LustForDecayDinner & A Show
The Sacred Septet & Oge’Ivu
There was the strange and surprising sight that came with the otherworldly veil being suddenly removed from Keltra, and revealing all that had been hidden to outsiders before - a trio of grand sacred structures that had been erected, and the celestial congregation of archai that dwelled upon numerous perches or stood as sentinels along paths and passages, but also the existence of the rather prevalent Stria, and the previously concealed presence and antics of the children of Anath Homura.
In all directions; the sky sparkled and split with slow sonorous thrums and sporadic high-pitched screeches, as a second similar sky could be seen beyond the breaking borders of the veil being sundered. The distorted fragments that consisted of all the prior scenery was submerged and swallowed in the spreading phantasmal phenomena that had begun to also swiftly disperse afterwards, so that the newly shown scenery - with all of its visible luminous life and animated activity - was all that solely remained.
In the brief period before the veil had been completely consumed, those that still perceived the two different and divided realms were innocently unaware of each other, yet unbeknownst to these blissfully ignorant individuals was the fact that the separated realms remained tangible with each other. As a result, there was the potential for accidental collision between multiple invisible beings - or potentially intentional collisions that were arranged by the Divine.
The nescient Sacred Septet surfed the Stria upon their shimmer-boards, riding the rushing rivers of liquid light all throughout their designated area within Keltra. In their eyes, the way ahead was clear and free of unexpected and unfamiliar sky-titans, though they had seen the beginning of the changes to their surroundings, as the air warped and came apart around them. Despite their attempts to avoid the phenomena, they were blind to that which was actually ahead of them, and that was when Courage and Pride crashed into something unseen.
Neither of the two champions had been taught how to handle crashing into what felt like an immovable wall, but both were blessed with incredible reflexes which helped them now. The front tip of their shimmer-board struck the unseen something first, and the inertia caused it to immediately forward flip, violently tossing them off of it as it flung itself away. Courage held her sister in her arms, as she twisted herself and acted as a shield that smashed into the strange invisible wall.
The remaining two pairs of surfers had seen what happened to their sisters, and so sought to avoid such a fate, but Curiosity and Wanderer were too close behind the first pair to change their course. Wanderer abandoned her naive sister, and leapt from their shimmer-board to prevent being slammed into the wall. The agile champion slammed into the wall, while her sister crashed into Courage and Pride, proceeding to lose her shimmer-board as well.
“We should go slow.” Kindness suggested, as she and Fear followed the unfortunate path of their sisters. Though the last pair felt the futility of their situation, they persevered as Fear hastefully struggled to alter the direction they were going, or at least attempt to come to a halt before hitting whatever was obstructing the way. They steered themselves further sideways, opposite the direction that Wanderer went, and then also crashed themselves.
None amongst the Sacred Septet had avoided their fate of collision, and then the veil that hid Oge’Ivu from their sight - and vice versa - had finally faded. The confused heap that was the recuperating Heralds of Honor could now see that they had surfed straight into the bulk of a colossal creature without even realizing it.
With the veil faded most of the colossal form that was Oge’Ivu seemed to pay little attention to the small taps upon her carapace. Tendrils expanded and expelled from her underside to reach and touch the brilliant lights and all new things gently. A sole one reaching back- attempting to prod those tapped spots and see what exactly was the cause. What little thought she gave it at that glorious moment of revelation considered Gedhe’iwaks more likely rather than Homuralings as the case may be.
The flesh rippled deep as tendrils shifted and moved, more muscles and functions moved as the great mass shifted to better reach what she could now see. Such reverberations were widespread so much that even the small creatures now scattered along her uneven carapace could feel the movement deep underneath.
That sole tendril approached spear-claw opening to allow the gentler feelers within to inspect the area of impact. The tiny creatures began to crawl and climb along the length of Oge’Ivu, crossing the vast extent of her exterior and exploring as they spoke to each other, all of them traveling together now.
“I’ve no idea what we are looking at, but isn’t it amazing, ya?” One mused aloud in excitement, providing support to the smallest and clumsiest amidst their number while they all wandered.
“Please be cautious.” Another answered, carefully seeking to avoid the tendril and alien antennas that approached them, unlike the other small creatures that were much more curious and welcoming. Their thoughts then extended beyond the boundaries of their bodies, and touched upon the much larger mind of Oge’Ivu - telepathically greeting the gigantic animal with grace and an abundance of reverence.
Sounds as they made meant little to the great form of Oge’Ivu- but the psychic contact was well greeted as much as she was able. Her bare feelers retracted with such an assurance that their forms meant little harm or direct interest.
A low rumbling came from the vast interior of her form, as did contact psychically through that established bond- although slowly with little practice and much messy intent. The tendril claw-spear crashed down before them- making no damage upon the carapace but a grand sound regardless. Through the bond came first a messy reply of greeting and then a sense of movement forward, sight, tendril, meeting, tendril, meeting, sight, meeting, sight, tendril.
Elsewhere above the other claw spears failed to grab the light of the Stria- although far from a lack of trying. Surfing along those luminous streams was Desire, riding upon Sunset Orange and watching the interaction between Oge’Ivu and her sisters with an amused look. She sailed towards the sky titan, and alighted upon the armored head with an agile step as she also tossed her shimmer-board away, lazily letting Harmony collect it along with the others that were scattered after the collision.
“Would you be willing to let me eat you?” Desire asked, as she shifted closer to one of the immense eyes, and peered at her reflection that was staring back at her now.
Once more her tendrils froze as divine power leant knowledge to the words otherwise meaningless to Oge’Ivu and the Iava’Oge. Once more a deep rumbling came from within her, meaning only to the divine although her mind flashed in connections and ideas of what was brought forth. The meaning unfolded only to those with the power of understanding even as her mind and thought tried hard to compose in face of others most intelligent.
Crimson stained creatrix, mother or daughter, answer remains, do as you must to me - my children will be protected.
“Hmm…” Desire hummed to herself, as she knelt upon the strong carapace and then thrust her fingers into it akin to a set of spears piercing through vulnerable flesh. Her hand swiftly submerged itself, before being suddenly wrested from the hard exoskeleton with chunks of it within her grasp that she greedily gulped again and again as she repeated the process.
“Would your children be willing to let me eat them?” The goddess asked, as she feasted upon more and more of Oge’Ivu, consuming handfuls of cracking carapace with tremendous haunting haste - expeditiously eating an exorbitant amount that she should not have been capable of devouring considering her small shape, yet she did not slow.
A sharp pain began to build and groans rippled through the mass of Oge’Ivu - blood and hissing fluid spilled as the goddess broke and consumed. A tendril crashed along the carapace to attempt to swipe away the goddess. Door-like vents began to open as something began to hum low and deep near the wound- a sickly smell of rotten fruit began to poison the air as the swipe tendril closed in.
“Delicious!” Desire exclaimed, and her voice reverberated through the air - it was all that seemed to remain of her visage as she had vanished from sight, then the tendril that had arrived was sundered in a bloody burst and spontaneously swallowed by the unseen deity that still sought to vehemently sate her savage hunger.
Suddenly she called out to the six champions that were attempting to reach the violent commotion, inviting her sisters to partake as well. None amongst them could perceive her as she sped herself beyond their senses and continued to consume more of Oge’Ivu, unhindered by the attempts to thwart her.
“Desire! No! Stop!” They called out desperately, repeatedly attempting to discern where the goddess would be whenever she ate, though it became immediately obvious that there was nothing they could do to prevent her from maliciously persisting in her brutality. They currently were hindered by their lack of balance, barely able to stand as Oge’Ivu retaliated against their sister.
The response triggered, the reaction made- from the vents and gates of flesh came beast and creature of no birth or common name. They came from the flesh and were of the flesh, its defenders in interiors and beyond the reach of the tendrils of the Iava’Oge so carefully designed.
Wing and leg and claw, muscles thrumming not with any concern for health or longevity- they were of one purpose, eliminating what damaged the great beast. An immune system writ large to rid the body of such ills as marked so well. Thrumming flesh marking wounds- sickly smells unleashed to tag those who made them, their targets set they did not think so much as do what they were built for. A cell does not think to defend others against a virus, it only acts as it is made.
Those gates of flesh opened and let loose a stream or river of forms seeking out what must be removed. Others moving to lick and heal the flesh, meld their bodies to stop bleeding and give themselves for the whole. Wings unfurled and claws sought to catch, teeth set to rend, inside the beast a response triggered to make them and so they came with such painful wounds- hurling themselves at the Goddess.
“This’d be my first time cooking some food.” Desire declared, then the air around the wounded flesh began to hiss, and the profuse amount of blood began to boil, as suddenly scorching tongues of long verdant flames licked at the smaller creatures. Emerald embers suffused their burning shapes along with the section upon Oge’Ivu that had been afflicted, brightly bursting into infernal bonfires that spewed forth swirling columns of blinding smog. The foul fumes choked life with a ferocious intensity, suffocating both the creatures that protected the lava’Oge and the helpless champions closeby, as their strength seemed to stray and wane away.
Then the gluttonous goddess came to halt, calmly hovering over seared chunks of carapace and the array of strangulated creatures below her, but with an increasing hint of concern etched into her features. “Have I made a mistake?” She asked, as soared towards the Sacred Septet as she blew the fiendish fumes of the fires away from them, and posed another question with accumulating annoyance. “It tastes mind-blowing, sisters, so will you at least have some?”
“You’re hurting us!” Courage rebuked, and attempted to fight back against Desire, but she moved too slowly to strike the deity that leapt backwards with incredible agility. The others summoned their neglected spiritual strength, and combined their powers through their connection, standing together with unity. Their cohesive stance acted as a bulwark against their divine sister, rejecting her presence and pushing her further back.
“Us, huh? You’d rather play with your food instead of eat it?” Desire sneered, and crossed her arms over her chest as she drifted away from the champion and closer towards the massive mouth of Oge’Ivu. “Fine! More for me then!” She spat, and flew towards the sky titan with a hungry glitter in her mismatched eyes, but before she was struck before she could reach her meal.
There was a thunderous crash, as Harmony thrust her fist into the flabbergasted face of Desire, and sent her surprised sister hurling towards the outer ring afterwards with terrible force. Nine wings with red feathers emerged from the back of the second goddess, as she immediately dispersed the remaining bonfires which freed the smaller animals, and began healing both the burns and bites by regenerating what was devoured accompanied with washing waves of soothing vigor. She reassured Oge’Ivu and her sisters that Desire would not be continuing to prey upon the former, and apologized on her behalf through telepathy.
A tendril lifted up to meet Harmony, it’s clawspear opened to reveal its many feelers. Replies of comforting and gratefulness radiated back amid the messy thoughts of the massive brains of Oge’Ivu. The few of the small beasts that remained seemed to wonder fairly purposeless or confused, a few managed to catch the way back into the vent-doors of flesh leading within- most were too far out, lost in the unfamiliar world on top of rather than within her grand carapace.
Sounds of distant rushing air amid other things resounded as many tendrils of Oge’Ivu were recalled within. She began to float and move lower, amid a touch closer for the giant to the great sky city. Harmony silently retreated after all of the turmoil had been amended, following the trail of the other ousted goddess, while the Sacred Septet shared their gratitude as she departed through thanking her repeatedly.
“You’re not hurting anywhere, are you?” Curiosity asked Oge’Ivu, once she resumed crawling along the massive creature with the rest of her sisters, continually checking for any lingering sources of pain, and attempting to alleviate her concern with a more affable exchange. Pride relayed the question since it seemed that Curiosity had forgotten that the sky titan could not understand or speak with words.
To that coherent thought Oge’Ivu replied that she wasn’t in any pain, and indeed repeated the question back towards them. There was a swelling of various feelings that mingled across their minds, as a few of them contemplated while others nonchalantly answered: “We’re fine!” as well as, “Don’t worry about us, we’re stronger than we look, ya.” though the thoughts of the others that refrained from replying while the ruminate were still felt. A feeling of uncertainty and anxiety.
“Why did Desire behave in such a barbaric manner?” Kindness inquired, however her sisters had no knowledgeable response, and they instead focused upon consoling themselves and communicating with Oge’Ivu, further melding their minds in order to offer an exchange of memories and sensations. A projected sense of calmness and acceptance came back to them. As their minds melded, a rumbling song came from deep within Oge’Ivu- she floated in the air, moving no further any way.
The Sacred Septet pulled primarily from the vast reservoir of memories that Pride possessed despite the fact that she had traveled only once throughout the duration of her existence in the previous world - yet ironically she had seen the most out of all her sisters - and so they showed Oge’Ivu glimpses into the past. A mixture of exotic and mundane moments, both brief and prolonged, as all of them experienced the scenes through the sight of the smallest champion.
There were enlarged wintry woodland realms, wherein dwelt gigantic creatures that were akin to those that roamed the new lands that were known to Oge’Ivu. Then there were the more strange creatures to be seen; beings forged in fire, sculpted from stone, or imbued with ice, and yet animated with vigorous functional purpose. There was the myriad of life that adapted to and inhabited the diverse wilderness, then there was the myriad of life that adopted civilization and culture - all these creatures which were alive and ever perpetuating their meaningful journeys.
The daughters of Anath Homura showed their travels throughout the skies as they sailed upon their magical brilliant boat, soaring above grassy plains and the restless seas. They showed their various trips throughout the world when they rode atop three colossal machines that carried their slumbering kindred, as they marched across deserts and jungles and alien realms filled with shadowy roots that guided them. All of it had been new to their eyes, and even now the feeling of familiarity eluded them despite these diverse denizens and wondrous locations residing comfortably within their memories.
There was joy and sorrow, as scenes of brutal suffering blended with the beautiful sights where compassion would prevail, but the world was never boring. Everything had a story to tell, with wisdom to impart upon those that would listen, and it seemed the Sacred Septet had been invested in investigating and learning all of the tales that were to be told. As they explored these memories, they attempted to also experience the scenes more vicariously by temporarily transforming into various aspects like the ground whenever it was walked upon, or the wind that rustles the leaves as it flies by, or the strong emotions that compelled creatures onward.
There was still something that was essentially themselves, as they chuckled amongst each other when Wanderer wanted to remain as a tree, or when Kindness expressed that she felt somehow cold when she became the snow that blanketed the forest floor. Sentiments that belonged to them, and yet were not a part of them. They could perceive the world from numerous perspectives, but they were still anchored by shards of something that served as their identifying cores - it was the gentle dichotomy of lives contrasting with each other combined with the semblances that they received upon conception.
Memory-vision flowed forth from the Giant in reply and return. A scene of calm delights, a mother-doe of the Huwu’idang and her children meeting the sight of Oge’Ivu as she passed by the coast. The vision in memory focusing closer in time to see a berry branch fall out of one of the youngling’s mouth as it finally looked up with its kin. A curiosity lingered even as she pressed pass with a hunger known.
Hunting whales off the arctic circle, her eyes focusing on the submerged pod but also a wall of clouds on the horizon. Water rained but mixed with soot and smoke into the ocean below. A mild frustration as the whales managed to surface behind an iceberg as her attention was pulled away by the sight…
A sight from far above, where the stars and world below could be seen. The stars did not twinkle, but even the dimmest was visible clearer than any night sky, dancing Auroras played in the skies below. The only land beyond the occasional island a far coast including a curiously circular island just off the ways. A sense of burden and care to be taken.
A choir of deep mews and half-song as Oge’Ivu gathered her hatchling children with every tendril covered with them latching on to hear her sing. A warm embrace of hundreds if not more as it seemed a cloud of the smaller juveniles gathered close. The whole scene in all its wonder overwhelmed by the memory of such rapturous joy and contentment.
Tendrils brushing against the ocean surface with low flight, sea going to every horizon even as the clouds above stayed wary of each other. Fish darting from one cloud to the next as two Iava’Oge tried to match their maneuvers amid the skies and winds above. A mothers concern held back to let her children find their path.
A large plain, a migration of people- part like the children of Homura, the other like the body of a horse. Brief glimpses caught as Oge’Ivu soared along the mountain peaks, fighting against an updraft the whole way.
Dots of light and flame upon the ocean as she moored herself against an iceberg, her eyes bringing sight of oar and wood. Arguing men whose heads were alight even though they cared not about it. The dark night with company of the stars as their words lost in the distance- it would not have meant anything to her even had she heard.
A forest underneath as shadows flitter from tree to tree with nothing to make them. The trees darker than any other kind to be seen, only the horizon showed light environs.
A great desert stretching from horizon to horizon, interrupted only by grand mountains and a grand channel that split the land, the mountains themselves seemed to try to lift over the channel to not change it.
In the here and now; in their contemporary and shared interaction with Oge’Ivu, the six members of the Sacred Septet celebrated together all that they were able to witness in the theater of the mind - aspects of the world beyond the borders of Keltra which the sky-titan had shown them. They mostly found themselves inspired, invigorated, and intent upon acquiring more similar and exotic experiences, and so posed a proposition to Oge’Ivu with a mixture of excitement and bashfulness.
“Please come back to us when you’ve seen more, and then we’ll give you a gift in exchange!”
She was pleased, that great being, accepted such a proposal with ease, although the concept of a gift was vague in her mind. Regardless, she sent forth one more concept, not a memory but something deeper and far less intelligible even to the grand creature herself. An imprint of purpose she had been given when her flesh was first made, and she had passed this to her children. It was clear this sense may had degraded when known from the mind sharing communication the divine offspring and titan currently shared- nonetheless, a sense of gentleness and cooperative guiding toward such small creatures as of they.
The concept of bowing to an immense creature that the Sacred Septet currently stood upon was certainly strange, but their appreciation and ardent beliefs compelled them to convey - through whatever means - their profuse gratitude and acceptance of all they had been given. The tilted balance of their stances almost caused them to stumble in the middle of their gesture, but they were able to complete their expressed thanks without further troubles, and afterwards attempted to embrace Oge’Ivu by kneeling once again with their arms spread and faces pressed against the carapace. They informed the great beast mother that it was a tradition amongst them to include an auspicious hug whenever they say farewell.
It took a long moment but the great mother managed to reciprocate in a way with a tendril’s feelers lifted close to embrace the Septet as well. Several more tentacles lifted near her great head as well, eventually managing to form an odd sort of undulating ramp or bridge down to the city below from her own back. Oge’Ivu sent a feeling of warmth to the Sacral Sisters across the mind bond.
The time for their departure had come, and the six champions arose to their feet before swiftly descending down the improvised path back to their home. When they alighted upon the outer wall, they offered a second set of much more gracious bows to Oge’Ivu, though they were no longer capable of telepathically communicating with her once they ceased contact, and lacked the means of discerning whether their gesture was understood or not. Regardless, the sky titan retracted her tendrils and set off northward- finally departing from the sky city.
