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At last, with the matter of the jesses taken care of, he could allow himself some room to breathe - the object would be here if it was ever needed, and that was the important part. Now, however, the spirit guide found himself staring at his own door with an odd sence of apprehension. He knew indeed that there had to be quite a few people and things (and quite probably a wide assortment of ghosts if his brother had any say into it, which he probably had) waiting just at the other side, and right now he did not expecially feel like bothering to check everything out, beside making sure the children where allright. They had to be born by now, most likely...Through everything seemed silent and still inside. Maybe they where all asleep and he would get a few hours to himself. Wishful thinking, perhaps, but... Well, these where his rooms, after all. It was quite stupid to feel like this, ence, he stepped inside, closing the door behind himself as quietly as he could. Nothing came to check out who had came in right away, so he assumed his guess had been right. The trenchcoat flew off and landed in one corner somewhere, and the shirt was next - clearly both had seen better days, expecially the latter who had quite distinct stains where the black, tar-like demon blood had clung. At least it had mostly slid off the leather of the trenchcoat, as he definitively wanted to keep that one item. The shirt, not so much, and it was also discarded somewhere without the god really paying attention. The boots where next, and then he stretched, and pondered just what to do - the bedrooms where probably packed by now, but the main room was blissfully empty, so he could at the very least unwind a bit.
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He had, however, forgotten about one important fact - or perhaps never had realized it in this new life: His brother did not sleep.Not too long after the Spirit Guide's arrival, the door to the bedrooms opened, and Nergal stepped into the main room, not turning around until he had closed the door as quietly as possible, flinching slightly as it shut with a distinct 'click' despite his efforts.
He didn't take notice of Ankou's presence until he turned and saw his brother's clothes scattered about, staring at them with a frown.
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The click of the door startled the spirit guide somewhat, and he peered sideways, but seemed to calm down slightly when he noticed who it was and let himself flop down in a nearby chair. "Not sleeping yet ?"....Apparently it was the latter.
He leaned back, winding up with the chair holding on two legs with the top hitting the wall, eyes closing. It was nice to have a break, really, and not be paranoid that something would come out of the dark and try to eat him.
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"Shhhh.." Underworld laid a finger against his lips, glancing back at the door he had just closed. "I never do," he whispered, "but Echo and the children are asleep. If we talk - and we should - we should go outside."There was something in Nergal's tone, despite his voice being just barely audible, which made it quite clear that his younger brother would have little choice in the matter.
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And he had just gotten comfortable, too. Really, he knew that tone well enough to know it was mostly useless to not comply, so he let the chair fall back on the ground with a soft thud, kicked his shoes back on and stood, bending over to gather the trenchcoat again."So, they are well ?" He whispered, this time. That had been one of his biggest worries in all the time he was gone.
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Nergal merely nodded, opening the door to the hallway and waiting there, quite obviously impatient for Ankou to hurry up already and join him. Unlike his brother he did not bother with shoes or a coat.Quote:
Ankou was quick to follow, sliding the coat back on on the way out. Really, he seemed almost borderline paranoid about waking them up, which was both amusing and annoying, expecially since none of the others that had taken over his living quarters had even seemed to stirr yet.Quote:
"They are well," Nergal finally replied, once he had shut the door after his brother. It did not occur to him that it might seem like he was overdoing it in his anxiety to not wake his family. But he did enjoy the peace and quiet of the night, and he wanted it to last. "It was exhausting for Echo, but she recovered quite quickly. The children.. are quite a handful. Especially the firstborn," he told him as he began to walk down the hallway."Let us go, at least down to the throne hall where we can enjoy the warmth of the hearth fire. Up here, we might disturb the sleep of our brethren if we are not careful. There are quite a few mortals staying here too. How did you fare with your quest? Your leave was quite.. sudden and unexpected."
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"Well, I did not quite expect it myself." He shrugged. Clearly there would be no apology on that part - someone had to do it, and it had happened to be him, and the host to Oath. "The jesses have been found and returned." He frowned a bit, trough it took a moment for him to voice his discontentment."The city was full of demons.... but otherwise there was nothing left. Living or dead." It was evident that this bothered him. How many other cities, other worlds where like that, now ?
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"Yes." For a moment Nergal's hands clenched into fists at his sides, before he forcibly relaxed them again. "They are having a feast. There are far more dead than there are demons, but.." His voice trailed off, but what he had been intending to say was quite clear: Every soul devoured was one too many, even taking the current imbalance into account. His powers had grown, he had embarked the long and difficult and painful path of changing himself - yet still there was little he could do to take care of those entrusted to his domain. It was maddening."It is, however, good to know your endeavor was successful - and that you returned so soon." He stopped at the first step of the stairway down to turn and gaze at his brother solemnly. "Your abilities may be severely needed, Spirit Guide."
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"Quite an annoyance, really. If I could kick them back where they had come from..." Really. He could have very well done without having to dodge them left and right, or having to constantly make sure they where not entering as he had initially searched the library. But right now, there was nothing that could really be done, and that was frustrating to him as well.When Nergal stopped, he did as well, head tilting to the side slightly. "Do elaborate."
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"The fragments of Our Crown's consort have all been found and gathered, yet how to make them into a whole again remains a mystery to me, despite the research I have done. Especially as.." His voice trailed off, and he looked down, starting his descend of the stairs. "This should not have come as so much of a surprise to me, yet still.. One of the fragments turned out to be an actual, living person."Quote:
"Yes, there is indeed that detail, through..." He frowned again, but this time did not voice himself on what was bothering him. He couldn't remember putting a splintered soul back together - he probably HAD done it, but he could not remember. "I will probably have to see what the pieces are, first."At the last comment, one eyebrow rose. "A living person ? A reincarnation, or..." Really, this was becoming quite complex, and that one part reminded him on his failure to take hold on the demon's soul. This was not starting very well.
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"I do not know for sure, but considering the nature of the other fragments it seems likely, yes. There are bones and scales of a dragon, a young one, apparently," he recounted, his voice growing more rythmically as he stepped down the stairs. "The person, a man going by the name Faran. The body I found myself, an empty vessel which was born without bearing a soul. From Wellhaven we brought back the ghost of a shaman, and the petrified root of a mandrake. From the Ashlands, Illumin and Eamnon returned with a decanter of blood, the relic being the reason the path to that cursed realm was carved open in the first place." He scowled."And then, of course, there is the pendant. The item which bears the enchantment of rebirth. I did not expect it to be one of the fragments, but now that I think of it, it seems reasonable - some part of him would have to be bound to it to make it work.. Except for the pendant itself all the fragments found are - or once have been - part of living beings. I suspect the enchantment never truly stopped working, but instead.. may have caused incomplete reincarnations. Losing bits and pieces as it went." He stopped, glancing back at his brother with an apologetic smile. "Am I still making sense?"
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"You are." He reassured his brother before starting down the stairs, a thoughtful look on his face. "A loss of focus in the spell, either caused by the fading or the grigori. Perhaps the empty body had been prepared for that last death, but the soul did not take on fully - ence starting the splintering of the soul... And from there on, it had only splintered further with each incarnation."And he was supposed to put that complicated puzzle back into one piece. Really, even if he remembered how he did it before - could it even work with the current limitations he had to deal with ? Probably not. Really, he was tackling the issue in completely the wrong way, yet...
Damn. The inanimate pieces couldn't be so bad - the ghost Nergal could bind - but the living boy... Would it even be possible to remove the part he needed without killing him ?
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"A bit of both, perhaps. It makes me wonder, how were the Grigori able to get hold of the consort's blood in the first place? That.. may very well have been the beginning of it. A fragment missing and disrupting the cycle."He patiently waited at the bottom of the stairs for his brother's descent, noting the other seemed to linger, and - more importantly - his silence went on too long. "You are not confident this can be done," Nergal said abruptly. It was a guess, but he knew his own doubts all too well.
"Do not be concerned. We are.. brothers, close in the domains of our ruling. Certainly we would each be able to make up for the other's shortcomings? If we do this together.." He offered his brother a reassuring smile. At the very least, he hoped it was reassuring. "If it offers any kind of comfort, I doubt our attempts would make matters worse. And despite what the Fate Stones may have showed - or not showed, rather - I do believe restoring the consort is of utmost importance." They had appeared on the stone, after all, which seemed to signify there was some importance to their deeds, even if the deeds themselves had not been foreseen. At least not on that stone..
He turned, motioning at the few windows which remained. "Look at this. The Trinity which supports the Twin Crown. He is there."
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"That is, if I am not a shortcoming too big to handle." He answered his brother's smile with one of his own sadder one. Oh, he could think of many ways of how things could be messed up, but he kept them to himself. "My attempts to reach a soul so far where... failures at best, but if he is willing... it may be easier."It was an hard admittance, really. Knowing you ought to be able to do something, and yet...
He took a few steps, attention going fully on the window and welcoming the change of subject of sort. It was useless to brood. "As he should be." He nodded, taking in the details. "Love.... can be a rather powerful thing."
He could not remember ever feeling it.
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"Indeed," Nergal agreed, heartfelt. There was a contentment, a happiness to his tone which made it obvious he might have quite a bit to say on the matter of power of love."I know all too well how this feels.. Your powers, being insufficient. Yourself, not being what you are supposed to be. I.. am still struggling with this, brother." It felt good, to have someone to confide in. And with Ankou, it came easily, felt almost natural. "I.. have been thinking about this for a while now. Perhaps you do remember. Have I been the one to rule the realm of the dead.. or the realm itself? And if so, how can I become again?" He shook his head. "It is a strange and disconcerting thing, to not know one's own nature."
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He couldn't help but grin, really, at the look that crossed his brother's face at that very moment. Really, this was such a beautiful opening to just poke, but he made himself be good... mostly. That was quickly replaced by a slight confusion as the question came, but, try as he might."I... I do not know. If I once did, I do not truly remember for sure.... but...." He turned his head sideway to look at Nergal. "But when you are here, like this... It feels like back there. It feels like home, when you're around. If I close my eyes... I can almost visualize it again." It was just so much easier to remember, for the broken pieces of memories to meld and proving some limited imagery of something very important, very beloved... yet lost.
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"Home," he repeated, bowing his head and the hint of a wistful smile creeping upon his face. "It will never be as it once was, you know?" He raised his gaze, let it rest upon the bound form of the Chrysalis. "It is a rare chance that a whole realm can be reborn, these were His exact words. He told me to not be afraid of change, to embrace it. But I still--" He broke off, shaking his head."He made an offer, responding to a thought of mine.. to open me, to force things along.."
"I.. denied, ultimately fearing for my sanity."
"I was afraid."
He walked up to the Chrysalis, gently touching upon its surface and the shining rings of the Manacles before he knelt, paying his respects. Nothing was left of the desperate anger he had felt the last time, it had long since evaporated.
"When I was.. 'taken'," he said, slowly rising back onto his feet, "I was opened a dozen times and more. There was nothing but guts and bones inside, I saw. And I was driven far, far beyond reason." One hand moved up to absently touch upon his own lips, and he shivered. The taste of that demon's blood seemed to linger there still.
"If only I had taken His offer.."
His voice was but a whisper, and he shook his head once more. None but One among their kind could turn back time, and that One had not yet been reborn, perhaps never would. His wings unfurled, in what would have been a powerful flap if they would actually affect the physical world.
He would have to learn to deal with this, to accept his own shortcomings, and to move on. And that was that. He could not allow himself to be paralyzed by doubts and 'What Ifs'.
He turned to gaze upon his brother and gauge his reactions, but was almost immediately distracted by a strange construct right next to the stairs, something which had not been there before.
"This is..?" His eyes clouded with confusion before he recognized it for what it was - a small, makeshift shrine, bearing plastic flowers and toys, candle stumps which were seemingly waiting to be lightened, and two sets of dishes, including cutlery and drinking glasses and all.
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"I.... personally think that's fine. If everything was to be the same... Well, to me, it would almost be like pretending nothing had happened." He shook his head. "That nothing went wrong... and most importantly, that we learned nothing from this. But I figure that is easier for me to say all that, isn't it ?" After all, it was his nature to be constantly in motion, constantly using different approaches to things. It was hard for him to be something constant, expecially now.This was one of the ways in which they where completely different from one another.
Likewise, the spirit guide moved closer, and knelt in respect - but he did not quite dare touch. "It is... normal to be afraid. No one can tell you not to be. Ultimately... I think you did the right thing. By denying. Having a place for the dead is all well, but... Who could judge, if not you ? But then of course..." There was a small smile on his face as he rose once more, the bottom on the trenchcoat kicking up a small cloud of ash with the smooth movement. "I figure not all reasons are selfless. I... would not want to lose you. I already lost you once." Ankou frowned. "Or what is.... the other way around ?"
He couldn't tell. But the fact remained.
He had been about to say something when his older brother's question caught his attention and he turned to look in the direction that had been pointed. That was....
There was memory, there. Oh, there was some memory indeed. The smile distinctively made him look like the cat that ate the canary. "A shrine, I would figure. In homage for those who passed on. Perhaps for the day of the dead... I think it may be soon."
It was hard to tell, hard for him to really give attention to the time that passed beyond the fact that it was slipping away from him all too quickly.
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"I am uncertain. What I want, is a place for the dead to be, so that they do not mingle with the living as they do now. Judgment.. It is not as high on my list of priorities anymore as it used to be. I would be willing to compromise, if only that would mean my domain could be restored." Why was it so hard to properly express what he wanted? "A haven perhaps," he added uncertainly, seeming almost a little shy, "a place to rest and find peace. For the lost at least, and the innocent." He brushed the ash off his pants as he glanced at his brother, half expecting him to erupt into laughter. That he did not was... reassuring."The 'day of the dead'?" he inquired, blinking confused. Apparently he had never heard of it.
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Where Underworld had expected laughter, there was indeed none - not even the barest hint of amusement in the spirit guide's eyes, just a quiet smile as he bent over to wipe the ash away from the tiny plates.And to think.... he probably did not truly notice how much he'd already changed.
"Far be it to tell you how to run your own realm.... But... I like this." He admitted when he stood once more. "Peace for those who have already suffered."
It was only to the last question that some kind of amusement returned, through he tried to hide it. Would probably have worked if it hadn't been his brother staring at him. "It is... a mortal holiday of sort, I figure. Widespead in many cultures, or... at least I remember it being. It used to be. Families gather and pray for those they care about that have passed on, build altars to honor them... And so forth." He was quite sure there was things he was forgetting, but he at least remembered the basics. And.... a few other things Nergal probably should not be made aware of.
Like occurences of those loved ones reuniting with the ghost of their loved one, friend, sibiling, lover, ever so briefly... Oh, if he had ever known back then, he would probably have thrown a fit. Now ? Honestly, Ankou was not quite sure.
The past is the past. Gone and lost. To be used to rebuild outselves.... Not to be all there is, once more.
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"I never heard of it," Nergal admitted with a faint smile, examining the makeshift altar more closely. One of the mortals having found refuge in these walls must have built it, and he found himself wondering if the spot chosen for it - so close to the stairs where everyone about to access the upper floors would inevitably see it - had been intentional.Expression thoughtful, he lightly touched upon one of the toys - a small plastic truck with faded colors. It must have been bright red once. "Remembrance.. This one was made for children.."
"I wish to know more about this," he decided, quite abruptly. "Would there be more shrines like this one, I wonder?"
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"There may be..." Maybe. He wasn't quite so sure how many might have remembered, might still observe the holiday proper - many things, many celebrations had faded along with them.... or at least did not have the importance they use to have.Especially now, as the mortals where almost solely focused of surviving.
"It is the first one I have seen, so far."
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"Then let us find out." Nergal motioned at the heavy doors eagerly, too excited to truly take into consideration his brother might require a rest after having just returned from his journey. If there were altars set up for the dead, that meant people believed their souls were still around, that they continued their existence after death. And, technically, that meant they believed in him. Sort of.Quote:
Ankou honestly just stared for a moment, clearly a little surprised by his brother's sudden enthusiasm. Well, that was.... ...new.It took a few seconds for him to notice Nergal had slipped off outside already, and he broke into a run to catch up with him. Thankfully he had managed to get some sleep before now, and this only really proved that his first reflex had been the right one.
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Nergal was thoughtful enough to have been waiting for his brother just outside the doors, actually keeping them open for the spirit guide until he had caught up with him."Where.. would I look?" he asked, clearly expecting his brother to be more knowledgeable about the world of the Living than he was.
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...Where to look ? Was he honestly asking -him- ? Errmmm..."Well..." He pondered out loud. "Graveyards, probably... or... wherever there are groups of survivors that dwell... I do not really know what really happened while I am gone, if there are still groups like that or if the survivors have mostly taken residence in the pantheon."
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"The influences have not yet changed again.. The Manacles have been found and put to use, as you certainly must have seen, but.. they are only a temporary measure. If nothing else is done, if the Manacles should break.." Underworld's expression darkened, his previous enthusiasm seeming to evaporate. "If Aristogeiton truly should be capable of restoring the balance, then he must be brought back. I have seen neither leaf nor petal of these lotuses the Fate Stone prophesied, and it might be good to have an.. alternative to fall back on." 'Plan B', Aislin would have called it."There is a graveyard close by, albeit the last time I went there it seemed derelict, and the tombs to receive little care, if any. Survivors.. I am not sure about. I could find them, I think." More often than not, the spirits of the dead were drawn to those who had been close to them during their lifetime, after all. He couldn't help but wonder who would have set up that small shrine in the Pantheon. Perhaps.. if he were to put up a post on that notice board..
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"I saw that indeed.... They seem to be holding well so far, at the very least. There was no apparent damage I could see, neither yesterday nor today. It is fully possible that he may be beyond balancing by the consort at this point, but... it is better than doing nothing."When the lotuses where mentioned, there was a look on worry that settled on the spirit guide's face. "Nothing yet.... ?" Sure, he hadn't see anything himself, but he had thought... he had hoped....
....They would be fine. She would be fine. It had to be this way. It simply had to be. Had they been caught in a timeflux, too, or was this simply taking up all this time... ? Given the instability of the worlds, it made sense for them to occur so much.
Still, telling himself that wasn't enough to stop him from worrying. Maybe he should have gone with them... Well, what ifs and maybes where useless now.
"Maybe we should check the graveyard first.... you never know."
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Nergal shook his head. "Not a word since you left. Who went for these anyway?" Now that Ishum had been absent for such a long time the judge was slowly beginning to appreciate the beastmaster's loquaciousness - it was hard to stay on top of who was doing what and going where without him around.To his brother's last words he merely gave a small, barely noticeable nod, veering to the right after a little while. Not much of the city was left but ruins, but its graveyards he would be able to find even if blindfolded. It did not take long, and they had company - small flickering flames dancing mid-air in some distance.
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"Cosine did." He shook his head, as if to make the worried thoughts go away. "Along her where Laughter, and the hosts of Forest and Judgement. They left quite a long time ago and I... Thought they would have come back by now. It seems like the worlds are even more unstable than they are normally..."Ankou followed, the hints of a smile on his face when he first saw them in the distance. "It seems we have company..."
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"Cosine?" So that was why he hadn't seen Numbers around at all.. It seemed strange that she would embark on such a bold venture, reserved and almost timid as she had appeared to be. But then again.. she didn't seem too different from what he himself had been like shortly after his rebirth, really. "If I was a mortal, I would say I will pray for their safe return.. But whom would the gods pray to?""They always come for me.." He said quietly, stretching out one hand towards the smallest souls, beckoning them to come closer. "They seem fond of me, I am not sure what I did to deserve this. I am.. not a nice person, nor am I kind.." Underworld's expression seemed puzzled for a moment, almost confused. For some reason this statement he had made so often, didn't feel right anymore. "Should I be, I wonder.."
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"I've found myself pondering this... quite often, really." He couldn't help but crack a smile at that statement. "Perhaps because we where reborn from mortals... the thought lingers, even if most of them have forgotten. They are lucky, when you think about it." The smile was replaced by a more pensive expression. "When things go wrong, they can put their faith in us, find at least some comfort to the fact they can be heard. but us... We only have ourselves to put faith into. Hope, perhaps...""I can't answer that. You know that." He watched them dance, in the distance, gather closer around his brother, and at the moment, for some reason... He felt all the more alone. "Just as you cannot answer me if I ask if I should be distant and evasive, or close and warm... These are things... that we need to figure out on our own. No one else can find those answers for us, even if sometimes it feels like it would be so convinent..."
It was the first time he'd ever talked to someone about this... duality he felt. He glanced at Nergal, unsure to what he would answer to that, and oddly... nervous ?
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"And if things go 'right', they leave us, content to think that it has been all of their own achievement." Underworld's voice was bitter. "It used to be that.. I was confident in what I did. Certain that I was doing the right thing. Even as I was reborn, I was--" He broke off, shaking his head. "Now.. I just do not know anymore. I do not know myself anymore."He glanced at his brother from the corner of his eyes, wondering at his strange tone. He still remembered next to nothing of him from the time before the Fading, albeit the closeness he felt was proof enough that they were indeed brothers. That.. and that occasional, strange, searing pain from where his wings emerged at his back.
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"And yet... There are still a few that hold faith, even beyond that. And sometimes... it is us that cannot see them." He looked at the tiny flames once more, gathered around the Underworld and making him almost glowing himself. "Sometimes, maybe, we just don't think to look. It used that they where content to blindly believe, but... That seems to have changed. But these ones... They remember you. They believe in you. It is why they seek out out, I think. They... want to be with you, to see you, because it is comfortable to them.""Well... That would make two of us, I figure. I am... bound mostly to one realm, with the exception of the doors... My crows are rare since the start of this whole mess, all their efforts bent on survival rather than to seek me as they had... My valkyries are gone, and I have not seen nor hair or feather of any of them. They may have faded... or, perhaps, they have forgotten. It has been a long time... I do not remember how to call them." There was a deep sadness in the Spirit Guide's voice as he spoke. "Not many seem to remember me. I can just barely remember myself as is..."
"Maybe, together... We will find something. We have to, don't we ?"
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"If things still were as they have been in the days of yore, we would not have faded in the first place," Nergal said dryly, adding to it: "And unfortunately, it is not the belief of the dead I require.. But of the living, there is precious little left. Somehow I find the prospect of having to fight with our brethren over scraps-- excuse me, the remaining mortals, less than appealing." Absently he flicked one of his dreads back over his shoulders."I must apologize. I did not mean to belittle your opinion, nor their presence. On the contrary, both are very dear to me. I just.. have become quite cynical, it seems." He offered his brother an apologetic smile before his lips twisted upwards into something more genuine and he directed some of the little ones towards his brother. "Foolish little things. I am not the one they ought to be following around. But the Guide and the Destination so close to each other, it must be confusing for the poor little things." An awkward attempt at a joke, true, but it seemed strange to see Ankou be so serious.
"We will make our way, somehow. You will see, it shall be glorious." He raised one hand, inviting one of the tiny spirits to curiously linger on its palm for a few moments, his expression full of longing.
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"Indeed... That much is true." Somehow things had changed, and, in one way or another, they had failed to adapt. Or perhaps they had only realized it too late. Oh, it was easy to think it might be the grigori's faults, and while they may have had a part in this - who knew, really ? - it would be foolish to think it hadn't been their own faults.He couldn't help it, beyond that - he smiled. "And I seem to have become, oh, dare I even say it ? Serious ? Such a tragedy. They do not especially need a Guide if they've already found the Destination, don't they ?" There was a pause. "I just... There doesn't seem to be a whole lot I can do, while at the same time I seem to be doing to many things at once... I want things to get better, but..." One hand rose, to let one of the little wisps curl around it. "I am not completely sure how. Before, I feel, there was always a clear path in front of me, what I knew I could do, even if it may have seemed random to anyone else. Maybe it is simply the fact that I am not quite used to being once again - I did not quite pick the best time to come back, it seems."
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He smiled at his brother's irony, almost laughed. "Look at us, some sad excuses for gods we are - a godking without a realm to reign, and a spirit guide who has lost his way. Yet we will have to make do somehow, learn to improvise now that Fate is no longer here to guide us. We may both be lost, but the spirits of the dead remain.. And in your case, it is not only the dead which require your guidance, I seem to recall? Though your closeness to me would seem to indicate so.."He paused in his steps, they had arrived at the graveyard at last. Or at the very least, the sad remains of it. Lips pursed, Underworld curiously peered through the half-rotten gate, which was hanging lopsided in its hinges. There were no lights, no candles. If there were shrines or altars similar to the one one at the pantheon, they would be difficult to find at night. He felt foolish now, for his enthusiasm, and they were lucky to not have been attacked by demonkind yet. Though they probably knew better by now.
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"Hm-n." He nodded to the last bit, not saying much in despite clearly being still a bit amused. What a wayward set of gods indeed.For once, he missed Adrian's fires - it would have been to easy to light the way and see, but it had gone as the half-elemental did - that power had never been his to wield. The gate looked like it might collapse at the slightest wind. He could distinguish the shape of the tombstones - eroded slightly, and some of them had probably eroded even more, losing their markings and writings. The night air was a bit chilly to him, but nothing he couldnt bear as he took a few more steps inside. Some spirits still lingered here, hiding from the demons that had probably taken care of the rest of them, but they seemed distant, not daring to come out just yet.
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"Be careful where you set your feet," Nergal warned, as he followed after his brother. "The last time I have been here, many of the dead had been unearthed, their bodies stolen by necromancers to add to their army." The judge's voice was grim, full of disgust. "What has become of them now, I do not know. But there are bound to be holes everywhere, and a sudden six-feet drop would certainly be rather unpleasant."Quote:
"That would be, indeed." Especially when one couldn't quite fly out of it. His wings, or rather what had manifested of them, twitched in slight annoyance at the fact. Still, he watched his steps, slowly reaching deeper inside. There did not seem to be anything unusual that caught his eyes until they where much deeper in."...Look." He pointed at a faint glow in the distance - one lone candle.
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"So people do still come here.." Nergal tilted his head. He had not truly been expecting this, knowing very well that - when all resources were focused on survival - care and remembrance of the deceased were quite low on the list of priorities.Quote:
"It does seem like so..." He made his way over, careful of the holes around, toward that one grave. It was no grand altar, but there was a lone candle. The earth seemed fresh - it... hadn't been long ever since someone was buried there. It was probably the only reason it had escaped the necromancers, as is. Beside the candle, there was a bouquet of dried flowers on the ground.It was no altar, but it was remembrance indeed. The candle and flowers where probably the last things that this person had... but it had given them to the one that slept below.
He wanted to do something for that person, somehow, to honor this and make sure the one buried there would stay safe, but...
There was really nothing he could do.
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Nergal merely bowed his head in respect. "You know," he said, "perhaps something can be done at least for those who do care still. Something for all those who yet remain behind.""If we cannot do anything for the dead as things are now, why not try and tend to the living. Raise their hopes, give them something to, well, believe in." He gave a weak smile. He had no idea what good it would do now, with the Existence of All at the brim of Destruction, but the fact remained that he wanted to do something. "I think I may know whom to ask about this 'day of the dead'.."
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"I've led a few to the pantheon when I could, before I left. It... is really the only safe place there is left, really. I have no idea if they stayed or not, but..." Well, at least he had tried, really."Really ?" He finally stopped looking at the scene in front to him and tilted his head to the side to look at his brother. "What do you have in mind ?"
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"Nothing specific yet," Nergal replied evasively. "Not before I know more.""There is this mortal woman, Jessica, who approached me some time ago about being haunted by her deceased children.. It was of a great concern to her that they were not resting in peace. She moved into the pantheon, it seems, my daughter met her youngest just the other day. Come to think of it.. that altar may have been her work."
He slightly tilted his head to the side, as he seemed to remember something. "I did not tell you about the children yet, did I ..?" Really, they had so much to catch up upon.
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"That may just be. Seeking her out would be a good idea... She would probably remember much more than I do." And the look on his face told that he was very interested in such knowledge, as well."Not in great detail, no." Ankou grinned. "And you really ought to make up for it, you know, so I have an idea of how many and what's going to turn my rooms inside out." The Spirit Guide's odd seriousness seemed to have, at the very least, faded in part.
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"You still think these are actually your rooms?" For a moment, Nergal definitely smirked. Ankou's presence simply seemed to put him at ease in a way no one else was able to do, not even Echo.Quietly he moved to sit down on a nearby tombstone, trailing its eroded edge with his fingers. "Well, there are three of them, two boys and a girl. Guardian, Lament and Grief. Or, rather, Sotiris, Akakios and Lacrymosa. The latter two are quite well behaved, but Soto.." Nergal sighed. "He is a brat, full of mischief. You would like him, I think."
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"Well, I had dared hope." His expression turned into a mock-pout. "Woe is me and all that, I figure. Guess I will have to kick the whole lot of you out the second everything is fixed, them." Thankfully, his tone of voice made it rather obvious that he wasn't really serious about that.Three of them ? "Well, I figure that's an improvement over, oh... a dozen ?" Really, he would have paid some good money for Adrian to have been there when Nergal had figured it out. "Can always take the little terror to go spread mischief somewhere else." He grinned - really, he might just as well give a hand if he felt like it.
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"Definitely. Plagued by a dozen, I would not be able to think coherently anymore. I may get back to you about that offer, be warned." The three of them were quiete a handful to deal with."Apart from the girl, they all are well and healthy. Crys.. was born blind, but it does not seem to bother her. Yet." Which was, probably, because she had not yet realized she was missing out on something. Once she did, however.. Well, he'd deal with it once that time came.
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Blind ? That made Ankou raise an eyebrow. "Well, I think the mortals have a saying like that. To be blinded by grief, or something like that." It sure had happened to his host, before they where forcefully, well.... acquainted to one another by means of a desesperate kitten. "I would not worry... She is a goddess. I am sure she will manage."Quote:
"I know that saying, and there is a similar one about crying one's eyes out.. She does not even have any. I was wondering if.. it might have influenced her in some way as she took shape." He shrugged. "I will probably never know, and it is.. not really that important either. She seems to have inherited her mother's keen hearing, so she gets around."Quote:
"Who knows." Had mortal belief not always influenced how they took form in front of them ? It was hard to really think about that - it felt so hazy and distant, broken with little chance of true mending, but that did not bother him too much. It was not the past that truly mattered, but the future. "The important thing is that, indeed, doesn't hold her back too much."Quote:
I do not think it will. She is a goddess after all. A little on the tiny side yet, but nonetheless." And my daughter. "The true problem at hand ring now is to give her, all the children, actually, a chance to grow up. The consort.. if there is anything else you could think of, anything which might help.."Quote:
"...I would need to see the pieces, probably, before I could really say anything about it." He shook his head idly. "I figure the living person will be the biggest... problem. With the inanimate objects, it may just be the matter of taking the fragments and binding them back as one..."That, and inanimate objects did not really put up a struggle.
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"Well, I cannot show you to them now as that would likely wake up Echo, and - worse even - the children, but.. There is a complete body, born without a soul. A decanter filled with blood, obtained from that wench Samyaza herself, which makes me wonder.. Bones and scales of a young dragon. The pendant Harmodius used to bear - it too serves as a beacon, just like the scepter. A petrified mandrake root, an object of actual true magic. And the ghost of a shaman who used said mandrake root as a fetish, to enhance his own powers." Nergal's lips twisted up slightly as he peered at his brother expectantly, certain the mention of that last fragment would cause him to perk up. It had not only been the spirits of the dead he had guided, and shamans and druids had-- He wasn't quite sure, but there was some connection. Only that, as usual, he did not remember. Except..