[Edel PRP] Assessing the Great Library (Kios/Endi/Yu)

[Syrie]

Endiovar took a steadying breath - he never liked putting things off unless he had to (doing so just made things worse) - but going into Gianfar's Sacred Lair, his Library...to see the damage to all of Knowledge's prized possessions had been something that he couldn't quite make himself do.

Yes, he and Revei wanted very badly to clean the Library for their lover, to save what could be save - and perhaps save some things that almost couldn't? - so that when Gianfar returned to them, he would at least have a neat place to think and to start anew from.

But it was still going to be painful. He missed Gianfar dearly - not in the 'missing a piece of my very soul' sort of way that he now missed Universe (though he'd never realized the place Lucius had held until he'd been Eaten) - and being surrounded by so much of him would only press that loss deeper.

'Oh come now, wasting time. Colin would be disappointed with me - time to bite the bullet.' Thus girded, the God of Silence brought one elegant hand to the door before him. How long had he been standing there, poised to enter the Library? How long with Hue standing there, ready and attentive to anything his Master wished? It didn't matter; time was irrelevant. He pushed, opening one of the two great doors; his senses were immediately assaulted by the scent of dust, parchment, ink...and Gianfar.

Broken shelving, books turned to dust...a realm in filthy chaos greeted his searching eyes. Even just at the entrance, it was disheartening. So much so that he actually spoke aloud: "This is going to be even more work than I first thought..."

Hue followed his Master, eyes wide at the destruction Gehenna had wrought upon the Library - he'd seen it, before. This was horrifying!

[A Wandering Esper]

It turned out that the library wasn't as empty as Silence was expecting it to be - the clues were all there, scattered for the god to notice after he recovered from his shock - footprints in the dust, tables that were wiped clean now starting to one more gather dust again.

Whoever dwelt here hadn't been taking much care of the place, but it would make sense once Endiovar saw just who it was that had occupied the library while it's owner hadn't. A sneeze and a cloud of dust later, a pale-haired head darted back from a row of bookshelves. This... hadn't meant to happen, though thankfully most of the books that had remained there had already been damaged - he remembered, what seemed forever ago now, that most of the books and tablets that had been pristine had been moved close to entrance by Gianfar. That had been the day of his first lessons.

And then, only a few lessons later, Knowledge had all together vanished. Had it been Akakios' fault, he wondered ? Had he been a bad student ? There were no answers to these questions, but he knew that not all the non-damaged books where near the door.

And Lament had become determined to find them - even if it sometime got a little hazardous. "Whoops..." He said to no one, not yet realizing that he had company.

[Syrie]

As quiet as the Library was - and as empty as it had seemed initially, Endiovar did indeed begin to see the signs of occupancy left by an unknown inhabitant. He paused, one hand reaching back just slightly to keep Hue from speaking - the Aoide hadn't yet opened his mouth, but Endiovar had felt that he would and wanted to arrest the delivery of unborn words into the world. 'Look, Hue...but do not speak. Can you see the footprints? The disturbances in the dust and the stacks of books that are more ordered than others?' Yes, there was someone else there - but who?

His eyes caught a glimpse of pale purple hair and his ears the sound of a sneeze and feet padding about. Ah, a child then! Definitely small and light enough to be a child...but what was a child doing in the Great Library? Moving forward, towards Lament's slender frame, "Hello, young scholar. Please, don't be startled. I am Endiovar, God of Silence...companion of Gianfar, this Library's Master." Although Endi would have much preferred not speaking aloud, he felt that once more a voice was necessary to communicate. Jade-green eyes swept over the child and he sent out a tendril of magic, trying to discern whom he was speaking with - if was familiar, but nothing he'd felt before.

An answer would simply have to wait until the dusty child answered him. At least Hue wouldn't be afraid that some child was going to harm his master! The Aoide could be so stuffy and fretful when it came to things that might take Endiovar away again...but who could blame him? Poor fellow.

[A Wandering Esper]

As Silence and his aoide came closer to the child, the reason of the 'whoops' became a little more evident - a shelf had caved in, sending up a cloud of dust, both the normal and paper kind. Most of the books on this self, apparently, had already been beyond hope of doing much with them.

Akakios shook his head to clear some of the dust away, and it was then that he noticed something unusual - he was no longer alone, and was now looking at Endiovar and Hue with wide eyes.

There was familiarity in the name, and Lament drummed his fingers against the side of his tunic before it seemed to come to him. "You're dad's friend !" He said. "Im Kios."

He tilted his head to the side, inquisitively. "Is Gianfar okay ? I haven't seen him in a long time."

[Syrie]

In the slowly sinking dust, the child sat, big eyes wide and startled - not just from the falling shelving, but also from seeing someone where he had obviously not expected to see another. Closer than before, Endiovar could feel that strange familiarity even more strongly and wondered but that he didn't already know this child in some manner.

"Ah! That explains much." Golden curls caught bits of paper and dust as the taller God knelt, bringing himself closer to Akakios' height. Now that he could place the parents of the fair-haired child before him, it made sense to him why Kios would seem familiar to him despite the fact that they'd not met prior to this. "Yes, and you may call me Endi, if you wish." He smiled at the diminutive godling before answering the last question.

"Would that I knew with certainty...I believe he's gone off on one of his trips, gotten sucked into Knowing. Gianfar does that, from time to time." What Endiovar didn't say was that he and Revei had no true idea as to where their lover might be, but that they felt he was okay. "Kios, have you been cleaning in here? Do Echo and Nergal know that you've been alone in the Great Library?" Questions, gently put without the tone of an adult going over a child's head; Silence was beautifully fair about things: he tended to treat children as small adults, not as inferior creatures to be guided without regard for their own wills or wishes.

[A Wandering Esper]

Oh, so it hadn't been anything he'd done... ? Oh, that was a relief ! He really hadn't wanted to scare his teacher away.

So that was kind of like when he read for hours and hours without noticing until everyone else was asleep ? Except longer than that.

"I've been trying to move the okay book to the front." Kios admitted, nodding at Endiovar. It was much better this way ! Why did everyone else need to be so tall, anyway ? "Gianfar started on that when he first taught me, but I don't think he finished. I found a few books here that arn't falling apart." Not cleaning, and perhaps a bit of a selfish journey.

He said, however, nothing about if his parents knew what he was doing here, which was in itself quite telling.

[Syrie]

All of the thoughts running through Kio's mind were - to use a very apt pun - an open book to Endiovar, but he tried his best to avert his eyes and not read the child. It was hard, something akin to ignoring someone screaming their secrets with a bull-horn during a prayer at church, but he always tried.

"You've done a wonderful job, Kios. Gianfar would be very pleased to see how well you've done for him." He couldn't help chuckling at the child's lament at the tallness of the shelving in the Library; for a child it would absolutely seem distressingly loftly. "Some can be fixed with an application of magic...some we will hold together with magic just long enough to copy them..."

Knowing that he would gain nothing by remarking on it, the curly-haired God of Silence kept his mouth shut about his companion having left his parents in the dark as to his whereabouts. 'Having you helping would make this much easier on me...' He gave Kios a thoughtful look before continuing, "Revei and I are planning on cleaning up in here...and saving what we can. Would you still be willing to help?"

[A Wandering Esper]

It wasn't that Kios was genuinely trying to be an open book - he simply was. Like most children, he simply lacked the idea of such body language restrain - and the thought of controlling his thoughts and body to such a core level simply never crossed his young mind.

No matter how much the boy thought and would pretend otherwise, there was still plently of child-like innocence in him.

He beamed at the paise he got, again much like any child would have - who didn't like to be told they where doing good, after all ? He didn't understand the whole magic thing, but that was fine.

"Sure !" The boy nodded his head for emphasis. He'd be very glad to help !

[Syrie]

For all that he was no child, Endiovar hoped beyond hope that Kios and his siblings would remain children for as long as possible...there was just something so beautifully refreshing about the bald innocence of children. Unfortuantely, in all worlds, such precious attributes rarely suffered to last long...it was the nature of things.

Kios' obvious pleasure at being verbally rewarded for his work shone brightly and warmed the God of Silence, leaving him with the sort of fuzzy feelings that some associated with adorable puppies or kittens.

"Wonderful. Today I'm just going to look around and take stock...I know it will be a big job, but I'm sure we'll be able to get it taken care of." Kios was, of course, included in the we Endiovar spoke of; there were others: servants to Endiovar and Revei...and any other mortals or immortals that they were able to conscript or cajole into aiding the cause.

It was not long into his walking the varied sections of the batted Library that another would join them: one with an over-powering aura of magic. A creature with nightmare proportions and fur so plush and inky it seemed to absorb the light around it.

The Dragon King, Yu Five Claw made his way into the Great Library via the door that Silence had left open upon his entrance. He sought Gianfar in the Library, but swiftly acertained that the grey dove was no where in the flesh, though his signature could be found on all things inside the Library, save Akakios. His multiple eyes narrowed; the child-scent he did not know, but the other - that one he did! Endiovar, one of Gianfar's two mates - and one that mayhap could answer his questions...after all, he too had been a party to the event that he wished information on.

Yu's heavy frame made his way to where Silence and his diminuative companion were; obviously Endiovar had felt Yu's arrival and had stiffened - while he was not quite afraid of the beastial King, he did understand that there was a fine line between violence wrought and violence restrained within the Emblem Pillar. "Greetings, god of Silence, small child of Underworld."

For the Dragon King may not have known the child, he knew the parents. At least, he knew who had brought this one and it's siblings into Being.

[A Wandering Esper]

Take stock. This wasn't exactly something Kios was very knowledgeable about. For all his good intentions, he lacked in organization... unless he was writing. This, however, wasn't writing, so he'd simply gone wherever he wished that day and rummaged though remains.

Before he could answer the god, though, something happened - a large black beast with many eyes, something seemingly out of the wildest nightmares. Had Kios been older, he might have had the sense to reach out to feel this other's mana, figured out that Yu was a deity - but this was not the case. Lament froze, and when the dragon king came closer, downright bolted behind silence, clinging to whatever fabric he was able to reach.

Kios looked sideways in a mix of fear and curiosity when the beast actually spoke, but only offered a barely audible "Hi." as answer. Who knows, he might get upset if he didn't answer, and that would certainly be a bad idea....

[Syrie]

Endiovar inclined his head regally towards the Dragon King - he knew this Dragon! Not well and certainly not in a friendly manner, but at least he had some sense of who Yu Five Claw was; reassuringly, Silence reached down to touch Kio's shoulder. "Greetings to you as well, Yu Five Claw. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company today?"

Yu was intimidating, but he wasn't going to have Akakios being afraid of him - after all, this Dragon King was the one that was at Creation's side nearly always...Kios would likely see him often - it was best if the child learned that Yu would not harm him. Endiovar took a moment to wrap tendrils of comfort around the child, buffering him from the abrasive Dragon as best he could. 'Do not be afraid, Kios - the Dragon King will not harm you. He is Creation's guard, His mouthpiece.'
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Oh, but if Endi only knew! There were times that Yu felt the Fragment's nature surging to the fore, begging him for release...begging to be allowed to devour children or mortals - to hunt without prejudice. Thankfully, Yu was stronger than the left-over urges from the Fragment! Instead of trying to devour either of his new companions, Xia Lu Ling instead closed his eyes briefly and chuckled.

"Kios, is it? Be well child, I will not harm you." His long, thick tail swished behind him, causing dust and paper bits to move once more. "I have come seeking Gianfar of Knowledge. There are questions that I wish answers for." Before Endiovar (or Akakios) could inform him that Gianfar was nowhere within the Great Library, he made a rumbling sound and cocked his great head to the left and gave Endiovar a long look, sizing him up.

"Knowledge is not here...it seems he has not been here for some time-" The mess told him that much, as did the faintness of Gianfar's energy-signature. "But you, oh Mute Swan...perhaps you have the answers I desire. You were there as well; smaller part played, but a part is a part." Yu's words were enigmatic and obtuse; they made Hue and his Master give the Dragon King a pair of frowns.
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Nearly invisible wings twitched, feathers making no sound even as the feathers rubbed together, distorting everything behind and around them, "Whatever you wish to know, Dragon King, I will gladly tell - if I can recall. However, I would ask that we walk the Library...Kios, Hue and I have much work to be done." With Yu's acquiescence, Endiovar would usher Kios beside him on one side, Yu on the other - if the bestial God had questions for him, that was fine - but he wasn't going to waste time just standing around talking!

[A Wandering Esper]

Ah... Well.

Kios didn't seem to certain of that, and he fell into step easily once Silence started to walk. He listened, the only sound created by the child being the one of his bare feet walking along the floor, but curiosity seemed to be slowly winning - he was listening rather intently, whenever something or other didn't catch his attention.

[Syrie]

As they walked, Endiovar kept his body between Akakios and the Dragon King - no matter that Yu Five Claw had spoken his amiable intent, Silence knew there was a barely restrained violence about him; definitely one that he did not trust. Especially not when one took into consideration that the child was one of Nergal's brood. With searching eyes, the curly-haired god took stock of the Library's over-all condition and with well tuned senses and ears he took in the tale spun by Yu.

Long ago, the Grigori we know as Samyaza entered Harmodius' court; she wormed her way into Gianfar's graces (though he was known by different names in that time), spending much time with Knowledge & Law...learning all she could. Because Knowledge did not Know her, he assumed that she had been created by Harmodius and he spared no details when teaching her...including the very delicate nature of Names. During this time Knowledge also was holding many secret meetings with some of the other True Gods; plotting against Creation and the Imperial Monarchy by which All was ruled.

He and his band of Gods believed that All should not be ruled by the whims of One Man, but should be ruled in a more democratic manner. In order to do these things and not be "sniffed" out, they had enlisted Silence's aid - he provided them the shelter necessary to hold their meetings, to allow the conversations to flow freely within that small group. Silence was devout and did not actively participate...but his aid did make him a party to the horrors that happened.

Samyaza, once she had exhausted Knowledge's teachings, had gone after Creation. The Dragon Kings, of course, stepped in to defend their Master; the end result being that several were severely injured by the Void the Grigori wielded. Void-rot left gaping wounds that even Creation was hard pressed to assauge.

There was a trial afterwards - Knowledge and his small band of Gods were brought up on charges of betrayal, mutiny and insurrection. And, of course, of causing harm to Creation's beloved Dragon Kings...something that caused immeasurable sadness and heartbreak within that opaline breast. Over the trial presided the ever-fair Creation - had it been Destruction, those deemed guilty would not have faired so well.

It was here that the Dragon King's deep rumble came more haltingly and held a questioning tone; clearly he didn't recall - these were all things that had been told to him previously. It was the punishment meted out he felt he wanted to know - as well as the whole of the damage done. Gianfar of Knowledge hadn't told him - but he thought that Endiovar might be able to. WOULD tell him. Endiovar read that from the lines of Yu's furry body and felt a little twinge of trepidation. What would the bestial King do if he were unable to deliver? What of Akakios then?

Endiovar's brows knit as he tried thinking back; though he felt incredibly worried about the outcome of whatever was - or wasn't - said, Silence couldn't help but give as much aid as he possibly could. Unfortunately, the blond couldn't recall much at all...and certainly nothing that was going to be spoken before a child. "Yu, what I can recall isn't much more than what you know...my own punishment was not overly harsh but...the pain I felt knowing how badly He was hurting was far, far greater than any punishment He could have given. Whatever punishment Gianfar suffered, you can be certain that it was more than enough. You need not be overly concerned in this time, Dragon King."

The answer wasn't satisfactory to the Dragon King; he skinned his lips away from his teeth and let a low growl rumble up from deep in his chest. "Insufficient, oh Mute Swan...but well you knew that before I spoke the words." Even so, the blond merely pursed his lips together and gave the Dragon King a long, steady look. Yu didn't appreciate that look, but he didn't say anything as they walked a bit further along the Library - he didn't need to; without words, Silence could understand him perfectly and he knew it. But Akakios couldn't and that was important...if he'd spoken aloud, the child might have been frightened and run off...or accidentally injured himself.

"I concern myself, Endiovar of Silence, because I am missing woefully large chunks of my past. You can return to old memories and draw them forward nearly like new, but what was left to me could but fill a thimble. I thirst to know...but not for revenge or anything you might believe."

[A Wandering Esper]

Endiovar spoke of all sort of odd things - Grigoris, Samyazas, and many other things - it was a nice story, and he was easily able to follow it, though he certainly did not understand, and simply couldn't link it to the one grigori who had showed up to wound Destruction before he had even been born.

For the child, this was simply a story, and it was perhaps better for it to remain that way for the time being.

Akakios did not understand even the undertone, though he could feel the tension slowly rise - through not to a point where the boy truly seemed worried yet - but then, they passed a row of books that he hadn't seen before.

....Silence and the scary-dragon looked like they weren't paying attention to him... and so Lament started to tip-toe his way into that row of shelves even as the two other deities continued their march. Oh, he'll find them again before they were too worried... later.

[Syrie]

The Silent God glanced at his diminutive companion and was relieved to see that Kios believed it all to be some fairy-tale or fanciful story; it was best to not flood such a young one with things that didn't matter for him, and the time Before the Fading was so far past as to be 'ancient history'. The story, as it were told, was from the Dragon King's twisted muzzle, not his own, though he had cushioned it some to soften the effects of Yu's harsh voice.

Now, they continued moving, talking back and forth - Endiovar being quietly firm, not backing down and Yu Five Claws being demanding, his voice rising and falling as he gestured with sharp claw-tipped hands. Akakios was able to tip-toe away from them without drawing attention, though both elder gods knew he had done so; Silence knew the child would be back, once they were done with their 'boring talk' (he wouldn't have wanted to stick around for that either if he wasn't involved!)

And yet, he could not but wish that there were others in the Library to temper the bestial Dragon King's manner - Idhren, perhaps...and her god? Their energy signature was everywhere, strongly, but not freshly present - a day, perhaps two days ago? It was no matter; he was here and this was now and Yu wanted information that he didn't really have to give. 'The past truly is the past, Yu Five Claws...I would think it better to ask Harmodius the questions you seek answers to than I. Surely He would not deny one of His beloved Dragons?'

"Your pint-sized friend has left you to the wolves, O' Mute Swan." The Dragon King's tail lashed behind as they walked, his deep rumbling laughter carrying across many shelvex, aisles and scattered debris. "It is better this way...Creation is busy returning All to it's proper state. Far too busy for me to n** at his heels over bits of ancient history, dear as it is to my peace of mind." His eyes opened and closed slowly, tail stilling near to complete - Endiovar's words were soothing in manner and meter; also they were true. But he had his reasons for coming to Silence - answers were there, oh yes - answers like ripe fruit waiting to be plucked and consummed.

"Share what you know, Voiceless Voice, lest I grow tired of fencing words with you and strike that pale cheek to pink and red."

A mild threat, delivered with mellow tone; promise in every line, curve and syllable. It made Endiovar blanch, ever so slightly though Yu read no fear in his companion. Just mild distress - what a brave creature to be such a...seemingly useless creation of Creation - no, of Destruction. 'There is some hidden thing in you, Mute Swan...something I cannot see yet. Yet. I will see, one day. Oh, yes...and I will know too - all that I wish and want!' An unholy light gleamed in Yu's sapphire eyes at the thoughts running through his heavy head and his fur twitched with anticipation and pleasure; Yu wasn't precisely tame with the Fragment's blood coursing through his veins! There were times when he felt irresistably drawn to the 'darker side' of things - not all bad, really: he was support to both aspects of the Twin Crown: Creation and Destruction. In other times, he'd been known as Metatron to God...and to the Devil.

It was that devilish side, the darker side, that was pooling beneath the surface, waiting to come out and strike - wanting badly to do damage if refused.

'Do not threaten, Dragon, when asking works just as well. I will not be pushed around, even by you, O' companion to the Crown! I would think being so near unto Him would grant you better manners and more patience, but I see that is not to be.' He was mocking Xia Lu Ling ever so slightly, but it set the other aback and blue-eyes narrowed, then closed as yet more laughter rumbled from Yu's throat - laughter joined, after a moment to read the intent (purely amusement and a relaxed sort of respect), by the Silent God himself.

Truly, Silence was a kind God and would have told Xia Lu Ling all he wished to know that was available via memory without any threats to coerce his participation, but...being ordered about in such an autocratic manner just made him want to balk and keep the information to himself. Still...he could well imagine how difficult it was for the Dragon King, not having his memories - the Past was the Past and had little bearing upon Now and the Future, but having it was comforting.

'All that I know, I will tell you - but not today, Sir Dragon. Today is for the Library. You may come to my rooms in three days and I will share with you all that I know - for now you must leave me with Akakios, we have much work to do and I have spent enough time with you.' Endiovar would brook no argument from the hulking Dragon; no amount of fang or claw would change his mind either - this was something Yu could tell in the lines of his body, in the proud way Silence held his head; in the very air around him.

Yu agreed with the terms, mostly - "I will seek you out, but if you do not see me three days hence, come to me, Silent One. There is much you can share and my patience only stretches so far..." Teeth flashed red and the beastial Dragon turned, hair spinning out as a cloud behind him, tail a banner of scale and fur. Yu left the Library quickly; returning to his Master's side or to make his 'rounds', either way.

Endiovar shook his head a bit, watching Yu Five Claws retreating form. After a few moments he backtracked to search out Akakios again, calling gently for the young Lament.