever so little out of the water to meet her feet as she came close.
"My my, ever so many questions you have. The answer is a simple one."
"We came to talk."
"We came to visit."
"And we came to speak most of all with you dear, although your many friends and such we have some manner of interest as well."
For a second Soleira looked down. She didn’t fly down. How did her feet touch the deck then? Gasps from the side of the bank gave her the answer. The boat was going up. “Wait, me?” She asked, genuinely surprised. “Why me?” She asked. She wasn’t anyone special. Sure she was the ‘queen’ now but there were so many tribes and villages around. Some of them bigger than Soleras. There was also the Bastian and the Spire. Great monuments pulled from the ground by the gods. Soleras was of no real importance in the area.
The three exhaled in short bursts, it took a moment to realized this was something like laughing perhaps? In any case one followed up. "Yes, you. Did you not realize your own importance? Or perhaps you'd rather lie to your own self there?"
Another called out to all the others around them, "Let me ask all of you, how many of you believe her to be of great importance? How many think she is worthy to be spoken to as we have?"
The third head remained silent, although watched Soleira carefully.
She didn’t lie. Did she? No. No! She was just… an Oraeliari… with four wings on her back. Who could cast magic. Something she only recently learned. But does that make her special. She looked at the other Oraeliari in the sky. All had two wings. None of them could perform magic. The mortals on the ground couldn’t create the shields she could. Nor could anyone she ever met talk to animals. “I-I…” She tried to defend herself. Instead she felt shame creeping up.
Meanwhile on the bank many confused soldiers looked at each other. As did the Orealiari loyal to Soleira. One finally spoke up: “She is our queen.” The others looked up at the one who spoke, and then nodded. Each repeating the words. Soleira was their queen.
“Sorry.” She finally said, quiet enough so only those in the barge could hear it. “I’m still not really used to it.” Then she set her own feelings aside .”I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself.” A smile appeared on her lips as she looked up. Her face still quite red from the shame. “Maybe you would want to moor your boat somewhere so the- my people could bring some food and drinks?”
"That is accep-"
"VERY Welcome Indeed! I am sure we'll be fast friends yes surely."
The barge began to move, the third head spoke softly so that just Soleira may hear. "Do not worry, nor treat yourself harshly. We have understanding that such admissions can be tough, even if they are necessary. You have much virtue, your faults are like flecks among the ocean of gold. Worry not."
Soleira just offered her a meek smile. Meanwhile many of the Oraeliari were already landing. Rather frightened farmers came back. Holding baskets with fruit and bread. Soleira looked over the side of the boat for a second. “I… think it won’t really be a feast. I’m really sorry. If you stick around until this evening I could put something more grand together?” She offered.
A few pieces lifted out of the baskets, doing flips and rings in the air as they gently drifted towards the three headed creature. "I know not why you are sorry, but I am quite glad. We would love to stay and enjoy such hospitality. A feast would give up good time indeed to speak and get to know all much better I would say."
"And for you to fill our stomachs..."
That evening, as the sun started going low a grand fire was lit in honor of the visitor. During the day Soleira and the strange creature, named Kiim’Jaav’Guul had talked at length about all sorts of sometimes somewhat trivial stuff. The Oraeliari still had difficulty with the idea that they were three, yet all part of one body. Somehow. Still, she walked with him towards the fire. “I’m sorry for the lack of meat.” She said. No goats or cows had died recently. She knew it was a small tradition she was holding on to, and everyone else was holding on to for her sake but she knew in due time her people would have to raise and slaughter animals before their time. Still, the longer she could hold it off, the better. “But there is much fruit and- oh look! They baked fresh bread.” From one of the ovens one of the bakers pulled out the rather flat, dense bread and put it in a basket. “I hope it’s enough for you.” Soleira said as she took a seat around the fire, motioning towards Kiim’Jaav’Guul to sit beside her as someone handed her an empty bowl. Most of the humans around the fire had gotten eerily quiet, as they watched the scaled, three-headed creature.
"I will gladly take as much-"
"And as little..."
"-as you would provide."
They quickly moved to sit beside her at the fire as they were best able, lounging sideways on to allow their body to take in the warmth, their serpentine heads coiling near Soleira.
"A curious tradition to keep from slaughter of animals, one rarely found, even those who need not the meat have little inclination to keep completely clean of such."
“It’s hard to kill a friend you’ve talked to their entire life.” Soleira said, then leaned in a little closer. “People around here… don’t want to upset me I think. So they only eat meat when an old animal finally dies.” It was selfish really. She should tell them to eat meat. But she couldn’t stand the idea of looking over the little goat kids knowing they’d die in a few months or years.
She grabbed another bowl and put it by the three headed creature. “People will come around with food like berries and fruit. If you want some you just have to raise your bowl and they’ll- wait. Like this.” Someone was just passing with a much larger bowl filled with berries. Soleira just raised her bowl over her head, pulling her wings close around her. The girl happily placed some berries in the bowl. Then she walked on, putting berries in other people’s bowls that were raised. Meanwhile Soleira popped one of the fiery red berries in her mouth and smiled at the serpentine creature.
Without much ado a bowl floated above their heads. Jaav, turned to watch those with the larger bowls moving around. Kiim spoke, "You hold much influence over them truly there."
"Do you like it here, being the 'Queen' of all of these people?" Guul replied attentively as Kiim looked around at the various peoples, Humans and Oraeliari.
Soleira’s smile brightened even more. “I do, actually.” She said with an excited voice. “I get to help a lot of people here. Not just from the village. See them.” She nodded quickly to a family sitting by the fire. They were laughing and smiling at one of the little boys pretending to be flying around. “They came from south of here. Fled the War in the Skies. Now they have food and help us farm.” Then she nodded towards two men. They were quiet, but ate. “They were slaves. Now they’re free and help building houses.” Then she nodded towards the few Oraeliari. “Exiles.” Soleira said, her tone a bit more somber. “They didn’t want to fight our Neiyari kin. Here they don’t have to fear either side. People are safe here, because of me.” That one fact made her chest swell with pride. “And they prosper. It’s not all perfect. We need to farm more and more every week and I fear that some chiefs nearby might want what we have soon.” She would share, always. But not everyone was interested in sharing. “But right now… yeah. I love being their queen.” It was weird to say it out loud though.
Guul and Kiim looked at each other briefly when she finished before each wordlessly went back to the crowds and Soleira as before. Jaav was much too distracted by food and the carriers of food to discuss much as Kiim spoke. "You seem to care much about your people, truly care about them, a rarity among most of all mortals that claim a title such as yours."
They continued not quite waiting for a response, speaking low as their words guided solely to her ears, "Do you fear it? War? And all the conflict and death it may bring?"
Her smile faded as she looked down at her bowl. For a second Soleira was quiet. “I do. A lot.” She finally admitted. “I don’t want to fight and I don’t want people to die.” And she knew she couldn’t stop it. For some reason some people just wanted more, and would take it in any way they could. Soleira had been asking herself for days whether or not she would rise up against whoever would come. So far she couldn’t answer that question.
In an attempt to lighten the mood though, she raised her hand towards one of the people giving out food. Though the second she did, several others she didn’t mean to call moved towards her as well. “My friend’s very hungry.” She said as a few got close. “Could you give him some?” The people nodded and started filling the floating bowl of Kiim’Jaav’Guul with some torn off bread, fruits, cooked vegetables and berries. “There you go.” She said with a smile to the head named Jaav.
"Very much obliged." Kiim sighed as Jaav set in on his bowl, they turned back to Soleira even as Guul hadn't left focus. Guul moved down as Kiim came closer and spoke.
"Many mortals fear death, many take comfort in ideas of what comes after." Kiim paused looking back to the crowds and flowing peoples, continuing, "Many ensure it comes all the quicker to others, one people to their own, or to another. It matters not what it is, if they are alive then they seem all very quick to ensure another is not."
Soleira, for the first time since she met Kiim’Jaav’Guul, frowned. “That’s not true.” She said. “Not many. Few. Only a few people want others to die.” She motioned around, towards everyone around the fire. “If as many people as you say want to ensure the end of others, nobody would be sitting here. Laughing and talking. People don’t want blood, they want peace, safety, happiness. War and murder doesn’t give them that.” It was the few rotten apples amongst most people that caused that suffering. The problem was that they were prominent. One murderer stands out amid a flock of people who don’t want to hurt others.
Kiim did the same wordless exhalation that signified laughter as the Three had done earlier, Guul merely looked away. They replied, "You are entitled to your ideas, your opinions, and your view. It is your life to live. It is not our, or my, place to assuage you differently."
Jaav was actively eating a loaf of bread as one might have seen a snake eat an egg, slowly swallowing having engulfed the mass in his jaw.
“But you don’t agree with me.” It was more of a statement than a question. Soleira couldn’t quite understand why Kiim’Jaav’Guul’s views bothered her so much, but they did. They were overly simplistic and generalized. Assuming the worst of everyone. Yes, even normal people would march to war at times. She had seen it happen in the last thirty years amongst the human tribes. But they did so only to defend or protect their village. Even if that sentiment was misguided. Maybe… Maybe that’s why she was here. To make sure nobody would be misguided again?
“Then how do you think all of these people are still here together?” She asked the Three. The question was a genuine one.
"Well the food is good for one," Jaav interrupted just as Kiim opened to reply, causing a rapid turn and a glare before Kiim turned back, Jaav stuck out a tongue in defiance unbeknownst to Kiim as they replied.
"Do not misunderstand me by your own measures, dividing the world into dark and light when each only exists in contrasting shadow from the same source. You speak as though you know the whole host of life from pointing to its specs." Kiim nodded their head to others that were around, "You say these ones are good and only a few others are bad, yet by what judgement do you make of them, by what right and knowledge can you delineate good and evil in one when each is connected to a thousand others in making. I do not say that, that all are good, or all are bad in their souls. You cannot judge character, skill, or virtue in a rigged game of life. It is rigged to set them upon each other, whether they know they do such or not."
The words of Kiim overwhelmed her. She knew she wasn’t grasping the fullest of what he was saying but she believed, after a moment to gather her thought, that she at least understood what he meant. “I’m sorry.” She first said with a little shame. “I shouldn’t- you are right. I misunderstood you. This-“ she motioned at the people around her again. “-isn’t much.” But it was all she knew so far. “And when I say only a few are as… dark gray I only speak of what’ve seen myself.”
But then something else lit up in her heart. A fire nobody could quench. “But you are wrong about life.” She said, looking up. Normally she would be so uncertain. Now she wasn’t. “It’s not a rigged game. It’s just life. Painful things happen.” She remembered that fateful night in the cave, when the Neiyari had come. “Just as good things happen.” Her eyes wandered around the people around the fire. Her people. “And even if life’s rigged… I don’t care. Maybe the world is a lot worse than I think it is but I don’t care. I have these people and… and I’ll work – day and night – to give them more happiness than they have pain.” Then she turned to face Kiim with a smile on her lips and a fire blazing in her eyes.
“I might not know the whole host of life but I know this place and I know that I can make it a better place. Even if that’s just a speck. At least it will be a good speck.”
Kiim was silent for a bit, finally turning their head and speaking, keeping one eye centered on Soleira. "Very well, make the greatest spec you can at the very least. But do not forget that all things are connected."
"The hunter takes the game, the wolves go hungry and prey upon the herd, the herders bring their animals closer to the river, they pollute the water, the townsfolk complain of the evils and laziness of the herders. Keep a eye to the big picture if you are to make a good one, not just one that sells the idea of being good."
“A challenge of balance.” Soleira said with a smile. “I understand.” But she wasn’t sure if she saw the whole picture in her speck yet. That would take much more time. Though Kiim had given her plenty to think on. “Thank you.” She then said as she put her bowl down, leaned in and hugged the neck of Kiim. “For your lessons. I will never forget them.” When she released the hug though, she pointed at the bowl of Jaav and said: “Maybe you should eat a bit as well. I’m guessing with you three connected only one of you needs to eat, but tasting things is an experience in of its own. Trust me, the berries are delicious!” And to prove it, she popped a blue one in her mouth, but spat the seeds she could save from her mouth back out and put it in a small pouch dangling off her hip.
Jaav grinned, as much as a snake could in any case, as Guul took a small bite and Kiim replied. "I prefer not to consume much of anything alive or previously in such a state. Jaav has a much different opinion as you may tell..."
"Don't worry, Kiim just is a bit of a stickler for things, I've only gotten them to even taste things a few times, to actually eat something is another matter."
The feast continued on deep into the night. Roles were switched every so often. Those who handed out food were allowed to sit after about an hour, and others took their place. The queen herself even rose up to hand out bread from the basket. As the moon rose high above them though, she did silently pray to Gibboura to forgive them for staying up so late. But her people deserved it. They were hard working and kind, letting Kiim’Jaav’Guul join in with the feast. The Three and she had spoken at length about many subjects and had given her much to think about. Something she was grateful for.
When the moon was reaching its peak though, most people grew tired and the flames started to dim. It was time to sleep. The next morning, in the crisp morning air Soleira flew towards the barge upon which Kiim’Jaav’Guul had come carrying a basket covered with cloth containing fruits, berries and bread. A little gift for the Three. Well, mostly Jaav it would seem, as he thoroughly enjoyed eating.
The basket floated from her grasp towards the Three gently enough as Jaav spoke. "Thank you very much! It is much appreciated."
Kiim rolled their eyes looking away from Jaav, speaking to Soleira themselves, "Our visit has been most enlightening, we'll be keeping an eye on the region."
"We have a mutual friend, you should talk to him whenever he stops by with that rather unique pet, he does know a thing or two we have to say." Guul spoke last, even if rather cryptically.
For a second Soleira was confused about what Guul meant. Then she realized it. “Oh you mean Kal! He’s actually staying at the village. It was odd that he wasn’t there yesterday, but I’m happy you got to meet him anyway. Yeah, we’ve been talking a lot about a lot of things, but mostly magic.” She told Guul with a smile.
Then she turned to Kiim. “You can come visit anytime you want! I’ll try to have a bigger feast prepared for when you do.”
Guul nodded, as Jaav cut in. "That will be most welcome! Truly, we most enjoyed our time here."
Kiim huffed, or as much as they were able to, saying, "In any case we must be off, we have other business and matters to attend to further."
With that the barge began to pull away, slowly at first before rocketing to the north east. The Three were gone, at least for now.
Soleira waved for a while. They probably were already too far away to see her when she finally dropped her arm and walked back towards the field. The oxen were a little restless for some reason. They told her it was something in the sky. Like a shadow looming over them. She didn’t really know what it could be. The birds said they thought they saw some dark clouds that weren’t there. Though she hoped Kiim’Jaav’Guul had a pleasant flight without much rain. Then it was time to work. With ard ready she went off to the field.
“That’s a beautiful gift.” A woman noted who worked beside Soleira.
“Sorry?”
“Your necklace?” The woman said, pointing right under her neck.
Soleira looked down, confused. Only to notice the strange pendant hanging there. “That wasn’t-” She touched it. The metal was cold, but etched in a strange way. “Thank you.” She muttered while looking up at the horizon where the barge had vanished. It was as much a genuine thank you as it felt like a prayer.
Kiim’Jaav’Guul are floating downriver on their barge. It stops moving in the water suddenly. The water flowed around it as Kal hailed them. He was lifted up on the barge and the Three and him have a chat. The Three say that they just came to gather information and don’t intend anyone here harm. With that Kal is pleased and leaves them be. Moments later they arrive near Soleras.
Soleira is meanwhile handling the harvests when suddenly someone comes get her. The barge had been spotted. She flies over. The Three show their heads. Causing panic amongst the farmers. The few guards around came to the bank and threw javelins at the barge. Soleira stopped them, assuming the serpent-heads are friendly.
The two of them exchange some words. During which Soleira says again that she isn’t a queen. Except this time that is directly challenged and the people around say that they do see her that way. Then, as queen, she organizes a feast for the Three.
During the feast the Three and Soleira exchange some words and views. Starting with whether or not she enjoys being a queen and thinks that at least she’s not doing a bad job at it. But then the Three ask her if she fears the inevitable war and death that will come preying upon what she made so far. She says she indeed fears it and doesn’t want anyone to fight or die. The Three say that many mortals have no problem ushering in the end of their fellow mortals. Something Soleira fiercely disagrees with. Saying that only a few actively desire to kill. Most are just misguided.
But KJG have vastly more world experience. They point out the flaws in her thinking: that she’s judging all of mortality on only the few specks of it that she knows and that the world is vastly more complex than it is. Overwhelmed by them, Soleira admits that she may not have thought it through as much. But she refuses to see life as rigged, and if it is she would refuse to care. And if she only knew a speck of mortal life then she vowed to do everything in her power to make it a good one. Still, she takes KJG’s lessons to heart.
The feast winds down and the next morning Soleira brings a basket of food for KJG’s trip. They happily take it as they exchange some final words. Then they fly away. But not before leaving behind a pendant that mysteriously appeared around Soleira’s neck.
Thaa Start: 5 Mp 5 Dp -1 Mp, 2 Dp For Eye Pendant Artifact Thaa End: 4 Mp 3 Dp
Eye Pendant, Artifact, 1 MP, 2 DP, 2 Free Titles due to soul port
MP
Durability I: The Eye Pendant is supernaturally durable and can survive environments and impacts that would destroy most mortal jewelry.
DP
Soul Insight II: The Eye Pendant may give the wearer additional insight into those in the immediate vicinity of them, such as being able to tell if they are lying, having some great mood or issue, or otherwise know that a root issue is present. Spending additional time with it activated, several hours each day over the course of weeks, they may be able to determine more information about said issue or facet that is strongly impacting the person. The Eye Pendant's decorative eye 'opens' when in use.
Free titles
Soul Shield II: The wearer of the pendant is defended from attacks on their soul, whether in attempt to change or rend their souls from their body. It has practically no benefit to Divine beings, although divinely influenced beings may achieve a nigh similar state of protection. Ordinary mortals wearing the pendant will attain a great degree of protection and resistances, but may be unable to completely prevent a determined assault from impacting their soul.
Post Length: +10K Characters +5 Prestige >> The Conduit -3 Prestige >> Direct the flow of water around the barge for a moment +5 Prestige >> Soleira
“As I was saying Jaav such things are not always necessary to know such things!”
It took a moment of thought before the reply came, “It's the soul fused guy isn’t it?”
“Perhaps it is.”
”Why them? Why not just some random mortal who can go screw up their lives with it as usual?”
It would be a lie to say that a honest and full discussion followed where both made excellent points in good faith. Guul mostly had lesser concern over such things now, Kiim and Jaav were excessively fond of bickering, excepting when they disturbingly fell into periods of agreement.
The weapon as such was already completed, a spear capable of unleashing bale fire, strong and stable in of itself and in general quite a capable and dangerous weapon in anyone’s hands. In the intended being’s hands it might be quite the terrifying weapon for many. Truly though, Guul hoped that they could explain things to the soul, although they had been put together, chosen by Thaa to enact his wishes of morality, Guul worried that they were confused and injured in ignorance of their condition, of their situation.
It worried her how quick the three had to take to Thaa’s commands of the greater good, there was no real other option of course. Still, she wished there was someone that they might be able to relate with and have a friend at least. Even as the three were never alone truly, they also never really had much separation, or anyone with conditions different from their own.
“Could we go to Mydia after this should Thaa not have further duties for us?”
The Two, Kiim and Jaav, stayed momentarily slack as they briefly reorganized themselves so rare it was for Guul to interrupt while they were in the midst of one of their ‘conversations’.
“Of course dear Guul!”
“You are feeling alright?”
“Yes, fine, I just want to have a break.”
Silence reigned, finding someone else was a rare chance at that, maybe she could practice with pigments some more.
Thaa had found it necessary to proceed forward in the claiming of ever new power, a greatly disappointing facet. The weaponization of death energies was an unfortunate necessity at this point. Bale fires driving to destroy the fabric of most life’s basic prisons. Truly it was only so necessary due to the greater need to combat the vile attempts of life to not only continue but make inroads against his own plans. Ever did he try to make the world better, to improve things for the countless souls and yet they still resisted.
The gods and goddesses resisted in their own foolish and petty contrivances, on their cruelty and their apparent hatred. And the poor unfortunate mortal souls, tricked and blinded to the truth of all such things. Far too many completely ignorant to the realm beyond life. And so to show them, to bring them beyond such means as they each have their own desires and needs of such. Mortals so intent on acting on one another could perhaps still do some good even in their manipulation by the great many deities of life.
We open on KJG and they’re off to give the Aquibeophatian spear away, Guul does some thinking and makes a request. We cut to Thaa who has thought a bit on Bale fire, his necessary control of it, and the issues he has with the world and other deities generally.
Durability I: The Aquibeophatian Spear is supernaturally durable and can survive environments and impacts that would destroy most mortal spears.
3 DP
Bale Flame II: The Owner and User of the Spear can summon Bale Fire from the spear head in a spout or blast. The flames do not burn or spread like a normal fire and are not put out by water or sand like one might with a normal fire. Instead the fire causes rapid necrosis in cells of living material near the flame, and can typically spread across the living body of any creature hit by it. Larger creatures usually can survive initial impact if it hits a non-vital area although having any large portion of ones body be so subsumed is incredibly difficult and may require amputation or extensive healing or regeneration to survive. This effect does not protect the user from the effects of flame.
Attunement with Death I: The Owner and User of the Spear has greater resistance to death energies than most mortals, making survival with minimal lingering issues in places bound heavily with them possible should exposure be not to great.
Free Titles
Soul Ripper II: The Owner and User of the Spear can choose to attempt to rip the soul of the target of the Spear's cutting or stabbing from their body. Ordinary mortals are almost sure to be unable to fully resist the effects of the Spear, however divinely influenced beings have much greater resistance while being which are in essence themselves Divine are practically immune.
With confidence, she told herself that was all that was needed. Confidence.
The mists curled and twisted below as she dove downwards, the dim glow of the portal present in sight even as she knew the guards lurked around it. Somewhere, she knew.
She walked steadily towards the portal, a chance to actually explore beyond the realm of the Great Eye. It was something her group of friends had been planning for a while to try, in secret of course. One did not ask the Great Eye for much, most who did regret such, as the stories were told, not many say those who spoke the Great Eye again among the masses of the race.
She had volunteered to try first, the others were watching in the distance she knew, but no time to look back now, she was being watched by things other than her people. And so close she was, the portal was becoming clearer with each step forward.
Her black scales shifted through the fog as her horned head lowered peering forward through the mists as she drew closer to escape.
“What be of your business, Dragon?”
She nearly froze, the voice was singular and echoing, why’d it have to be them on guard.
“Valued Echoes, I was not aware you were guarding the portal on this occasion or else I would have sent word of my mission to-”
“-search and see beyond the portal and the various realms and deities beyond it? Not much does escape the sight of the Master, Dragon.”
The echoing voice was on the other side of her now, such was the way of the Echoes, always more than one, and not pleasant at that. Iom’dryrar turned her head to the first one who spoke now. It was of course one of the Echoes, they sat on three legs, none of them looked like the other, five arms grasped spears that dimly glowed of balefire, they had no proper face on what passed for their head, a series of shifting gaping maws into the dark void that was at the center of an Echo. If there was one you could, there were thousands more at the edges of your sight.
She replied in a small voice, the fog grew ever thicker around her, “I did not realize the Great Eye was aware.”
“The Master has awareness over all in the realm of his being, Dragon.” First voice behind her, and then to the side. “The Dragon would be wise to remember such things.”
Iom’dryrar kept quiet in the next few moments, turning her head to watch and look at the Echoes that surrounded her. They did nothing besides their usual shifting in and out of sight, that was not exactly a relief. Echoes were terrifyingly unpredictable, they were small but many foolish dragons had found themselves held in terror for not obeying the Great Eye’s will at the hands of the Echoes. They usually kept harm to a minimum unlike some of the far distant servants of the Great Eye.
She gulped, and then again trying to clear her throat. “So what happens now?”
A voice to her right, “The Dragon continues, the Master has approval for this action for now.”
To her left, “The Dragon is warned that many places are dangerous, and many more so because of the Dragon being and life is so fragile and tied to the Dragon-kind makers.”
Off slightly right, barely visible in the mists, “The Dragon will proceed, the Master has decreed. The Dragon Group that has sent this Dragon may follow in time, or may not. The Master will decide upon their fate as befalls this Dragon.”
Behind her, “Does this Dragon understand?”
She replied as quick as she could, “Yes, I understand.”
It came into her head as quick and brief as one could blink, an infinitely of voices, of clamoring sounds and calls of every sort and kind imaginable.
Good.
Iom’dryrar walked as steadily as she could through to the portal, the mists had only continued to build up and it was faint. As she reached close Echoes stood by, the portal suddenly expanding to make her body fit through, she pressed her wings flat as she could and stepped out.
We open on a Dragon, the majestic black scaled and horned Dragoness Iom’dryrar, approaching the portal to Antiquity. Alas she is caught by some of the servants of Thaa, The Echoes, looking as a mismatched horror, three legs, five arms and only gaping shifting maws on their heads, these are not the most pleasant of servants and she is much concerned and afraid that it was them who caught her. Not only this but apparently Thaa was aware of this attempt the whole time from planning to action which is only of greater concern.
Fortunately he has decided to allow her out to explore and possibly her friends who she had planned this with too should things not go too terribly awry. With some warnings Iom’dryrar steps out into Antiquity as the portal briefly expands to allow her through.
It had truly been a time of fascination for Aen'drannan, the place she had been brought to so long ago was filled with souls of the dead. She could see them, their lives, all things within there, those were some of the gifts she had been given by the Great Eye. She had seen the world through others eyes, and it saddened her. So much occurred that simply did not seem to come for any reason, disaster and tragedy, suffering abounding.
There were good moments too, it was worth it in the end. And it varied so much, war and conquest often bringing justice and tyrants in equal chance, suffering in either case. She knew she could do something, was she not strong and large? Could not her power be put to good use?
So she had asked of the Eye, and so she had been shown. Trolls accorded to defend life, falling to the temptations of feed and their own failings. Even in their power overwhelmed by numbers and organization. Civilization as it were, the conflict between all kinds so very pointless as they all struggled in the same system. She talked with the Eye, he was not subtle, he had a point to make and it was that life was not worth it. She disagreed but they did agree in part on the reduction of suffering. He showed her more souls, and more, and more still.
And yet she grew more convinced that something was needed to change. Life was trapped in conflict, civilizations were trapped in conflict, each of the peoples of Galbar seemed to fight with each other again and again. She searched the lives of the souls she could see, she learned their languages, memorized aspects of their cultures, and yet she could not see why it always came to conflict. It didn't have to, she felt it deep inside that she could make things better, she had to try at the very least.
The Great Eye listened, gave one last set of gifts to her and offered to send her to Galbar. To a place of her choice to try to make a change. She accepted.
A rift of green flame opened in the sky, the wind only shifted slightly as it grew larger and larger. A portal of flame way above in the sky. The booming voice recognized to that of Sigeran was the only announcement, "A champion of my will to guide and lead."
The massive form that flew down out of the portal, flapping massive wings to lower itself onto its four legs, it seemed all vegetation and plants gave way to the creature crumpling as its form neared the ground. A golden helmet adorned its head, gleaming in the light. It was covered from head all down its body to the last bit of its tail in dark red scales, overlapping like that of well made armor. The creature turned its gaze to the area around it as it landed. Apart from its singing landing area, the surrounding snow-clad hills and forests were devoid of motoric life, apart from a distant kveg herd that had suddenly gotten the instinctive urge to evacuate the area with an uncontrolled, panicking stampede.
However, despite looking largely lifeless, there was a small ruined village not too far from the creature’s landing spot. Lifeless? Apparently not, as a man came peeking out from behind a broken wall and then ducked back into hiding upon seeing the creature.
Aen'drannan flipped her sight into the realm of souls, a gift of her golden helm. She spoke as she kept her head facing towards the village, ignoring the herd for now. "Show thyselves, you cannot hide from me in any case, make thyself known."
Ten shadows soared up from behind the building, carried into the sky by great, black wings. They flew in formation, the one at the front unbuckling a whip of sunlight. Banking hard to the right, they set a path down for the dragon’s back, brandishing weapons menacingly. Over by the foot of the ruins again, there stood five men, six women and some children, and something unspeakable even further behind.
“GET IT, ANNIHILARI!” came a distant yell from one of the men.
Rolling her eyes, Aen'drannan turned head head to the right and opened her mouth, breathing out a blast of green flame well in front of the path of the ten to dissuade them. Her mouth opened again, following it with words.
"Calm thyselves lest I be forced to destroy ye, I am no enemies of your kind and ilk, I come to talk as for your future!"
The angels flapped their wings in panic just to avoid the flame and soared back to the village, one of them needing to be carried due to too many singed feathers. They landed in front of the humans, most of whom had lost whatever courage they had had.
The thing behind them though, had not. It stepped forward upon cloven hooves, a large scythe in its left hand, it spoke outward towards the large winged being ”I...must say...if you wish to show yourself...as a friend...I would not recommend...appearing as you did.” Its voice grating against itself as it spoke.
"Little choice did I have, it was willed as per he you know as Sigeran."
Aen'drannan shuffled her wings and shook her claws to remove the loose dirt from the ground beneath her. She spoke again, clear enough and almost musical in tone.
"It is only my first time being in this realm of Galbar, in the western boreal highlands of Toraan are we not? The Dûnlands?"
The being thought for a brief moment ”Yes...you are…” They briefly turned back towards the humans ”Seems...your god...likes us enough to send...a giant winged death...being.”
“Is it the North God?” asked Sedrick.
Azen shook his head ”No...your...Sigeran…”
The men, women and even the children looked to be feeling a collective shiver. “S-Sigeran,” Coner whimpered and folded his hands together, bowing his head to meet his knuckles. Vegard, Knut and Mack, as well as half of the women did the same. Sedrick fell to one knee along with the other half and the children.
“In death, we live forever,” chanted Sedrick, the others echoing him.
The she dragon mused at what the Great Eye would think of such a phrase before turning to the point at hand and speaking in that same half-musical voice. She dipped her head to the cloven hooved creature, "Dragon is what my kind is called, although I hear there are many such of that name in the far corners of Divine insight."
She turned her gaze side on to the kneeling few and said a few words. "Your faith serves you well."
“We thought we had been abandoned - clinging to our faith like a rope over a bottomless pit. Now, Sigeran sends us you.” Now those who stood also bent the knee. “We are yours to command, great one,” Sedrick pledged.
"Fear not for abandonment, Sigeran is supreme. It is good to see you survivng well despite the depredations of our enemies. Especially the little ones." Aen'drannan, smiled a closed lip smile. The children huddled closer to both the men and the women.
Sedrick approached slowly, gesturing to the children. “Only one of them is related to one of the women here - that’s Little Knut; Teagan there’s his aunt.” The woman known as Teagan nodded to identify herself, holding her nephew close. “The rest are orphans. We’re a gathering of stragglers at best - shadows of the folk we were five years ago. All we want now is a break - an existence that can give us both the excitement of the hunt and the tranquility of peace until the day Sigeran comes to claim our souls. Therefore, we…” He eyed Annihilari, who offered him a frown and a shrug. Then looked at the Hunter’s bony face. “... We hope you haven’t come to draft us into a new war.”
The hunter stepped forward, taking a place next to Sedrick ”These...people...have seen much...those...forces of light are strong...they require...sanctuary...as do…” he turned back, looking at the Neiyari ”I...and...the neiyari.”
“-Just- until winter has passed,” Annihilari specified with a ‘hmph!’
Aen'drannan listened and watched them as each spoke, replying only a few moments after silence had taken form. "There is a good reason why I have been sent. To establish a kind of sanctuary, a haven for all those of the good and proper path against those foes that so surround and entrap all us here now. There are more, scattered and disparate, to survive there shall have to be a place wherein all can stand together and all can live in good peace and order."
"I am to help establish that. To protect and guide to a place most suitable, and defend all of you and your kind from there." Her head, and with it her gaze, turned towards Annihilari. "Neiya is numbered among the progenitors of my people, rightly guided siblings are always welcome to stay as long as you wish. My Master speaks highly of your purpose and people, I am sure we can all come together for what needs to be done."
“A sanctuary… Sigeran has heard our prayers!” praised the humans. Annihilari twitched a brow and pursed his lips.
“Suit yourselves - when first spring comes, I will be taking flight southwards to see my love once more - Aveira, our reunion cannot come soon enough.”
“You two will soar joyously in the moonlight, brother - like swallows in a dance of dark, yet wholesome love,” came a respectful comment from behind him. Annihilari slowly raised a palm to the sky.
“So I pray, sister - so I pray.” Around him, the other Neiyari gathered to touch and lament with him.
Azen chuckled ”Come now...Annhilari...you haven’t warmed...up to us yet?”
“Why warm up when I know leaving will be so cool, hmm?” The other Neiyari whooped in celebration of their leader’s ability with words. The humans chuckled more at the reaction than the phrasing.
Azen smiled as much as his boney face could allow ”you...never know my friend.”
“Great one,” Sedrick broke in. “May we know your name, you who is taking is to sanctuary?” The humans lifted their folded hands to the dragon.
"Of course, you may call me Aen'drannan." The dragoness replied in full musical tone.
“Great Aen’drannan - may we know where this sanctuary will be? Will the journey be long? We have little food and drink, and our clothes are all but rags now; we are still working to assemble our people, who have been scattered to every corner of the Dûnlands by now.”
"Far perhaps, but the journey should not be so bad, there are few enough of you that I can carry you to the promised haven." The Dragoness paused as she turned her head briefly, continuing on a different track.
"You may have some need of preparation for such a journey, I can help with game as I might. In any case, we shall be going beyond the range of Ha-Dûna's might, the edge of its influence. A river shielded by mountains to the east of Grimholt. There should be close enough to serve as a beacon and haven for the scattered faithful and all others of good welcoming, but far enough to be safer from the evils of our enemies. Besides the river should do well for growing. There are no great cities there yet, that will be the work of Sigeran."
“Praise be,” Coner whispered. “Our prayers really have been answered.”
“Told ya they would be,” snickered Mack.
“Great Azen, where can we find the closest game?” asked Sedrick.
The hunter rose his head, sniffing the air, distinguishing between all the various scents that surrounded him. ”That...way” He pointed with his scythe in a direction just beyond the great dragon. We...may...find some...kveg there.”
“kveg, you say? That’ll come in handy - we might even be able to capture a few heads so we’ll have milk, blood and meat for the journey!” Coner celebrated.
“Sounds like a plan,” said Sedrick. “Focus on capturing as many as you can, actually. Dead flesh will spoil, but living flesh will remain fresh as long as its body lives.”
“But how will we feed several kveg, Sedrick?” asked Teagan from behind him, crossing her arms over her chest.
“The kveg will eat what the earth provides,” the leader replied. “There might not be much, but we will keep a close eye on then and tap them for milk and blood to survive.”
“Ugh, drinking blood?” gagged Little Knut.
“Don’t be a wuss,” cautioned Vegard and nudged the young boy in the shin with his spear. “Blood’s good for you, kid. It’ll help you gather strength, something we’ll all need for the rest of the winter.”
“Not to mention the spring, when patrols will come looking for us,” moped Knut.
“Shut up, Knut,” Coner growled and the two exchanged knife-like glares. “Anyway, what’ll the rest of you do while we’re capturing kveg? ‘Cuz it’s going to be us, right?”
“You, Mack and Vegard should go. Annihilari, would you like to send any?”
The Neiyari flicked his chin up like someone had punched it. “Hmph! Since you asked so desperately, little maggot, I suppose we can spare one or two - as you so clearly need our help to do everything around here.” He groaned and turned to his small flock. They looked back expectantly. “Alright, Destrura, Agoniri - you two go.”
Destrura grimaced and raised her hand. “Can’t we put it to a vote, o Sadistic One?”
Annihilari rolled his eyes. “Alright, a vote it is, then. Who wishes to vote that Destrura and Agoniri go?” Unanimously, with the exception of the two involved, the Neiyari voted for. Annihilari threw out his arms and shrugged. “See what that accomplished? Now get going.” Bitter and outmatched by such layman’s democracy, the two losers complied reluctantly and flapped their wings over to the three humans.
“Azen, would you come with, as well?” asked Mack humbly.
The hunter looked up towards the Dragon, then to Mack ”I...shall come...I trust...our newest...ally to...keep watch…” He laid his scythe over his shoulder, before continuing to speak ”I suggest...the rest...gather what they can...from our...temporary abode....and keep their eyes out...for any others of our...cause.”
“As you command, Great Hunter,” Sedrick agreed dutifully and started herding the rest into the village to gather what they could find. Sedrick himself remained, however, turning to Coner. “And boys… No fighting, alright?”
“Y’know, you saying that makes it that much more enticing, actually,” Mack snickered. Coner elbowed him in the side.
“Shut up, Mack, you’re embarrassing us in front of the dragon!”
“Not as much as your face embarrasses the entire human race!” Mack snarled back, and both wound up their fists to punch. Sedrick barely managed to step in between them in time, glaring them down into the soil.
“No fighting. Azen, if they fight, take one hand from each.”
“Wha? That’s some cowshit!” Coner protested.
The hunter chuckled ”Gladly.” he replied. Eyeing down the two paladins with mock hunger in his eyes.
“Great Azen, have mercy,” Mack pleaded with big eyes. “Boys will be boys and all that, right? Right?”
Aen'drannan looked on with an idle smile at the antics of the others, occasionally swiveling around keeping track of nearby souls. She commented, "Try for the ones not preferred, such delays in relearning easy tasks with the unpreferred hand can take some time."
Mack swallowed and held out his hand to Coner. “Truce?”
Coner looked at the hand with spite, but took it and squeezed hard - too hard. Mack whimpered and keeled forward, glaring holes through Coner’s scarred skull. “Truce,” Coner snickered back. “Let’s go, then, lads! We have kveg to capture!” He released the hand, which Mack pulled to himself like a wounded child, and the merry band set off in the herd’s direction. Sedrick, meanwhile, remained still, looking back into the village where the salvagers were gathering resources in improvised skin sacks. He breathed a sigh and looked up at Aen’drannan.
“Great Aen’drannan, could I ask you something? Regarding the great Sigeran?”
”I may not have all the answers you seek but you may ask what you will.”
“Does he truly reward the strong with life after death? Do we truly live forever after we die?”
Aen’drannan smiled another closed lipped smile at the question. ”I have seen the souls of the dead in his very realm, the place of my creation and the creation of my people. I have no doubt all the dearly departed are there, and that all of you should in time when your personal tale has reached the full conclusion, that you should join them.”
Tears formed in Sedrick’s eyes, and he descended to his knees and lifted his hands to the dragon. “I knew we were in the right to keep faith. I knew he would come for us at our lowest… Are the conditions still the same?”
Aen'drannan smiled. It was difficult to speak truths leaving out the context that might reveal so much to them. She didn't like it, but she didn't have much choice to accomplish what she needed to, making something better would take time and sacrifice, a few moderately hard moments would be the least of her concerns. She replied, "The conditions have been as they always have from time immemorial. The standing of Sigeran stands strong no matter what."
“Blessed be,” whispered Sedrick in response.
The herd hadn’t run far - or at least, not as far as they could’ve ran. It had topped the hill and hid in its shadow, where all memory of the dragon had faded out of memory and the kveg could once again happily graze on what lichen, grass and weeds still hid under the snow. It wasn’t a feast, exactly, but they had to survive somehow.
It would be interesting to see how much longer they would survive, though, because atop the hill, hiding behind a boulder, the three humans, two angels and one massive wendigo all make their plans for how they would capture the beasts.
“Alright,” Mack mumbled, “I count around twenty heads… One lead… Possibly three lead calves - can’t make that out entirely…”
“Man… Imagine having all those women to yourself, mate…” drooled Coner. The angels looked at him with disgust. Coner noticed them and gaped wide. “No, I meant human women! -Human- women!”
“Swine,” Destrura spat coldly. Coner sank together in despair and shame. Mack ignored them both and looked up at Azen.
“Any ideas for how we should approach this?”
”Depends...do you...wish to capture...or kill these creatures?”
“Like Sedrick said - capture if we can.”
”Then...it would...be in our interest...to cut them off...to herd them...our winged allies can….help in this….we also must...ensure we retain that lead….as the herd will follow them…of course...we must also prevent a...stampede...that would prove....dangerous…”
“Yeah, yeah, we know,” Agoniri muttered and took to the skies. Destrura remained a bit longer and gave a shrug.
“Anything specific you’d like us to do when cutting them off? What angle will you be coming from?”
Coner started, “Well, we’ll--”
“Quiet, maggot. Azen, what angle?”
Azen took stock of the surrounding area, pointing to the side-back of the herd ”There...we shall...try to drive them forward...towards the...village.”
“Understood.” Then she took off. Coner stood staring into the snow as Mack and Vegard were about to move ahead; Mack turned to face him.
“Hey, what’s wrong, man?”
Coner blinked in frustration. “Am I really a maggot? A swine?”
Mack and Vegard exchanged looks, furrowing their brows. Mack turned back and pursed his lips. “Yeah, yeah, absolutely.”
“Totally,” Vegard added without a shred of humour. Coner sank even lower.
“That fate would have it that so many good people died and I’m stuck here with you.”
“Other way around, asshole - we’re stuck here with your dumb noggin and broad shovel-jaw. Now come on.” After some back and forth and wary glances over at Azen’s scythe, the men moved ahead.
Azen kept his distance behind them, while the presence of three humans would not be enough to scare the herd, his strange and twisted form would certainly be enough.
Coner, Mack, and Vegard readied themselves, moving to the back of the herd, meanwhile above, the two neiyari prepared to come from above, keeping the herd going in a, roughly straight direction.
Azen swept his eyes over the herd, the kveg lazely grazing, totally unaware, his gaze drifted towards the lead with its large horns, then, an idea began to form in his head.
He turned towards the humans ”I...have...the perfect...idea.” He spoke in a hushed whisper.
“What are you...” Mack tried to question, but he did not get far in his statement before Azen bolted out of the brush and rocks. His speed was incredible, fitting for a being with practically the legs of a deer and years of hunting skills. The kveg had no time to figure out what was going on, the sudden appearance of the twisted hunter was absolutely sure to spook them into running. Even more so when Azen took a running leap, soaring through the air for a brief moment, landing directly upon the back of the lead.
For a brief moment, it was like even the kveg did not know what to do, even the lead, but, after the few seconds of pure bafflement by all involved(beyond Azen), all hell broke loose. The lead bucked and jumped, but Azen held firmly on, with a swat of his hand, he sent the lead carreening forward. The others took the sign, the three humans launched out of the brush and rocks, and the two Neiyari flew close to the sides, ensuring the now frightened kveg ran forward, in the direction of their now utterly confused lead with a massive wendigo sat atop.
Azen couldn’t help but laugh, waving his scythe in the air like an utter madman which, in all fairness, he was. Behind him the paladins could barely keep up with the herd, and soon resorted to the same tactics as their icon, quickly grabbing the sides of the kveg and planting themselves firmly on top. The neiyari couldn’t help but shake their heads at the display. Azen drove the lead forward, urging the herd towards the village, which only grew in size as they neared, quickly showing the forms of the great dragon and villagers sitting within.
“Why did we even come along for this?” Destrura muttered bleakly to the melody of Agoniri’s groan. “We, what, flapped our wings a bit after Azen took control? We could’ve been back here relaxing.”
“Oh, do you two -ever- stop complaining?” Coner wailed. Destrura scoffed and stuck her nose to the sky; Agoniri mirrored her perfectly.
“Be quiet, flea. Be thankful we were there to help you.”
“But you just said--”
“HMPH!” With that, the two Neiyari took flight and floated over to the rest of their band, all of whom sat in a circle around Annihilari, listening to very sad poetry. Coner was on the verge of tears, his teeth grinding themselves to sand under the pressure of his fury.
“I will pluck every feather off her wing one day.”
“Coner, pipe it down,” Mack snarled and kneeled before Aen’drannan. “Great dragon - we bring back livestock for our people.”
Aen'drannan watched the herd approach, not replying to the kneeling Mack, before springing herself into the air. Her powerful legs throwing herself upwards as her wings outstretched and took over, calmly circling around to beside the coming herd and unleashing balefire on the ground around it. She circled the group entrapping them in a wall of flame before coming back down a little ways away from it, reaching in as the herd milled away from the green fire to help Azen escape the flame himself. She turned her head back to the group and spoke.
"I'll grab whichever few seem best suited for slaughter, best the Aiviri stay away from lifting them, too heavy for a few and too likely to injury in the beasts' panic and such. You others will need to prepare as much as you can carry for the journey, and of course your fill for our time waiting here. We'll not need the full herd nor can we take all of them."
The humans looked at each other. “Well, we oughta bring some living, as well, “ Coner pointed out. “Their milk, meat and blood will spoil along the way, so we should be keeping a few kveg and a lead, shouldn’t we?”
“Coner, don’t be rude! But yes, we think so as well,” agreed Sedrick. “They graze the plains, so feeding a few won’t be too hard, I reckon.”
“Have any of you maggots ever herded livestock?” asked Annihilari sharply. Two of the women raised their hands.
“I was a shepherd back in Ha-Dûna,” said one of them.
“What was your name again?” asked Sedrick.
“Enna,” she responded. Sedrick nodded quietly.
“Alright, you will take responsibility for our kveg. I take it you know how to raise animals?”
Before she could answer, Annihilari spat. “Sheep. She can raise sheep - that’s what a shepherd is.”
“She’s the best we’ve got - unless any of you have a better solution?”
Annihilari smirked and raised his arms fabulously to the heavens. The other Neiyari encircled him awesomely and struck their own poses to further his glory. “As a matter of fact, our dearest Desolari has herded livestock for decades! -He- will certainly do a better job than some meek squirt.”
“Now listen here, you--” Coner started, but Sedrick grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back, scowling at the magnificent angels.
“Whatever you say, Annihilari,” he mumbled and the Neiyari gloated powerfully.
“Hah! That’s the proper attitude when addressing superiority, you tiny, tiny man. Now, shall we go feast, my sisters? My brothers?” The angels squealed in celebration and took flight, soaring over to the balefire ring to pick out the best targets. Sedrick spat.
“Forgive me, Coner - it’s just that we should not fight before our great master.” He bowed back to Aen’drannan.
Aen'drannan really couldn't say that she blamed the ones here for getting excited about the herd, but it was true enough that she wouldn't be able to completely carry them and the whole herd so they'd have to go over land which would be slower, and carry more risk of hostile forces...
Her head followed the Aiviri as she spoke to those still near, "Bicker as you must, fight not. We all have more important enemies than any small slight of word from those assembled here."
She relaxed back onto her haunches and turned her head back to those nearby. "Do you still have the Shrine?"
“The shrine, your greatness?” asked Sedrick. “We have erected many, as Sigeran commands - which one do you mean?”
"It would have been Golden, appearing sometime with a lot of voices saying of its use into your heads, likely at an inconvenient time?" Aen'drannan replied with dry humor. The humans looked to be sweating, uncertain of how to respond.
“W-we’re not sure we know what you mean,” Sedrick admitted meekly, the others looking anywhere else than at Aen’drannan. “When were we given this?”
"I see. It would have been some time ago, might have been when you were more on the run as it were, there would have been news of the happenings in the western highlands at this time from the voices but I recognize that might still pose issue..." She trailed off standing back up and shaking the dirt from her claws.
“How could we have missed something like this?!” Coner broke out.
“Maybe Ragnar’d heard about it.”
“Well, that won’t help us, will it? Ragnar’s dead, and we’ve obviously missed something very important, haven’t we?!” The humans fell to their knees to grovel. “FORGIVE US, GREAT ONE!”
"Get up, I shall require one or two of you to accompany me to show me where you have been and thusly where the Shrine might be. It is of no use to those without knowledge so we shall not have to worry about others being bonded with it at least. The rest can prepare well enough here for what needs to be done."
The humans got up on the spot and shifted sheepishly. Sedrick was about to step forward when Mack raised his hand. “I will go. I knew Ragnar well - he could have hidden it for later use.”
Sedrick nodded. “Good. Coner, you go with him.”
“Why me?! And why with him?!”
Mack frowned. “Could ask the same, chief.”
Sedrick growled quietly and grabbed them both by the shoulder. “You two need to put your differences behind you and learn to work together, you fools. Besides, Coner, you were close to Ragnar, too.”
“His daughter, more like,” mused Mack and Coner grabbed him by the collar in a flash.
“You mention Frianne one more time--”
“Coner!” Sedrick pulled Mack free. “Mack, don’t mock him; Coner, control yourself. This is not acceptable behaviour before the Great One.” He shook his head. “Now go with her. What should we do while you are gone, Great One?”
"Do as you need and make use of the herd, prepare for travel in all sense available and keep vigilant. I would recommend drying any meats you do not use for travel food. You know well enough what to do in any case. As well, and this is most vital, do enjoy yourselves as able, there is much good coming for you and you should not get so caught up in worry, a healthy amount, a strong concern, or such. If the worst comes I will have to ask aid from a Servant of Sigeran, I would prefer not too but it is possible. This is no defeat, nor fault upon ye."
Aen'drannan turned to the pair speaking to them both, "You should prepare to ride upon my back with whatever you'll need for the flight."
“Depends on whether the neiyar’ll share black milk with us,” grunted Coner. Mack rolled his eyes and turned to Sedrick.
“We’ll take our share of the supplies we have, then - better that, than to wait for the kveg meat to dry for the trip.”
Sedrick nodded. “Take whatever you need, brother. We will head northeast, out of reach of the Dûnan riders. I reckon the Great One’s sight and senses will easily spot out caravan from the sky.”
Mack nodded, Coner having already walked off to take the supplies from the ruins in which they stored them. Once he came back, both climbed onto Aen’drannan’s back. Below, Sedrick waved. “Be respectful, you two! We all’ll have to work together in these trying times - even you two.” Mack and Coner exchanged scowls.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Coner growled. Mack grunted in response.
"Hold on tightly, lest you be thrown." She did not waste much time leaping back into the air, careful to maintain an easier ascent path for the riders to manage. She did not go as high as she could, mindful that doing so might cause quite the issue. The two on her back struggled to hold on, clawing at whatever was grippable on her back. On the ground, the sudden buffet of air cast some of the less sturdy onlookers back.
Aen'drannan spoke to them clearly as they clawed at the ridges and plates of her back, falling into a steady gliding circling pattern around the site. "In which direction do I need to go?"
“West! It must be in the west! Closer to Ha-Dûna!”
“Coner, you madman! We cannot go there - they will see us and resume the hunt!”
“That is where we came from, you fool! We couldn’t have left it anywhere else!”
She silently turned westwards keeping a close eye on the ground below and she made sure to keep steadying her flight for the two passengers. "Hold on and keep watch for familiar landmarks."
The two humans kept spying, and though they weren’t at all used to this sort of travel speed and such heights, they did their best to take it what they were observing. After a while, Coner pointed a carrot-like finger at a distant hill. “There! Mack, doesn’t that look like that one hill with, with the cairn?!”
“The cursed hill of the Minks?! Didn’t we run around it?!”
“No - we stopped, remember? It was the only place the Dûnans wouldn’t look for us! I’m sure it has to be there!”
Mack pondered this for a minute. Then he patted Aen’drannan on her back and shouted, “It’s there! It’s that cairn far below!”
Not feeling but hearing, Aen'drannan circled around setting down a little ways off, the vegetation of all kinds near her dying as she approached only a few meters from the ground. She spoke as she came to a stop, "Where would your Ragnar have hidden the shrine can you think? Search if you must."
The two men skipped off of her back and eyed the abandoned stone pyramid atop the hill, oozing as it was with an invisible evil miasma. The grave pile had an entrance - an arch of stacked stones that seemed less than sturdy, and was littered with skulls mounted on sticks to deter both the living and the dead for disturbing the ancestors of the pyramids makers. Mack started approaching, but Coner remained. Mack groaned and beckoned his companion to follow. “Come on, man - I don’t like it either, but we need that shrine!”
“You know what the Mink say about disturbing the dead, right?” Coner was almost shaking. “Neither the living nor the dead may enter or leave the final resting place of their ancestors, for to do so is to break the barrier separating the Overworld and the Underworld. W-we shouldn’t--”
“How you know more about Mink faith than how to ride an elk is beyond me…” Mack took his hand and pulled him along. “But enough bitching! We’ve been in there once and left, and the world is still whole, is it not?”
“But what has happened to us since we did, man?! The Hunter found us again, and now a dragon of Sigeran himself has become our master! Aren’t they both of the dead?!”
Mack groaned yet again. “Okay, first of all - Aizen found us before we even found this place, so you can dismiss that thought right away. Secondly, both Aizen and Aen’drannan are helping us! Thus in my view, breaking the barrier between worlds was the smartest thing we ever did!”
Coner paused to consider this. “Now that you mention it…”
“Yeah, I know. Now let’s go.” The two ducked into the entrance and descended down into the pyramid’s chamber. The staircase was overgrown with moss and lichen, and the roof even inside the chamber was low and in disrepair. Sure enough, as they had predicted from their memory, there was a shrine here, erected atop a mummified corpse lying on a flat stone on the floor. Around them, remains of what had once been an opulently well-decorated burial chamber showed only the scrap and junk the graverobbers had refused to take with them. All was gray except for the shrine.
The shrine was entirely of gold coloration, it seemed to faintly glimmer if it was fully made of such as well. It was centered on a golden figure standing atop a pile of bodies. Gems and other colorful stones dotted the artifact, faintly inscribing eyes into the base of the structure. It had a mural of scenes even as all ended up supporting the intricately decorated bodies of races and peoples near and far, and some that none here had ever seen nor heard of existing. They all formed a cone up to that central figure, triumphantly standing over the defeated masses even as they were scared themselves. It was just small enough that they might be able to carry it between the two of them, if it were not too heavy. Mack nodded slowly.
“Now I remember… The hunters caught old Briain while he was having a piss… We had to escape and couldn’t bring it with us.”
“Rest his soul, that old fool,” Coner sighed. The two then took hold of each side of the shrine and carried it outside.
The great dragon eyed the two as they came out with the shrine, speaking softly enough to them in her semi-musical tone. "Be careful there, don't hurt yourselves with it there. I take it you know not how to utilize the shrine?"
She had been keeping watch out at the landscape around but now centered her attention more fully on the pair. She was upright, not having taken the time to bother to get into a resting position while on the ground.
The two of them placed the shrine down in the snow before her. “No, we don’t. Ragnar might’ve, but he never shared the information with someone like us.”
"Might as well do so now, place your dominant hand on the shrine and pledge your eternal souls to Sigeran, offer up your bodies to his will and power."
The two men gulped, but they knew they had already given more to him than so. They each did as told and spoke, “We offer our bodies and souls forever to the great king of death and victory, Sigeran.”
There was no flash, no mighty sign of any change outwardly. Nor did they feel any great change come across their body, but something was different. They knew exactly that the shrine was there and it was right in front of them. Not from sight or touch, but something else telling them it was close, and the direction of it exactly.
The two men blinked at one another and then up at Aen’drannan. “What, what happened?”
"You are now bonded to the Shrine and it grants you power through the Will of Sigeran, climb back up, I will carry the Shrine, you are more fragile than it even now. We have to bring it back to the others so that they too may swear." As she spoke she moved to make climbing up onto her back again easier for the two men.
"I will explain more later, but know that such power is not a toy or joke"
Not waiting for her to explain further, the men climbed back on her back. Once they were settled it only took a moment for her to grab the shrine in her claw and leap into the air once more, heading back the way she came to reach the camp as quickly as possible given the limitations on height and speed she had to maintain carrying the two men. Never growing quite used to the sensation, the men held on for their lives all the way.
In that way, landing was quite the nice thing as they finally came back to camp, the two eagerly disembarking as Aen'drannan set the Shrine down. "You have been most useful and should be praised for your assistance in securing the Shrine once more."
She nodded to each of them once before turning her attention elsewhere as she fell into a resting posture, having landed a good few meters away from anything of import. The other Sigerans hastened over to the shrine, Sedrick in the lead with eyes wide open. The Neiyari came, as well, curiously eyeing the artifact while rubbing their chins as one flock. Speaking of flock, the captured kveg that had not been slaughtered for food were still kept inside the balefire ring, quickly growing tired of running around in panic. Sedrick regarded the shrine and then Mack and Coner. “Of course! We left this in the--”
“The cairn, yes,” Mack finished and looked up at Aen’drannan. “Should I tell them or would you like the honours?”
She smiled a closed lip smile saying, "You may tell them."
Mack nodded slowly and turned back to the others. “Very well. Aen’drannan has told us of Sigeran’s will, and we are all to place our hands upon this shrine and pledge our souls and bodies to his service.”
There was a pause. “Is that it?” came a quiet remark from Sedrick.
“That’s it.”
Sedrick looked at the shrine and then Aen’drannan, shrugged and raised his hand. “Alright, line up! Let us offer ourselves to our master and--”
“Now hold on,” came the snide, know-it-all voice of Annihilari, his companions folding out behind him like a fan of cards or a pack of vultures. Sedrick, Mack, Coner and the other Sigerans groaned in silence as they turned to look at them.
“What?”
“That’s my question, exactly,” Annihilari declared. “Or perhaps -why- is a better question. Offering yourselves to your god Sigeran is no simple decision - and certainly not one you should take lightly. Of course, I don’t care a feather or a fig for what happens to any of you, but in my merciful stupor, I simply cannot bear to see something so naive as you humans so thoughtlessly taking such orders unquestioningly!”
“So thoughtful!” cooed his companions.
“A heart of gold!” cooed another before being slapped.
“I do not! My heart is as black as the night itself - it beats only once a year, when I get to see my eternal love, Aveira!” He struck a pose, and the other Neiyari swooned.
“Such devotion! Such admiration!”
The Sigerans, meanwhile, looked back up at Aen’drannan as if begging for help. Sedrick stepped forward and tried to speak over the explosion of praise and pride that was Annihilari’s boasting right next to them. “As it may be the only way to shut them up, can you tell us what will happen once we give ourselves to the Master?”
Aen'drannan watched most of this with silent amusement but with the request to explain she spoke to them all. "Should you give yourself in soul and body over to Sigeran through the power of the Shrine you shall not only appraise yourself to a truly worthy god but more importantly for the more self-interested, you shall again powers two fold."
"When near the Shrine these powers will be at their height, your mortal forms while capable of damage will not halt, you will not suffer greatly from wounds and you will become almost undying in form. Secondly you will always know where and how far from you the Shrine is, the two who have retrieved it have pledged themselves. Do so now, or later, as long as you are pledged and with the Shrine no enemy of mortal make could easily best you from your own protection by the Divine hand of Sigeran."
She lowered her head bringing it close to the face, or more precisely looming over the head, of Annihilari. "I hope that has alleviated your 'merciful stupor', and I thank you as one being of Neiya's helpful creation to another for your close and careful consideration for the followers of Sigeran."
“Oh, it’s the least we could do,” Annihilari thanked as the Neiyari quieted down to observe. The Sigerans, after looking at one another to confirm their determination, each swore their oaths in turn and, one by one, were granted the powers their Master had promised them. Sedrick took a deep breath and grinned at Mack and Coner.
“I feel it… This is just like the blessing at Grimholt.” He took out his axe and chopped himself in the thigh. Blood surged forth, but he stood as though it had been a wasp’s sting. He then pulled the axe out and waited as the others looked on. He paled, and the amount of blood he was losing should indicate that he would be dead any minute, but he breathed and smile for all to see, raising his hands to the air. “SIGERAN IS WITH US!”
“SIGERAN IS WITH UUUUS!” echoed the other humans, and even the Neiyari looked somewhat impressed. As Vegard hastened to patch up Sedrick’s leg and give him black milk to rebalance his fluids, the humans turned back to Aen’drannan for further guidance. “What now, then? Where do we go from here?”
Rushing blood began to slow as the wound was healing slowly, but it was even so more than it should by any natural means. Aen'drannan spoke, "South, along the mountains as much as we can to reach the promised lands further up the river and into a tributary river from the mountains in the east. There is a promised land to the faithful of Sigeran and all those of good alliance and righteous power under true Divine might. There will be where you shall finally rest and prosper."
We open on Aen'drannan being sent down to mortal world of Galbar, specifically to the camp of the Sigeran survivors guarded by the Neiyari and the Hunter. After a brief amount of confusion she is accepted as a representative of Sigeran and they prepare to travel to a promised land. They secure supplies in the form of kveg and the Aquibeophatian Shrine. They prepare to leave for the South to their promised land up the river away from the old lands after the Sigerans swear themselves on the Shrine to Sigeran in body and soul eternally, thusly acquiring a link and power from the Shrine.
1 dp Bale Flame Mastery I: This Hero has a beginnng level of mastery over bale flame, any natural ability or usage of bale flame generating artifacts or other means are much more effective for this hero. This has no effect to generate bale flame, only enhance an extant ability.
1 dp Soul Ripping I: This Hero's natural combative weapons, such as claws and teeth, should the hero will it, can damage and eventually rip the soul of one they attack with such weapons from their body should they be able to sufficiently land such hits. These hits must be substantial and cannot rip the soul of their opponent easily, greatly more so should the opponent be divinely blessed such as another consecrated hero.
They remembered. Dying that is. It wasn’t the least bit pleasant, they didn’t have any intention of doing that again. They didn’t know why they were back, or where they were, nothing here reminded them of how things should be. The hills were the first thing, these weren’t like the hill where they were from, these were older, had been enacted by the elements more. The forests were another, back where he was from hill snakes were a real problem, hadn’t seen a single one yet.
The sky was the same, but little else. The trees were similar enough, that was a good bet that the winter would be as harsh as back home, wherever this was. Perhaps it was the far east? They had heard strange tales from the east where the trolls lived. Maybe that was why he was back.
At the same time that didn't quite make sense, there were river people here. They wouldn’t survive out east. They remembered that from back home, while there were always a lot of river people they were shorter and less prepared than proper highlanders. Always so many river-people.
They had spotted trails through the forests, they had waited and seen strange river people, they wore strange clothes and even rode the Elk instead of hunting them like one was supposed to. Regardless they were river people still, they had stayed away from them, you could never trust river people. Still, they made spears and a bow, stronger than they needed for hunting proper. It was easier than it should be, they were much stronger than they had known. This new body still surprised them sometimes.
They had fitted stone heads to their spears, sharpened and fitted with resin and twine. They knew a trick or two, they knew such things several times over at that. They had been proper highlanders, now they were a proper highlander alone if they could be named that. They had located water, seen food, although they never got particularly hungry, they still chewed and ate occasionally. Still-water had been found easily enough, gave a good idea of what they looked like, they were larger than they had been.
It wasn’t that big of a surprise as things had gone. Now they sat cleaning their tools and trophies, after all, they hadn’t much to do but what was needed. Perhaps they would find a river person's place and see what they knew. After all the river people did know much, that, and their numbers, always made them dangerous. They had come across another bunch of the Elk Riders the other day. It was a foolish thing perhaps but they had come out to talk if they could.
Unfortunately, they spoke only river gibberish. Also unfortunately they were most aggressive and unreasonable. That was strange, after all, river people usually only got scared when you came upon their homes. They supposed their form was disturbing, it did come across as rather grotesque they had to admit.
They had fought, had little choice, the elk riders had come at them with throwing spears. That was when they learned something else, nothing much hurt them. Oh, it did penetrate their body, but it didn’t hurt as much as it should have. They had been stabbed before, plenty of times. These didn’t hurt right, beyond that their body healed far faster than it should, didn’t even bleed properly. Although what was appropriate for this body was a rather bit different.
It was rather fun to use their new body they had to admit, wrestling an elk to the ground was not something they had experienced before. Of course, they killed the riders too, river people always tried to come back if you let them. They had some interesting things, beyond the cloaks and good goatskins with beer. They had known metal before, the river people were fond of it in excess they knew, they knew how to work copper well enough themselves. This was different, better. The throwing spears were tipped with it. They knew not what it was but clearly, it helped explain why the river people here did so well, to have such a metal. They had made knives and axes and even little plates to protect themselves.
River people were fairly ingenious in making such things, they needed to be, after all, they weren’t as good as proper highlanders and these were no different. It had taken a bit of doing but they had managed to patchwork the cloaks and armors together to fit themselves. It wasn’t as difficult to wear as they had expected, and the knives were very useful too. It took some time to find a good stone to sharpen them on as the one they had been using for their knives wasn’t good enough.
They did find one though, and being able to properly sharpen them they had cut up the elk riders’ belts to keep the pouches and loops to connect for their own kind of storage vest. One needed to be properly prepared in all skills to survive. River people didn’t know that, they liked to make their women do some work and their men do the other, it made both lesser.
The skulls they had taken from the elk riders were still red with blood and would have to wash those again later. Regardless, they had spotted a river person village and hoped that they might find someone who could talk properly there. Else their plan was just head northeast, try to find a druid as they always knew well and might be able to help them. Or might even know what had happened.
It was a plan at least. They kept sharpening their knives, for now, they would need them later when they went to the village after all.
We come upon White Skulls musings of general things, what they have been up to while hiding in the forest, an encounter with ‘river people elk riders’ as they put it. And their general plan to go to a village and then from there generally search for a druid should that fail to enlighten them. They have found difficulty communicating with much of anyone and are confused about where they actually are. Speaking often of being a true highlander in comparison to river people.
Above the skies in a shining and glittering shape came flying in fast, only coming into great detail as it came close. A barge of sorts, although this one was golden in its entirety and the aforementioned fact it came flying to the island was a bit of a change from the other method of flying transport.
It was a pleasant enough day, not terrible winds nor storms. The sun was out and it was warm enough, perhaps a bit too much for everyone's tastes but such was life on the many isles of Mydia. This was a rather special isle for what lay upon it, and undoubtedly what the Serpent triple-headed creature holding an orb had come for in some aspect. This was a place of science. It was a place of magic. And now such a creature and a shining orb one that was faceted not as a purely smooth orb but rather a gradually sloping series of plates, each in turn shining out soft invisible beams of divine energies.
The creature set out inland, having jumped off the barge a scant few meters from the ground where it stopped in the air from its careening journey.
It had arrived at one of the few orchards the Omniversity knew. Delicious peaches, pears and apples grew from the branches. The trees were spaced out, allowing the vibrant sun to create pathways of warmed grass. While the bigger trees offered a shady respite. Some would claim the orchard moved, ever so slowly. As if the trees were locked in an eternal slow, spinning dance. The great buildings of the Omniversity laid beyond it.
Left unseen by a blind Auriëlle who sat against a tree eating an apple she had managed to pluck from the constantly blossoming trees. She knew the way back. Almost. If the trees moved they luckily did it slow enough so Auriëlle’s mind was able to adapt. She knew she had to walk about five minutes in that one direction until she came upon those sun-soaked stone path which glowed so pleasantly underneath her feet. Then she had to go right and slowly follow the curve and then take those five steps up to go inside. Or was it six steps?
She felt the gust of wind hit the side of her face and looked in that direction out of habit, though of course she couldn’t see anything. For a second she wondered if someone was there. Though she quickly looked back in front of her. Seemingly staring towards nothing. Assuming the gust of wind was just that.
Then a sense of serenity washed over her, it was in part unreal, most of all other feelings were present but somehow pushed to the background as the wave of serenity seemed unending. A gentle breeze flowed and no other sounds came with it for a few long seconds.
Then came a soft snap from a tree and a crunch of an apple from the same direct of the breeze. A voice followed. "Pleasant day?"
“I suppose.” Her experiences with Nalla made her realize when her mind was being toyed with. She was blind now. Sitting alone. Far away from home or anyone who could protect her. She shouldn’t feel so peaceful when she heard a voice speak that she hadn’t heard before. But she was. Any instinct that told her to run or get up and fight for her life was suppressed and she knew it.
Auriëlle took another bite from her apple. “I haven’t heard your voice before.” She noted, still staring off into the distance. It would be a good pass-time maybe. A conversation with a stranger. Maybe he would know the way back to the Highlands.
"No I suppose you haven't, but I do know you, or rather I know of you as no doubt many speak to such things. You may call me Kiim, I have two of my fellows here with me, Jaav-"
"Yes, hello, these are quite good, would you like an apple? Perhaps a pear?" Another soft snap and the softer crunching of fruit continued.
"-and the other is Guul."
"A pleasure."
"You suppose it is a pleasant day, that is a fair enough way of putting things I would say from your position. We did not expect to find you outside in all truth, but it does make things easier."
Well, she did hate the insides. It was cold. For the first time in a long time she realized how cold stone could feel on bare feet. And there were the others. The high voices. The laughter. It echoed around. Dazing her. Outside was open. Easier. More alone. Few of the people around here wandered through the orchards.
“Are you here to kill me?” The forced serenity seemingly gave her a casual tone. As if she just asked someone for a hand. In truth, even if she hadn’t been forced to be at peace with literally everything happening she would’ve used the same tone. Blind like she was now, with the branch laying over her lap, she knew sooner rather than later someone would use the opportunity. If not the strange, four-fingered slick creature that gave her the branch, then maybe these three odd-sounding people.
"So despondent are you already." There a soft thump of something large being put to the ground. "We are not here to kill you, would you like to be killed?"
She turned towards the voices and smiled as if she could see them. Yet there was something off about the smile. “There are many things I want, but I don’t want to die just yet.” She had business to finish. Finish something that was only just slowly brewing inside of her. “It’s just that these days, most people who meet me want to kill me. Can’t say I blame them.” She had killed a lot of people herself. It was only a matter of time before someone came around for revenge. Then she turned back to face forward. “So what do you want then?”
A soft exhalation followed, not a sigh not a laugh not quite anything easy to tell before the voice continued. "We have already got what we wanted. To find you and ensure you had all the necessary components that had been given. In truth, it was quite the worry that you had been sent away or abducted by much the same ones of evil that has inflicted this burden you so fearfully keep onto now."
The crunching of fruit suddenly ceased and the second voice, Jaav, spoke. "Getting the Focus to you had been quite difficult in the first place after all, let alone finding you and sneaking past all these such prying eyes back then. This was comparatively easy and we do enjoy some such simpler tasks. You know Mydia is quite nice this time of year I have to say, perhaps we should enjoy time here more often?"
"Yes, well, in any case, you may grasp that we have been around you for quite some time even if we have not met. Not exactly our interest, well Jaav liked you but personally I much preferred not so much engagement. We serve our master as he wishes in any sort of case regardless."
Quietly Guul spoke, closer and coming from a direction far lower than the other two voices. "And what do you truly want?
Mydia? What the hell was Mydia? She never heard of a name like that. Was that what they called the rainbow land down south? And the Focus? She hadn’t even gotten her puzzlebox yet. Which was weird considering she could ruin just about every mage she knew. “None of you are making any sense.” She said, and then kept quiet. Hoping whatever spoke couldn’t read her thoughts.
In truth she wanted to see again. And when she could, she would blind every worshipper of the wretched sun goddess. Around her the world would burn. People would get slaughtered, and even blind nobody, absolutely nobody could best her. What she wanted, was to be the strongest again. So strong not even a god could torture her like. So strong that one day she could raze the heavens.
“I want nothing.”
"Aw, you are a very cute mortal. In any case, you know the Focus, little golden amulet with a symbol of an eye? Has kept you alive more times then all the gods could count, hmm?
"'You're making no sense', I like that even a mortal can see that, eh Kiim?"
"Shush. Do you know how you arrived here Miss Aurielle?"
“Not Miss!” She instantly snapped as she even turned her head towards the one called Kiim, which was a weird name. She had gotten used to some weird names already, but that one was the weirdest. All three of them had weird names. But then her mind made the click, and touched the metal disc that still dangled on her hip. Her fingers running along the eye. She frowned. “I just… found it.” She said, seemingly looking away from the three. Despite it just having been some random disc found on her nightstand, she had kept along. Feeling some weird connection to it. The three their words started making sense. Slowly. “Who… is your master?”
Jaav continued eating the various fruits loudly as Kiim replied. "He has many names, I'm not sure of any that you would recognize. But I can describe him well enough, or I can even show you if you like."
"Best to do both really, they always choose the most difficult path, that Night Elf King was half ready to be taken it to Him when he stepped aboard, both is best."
"Hmm, how about this Aurielle daughter of Frankert and Elliénne. I will tell you of my master, and if you do not know of him, I will show his visage to you. How does that sound for the procession here?"
"I wonder if any others here might be of use. We should check that out after this business is done."
A small smirk grew on her lips. Show her? She was blind. All she had now were taunting memories of a better time. Apparently the three either hadn’t picked that up or were just playing with her. Whatever the case, it was a way to pass the time. She sat up a little more. Faking attention. “Very well. Tell me of your master.” She said with a slightly challenging tone.
"There we go, that's a good start there." Jaav interrupted and Kiim responded with a soft huff before speaking.
"Our master is a strange one lets say. He doesn't like the current state of affairs, and he is very powerful indeed, powerful enough to maybe change things. However, there are others who are powerful like him, some you have come across yourself, they are a mixed bunch, some agree with him, and others disagree."
"Awful temper too, doesn't like being challenged, let me tell you. We will either explain to you in great detail how you are wrong, or will get you back into line more directly."
"In any case, he has taken a particular like to you, has aided you and kept watch over you. Showing him to you should generally explain the rest."
"Perhaps give her a name first? One of them at least, perhaps the same as he gave to that Vampire Queen?"
They knew the vampire queen. Auriëlle perked up with her mention. They knew her, which meant they had heard of her at least. That was her way back.
“You’ve just described my mother.” The sorceress said. Auriëlle had no fond memories of the woman. All she knew was pain and tears. Feeling as if she failed her every time she couldn’t summon a candle flame. Those deeply disapproving eyes had a way to make her so small. They had crushed her heart. In the end, she put her in a shadowy corner to just write on parchment. A stain upon the bloodline of the great Simain Flameweaver. “But I doubt she would’ve send for me after all this time.” As powerful as Elliénne was, she could not have made the Focus, or gain servants capable of bending the mind.
"Hardly," Kiim scoffed, "We would not answer to some insignificant Acadian. You think too small."
"In truth most Acadians are frighteningly disappointing, you would think given the state of that city they would be more moral and yet they always find a way to fall short."
"Ekh-Rus, to put a name to a power beyond your knowledge."
“Never heard of it.” Auriëlle responded, truthfully so. “But considering how haughty you talk, I will assume he is a god.”
"And she got it. Ready to be shown? Or would prefer not to know one of your benefactors?"
"I should ask for seeds to plant from these trees..." Jaav ending his speech with another soft plucking of fruit and subsequent crunching.
“You could just name his domain.” Another voice spoke. Auriëlle recognized this one. The headmaster. “The trees here were shaped by the gods themselves. I could give you the seeds but the trees would be no different than any other.” His voice became louder. No, not louder. Closer. “You make odd friends, Auriëlle.”
The sorceress remained quiet, still curious how the three would show their master when she was blind.
"Unfortunately our Master gave specific instructions on this matter. We may only speak specifics after showing."
"A shame at that, it must be good health, something which is rare outside of the careful crafting."
"You are one to talk of strangeness indeed. Do you have kin? You are apart from even the long forgotten in form, new or alone?"
A muffled reply of Jaav through another set of crunching, "Perhaps both, many gods are fond of such things.
“She’s in a…delicate sta-“ The headmaster was cut off by rock breaking the earth open in his general direction. Auriëlle couldn’t hear him for a second, but knew he was still around. Her strongest sorcery couldn’t touch him. “Very well.. if you insist.”
“Show me.” Auriëlle said.
"We will speak more after." The three fell silent, even Jaav stopped eating, Aurielle felt the lightest of touches on her hand.
An idea, or memory, a vision perhaps? Whatever it was it was in her mind, skipping past whatever barriers to sight had been constructed. She was in a foggy place, a place of smooth stone as far as could be seen. Strange towers of seeming unending heights stretch across the horizon.
The fog roiled in upon itself and then she was no longer where she was. Still in this vision a place of stone and fog, but there was a mountain that was not of stone, or dirt or anything of Galbar and the earthen land there. Corpses, of every kind, every race Aurielle knew, and many she didn't. Animals, plants, trees, all dead made up this mass.
Then it moved, shifting towards where she viewed it from, an eye flowed across the mass, one contained in a circle of spikes and as large as she was in her entirety. It stared unblinking when it set upon her.
Her mind was bombarded with thoughts, ideas and concepts in fragmentation. Her mind tried to make sense of it all.
Each came with sensation, with fragments of images, of other ideas that slipped past. It ended with a finality on the last.
Bliss.
Then she was back, her mind was her own and the soft touch retracted from her.
The visions faded again, leaving her blind. At first she was embracing the bliss but something inside of her moved against it. Made her realize the wrongness of it. About everything she had seen. For a second she was calm, and then suddenly, frantically, scrambled to get up while she grabbed the focus, ripped it from its bindings on her hip and threw it on the ground.
She felt sick in her stomach. No, no she was not some favored servant of death! She killed… yes. She killed a lot, yes. But she had no love to die herself! She didn’t want that peaceful tranquility. She looked up as if she wanted to say that. As if she wanted to defend herself. Words fell short though. So instead she turned around and tried to stomp away as best as a blind girl could.
The Headmaster moved quickly in between the Three and her as he picked up the Focus. “She will want this back… sooner rather than later.” He assured them. “And when she will, I will return it. That is my solemn promise.” He looked up to face them. There was no fear on his face. “Now I would imagine your master wants her to return to her duties. I cannot let you take her though. My own master will not allowed it.”
"I did say that revealing such was bad to Him did I not? They never do understand even if they've been set out."
Kiim turned to Jaav sticking a tongue out before replying to the Headmaster.
"In truth our master was more concerned that her soul had been stolen away by one of the immoral ones. Assessing her current state and presenting our Master was secondary."
Guul broke in, "Would it be possible for us to receive a tour? In not now given what may be urgent, perhaps in sometime when things are more free?"
The Headmaster looked almost elated when the Three told him their master did not want her back just yet. She had only just started on the path. She didn’t see it yet, but there were bigger things written in her destiny than perhaps even the gods realized. “Her soul will be safe for as long as she stays on this island. My master will see to that.” He swore to the one called Kiim.
Then he turned to the one called Guul. “There are, indeed and sadly, more pressing matters I must attend to.” Though those pressing matters were not Auriëlle. “Perhaps should you all return in a few years’ time? When a few more mortals have taken residence here and the Omniversity can be witnessed in its fullest glory.” He proposed with a friendly smile. “It will be an honor to guide the avatar of a divine through its hallowed halls then.”
Guul nodded as Kiim replied, "We shall return then."
They stood up from the resting position they had adopted, Jaav spoke before anything else.
"One last thing, although you may know of such things in general terms, it may be of some interest to the specific for your records and times of future when your pupils or theirs grow hungry in desires of the mind. A person of your talents might find interest near the canyons of the great Eastern Isle, a place stands most visible that houses a great thing there."
“All I teach can already be found on this island.” The headmaster said with a friendly voice. “So I have no need to endeavor beyond here.” He let the words hang in the air for a second before continuing: “But if the place is as interesting as you say it is, the Lady in the Mists has doubtlessly already put clues on this island pointing towards it.”
Kiim and Jaav turned, as did the whole of their body, Guul replied before turning her head with them. "As long as such is known, the Lord of Mana's hand was most appreciated in the creation of the matter of interest to your kith."
Kiim spoke as the three walked back to the barge aloud back towards the headmaster, "Perhaps you'll gain kin too at some such time."
The headmaster just smiled but kept his words to him. He didn’t need his kin to return. In truth he didn’t really remember anything about his life before waking up. The tomb seemed to have siphoned his memories of his life before. When he woke up, he was the only one to do so. That night it was strange to reseal tens of coffins. Each containing the husked remains of what might’ve been family, friends, a lover. Yet feeling nothing for them. “I bid you farewell for now.”
The triple serpent avatar returned to the barge, an easy divine leap up the few meters to its deck and they were off once more, the Golden vessel rapidly receding from the skies near the Omniversity.
A triple-headed creature flies in a boat towards a particular island in Mydia. Where he lands in orchard where Auriëlle is just chilling. She first just thinks she heard the wind, but then the three heads begin talking. Auriëlle is aware that she is supposed to panic but isn’t. She asks if they’re there to kill her. The triom\, Kiim’Jaav’Guul, call her out on her despondent attitude and ask if she wants to be killed. She doesn’t, but she figures sooner rather than later someone would come around to take vengeance.
Then they ask what she really wants, but she knows she shouldn’t put that in words. She wants her own vengeance upon the sun goddess for taking her sight, and then she wants the heavens to burn. Then the subject shifts to the golden amulet, her Focus. For the first time Auriëlle realizes how weird the metal disc really is. The three offer to show her their master and the man who gave Auriëlle her focus.
Right then the Headmaster of the Omniversity appears, telling them they could just tell her. Apparently their strict orders were to show alone. Again the Headmaster bids them not to do it, but is interrupted by Auriëlle. Who refuses to be called “delicate”. The three show her visions of their master. Accompanied by the concepts of Good, Death, Protection, Savior, Soul, Morality, Apocalypse, Righteousness and Afterlife.
At first it feels nice, but Auriëlle is still alive. The wrongness of everything starts setting in. Realizing the Focus was from something as anathema to life as the god of death, she throws away the disc and walks away as best she could. The Headmaster takes it, promising the three that it will return to her when the time is right. Him and the three hold a short conversation, where they hint at the existence of some magically interesting location on the Eastern Isle of Mydia.
Post Length: 19.6K Characters +5 Prestige >> Auriëlle +5 Prestige >> The Headmaster
The Janusan had seen better times, the outside gardens had been completely trampled much to the dismay of any to feed the loose spearhogs now attempting to eat what remained. The outer walls of brick had stood rather well in the attack, although it wasn’t ever intended for an assault. Luckily, it only had to deal with the raiding groups keeping them locked in before they brought any serious groups forward to breach.
In truth, the walls were intended more to keep the students in rather than keep hostile forces out. There were no proper ramparts in any case either, a makeshift fortification was set up near the gatehouse to allow for some defensive fire to the nearby. The brick buildings of the interior were a little worn but still very functional, excepting a singular student barracks which had been partially deconstructed to build the small rampart near the gatehouse.
Those interior buildings sat relatively squat to the ground, several barracks for students and small houses for the teachers. Two towers sat, a larger one in the center of the compound, while a smaller one of stone sat near the southernmost wall. The two were the only constructions that reached out higher than the walls, the stone tower had been peppered with throwing spears, one had managed to wedge itself between stones, the others had either fallen off, or hit targets on the tower as the small amounts of blood showed.
Nothing was of grand construction here, while the compound was large, a small town or large village in size, the walls did not reach that much higher than a Kitz’lae stood, a few working in concert might jump over. Although doing so in an assault was foolish.
The Janusan was the highest training center for the Janus in Welkos. While every Kitz’lae had a connection to the Lae’nat, the cosmic force that pervaded everything through mana as all good gods-fearing people knew, the Janus were the adepts, the truly phenomenal of will that surpassed the average person in great respect. It was service to the state, whether as a soldier, a civil servant, or another worker, it was of high regard and status for most. Not to mention the expert techniques that many Janus were taught to make even better use of their natural aptitudes.
So to attempt a breach of such a place without full force would have been folly, as the accursed suhrvuj knew in their own dark cunning, nonetheless, the teachers and techniques known by these adepts were vital for Welkos, to survive in the north as a state they would need all the assistance they could muster from the disastrous conflict near Wek-Nor.
After fully driving off the suhrvuj, it took some time to reorganize and regroup before entering the Janusan walls. Renarrib Vos and Hundreds-Captain Cevos both entered with their retinues, the common soldiers had started to intermingle somewhat, searching out those that they knew in units serving or making trades of common goods.
Although in the cities some thought the mingling of Kitz’lae and Kitzon was frowned upon in the eyes of the Great Father, most in the practical disciplines like soldiery cared not. The Kitzon were almost always more numerous than the Kitz’lae, the Kitz’lae were stronger, tougher, and generally the more useful soldier. Generally, the Kitz’lae were more profoundly limited by supply lines to support large numbers, something that any good commander knew well.
The soldiers in the Janusan had been very tired and seemed primarily to be Kitzon at this point. It made sense given they were essentially the remnants of a proper Hundreds-Army. Rations were often exchanged, those that had been at the Janusan sharing food and such things that had been stored in the cellars and taken to help keep the soldiers well, dried and salted meats, or bread, those that had been marching freely sharing the goatskins of watered beer. Most of the time ‘watered’ was the case in more than one soldier's goatskin. Any commander who had been in the field long knew that too.
Vos turned away from Cevos, he had spotted the Vissoon, she who led the Janusan. An older Kitz’lae, one could tell easily enough from the shape and health of her scales, and the walking stick too, no doubt from the withering of age. The old burned-scarred scales on her left shoulder no doubt bespoke more of her occupation as a Janus rather than age. She croaked out as he approached.
“Forgive if I do not kneel Renarrib, my old knees could not bring me to rise again should I do so.”
“Vissoon, I have known you from my minor-majority, you have used that excuse every time, nor would I have you do such a thing.”
She sighed with a soft smile, replying, “Alas you never were much for the court formalities chik’vun.”
Vos smiled a closed mouth smile before getting a bit more serious saying, “We will need to evacuate to the North, we have to spend time to gain the forces needed to push the suhrvuj out, they have Wek-Nor, the Janusan will have to be evacuated.”
“You know best about such things chik’vun, the commanders here were worried that none would come and we would have to break through the suhrvuj ourselves. Most of the Janus here aren’t ready for such work.”
Vos nodded, they continued speaking about the logistics and where they could integrate the Janus students as they would need to move soon. Elsewhere in the Janusan, Hundreds-Captain Cevos had sought out who had been in charge, coming across a Kitzon Tens-Captain, at least a decade senior to any of the other remaining Tens-Captains. They had exchanged some brief talk, a goatskin.
The Hundreds-Captain stated, “I saw that rampart made up near the gate.”
The Tens-Captain, his name was Hkev, replied nodding, “Yes, sir. I have to admit it was a junior officer who proposed the idea. A Kitz’lae from Kres’hai, his family did repairs on the third walls there, Kres’hites like their walls sir.”
Cevos grinned closed-mouthed. He said, “I appreciate the honesty, a full unit?”
“No sir, three out of every five died, down to about a score or so in that. Three other units could be merged from Kres’hai and that would fill it out sir.”
“We’ll look at that,” Cevos patted the older Kitzon on the back. “We have a lot to discuss but we also are going to be needing to move on soon enough, any wounded?”
“Most died on the journey, the suhrvuj let up as we got further away from the river sir.”
Cevos nodded and they continued.
In truth it wouldn’t even take till evening for the Janusan to be abandoned, students never had much and soldiers were often prepared to march whenever. The evacuation north would begin thus so, they would continue from the reserve camp. Resting only a small time before heading further north, abandoning ground as suhrvuj scouting parties became more and more common.
It would be some time before they could comfortably stop.
Vos and Cevos arrive with the army at Janusan and the state of it and some conversation and fraternization happens amongst the soldiers. Vos speaks with the Vissoon, who is essentially the Headmistress of the Janusan, they know each other and speak fondly. Cevos speaks with a Kitzon Tens-Captain who took charge of the forces that fled to the Janusan, they speak of some matters in organizing troops. The combined forces soon get underway and the evacuation north begins, we’ll likely return in some time to Welkos.
"He said that the souls would be down shortly, that's good enough for just relax some."
Kiim was just to assuage Jaav, this generally did not work and usually ended up in bickering, and yet they both continued. Guul honestly wondered how long they'd have to wait in the rain, it might've been a wonderful place at sometime but now it was just a muddy hillside. Jaav had insisted that they leave the Barge off the ground somewhat, even if it was now flipped over in the air to keep the rain from filling anything much there.
"Yeah but shortly for him includes the next decade so I'd rather get back to a nice beach on Kubrazjar, catch a few fish...
...not sit in the mud waiting for some two bit murderers to show up!"
In truth they weren't truly in the rain per se, the barge was over them which afforded some cover although their position on the hill side still met that mud came running down over their clawed feet. Guul squished some between a claw. There was always something about dirt and mud, always different place to place, there was a lot of a variance between even little things wherever you went. Maybe one could even figure out where they were if one knew the soils well enough.
"Two bit murderers? Come now, they cut a decent swath of blood through the north of Toraan back when they were alive. Thaa might've even gotten involved if they hadn't run into that witch when they did."
Jaav sounded more bored with the argument than anything, but it probably beat waiting for them, "Yeah yeah, just why now though? I mean sure the big guy is bring back a lot of different sorts now, but this is reaching pretty far back right? I mean agriculture was still a pretty new thing for a lot of people when they were walking about. I'm not even sure some of the major cities were founded back then either in this region..."
"He's got a lot of perspective, I'm sure there is a reason that'll become apparent. Besides, we're going back to Kubra after, not like he's keeping us out to set up everything for some mortals right? Just a bit of body formation when the souls get here and we'll be back out huh?"
"Don't try to cheer me up..."
The conversation switched back to more general bickering between moments of silence. Just how the two liked to spend their time Guul supposed. Guul drew in the mud, she wanted to get better at all that after she had seen some mortals doing paintings, it looked kinda fun. Of course one didn't have the time to practice much or get supplies, especially when you shared most of a body and limbs with two bickering godlets. Guul was a godlet too by that definition, bit of a funny name for that.
It was about another hour of that before further word from Thaa came. Or rather, the oppressive force that became apparent whenever we wished to speak with a million voices into their minds at anytime of day at any inconvenience.
"The Five will be there shortly, they are transiting through the array."
"Finally! What took so long? Was there any point at all to making us stand out here rather than jsut saying when they'd be coming?"
Thaa replied in his usual style to most demands of him, he ignored it. You are prepared to enage the task as I have laid out?"
Kiim interupted before Jaav gave another remark, or rather Kiim spoke over Jaav giving a colorful remark. "Yes we are prepared, the souls will be connected before the formation of their undead forms, and subsequent power will be made to fully form a new kind of body as instructed."
...and I hope the sun blasts you right in your-
"Good."
The force faded back with the final word, and it was rather hard to get the last word in, although Jaav always still tried. Java continued yelling back up to Aquibeophates, although Thaa likely ignored such, right up until Kiim spotted the souls.
The next part wasn’t that hard at all in any singular part. Essentially taking the souls of some soon to be Wights and merging them into something new and different, and then a bunch of particularities of body to keep them stable that way. In thought, this was a lot easier than in practice. It ended up taking a similar and different approach to how to run things, five souls connected and merged, fused together. Their body looked similar to their soul as a consequence trying to get things running correctly, four legs, one often retracted up as it preferred walking on two, five sets of arms and heads, torsos merged in some large mass of ill undying flesh and bone. It would work well enough, after all they would be quite hard to kill and strong enough to make use of such a body at that.
The mind was a difficult thing, surely the plan was eventually after any work was done to unfuse the souls and send such back to paradise, of course that was probably going to be left to Thaa as it became a delicate act not to let the different personalities and identities throw the whole thing apart, it took essentially creating a strong bond between each so that one blended into the next. Truly only the real idea of identity that remained was one that all five shared. The murderous little cabal they called the ‘White Skulls’, truthful they did take a lot of iconography of death in their dealings, and more than a few memories Guul could see might actually have been influence by Thaa in their living lives, what might have been dreams or chats, it was hard to tell and Thaa did not mention such. Although, Thaa did not always mention a lot.
When it was done they had the merged being unconscious in the mud, undead so little enough to worry about that as it rained on, but still business was done. The other two wanted to get back to Kubrajzar rather than wait around to explain things to a powered up Wight. The being would wake soon enough, hadn’t seen the purpose of consciousness while they were still merging things and the body that it had should keep it safe enough.
If they went to a beach on Kubra perhaps she could practice in the sand…
They gasped awake. Or rather, they felt like they did so, they didn’t intake any breath.
They got up, their legs pushed them off the ground and back onto their legs.
Wait.
It took a moment to realize, they had four legs, and many more arms. And, they saw so much around them.
They turned in the rain as the mud was caked on them still. It shifted the view as they saw the faraway forest. They inspected their body with a kind a fervor even as they kept watch, it was strange and clear to suddenly be able to focus on so much so intently.
Questions of what, and who they were ran through their mind. Names, memories, they came up and yet they didn’t all fit together, they didn’t make sense for what they were right now. Except one thing, White Skulls. That worked for now. That would do, they needed to get moving anyway. The rain was miserable.
They began to run out to the forest, they knew how to survive- and could probably manage to do whatever their current needs were. Besides they might run into a traveler in the woods hiding from the rain.
That could be fun.
We open on Kiim’Jaav’Guul chilling under the barge waiting for some souls that we learn are a group of ancient serial killers in northern Toraan. The Three are waiting for the five souls so that they can form them into something unique as we learn as Thaa confirmed they are soon to arrive and their precise instructions. It isn’t long before they get to work and we see a brief part after the Three go back to Kubrajzar for vacation of the new ‘White Skulls’ figuring themselves out before they bolt off into the forest.
Thaa Start: 5 MP, 4 DP -5 MP, 4 DP, Two Free Titles for White Skulls Titles Thaa End: 0 MP, 0 DP
Undying V: White Skulls can survive wounds and even can slowly heal that which should have killed an ordinary man. They won't go into shock or otherwise be debilitated beyond the physical debasement, an arm cut off means that they can't use that arm, not that they have been declawed. Their soul is tied to their body by bonds stronger than that life ordinarily permits, as such even when they should be dead, they remain tied to their body as it tries to heal to whatever extent it can.
Soul Fusion II: White Skulls was once five separate people, but upon their passing their souls have been fused together into a greater whole, this provides some benefit in being able to keep track of multiple actions or trends as if they were a single person focusing their full attention on one thing.
Strength I: White Skulls is unnaturally strong, capable of impressive feats of strength beyond what would be expected of an ordinary being of their size.
Regeneration I: White Skulls is unnaturally capable of regeneration or reforming parts of their body that they have lost or been damaged, completely reforming a limb may take months, or a short few days to regain full use of a recently detached limb.
Vos ducked out of the command tent, just barely hearing over the chaos of the rearguard command. The accursed sahrvuj had begun what looked like a final assault on Wek-Nor. Vos had been sent back to guard to supply lines and any reinforcements from the upper cities, not a prestigious job but necessary. His sisters and brothers guarded the flanks while his father remained in the crown city, Wek-Nor.
The bloodstained messenger was propped up on a stone poking out of the earth. His scales were painted as a tens-captain, at least what was visible through the blood, belly wound, probably wouldn’t survive the night. A soldier kneeled by the tens-captain trying to keep him conscious as he seemed to be fading even now.
“Name tens-captain?” The order seemed to bring the messenger to his senses somewhat.
“Sukac, Renarrib.” The effort was clear in his voice.
Vos kneeled coming closer to the captain, “What news do you bring?”
Sukac breathed a painful breath, “Wek-Nor has fallen, the sea came up the river and attacked the city with the sahrvuj, lightfin riders and all. Renarrac Vasa is dead, I was sent from her contingent, we were retreating to the Janusan to secure them as we pulled back from the city. My men were mostly killed by flanking lightfins that we engaged to prevent them from reaching the main force, the rest got me here Renarrib.”
Grief could wait, action was needed, “What of my father, the Renabussan? Did the court make it out of the city?”
“Renarrib-ghrik-” Sukac coughed up blood, “...the Palace was hit directly by the sea wave, it must have weakened the base, it fell into the Varassetan.”
Grief could wait.
Vos turned towards the other soldier, “You are of his command?” She nodded. Vos spoke again, “Take care of him as you can, you will remain with the supply guard.” She nodded again as Vos turned back towards the command tent.
He knocked on a support pole to get attention, “Honored Leaders, prepare the troops to march. Every able-bodied to the Janusan, all others north to the nearest village to await either news or our return.”
Much of the tent was silent except for the sounds of activity from outside.
“Wek-Nor has fallen, and an unknown amount of the Royal family is dead, our goal is to secure the Janusan teachers and students and any soldiers that may be there, and then head North to continue the fight. The Accursed Suhrvuj cannot hold the south for long if the North fights on.”
Hundred-captain Cevos replied, “Renarrib, it shall be so.”
The tent came back into full activity and messengers went out to ready the rear contingent, they were rested and would be ready to march soon once they became organized. Vos could lead them to secure the remaining defenders and the Janus. Grief could wait.
Organization, that was something the suhrvuj always lacked in their many raids. They had many advantages, their expert capacity on lightfins, their mobility in striking, and many more as they ruled the Welkossian sea. However the Renabussan of Welkos always held strong against them, they often came not in full strength as they had no great leaders. Or had at least if this latest attack was any indication. They had come as an army which had surprised many, they overtook the villages along the bay before a word had even reached the Palace.
There had even been raids that had somehow managed to sneak behind the river defenses, of course, all of the cities of Welkos were walled for just such occasions from before the Renabussan had extended protection to the entirety of those along the Varassetan. In any case, the fall of Wek-Nor was a serious blow, and if they didn’t deal a counterblow to stop any advance then the entirety of the 10 rightly guided sites might fall into the hands of the suhrvuj like the dark times of old.
That was why they broke into an offensive formation when the scouts had reported lightfin scouts of the accursed, they neared the Janusan. It was a matter of cheers to see a small host of the suhrvuj encamped around the secured Janusan as soldiers of Welkos fought to protect it. The arrival of the reinforcements had caught the suhrvuj off guard and they struggled to form any kind of formation as the horns sounded the attack for the Welkossian Army. First went out the Kitzon skirmishers and their famed redfin companions, they often swarmed and attacked the larger lightfin riders with these even as they didn’t have a comparable mounted force to compete.
Following them were the Janus soldiers, ranged forces that used their will to cast the holy magic of the Great Kitz’lae Father on the accursed, and used sling and bow when tiring or otherwise unsure of their abilities. They were lightly armored like that of the skirmishers, although that was more for mobility rather than a lack of care to equipment with the former…
After that was the Su’krava the mainstay of the armies of Welkos and the forces that had united the ten cities and two lands. Armed in bronze helmets and layered armor, they carried an ax and spear, and were quite well-disciplined, especially in comparison to the mobs that they usually faced among the suhrvuj.
The Kitzon skirmishers harassed and kept the suhrvuj from mounting their lightfins or otherwise preparing, they lost many redfins, but that was in part what they were there for. The Kitzon pulled back out once the flames started flying from the Janus soldiers, they were trained to leave gaps in their ranks as were the Su’krava, the Kitzon pulled back behind both and the Su’krava went forward in front of the Janus as they switched to more conventional weapons after the volley.
The standard strategy called for the Su’krava to form up once they passed the Janus and prepared to meet the enemy in formation. Rather than that the host fled as the defenders of the Janusan sallied.
It seems they much preferred an easier target than was presented after all the fighting of the previous weeks. The initial mission was accomplished, although the scouts had been saying very worrying things about suhrvuj in the countryside, far too many suhrvuj. It was time to see now that they had come to the maw of loathed Vuj’ar, if they could escape its bite.
We open on Prince (Renarrib) Vos of Welkos, an Itztli and one of many of the royal family engaged in warfare against a foe they name as ‘demons’ who are Akua. Vos received bad news on the war, they lost Wek-Nor the capital in a magical wave attack of some kind and likely many of his family lay dead. He orders them to set out to save some troops and mages, and then to from there, hopefully, escape the Southlands which are soon to be overrun and continue resistance from the Northern parts of the Kingdom, further from the sea. They succeed in driving off the suhrvuj for now and we end until next time!
Helios
Lord Zee
DX3214
Vec
