[J] Illumin :: Light

[Sosiqui]

The Ritual

Roleplay located here.

 

[Sosiqui]

Going Home

The singing filled the compound - singing and the sound of what few beasts of burden they'd managed to keep or borrow from others. It was no single song in particular, but a mingling of folk tunes both off-key and on, sung out of sync but with fervor.

They were going home.

The compound, formerly a fallen-down and rotting courtyard market, had housed the people of Solde-on-Palecliff for the last weeks of the aborted End. Now, the fallen wood and stone was being over-run with new growth, waves of moss and ivy that might well bury the ruins within a few years. New life was abundant, at least in terms of plants, and no few of the women bore new life in their wombs as well. For all that had been lost, humanity was certainly... enthusiastic... about rebuilding their population.

And other things, as well.

"Doesn't matter if't fell all to bits - it's ours, and we'll claim it," Alvir said happily from his seat atop the only wagon they had, the village elder taking pride of place, his cane at his side. This journey was long-awaited, and now that they were mere minutes from setting off, the old man's pride and joy could not be contained. "Ours, hear me - and yours, beggin' your pardon, Lord."

Illumin was on the ground, looking up at the old man with his hands on his hips, an amused smile on his face as people darted all around him. "Yes. We will. I do hope the lighthouse still stands, though. I could use it." In these dark days, Light was highly prized; the ranks of his followers had swelled even more than just the refugees from Solde. Most of these had integrated with the community and would follow them home - a stable community, a real place to return to, was a great treasure.

And Illumin had a vision - a vision of the Pharos Beacon repaired and shining, a beacon of True Light affixed atop the tower like a sun, shining to bring hope and life to all the surrounding area.

Alvir laughed, quietly. "Hah, ye've thought of nothing else, Lord. Nothing but lighthouse, lighthouse, lighthouse." The teasing was gentle, and careful; but if anyone had earned the right to talk to their god in that fashion, it was Alvir... and Illumin was no longer the prim and staid deity he had once been.

As the man spoke, though, a dark shape came between them and the light-orbs set atop poles all around the complex; Illumin glanced up sharply, then relaxed. "All lies well - the wagon might not be able to make it quite to the village, since the roads are pretty bad, but we can get close! Eibhilin called down to them, her long body coiling in the air.

"Excellent! And Eliam?"

"At the village already - there were a few families there. They're willing to join if you'l take them."

Alvir nodded. "I'll treat wi'em." He glanced up at Eibhilin, shading his eyes against the light with one hand. "Can we go, Servant?"

The banshee Aoide laughed, the sound harsh in her throat but joyous nonetheless. "Yes, yes - go! Go well, Elder!"

Alvir sat up straight in his seat, a huge grin on his face. "You heard the Servant! Move out!" A delighted shout rose to the empty sky, and soon the courtyard was filled with the sound of footsteps.

..............

They smelled it before they saw it - a lovely, crisp scent that made no few of the Solde refugees take deep breaths and sigh in almost desperate longing. "The sea, the sea-" Illumin could smell it too, clean and salty, and could hardly dare to hope. The Age of Destruction and then Gehenna had sucked the water away from the coastline, leaving it barren and cracked in a wasteland of mud, and the remains had been stagnated and foul.

Could it be...?

True, he could find out at any moment simply by alighting from his seat next to Alvir and soaring up a few feet, but... best to preserve the surprise, to ride with his people. But the aura of hope was palpable.

Could it be?

The road moved over the last hill before the coastal plains, crested, and... a cry of utter joy burst from every throat as the view revealed itself, and Illumin's own heart jumped within him. "The sea, the sea!" the villagers cried, laughing and weeping at the sight of sparkling blue ocean drawn to the coast once more, perhaps a little lower than it had been before Destruction's Age but revitalized, made beautiful once more. Illumin's eyes were drawn to the sight of the Pharos Beacon - still standing, if only barely, over a cluster of broken ruins that had once been Solde-on-Palecliff.

But ruins or not... it doesn't matter. This is their home.

... Our home.

Illumin closed his eyes and smiled as the wagon creaked forward again, feeling the gratitude and flames of belief in every heart.  

[Sosiqui]

Facing the Consequences, Part I

Sosiqui

It is time. Past time.

I was afraid.

... I am still afraid.

But it is time.

Illumin flew through the air, breathing in the salt from the revived sea below, spotting the lights on the boats that spread out from Solde-on-Palecliff like tiny stars. The true stars they mirrored were gone now, or at least not visible; Illumin could feel the distant beat of their presence. Light-bringers, light-givers, but the Space, the Form through which they moved and bestowed their gifts...

Gone.

He did what he could, spinning mana to Light and bestowing gifts of brilliance on all who came to him. The tottering lighthouse had become a magnet for penitents, seekers of Light in a world reborn yet still not whole. Alvir was proud to bursting, and talked often of rebuilding, of expansion. Of things Illumin couldn't wholly be joyful about.

When he judged them capable, able to function without his aid... only then did he leave, in search of Hunt. They can manage if they must. If I am Sinned, or worse... they will manage. They don't need me.

He was not expecting to return home unscathed, at the very least. Those who released traitorous beings into the world did not deserve such mercy.

Illumin left the sea behind and angled inward, towards the forest, towards the next set of lights and rising smoke - the Temple of the Hunt.

Perri Indiya

The Temple of Bark and Bone was bustling, surrounded by a thriving camp of humans that seemed to be constantly on the move. People were at work skinning, cleaning, and laughing with each other as they did so. Others cooked and shooed children away from the pots, sending the smaller ones off to dart with each other while hunting dogs watched. It was full, but clean. Their patron was not a fan of filth.

The Hunt sat on the hill his building was built into, his prim daughter attempting to brush his wild mane. Eyes closed he listened contentedly to the hum of his camp, not having the night sky to stare into as before. As the wind shifted he smelled the tang of heat and ozone, and what he could only label as purity. It was a mix of odor he knew well.

"Halloooo!" He bellowed through cupped hands, having no light to signal Illumin with. His night vision was impeccable, so he never carried any.

Sosiqui

Illumin smiled almost wistfully down at the activity below; it reminded him somewhat of his own enclave. That fondness surprised him sometimes. He had not been used to caring for individuals in the past - worshipers were vital, but the individuals somewhat less so. They made up a faceless mass that raised voices in song and burned with fervor, and that was enough.

No longer.

A voice caught his attention, and he looked down to spot Ea perched atop his hill like some sort of bird of prey. It was appropriate, he supposed. "It seems you and yours are well, Eamnnon," he called out, guiding himself down with a flare of light that was, for once, not entirely superfluous (though it did call attention to himself quite nicely as well). He landed on the grass delicately, then looked up, his chest suddenly tight as he looked at his old... friend, he supposed, though he wasn't sure Hunt would call it that. "It is good to see you again," he said, and the tenderness in his voice was wholly unexpected.

Perri Indiya

"Nothing smooths out the bumps between humans like salvation from the end." Ea said with a smile as the other god landed. "They'll remember they like to argue eventually."

He stood, Caolan stepping lightly to the side and clasping her hands behind her back. The Hunt held out a hand to Illumin, offering a clasp of arms for greeting as a more demure version of the hug he would have given another. He'd learned to respect him and thus his boundaries. "And you. How are things at your lighthouse?"

Sosiqui

Illumin smiled and returned the gesture, nodding at the young goddess as he did so. "All goes well, I think. Creation's return revitalized the sea, and with the sea returned possibilities for sustenance, travel, and trade. My own presence attracts no small amount of visitors, as well," and for once there wasn't actually a boastful tone in his voice, though this time it might have been justified. "They will flourish, I think, no matter what happens..."

His voice trailed off, and he shook his head. "Ea - I am on my way to the Pantheon, to seek out Lord Harmodius and speak to him of my part in this... this matter." His gaze was forthright and determined, though a shiver of nervousness made itself known in the rustling of his wings. "Should Judgment fall hard upon me, I believe my people will be able to survive."

Perri Indiya

The Hunt frowned, his good mood gone. It was as if his guilty thoughts had conjured Illumin from the ether to torture him in the flesh. "And you should not go alone."

Something squeezed his fingers and he glanced down to find Caolan's hand in his. "Neither should you."

Sosiqui

Illumin couldn't quite suppress the relieved look that crossed his features at Eamnnon's words. "I am sorry - you need not come with me now, if you don't wish to do so. This time seems best for myself and my people; if it is not so for you, then please... remain. Until such a time arises." His tone was forthright, not accusatory in the least.

While he couldn't deny that Hunt's company would be welcome, the young goddess' words gave him pause. "Caolan... you need not trouble yourself with this..."

Perri Indiya

The young goddess shook her head, cutting her father off. "If Papa bids me stay I will stay, but I would rather not be left behind. Harmodious is himself enough not to do me harm for simply appearing, and perhaps my presence may even push him towards mercy. Either way, I am a Goddess of Death. Though young I am not innocent."

Ea squeezed his daughter's hand back. "No time is a good time, but this is no worse than others. And Cao can come at least as far as the Pantheon, if you don't mind. I'd like her to see it in better times, and perhaps visit with some other gods. She won't come with us to see our lord."

Sosiqui

"If you're both quite sure," Illumin said, gratitude obvious in his tone. "I won't... can't pretend that I'm not afraid, but I cannot let this lie any longer. Not and still be Light. It is counter to my nature... even if I fear it."

His jaw worked for a moment, before he focused on Eamnnon again. "Ea... you were... Sinned, once, were you not? What... how was it?" he asked, awkwardly.

Perri Indiya

The little one frowned, but was silent. Now was not the best time to argue her point.

"Honestly? It sucked hardcore." Ea said flatly, borrowing a turn of phrase from one of his younger followers that expressed the sentiment best. "I was me but... less. Diminished. I couldn't even grow without Harmodious' help and my healing was absurdly slow. Which meant I got nice and maimed the first day, of course."

Realizing how he was sounding, he smiled awkwardly. "It's survivable, though. Not fun but it's not the end of the world. Do really think he'd bind us? I earned by disobeying a direct command, not doing something by accident."

Sosiqui

Illumin puzzled for a moment over the precise meaning of 'sucked hardcore', then decided to leave it be - it seemed to be something bad, given the context.

The rest, though... "I... I don't know. We did not mean to, and yet I can't help but feel that I should have known better, should have read the signs, shouldn't have trusted her..." His fists clenched tightly at his sides, his nails biting into his palms. "So much has happened, so much is lost, and... I do not know. But whatever He does, I cannot myself say that I will not deserve it, even if His sentence is death."

Perri Indiya

"When everything is going to end tomorrow, you make deals with the devil." Eamnonn said gently, trying to ease Light's worry some. They deserved punishment of some kind, but death was a little melodramatic. "Shall we be off? Waiting will only let worry prey on our minds."

Sosiqui

"Yes... yes, I think that would be best." Illumin squared his shoulders, then looked up at the sky. "Will you fly with me? It would be swifter - if Caolan wishes." There seemed something hawkish about his companion's aspect anyway, perched up here on this hill like this.

Perri Indiya

Caolan sighed and jumped on her father's back as he knelt, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his hair. She didn't like flying, but there was no time to tack up her errais.

"After you." Eamnonn said with a faint smile.

Sosiqui

"Then let us go..." Illumin couldn't help but wonder if it would be okay here, should the Hunt.. but no, perhaps he was just being alarmist in his thinking.

... He hadn't told his own followers that he might not come back, either. They would have worried too much.

But that train of thought was unpleasant. He pushed it aside and jumped into the air, the movement nowhere near as powerful as what Eamnnon could manage, but the light around him buoyed him up and gave him purchase in the skies. "The Pantheon is changed now, I hear,' he called back to his companion. "Green, beautiful. We should seek that, not lava and dark edifices."

Perri Indiya

The Hunt simply ran and jumped, taking to the air like a raptor as soon as his leafy wings were spread. He wended his way next to Illumin, the other god's glow simple to track. "That is something I long to see. Is it returned to it's former glory?"

Sosiqui

"It is different now, I am told - I have not been there personally, but some mortals that came to Solde brought news of green grass, clear water, white pavilions, and open spaces. It sounds... pleasant, yes, but also unfamiliar."

He had to wonder how his own rooms had fared in the transition; hopefully nothing was lost or damaged. There were a few things there he'd be loath to lose.

"I am sure we will feel it when we see it." He winged his way a bit higher up, trailing light as he went.

Perri Indiya

The darkness spread out above and below them, little breaking it besides Illumin's shine. The treetops were peaceful; the night's hunting and and battles all hidden below. As they gained where the pantheon had once been, though, the stillness began to feel less and less artificial. When the open, rounded buildings that sat where the hall had once been came into view, even the land was at peace. Eamnonn circled, spiraling down to land just outside the largest of the structures. "Wow. Unfamiliar is an understatement."

Sosiqui

"Indeed," Illumin replied, bemused - absolutely every vestige of what had once been there was now gone, shaped and remolded into green grass, fresh water, and elegant pillared halls. Everything spoke of serenity and openness, perhaps in response to this new age of cooperation between god and mortal - for it was only together that they had managed to stop the End.

It... made him feel a little better, somehow.

"I can feel Him - this is all His work, His doing. He must be here..." Illumin landed as well, his wings still shifting anxiously even after he was on the ground.

Ivynian

Flickerings of colours across the grass in long oblongs of shape proved a fruitful lead to the secondary hall of the Pantheon complex. Blackness above made color only more startling, even across the freshness of the grass.

Creation stood atop the orator's walk, wings extended from his back. Mana flowed easily from his limbs, accompanying the chimes of the crystal arch 'feathers'. It was a vision of older days, raw influence poured out, then left to take wondrous and wild forms only feet away from the Eldest. The new shapes faded from view as their swimming brought them to caress the windows.

Sosiqui

Despite his trepidation, Illumin couldn't deny that his heart leapt at the sight, the feel of his Lord's presence. "There," he not so much said as breathed, and glided into the air again to fly to Him faster. As he landed once more on the cool steps of the hall, his own Light curled unbidden to dance with color and shape, to intertwine as if playing in transports of joy.

Illumin swallowed, then cleared his throat quietly. "My... my Lord..." He couldn't think of what else to say as confused emotion - joy, fear, worry, sheer delight - tangled up in his throat and closed it.

Perri Indiya

Eamnonn felt himself smiling, his face expressing his gladness at this sight without his brain having to order it. He knelt, letting his daughter slide off his back and onto her own feet as much as showing fealty. he would happily bow before Creation all his days.

Caolan stepped around her father slowly, keeping a hand on one of his wings. She watched their lord silently, the slight cocking of her head the only outward sign of her interest.

Ivynian

" Light and Hunt. " Creation looked over from his place, flapping his with each name as though in emphasis or pleasure.

"Resplendent both in the power you have accomplished. But there are shadows of purpose lurking like crows perched on your shoulders. And....? "

He shifted, facing them fully to crane a little as though he could not already see over a knelt god.
"My count is incorrect. My apologies, Caolan."

Sosiqui

Illumin hunched forward ever so slightly at the turn of phrase Creation had employed - shadows, indeed. He swallowed again, then, but as he took a deep breath he felt the words there, waiting for his call.

He had agonized about this since the day the Gehenna-wave had torn through the world, and to have it finally come to pass was, in a sense, almost a relief.

Illumin bowed low, then raised his head to meet Creation's gaze. "My Lord, I - we - come to you with a... confession of sorts. I felt I could not go on without speaking to you about this matter." Another deep breath.

"The... the Grigori. Samyaza. No doubt you have been told of her. What... you have most likely not been told..." Since nobody knew. Only ourselves. "Was how she came to be here in the first place."

One more breath.

"... It was because of me. Because of us - Light and Hunt. We set her free, believing her lies, and she proved traitor..." and only then did Illumin lower his gaze, guilt making him shudder visibly as he stared at the ground.

Perri Indiya

"It was an accident, though a horrible one." The Hunt said, standing and putting a hand on his daughter's shoulder to remind her to be respectful and then go as he had told her. "One that we would redeem, if allowed."

The little goddess dropped her gaze and curtsied, backing up once she stood to give them space but not leaving. Destruction would not have care if she was there, but the incarnation before them would. She sincerely doubted he would strike her father and Illumin down before her.

Ivynian

" Briefly you speak over matters you assure yourself with guilt and horror to spell your own doom. Why come to me with such confessions when you flog yourselves even now? Come, "

"Start earlier. How did you come to know the Grigori....it is not an easy thing to reach them, even less to learn of them. Surely neither of you has memory of that long ago war, whatever parts you may or may not have played in it. "

Sosiqui

Illumin relaxed, just a little bit, then bowed again. "I learned of them while in search of Aristogeiton, lord - Panacea, before her travels, had told me of her quest for that worthy soul, and that it might prove key to restoring You. In my research, I discovered his name in connection with that of the Grigori, and it seemed as though his decline may have been affected by his journey to the Ashlands with Mang."

"Eamnnon then consented to help me search, and we traveled through Gaia to the Ashlands. A piece of Aristogeiton's soul we were promised, and paid - a crystal decanter with a key. The price was Samyaza's freedom."

Illumin's fists clenched unbidden; even her name seemed like a curse now. "Another Grigori, Remuel, chased us, apparently seeking to forbid Samyaza her freedom. She defended us against him, though he wounded us still." Illumin fanned his wings, the withered edge and white scarring on one section still clearly visible. "It was that defense that... brought down my guard, at the last. The more fool, I."

Perri Indiya

"It was horrible." Ea said succinctly. "And then that Grigori bi- uh, Samyaza, took Kishara's arm."

That was the part he felt worst about, really. He had failed to protect Gaia, when she had been nothing sweet and kind to him. He owed her blood.

Ivynian

Creation seemed thoughtful, stroking a hand over a curled-close 'primary'.
" Long ago there were warnings written of. The records of the Wars of the Forgotten Throne were limited to those collections of the divine and the closest followers. Most perished. Still, warnings found are yet warnings. Otherwise, I have spoken to none of the reborn regarding these creatures or this history. It was considered long past, the gates shut with the Fading and fall of all but myself. Lucius and Kishara knew them not, Aristogeiton was ages dead, Mang has foundered.

Their leader, Samyaza, we do not trust. We feel she will betray us somehow. ....This warning was all that you did not heed, written by my own hand long ago. A piece of the greater tome of all times that I have kept."

"But her ploy is ever to deceive. In the moments it happened, it must have been the second that masterminded how you would trust her. They fear no hurt if it brings results, fear no ending for they worship it. Your cause was righteous, your word is your bond, and those in need will trust what they must in poor circumstance. Still. It nearly cost Everything."

"Steep the married price of that ignorance and valor."
"The sky is lost, and countless the lives that have died. But I need you both, strong as you are, and at your strength. So this is your decree and punishment. Send you each one of your retinue, one of your Aoide. This penitent will act as you, and serve your sentence. They will not return to you except at the passage of an Age, and during that time, they will sit in solitude apart...in places made with the Silence left by the fallen lives. "

 

[Sosiqui]

Facing the Consequences, Part II

Sosiqui

"Lord," Illumin managed, sinking to his knees before Creation, his blood pounding in his ears. Should he say you are merciful? For Mercy had been offered...

... but to him alone.

Eibhilin... Eliam... It wasn't right, wasn't fair that one of them should have to pay the price for his folly. And all this time others, countless others, have paid the price for that. And now... one more must.

This is not penitence.

"Guide my steps, Lord - nothing I can do can atone for what was brought about by Samyaza's treachery, her freedom at my hands. I have known that since the moment I felt her dare to touch You." Illumin bowed his head, his shoulders shaking. "Yet I am Light; You know me, pulled me from Your form long ago after Yggdrasil's flowering."

His gaze snapped up to Creation's, eyes blazing, Light crackling in halo around him even as his heart ached in his chest. "Let them burn. Show me what I must do, that would make me so valuable to you, and I will do it. I will fill the skies with Light as best as I am able; will raze the Ashlands if only I knew how... my life is yours, as an arrow to the bow. Loose me in flight, Lord."

Perri Indiya

Eamnonn's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. He wanted to offer himself as Illumin had, but could not. He had family, responsibilities - one of which lingered nearby though he had told her to go. But how could he sign over one of his servants? He was not one to offer another life in exchange for his, especially not to pay for a mistake. Besides, Orin had children now as well. Which left-

"I will send Eben to you, Lord." He said sadly. "He will be happy to serve."

Ivynian

"Service. " Creation grimaced, looking away. "Eager euphemism, as though to shade the the proclamation some brighter colour. Less medieval, as though the use of vassals as whipping boys were something that could be modern contrivance. "

Harmodius' wings faded from solidity, then vanished away as the mana ebbed and ceased altogether. "Is it not so? But of arrows and bows, these things are not yet ready. The sky is the first task, else full forces cannot be mobilized for assault or defense. Morale, as well, shall be dead as long as the skies are empty. If you would aid immediately, to comfort yourself with hands less idle, then start you to fashion gem-like lights innumerable. Small, glimmering, as permanent as your power may allow. Make them and bring or send them here to my keeping. "

Sosiqui

So shall be my task - if I am to be spared just punishment for my virtues, then I will display them. "As you say, my Lord. I am not yet reborn to my full glory, yet I will work my element to its utmost and bend it to my will. The permanence will be most difficult to attain... yet I can produce a steady supply..." As he spoke, he pulled Light into his hands, frowning at it, working it downward, folding it in upon itself - seeking to force it into something solid, something small and bright and blinding.

The first one burst against his fingertips; might have burned, had he been something other than what he was. No matter, he would make another until this worked.

Perri Indiya

"He will see it as such." He said quietly, a sad smile spread across his face. "He is a very... traditional Aiode."

Perhaps, though, if he had to send poor Eben to this horrible fate, he could at least do something to temper it. "Lord Harmodious, is there some task I could do to lessen his time?"

Ivynian

His lips misshaped in mien all the more, hearing the query. "Tasks on tasks, for what else have you both done or will there be to do? But that misses the point, Fang and Flowing Blood. It misses the mark entirely. Can you find those souls of every planet, every tree and flower, every babe and mother, father, brother, sister, cousin and further family out to dizzied knotwork infinity of worlds and times that perished in the moments that my sternum cracked and turned out of itself? In the followed weeks where names and voices were swallowed and silenced? Do that, Hunt, and each repair will earn one less Silence to hear. "

"But it is not your strength or expertise to find and order souls, nor bearing them, nor leading them through the cycles of life and rebirth. Others already paid for your mistakes, do not think such things can be so easily bought away. "

Unfair and cruel, ...
Harsh the words.

"This is monstrous-" spare the rod, spoil the child
Rather to shirk your place as Father, Judge, Protector and Teacher? Constructive.
The Method, not the medium, left is repulsive. They already carry guilt and are aware of the gravity of what Samyaza's release caused. They feel the hole of the dead sky as keenly as any that is woven of the True Blood.

Sosiqui

Illumin listened quietly to Harmodius' words as He addressed Eamnnon, bowing his head and closing his eyes hard as He spoke of voices silenced, swallowed, bereft.

"Lord, I will bring you what you seek, once I devise the making of it," he said, quietly. "If I am kept from this due penance for purpose, then that purpose I shall pursue until it is done, or I am fallen again."

Perri Indiya

Ea fell silent, and simply bowed his head again. He was, as always, too soft-hearted. "As you say my lord. I shall do whatever you'll have of me."

Ivynian

"Your task is further reaching, Hunt. Among all reborn, yours is the greatest Temple rebuilt, and peopled. Guide yourself, your children, your followers out and gather all that you can on this and other places. Gather the skulls of those men and beasts that fell...those not crushed or melted. Any skull not destroyed to the utmost in the sleeping rages of Gehenna. Bring them and heap them, mound on mound, grin on grin, in the wasted central park of our near city. "

Light and Bones

Go out into the gaia community and find your character's respective task.
Freebies, minishops, other breedables, etc. wherever you can commission/buy/beg and keep a list of links of the sources of the items as well. You may count items that you already own as well.
Each must gather at least 250.

You may make your own graphics, as well.

Sosiqui

Illumin winced visibly, then bowed his head again. Such a charnel reminder of what had happened... of what had been wrought. "I will lend Light to your search," he said, quietly, in Ea's direction, then looked up once more at Harmodius, daring to meet his Lord's gaze for the first time.

"You shall have them, and swiftly - as of yet my constructions last but a few weeks, but I feel... my followers, the power they hold within them, that they bring to me... that they will fuel yet greater things." So strange, to be so... dependent on them.

Or perhaps it is strange to be aware of that dependency. That was probably more accurate.

"Lord..." Illumin shook his head. "Was it... was it all for naught? Aristogeiton?"

Perri Indiya

Already able to see his followers' reactions to this goal in his mind's eye, the Hunt chuckled despite himself. Jerry was going to kill him.

"Every single one shall be yours, lord."

Ivynian

"Ah.. " Creation paused at mention of the consort, letting the moments march by as well-disciplined soldiers.

"It was fruitful, Light. "

"The pieces were turned over to my care by the Spirit Guide and Underworld, and I have seen to the reunification of the soul. He rests, and is greatly disoriented, as any for whom waking comes already well grown to young adulthood and knowing and yet remains new. My hope is that he can be presented tovand for the aid and ....perhaps criticism of the Pantheon. But he is alive again, learning again. "

Sosiqui

I pray he was worth the trouble, came the brief, treacherous thought; Illumin squashed it firmly. The error had not been Aristogeiton's, nor their Lord's. It was quite possible that they could have used other methods to obtain the soul-piece from Samyaza.

But that brought up another concern. "Lord... I fear that a piece of Aristogeiton's soul being found in Grigori care was no accident," he said, slowly. "I know from our research that he went there as emissary, with Mang, in ages long past... and I know also of his collapse and final death. I fear, Lord, that this was all planned... that it was they who planted the seeds of his final death, perhaps even extracted that fragment while he dwelt among them. Knowing this would happen, and waiting for someone to come..." He shook his head.

"With their treachery so proven, when they have done such harm to you and Yours, Lord, why do you suffer them to live?" The anguished look he gave Harmodius held no judgment or censure, just pure lack of comprehension. If the price of letting the Grigori live was this, then why...?

Perri Indiya

The Hunt raised an eyebrow at Illumin, not expecting him of all people to ask Harmodious why he hadn't committed genocide already. Not that he was a fan of the Grigori, but still.

"You can't have the good without the bad you know." Ea found himself saying before he could still his mouth.

Ivynian

His expression became one of neutral beneficence, just outside pleasantry and smiles, ageless and remote. "It is not their good or evil that I value. Nor do I suffer their existence anymore then any other creature that 'is'. If it is truth you seek, Destruction would have ended them long ago, after the War of the Forgotten Throne, were it not for the pleas of the great mother and others. Many of them were known, respected followers in the houses or on the planets of the True Gods. They were loved and those whom they betrayed thought that in exile and gentleness the wayward beliefs would fall away. That time would bring sense where war left or martyrdom left only bitterness. "

"But if it is that you ask,,,,why do I suffer them NOW, in these moments, then you ask a great thing. Can you find them, Light? That which Gianfar does not know, is often not known to me. Why is it that they cannot be Known? Cannot be Found in simple prescient search? "

"It would be as though I sought for myself. I am in all things, and a greater part of the outer me is in them. 'The Forgotten Throne,' which is the name they give to Chaos. You have studied the old myths of Origin and Gehenna and the Seed of Gaea. Before We stood as a man finally before her judgment and acceptance we were all bodied and all formed while being none at all. Unmastered by any fetters, self-imposed or not, that we now work under. "

"Those who will support and maintain order.....must not themselves rebel. I cannot bring the outer part within to use in search of ...like to like. Not without unraveling great portions of what has already been devastated. It is for this same reason that the Pantheon went to war, riding great beasts and bearing weapon, through battle, trap and war, as even mortals do. Glorious, beautiful banners....glorious and often inefficient, but we won. So we must undertake a great Hunt again. Hunt and War to drive out these infidels from their hiding places. Wound will be taken and wound given, but if it bring you comfort...know that I will not stay Destruction's maw from closing on each this time. My right hand offered mercy once, now it is the left that shall bear on them oblivion. "

Sosiqui

Illumin listened carefully as his Lord spoke, bowing his head at perceived yet gentle rebuke. "I understand, Lord," he said, at last. "Would that I had understood so well before speaking with Samyaza."

"One more thing troubles me, if I may... and then I shall withdraw and begin my task, and send... send one of my own to thee for penance." His voice almost dropped out on that last part, but he rallied and glanced over at Eammnon. "To free her, Eamnnon gave of his own blood... and I fear what foul tie that may have given him to those creatures." He had not spoken of these concerns to Hunt ahead of time, but they had been present nevertheless. "They roused at Light's touch and were freed by Hunt's blood..."

Perri Indiya

His wings rustled of their own accord as his hands curled into fists, remembering the injuries the Grigori had had marked him with that had taken forever to heal. He had survived because of his abilities. If Samyaza came to his temple she could destroy everything he held dear.

"If she threatens me and mine I'll bite them in half." Ea said quietly, his scowl lightening somewhat as he gave Light what was supposed to be an encouraging smile. "The same goes for your people."

Ivynian

"The blood of a god, of Hunt or any other, was best used as a key to free her and now others completely. When you were in the Ashlands, you would have seen husks of bodies born up on strange obelisks. These were the leavings of their forms once, and they were bound to them at the last parting and sealing of that far realm. Should rift ever be made, they could not cross it, for there was little left in them of the mortal plane without that husk. The blood of a god, willing and offered, was a key and freed the bond to that husk. She will have split the vitae drop for drop to free and welcome those ,according to her plan, unfettered into this plane. "

"The safety...if an ambassador to that plane had judged them righteous again and pardoned them in my name could then have brought them triumphant to welcome at the Pantheon...to swear fealty again to the Crown. "

"Do not trouble, then, the use otherwise of that blood. It will be so spent and come to no greater harm then letting the enemy come out of hiding. "

Sosiqui

Illumin drooped with every word Creation spoke; when He was done, Light let out one long sigh, filled with regret. "So that is what we have done. I... I understand."

He stayed in that position for a moment longer before rising to his feet, finally meeting Creation's gaze with his own. "I will atone. My life, power, and will are at your command, Lord. I shall complete the task you have set and return anew, again and again, 'till guilt is..." Purged? Could it be purged?

Perhaps not in lifetimes as measured by mortal hands.

"By your leave, Lord," he said, finally.

Perri Indiya

Ea sighed and glanced at Illumin. He needed to buy Light a drink.

Turning back to Harmodious, he bowed again and stood. "I shall gather a mountain of skulls, my lord."

 

[Sosiqui]

To Face the Empty Age

Illumin flew home alone.

He'd turned away from Hunt and Suffocation at the Pantheon, saying something about attending to his task before leaping into the silent, empty sky. Right now, he was the only light in the sky, a single bright spark like a star fallen a little too late. He could both see and feel the scattered lights below, lights marking mortal and divine habitation, pinpricks in the blackness.

Too few of them, and missing the mirror of the stars. His back felt cold, exposed without the once-welcoming lights of stars and moon above.

The Pharos Beacon was easy to spot, the lighthouse a gleaming sanctuary visible for miles around. Illumin paused for a moment, slowing his flight to look at the sprawl of Solde-on-Palecliff. The town was a hive of activity, of farmers in the fields, of docks busy with fisherfolk and small trade vessels - and of patrols on the fringes, wary for any raiders that might be attracted by the light. It was such a precious commodity, now.

The Light will continue and return; I must be here to meet it, to guide it. But the cost...

The sea breeze whipped at his hair as he angled his flight downwards, heading for the Beacon proper. The problem wouldn't be finding a volunteer; Illumin had no doubt in his mind that both Aoidei would volunteer instantly for the... 'honor'. The problem would be choosing... and accepting... and watching that Aoide go.

They have been at my side for Ages upon Ages, and now I must cast them into Darkness and Silence. The antithesis of my being.

The light-construct at the top of the Beacon was brilliant, refracted and sharpened still more by the prisms of the Fresnel lens that encased it. Its beams leapt joyously around Illumin as the god descended, surrounding him with warmth. He landed easily and stood there for a moment, staring deep into the heart of the light.

...

The Aoidei were both at home, in his chambers - both of them sat sharply upright at the sound of the door opening, and Illumin could see the tension flow out of them as he stepped inside. Whole, unSinned, unmarked to their eyes - but not unpunished. He tried to smile at them, and wasn't sure if he succeeded. "Good evening."

"Radiance - are you well? Did you see Him?" Eliam spoke first, and there was an odd hesitation in his words, as if the Aoide couldn't quite believe Illumin could have seen Creation and still returned in one piece.

"I did," Illumin confirmed. "He has... entrusted me with a task. And with a... sentence that must be served."

"You know we will aid you, Lord," Eibhilin said, firmly. "What sentence has been decreed?"

He looked at them in despair. "Eibhilin, Eliam... oh, my faithful ones... the sentence is mine, yet our Lord has declared that it be deferred... to one of you." He kept going, speaking quickly, knowing that if he stopped he wouldn't be able to continue. "What Samyaza did... created such Darkness, such Silence, an unnatural pean that brought no honor or glory to either sphere, but instead twisted it into something foul... and that Darkness and Silence must be observed, endured. An Age of Silence... of spaces left by the fallen, empty places that should by rights be filled. Observed, and endured, alone. To do those things is my sentence, yet..."

"Yet the Gods are too precious to so confine, at this time," Eliam said, quietly. There was no spite, no frustration in his tone, simply understanding. "With the Grigori at large, and so much to rebuild and restore, He cannot possibly afford..."

"No. No, he cannot. I have sworn myself to His tasks, that I might do those things so vital that they spare me this... this justice." Illumin's voice was flat, almost monotone. "It is not fair-"

"I will go-"

They had spoken in unison, as Illumin had known they would; he bowed his head as silence descended.

"Eibhilin. I will-"

"No-"

"Listen to me," Eliam persisted, and Illumin glanced up to see the sad smile on the Aoide's face. "You are a warrior, a strong leader of armies. A protector. Such things will be needed in the time ahead. There will be war," he said, glancing back at Illumin.

"It is... not outside the realm of possibility, with the Grigori free and their first and best plan thwarted."

"You will be needed," Eliam said, quietly, reaching out one hand to touch the banshee's shoulder. "Moreso than I will. I will go. And I will return; it is for an Age, but we last for longer. All will be well."

"Eliam..."

"... I am sorry...."

"It is my joy to serve you in this, Radiance, as it is in all things."

Eliam's words echoed in the silence, and were swallowed up.  

[Sosiqui]

A Multitude of Stars; Tears

...fashion gem-like lights innumerable...

The task was no hardship. Instead, it was a blessing; the repetition, the experimentation, held Illumin's mind fast and kept him from thinking too much of what would happen when he was done with the first 'batch'.

About how Eliam would take them to Lord Harmodius, and would not return.

Prisms, lenses, foci... Such things were not truly of his realm, but their effects were closely enough related. He could could shift and harden Light itself into something that would hold its shape and enhance its own properties. Coaxing it down into such a physical form was difficult, yet he was Light; his command was absolute, inviolate.

The light rebelled at times, snapped at his fingers, burned holes in his robes, and set corners of the room on fire. He tamed it, forced it to behave, made it into sparks and lenses and planes that shuddered with the effort. The air shimmered with heat, and even the Aoidei found it necessary to shade their eyes before entering. The mortals, intimidated by the glow that radiated through every slim crack in the walls, stayed away.

Lights innumerable.

There was no question in Illumin's mind as to what the gems were for; surely they were to be stars, pushed into the blank Heavens to repopulate it. He could think of no other reason to request such things. Here and there he experimented, poorly imitating Universe's art. Gems of every size, from mere chips suitable for setting in a ring to great faceted globes he could barely stretch around; he varied their color, from sharp blue to brilliant white to rich gold.

The Aoidei removed the gems from time to time, with care, lest the room become overwhelmed and burst into flame.

At long last, he was done - not by choice, but by force, as he reached out for power and found nothing, his fingers aching and straining to summon even the smallest spark. He had no recollection of how much time he had taken, how much power he had expended, how many lights he had made... only that, for now, he had nothing left.

The god slumped backwards, only slowly becoming aware of the powerful aches and cramps in his shoulders and back, of how the tips of his fingers were faintly charred and rubbed raw. Around him, the mounds of gems gleamed, radiating their light blindingly; only Light himself could stand their collective brilliance now.

Only Light, and...

Illumin slowly got to his feet, wobbling a little as he did so. These lights were as permanent as he could make them, but they would gutter - he had to give them to his Lord as soon as possible.

Which meant...

"We must go," he said, quietly, as he pushed the door open; here there were yet more mounds of gems, piled and shrouded under protective cloth. "We must go... Eliam..."

He was just aware enough for the sad smile on Eliam's face to send a stab of ice through his stomach.

"Yes, Radiance. We shall go."  

[Sosiqui]

Honor to the Faithful

It happened very quickly. One moment, Illumin was bending down to scoop handfuls of Light-gems into a sack; the next, a wave of exhaustion like nothing he'd felt since Wellhaven crashed over him, sending him to his knees. "Radiance!" the aoidei cried in unison, and he felt them draw close around him as he knelt there, eyes closed, trying to make the roaring in his ears subside.

"I am fine. Just... a bit tired." After a long moment, he reached for the Light-gems again, but a pale hand intercepted his own. Illumin frowned, then glanced up at the interfering aoide. "We have to take these to Lord Harmodius," he informed Eliam, blinking owlishly.

"I know, Radiance - but you are in no condition to exert yourself further," Eliam said, his tone gentle but firm. "You have poured almost the entirety of your Being into these lights, my Lord. The Crown will know this, and not fault your absence."

"My... absence?" Illumin frowned. "I will not be absent. I can..."

... Strange. He was quite certain he'd told his legs to move, told himself to stand up, but nothing had happened.

"I don't think you can, Radiance," Eibhilin said; she sounded both amused and sad at the same time, somehow. "You've been working for days without stopping. You must rest now."

Her tone brooked absolutely no argument, and she punctuated her sentence by wrapping her thin arms around his waist, lifting him up; the god could feel Eliam move to steady them both, guiding Eibhilin as she carefully floated upward, moving towards the door to Illumin's bedchamber. "I can't let... Eliam..." he protested, weakly.

"I will be... well enough, my Lord, with your presence or without it. The Crown of Creation is not unkind," the aoide said, reaching out one hand to shove the door open ahead of them.

Illumin shook his head; he could manage that much, at least. "It is... my penance. I should be... be there..."

"And allow the lights you've created to spend their glow uselessly, wasting precious time? No, Radiance, with all respect - such waste for the sake of vanity does not become you."

Illumin winced - that was unusually blunt, for Eliam, and sharply perceptive. He did not protest as the aoidei carefully set him down on top of the mattress, careful hands moving his wings so they would not become crumpled beneath him. "Some would say... that I avoid the issue by not... not attending."

"The Crown will not," Eibhilin said, sharply. "If others speak folly, I will teach them how they ought to address Light. Have done, my Lord!"

Light could not help but smile wearily at that. "My wild High Flame, as always..." He closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath. "Eliam. Come here, my trusted and honored servant."

The aoide knelt at once at the side of the bed. "Here, Radiance."

"You... I will make sure you are not forgotten... that at the end of this Age you are welcomed home. Your service, I..." Words failed him; Illumin had to settle for resting one hand heavily on the aoide's shoulder and squeezing hard. "I will miss you, until you return to my side."

"I will return, Radiance," Eliam said, quietly. "Until that time, will you guard this for me?" The bed creaked slightly as Eliam lifted up his metal lantern and set it on the edge. "I would not leave Her wanting, should She..."

"Yes. Understood. I will guard it." Another pain, that; would she understand, were she to return...? "And... Eliam..."

He focused, scraping for the last dregs, pulling what threads of brightness remained forth from his being. The Light-gem took shape slowly, a small thing, inelegantly faceted but bright, like a tiny sun. "This - take it, if it is allowed. I do not know how long it will last. I give you all my blessing, and all my thanks."

As the Light-gem tipped out of his grasp, another wave of exhaustion threatened to drown him entirely; his fingers went limp, and Eliam had to move quickly to catch the precious Light before it fell to the ground. "Thank you, Radiance. I am honored to serve, to be Light's. I shall always be, even in the darkness and silence. Always, always, Light."

With that, the aoide rose, tilted forward, placed a kiss on Illumin's forehead. The god opened his mouth to speak and found no words. Eliam, faithful servant.

I await your return at the end of this Age. It cannot come soon enough.

I know, the aoide's smile seemed to say.

It was the last thing Illumin saw before sleep claimed him at last.  

[Sosiqui]

The First Cracks

Roleplay located here.

 

[Sosiqui]

Hearken, That There Were Stars and Sky Again...

Roleplay located here.

 

[Sosiqui]

Sing for an Absolution

Roleplay located here.

 

[Sosiqui]

Under a Brighter Sky

The sun was setting over Solde-on-Palecliff, throwing shadows out over the coastal landscape; Illumin stood on the observation platform atop the Pharos Beacon, his own glow punching a small hole in the long shadow of the Beacon itself. Below, he caught glimpses of faces turning upward, small flickers of praise and belief swelling as his people acknowledged his presence, his guardianship. Solde flourished - the town had largely been rebuilt, and was now nearly as large as it had been before Gehenna...

Gehenna. For a moment, Illumin tensed, half-expecting the gut-wrenching stab of guilt that had tormented him for so long, but none came. There was regret, yes, always, but it had none of the painful immediacy that had nearly destroyed the god. Echo had shattered those chains, and the people of Solde had kept them from being reforged. He would always remember, yes, but now was a time of healing... for Solde, for the worlds, and for Light Himself.

A cool sea breeze ruffled Illumin's hair as he leaned against the wrought-iron guardrail, wings flaring idly against the wind. He had healed, yes; the scars on the town were all but erased, and the setting sun had been formed by his power, imbued with Creation's full vigor. When night came, the stars blazing above would sing to him, too. He had fulfilled his task... but he had only replaced what he had indirectly helped to destroy.

And there was a restlessness growing in him - not one born of guilt, but one born of a desire not just for restitution but for redemption. Illumin had brought great evil into this world, yes, and made payment for it again and again.

But what good have I created that was not mere replacement? Light closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the fading sun pool around him. The thought had been fluttering around his mind for weeks now, like the moths that were his constant companions. Until now, he had been merely repairing the damage caused by his greatest act in this life. But there had to be a pathway beyond that.

Wasn't there?

The warmth around him felt strange - soft, yet electric. The breeze died, leaving the god alone in a haze of heat, with only the faint hush of moth wings and the fainter whisper of waves from the sea as company.

For so long, all Light had done was live in pride - no, drown in pride. From his own death at the hands of his own treacherous Aoide, who had taken up the banners he had so callously let fall, to the liberation of Samyaza and the Grigori into this world... any redemption Light might be permitted to have was far overdue. Solde and the stars were a fine start, but there had to be more... there had to be something more. Something done for sheer joy, not for status or guilt or grief; something for Light's own sake, yet not born out of selfish hubris...

The sun's glow around him laid thickly over his skin; when he opened his eyes, the world was golden. For a moment, he marveled - it was so beautiful.

Illumin, it's so beautiful. The words of his host echoed in his mind.

In one movement, Light raised his hands, sunlight trailing after every finger and flaring; far below, shouts went up as the mortals below turned to look at the tower, but Illumin was far past noticing them. He was close, so close, to answering that question that had been teasing him for so many days. The thought was thrilling, like a gift long awaited, a friend long absent.

The Light swirled around him; he moved with it, leaping into the air, floating as the sunset caught him. He had shaped many lights before - lights innumerable had been Creation's order, and he had delivered. The movements were near rote by now. And it was those movements he specifically avoided, breaking his hands free of that old and tainted pattern. As if in answer to his movements, the sun itself brightened, and Illumin leapt to it, moving higher and higher until Solde below was barely visible, a tiny mark on the edge of the great blue sea.

He had never been this high before - this was a place for sky-gods, for Dragon Kings and other bold creatures. But had he not populated this sky? Was it not his, in a way the sky had never been?

Universe, forgive me.

And then he turned, diving, the wind increasing to a shriek around him - but there was no pain in the sound. There was only joy, wild and incandescent, and the light blazing around him brighter and brighter, colors mere mortals would never see bursting into being on the edges. Auroras trailed Illumin's dive as he fell, wings straining, a feeling of indescribable euphoria rising in his soul. The earth was below, rushing dizzily closer, but between it and him was light, light, nothing but light-

The golden glory enveloped him, and he stilled. The rest of the world melted away - there was only him in the midst of his element, his essence. All Lights were his, and he reached for them now.

Streaks of dusk against the beginnings of night.

The soft wash of dawn on the horizon.

Sunset, bright and blazing.

Noon, unwavering, unflinching.

Delicate rays piercing through clouds, in halo-

The glow in the window, signifying home.

The lighthouse beacon, safety and warning all at once.

The candle flame, power barely tamed.

The lights unseeable.

The lights unknowable.

But, nevertheless, there.

All these, Illumin wove together into one soaring whole, the light singing under his hands, until joy and light and everything he had longed for but never knew he needed were one and-

Like a gentle caress, the wind brushed the back of his neck. Illumin blinked as the golden light surrounding him dissolved, flickering away like a swarm of fireflies suddenly set free. He was on his knees, on the walkway of the Beacon again? still? The walkway was shockingly warm beneath him; around him, light swirled. Moths fluttered.

And Light was not alone.

With a tremble of awe, Illumin knew his answer.

"Hello," he whispered, softly, to the godlings cuddled up to his sides, as natural as if they had always been there. Their eyes were closed, but he knew them; oh, he knew them. They were his, and he theirs. "Of course, of course... how could you not be the Sun," he laughed at the little god, his hair wild like the surface of the sun in a storm. He had spent so long creating suns for worlds innumerable - of course, of course.

And... yes, he could say no less to his daughter, her long feathered antennae making her domain clear, if the adoring cloud of insects around her hadn't been more than enough. Moths had been the first; of course, he would bring forth their Goddess for them, a gift for their service.

The door opened behind him; he knew without looking who it was. "Eibhilin - please, send for Alvir. And... Echo, I think. And any else among Solde's people who wish to see." He turned, the shadow over him truly dispelled at last.

Eibhilin, her eyes bright with tears, bowed.