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 Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:32 pm
Unexpected Help She was not going to give up so easily. No, there was no way she would allow herself to give up so easily. Sure, she still had other options... but there had to be something she had missed. Something the goddess had overlooked. That certainly would not be the first time, and it also certainly would not be the last. Even Tempo seemed to agree with her on that one, which had been a pleasant surprise. He had gone ahead, leaving her to tend to the last few tasks needed before today's attempt at her insistence. After all, he would be able to try to move some debris, and she hardly needed his supervision in the task of watching wax harden, did she not ? That he had done so all to eagerly was completely lost on her, and she suspected nothing. Therefore, after some rest, and a few more candles made from many melted stumps, she was ready to have another go at the underground maze. Once she found Ishum and asked him to come along, at the very least. She was overeager and impulsive in this matter, perhaps, but she could learn from her mistakes. A guide, when able to be found, was the way to go. The goddess feared that there would be no such thing that would be found if she had to go though the world tree. She had started to look for information, there and there, just in case she would have to travel though this mean, and there was little to be found, it seemed. Music had sought the Mother, whom she had not seen since... that day, but had not found any sign of her. This was worrisome on it's own, and she could only hope Kishara was merely resting somewhere else. There had also been Knowledge, though it seemed that while her younger son had quite the knack at tracking the god down, she had little of that luck herself. And her youngest, so excited in his eagerness to learn, forgot about asking his mother's questions for her. She could not blame him, to be honest. To be young, careless and free, with the whole world to learn and everything being a wonder... She had to admit that there were days that the goddess wished she could be just the same. Wild, carefree, with nothing else weighting on her mind and heart but the love of her art, and the love for her family. Perhaps she had once been, but these days were gone. Long gone, for better and for worse. Before anything else, it was the sounds that alerted her that things were not quite as she thought. There was way too much activity for things to be normal. Of course, many had come to watch and wait the day before, in worry for the goddess that had been playing for them so beautifully while hiding her own sorrow, or in search of news of the tall, rather intimidating man that had made their last goodbyes with their loved ones possible. But there had not been so many of them the day before, and neither were they talking so loudly. The goddess, now rather curious, accelerated her pace. Indeed, things were rather different. The place was bustling with activity, some makeshift tables set with rough plan drawn in chalk over the cracked surfaces – paper was still too much of a rare resources – with many faces, familiar and unfamiliar, talking loudly. About plans, digs, material and supports. Some where already going back and forth. The goddess stared. Just what was going on here... ? Echo seemed to have been spotted at last, and one figure detached herself from the rest, all smiles, stopping a moment to kneel in front of the goddess. A slender woman, a little taller than the goddess herself, with pale brown hairs and vivid blue eyes, slightly pointed ears betraying some elven heritage somewhere up her family tree – a piece of chalk tucked over her left. "Ah, Lady Echo. Welcome ! We were told you would arrive shortly.”She had seen this woman before, hadn't she ? It was so hard to remember each and every name... she needed to focus more on this, truly, but she recognized her as one of the many refugees from Koiso that had come along with Xing. This was rather unbecoming. The woman, however, did not seem to mind. ”Allysia, my Lady. The architect from Koiso... ?” The woman's tone was soft and a mere whisper, doing her best to jumpstart her memory without bringing much embarrassment to her. For that, she could not help but be grateful. ”Oh, yes, of course... my apologies, Allysia. Do rise, please.” And as she was told, the woman did just the same. There were leftover marks on her fair skin, mostly visible on her arms and face – most likely remnants from the time of Plague, left to mend on their own and leaving scars. ”You must forgive me, but... What is going on here ?”"You do not know ?” The architect seemed rather surprised. "There was a notice on the board, that you needed this place cleared so you could go and see if Lord Nergal is allright, yes ? Ill be leaving the hard work to the boys, but I will make sure that everything's rock solid down there ! I am not too used to work with underground structures, but I will do my best !”Wait a second... Note on the noticeboard ? Suddenly, Tempo and Ishum did no longer look very innocent, from the table they were hunched over. And two very conflicting emotion hit her at the same time. She wanted to be mad. Mad that they had done something without asking her, once again, mad to have been left in the dark. Mad that the mortals had been involved – they had better things to do, their own survival to worry about... !! Yet at the same time... At the same time she was so touched. They all came. All it took was one note on a noticeboard and they had come in numbers she could have never dared hope – all united toward one goal. They had came, and what did she have to offer them in return ? Simple songs ? No... No, she had given them hope, had she not ? "Lady Echo... ?” It was only when Allysia spoke again that the goddess noticed that she had not answered the half-elf's statement. "Are you allright ?””Y-Yes...” She managed, hand raising to brush away one tear before it could fall. ”You did not have to do this...”"We know. We all know.” The woman said, a smile on her face. "But we wanted to. We saw the note, and how you looked yesterday, and... we had to do something. Everyone's here because they wanted to be here.” One finger went to push small wire-frame glasses, which had clearly seen better days, back from where it had slid down her nose. "Without Him, I would still be wondering if my mother hated me. Without You... I most likely would not be alive at all. Please... Let us help You, as You have helped us.””Allysia... If there is anything I can do...” She did not get to finish her sentence. The half-elf gave a rather distinctive pout. "Oh, no no no no no. I do not want to see you lifting anything in here, understood ? You relax for a tiny while. You need it. But, please, if you would come with me...”The halfling lead the goddess to one of the table, propping herself against it. "That's roughly how the paths go down here, they mirror the roads about, for the most part, which made mapping a tiny bit easier... Ishum's been in there too, so that helped... Ah, my chalk ! Hey, which one of you ran off with my chalk !!”Echo could barely stifle a giggle, and it was only then that the brown-haired girl stopped, then, sheepishly, seemed to understand, and reach for the bit of chalk tucked behind one pointed ear. The 'camp' was oddly silent for a moment. "WhydoIalwaysendupdoingthisANYWAY.” The girl cleared her throat. "The shortest path to those gates Ishum's told me about is along this here...” The chalk touched the surface of the worn, cracked wood, leaving a trail in it's wake. “Right down there... With a sharp plunge there.... then another heeeeeereeee.... I really want to know what the person who did this thing was on... Anyway, ends right here.” She tapped the chalk on the wood. “That's still going to take us a few weeks to clear out and stabilize, even though it's not completely caved in. We're lucky it's not completely caved in, actually, because that'd just take us forever.” It was rather odd to see just how the half-elf's mannerisms seemed to change the second she got immersed in her work. "We might as well just clear out the rest while we're at it... maybe even make it pretty again eventually, but that's for later, yes. But now you...” The halfling's glance over her rectangle glasses was rather pointed and... amusing, where most deities would have likely found affront. ”You sit tight and relax for a little while. No cheating, now ! I don't want to see you in there. Ill have the boys watching you. I need to go now, though, ill see you a little bit later, Lady Echo ? Unfortunately these structural plans don't draw themselves.””Ah, of course. Far be it for me to keep you from your work, Allysia.” The goddess said with a polite bow of the head, watching as the girl all but scampered off, yelling out at the two aoidei to, and she quotes, 'Make me some space already !'How... quirky. The goddess stood her for a moment, and then grinned, turning on her heels to head toward the pantheon. Allysia had said she was not allowed to help, perhaps, but the halfling had said nothing about some background ambiance, and some tea, if she could even find any...
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:33 pm
Funeral Rites It was often said that even the best laid plans of mice and men could go awry. It seemed like such could also apply to the best laid plans of deities. The project that had been undertaken had been a massive one indeed, even if it was limited to the shortest, most direct path to the gate for the time being. There was still a whole lot of work to be done, many people involved, and not all the materials were as sturdy as they seemed. It often led to setbacks. The multiple cave-in that sometimes occurred after clearing and fixing the support pillars also did the same. But unfortunately, some times... they were deadly to the mortals working underground. Try as she might, Echo and her boys sometimes could not reach down quickly enough, though some had been saved that way. As the digging, clearing, and the solidifying of the paths was drawing to an end, there were three causalities. Yesterday, it had been one of Allysia's close friends, and to say the halfling was shaken would be an understatement. The woman was inconsolable, having spent much of her time huddled up in Echo's grasp, crying and wailing in her grief. If was nearly impossible for the goddess not to cry with her, and she had not even attempted to stop it, though her's were tears of frustration and shame rather than true grief. It was all her fault. She should never have allowed this. Should have put a stop to this plan before it could have truly taken off the ground... though it would have been likely that the mortals would have likely did their work behind her back if she had voiced displeasure. She would not have been able to truly stop them. Even if she did know this, it did not make her feel any less responsible for what had happened. It did not make the pain go away. She spared a nod to Ankou as he came, following Lenneth. She knew very well why he was there – the mortals had expressed their concern to her many times so far, their hopes and fears that they may, or may not find their way into the realm they were busy making a trail to the entrance of. That they were possibly not dealing with it right, or would not do the burials right. Echo honestly thought that it would be 'right' as long as it was done with respect. In the end, it seemed the one true thing that really mattered – the rest being mostly tradition. But grieving people were rarely logical people, herself included. Whatever she thought was irrelevant to their pain, so she kept it to herself. Ankou had taken the helm for now on, so to speak, and she was more than glad that he was – she could barely focus, even less try to do something like this. ”Shhh...” The goddess whispered down to the half elf's pointed ears, stroking at the back of her head and running her fingers though her short hairs like she would have done for her daughter. ”I am sorry...”Allysia looked up at her, and seeing those bright turquoise eyes full of tears, full of pain, threatened to truly break something inside of her. ”Stop it.” The woman snapped. ”Blaming yourself isn't going to bring them back. Nothing's gonna bring them back, and the only thing we can do now is do this right. So.... Stop it.”The goddess had not dared to say anything in rebuke to that. Instead, she lowered her head, and continued to let the tears fall, looking beautiful and elegant even now. Little did she know, it was from that those very tears, and from that very elegance that the mourners drew the strength to go on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The whole ceremony of sort was a rather loose affair, left mostly to the group of mortals rather than to Ankou's choosing, but it seemed to do just fine, an odd mix of laughter and crying lingering in the air as those gathered remembered the happier times with those who had left. He had told her, in private, that he had not seen the three souls lingering about, which was comforting in itself. To her, it meant that they had found the way. They had to. The goddess refused to believe otherwise, even if the Guide had remained rather vague about it, as he tended to do about things he was not sure of. The goddess could not have cared less that he was not 100% sure. She simply refused to allow herself to believe otherwise. As it was often the case with Echo, emotion was completely over-throwing logic. She had not been able to coax her youngest son to come out and sing before so many strangers, and perhaps it was better that way. She had to sing. She had to be the one to do this. It was the least she could do, in her mind, since she had allowed those tragedies to happen in the first place. And so she had sang, with her unnaturally beautiful voice, carrying the sorrow of all, and the tears the prouder mortals had not allowed themselves to shed, seeing mourning as a weakness. As the goddess sang, however, it became impossible for anyone to resist, and every mortal cried in turn. In fact, she was pretty sure the only one who had not cried was Ankou, and even he had looked rather affected, by the way he allowed his head to fall low for the first time in those days since it had started. After she had sang, they moved to bury them, at the graveyard where the day of the dead had been held. They would rest next to Melody. That, somehow... was comforting. Even if she wished she could have done more... there was nothing else she could do.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:34 pm
Seeking Information Thabara  „Mommy?“ Crys wrapped her thin arms around her mother's legs, in complete disregard of whatever Echo might be doing right now. She could have found out, if she listened closely, but she simply didn't care. All she wanted was her mother's undivided attention, now please.
She pressed her face against her mother's leg, always so soft and warm, and smelling so nicely.
Zero Dream  The faint sound of a pen scribbling on a piece of paper stopped then, with the goddess shifting ever-so-slightly in surprise. She had been so focused on this that she had not heard her daughter come at all. Which was becoming increasingly frequent. There was so much on the goddess' mind now, that sometimes she could not help to bother how she managed to fit it all in her awareness.
"What is it, dear ?" She asked, wriggling one leg teasingly much like a wriggling fish would, a smile drawing on her face. This was not an unwelcome interruption, not at all.Thabara Ah, so she had been writing. The little goddess frowned for a moment. The ability of others to write, and even more importantly, to read, was something she envied and found annoying the same. She could feel the letters on Kios' wax tablet, but her sensitive fingertips could not discern between the surface of paper and ink. So, for most of the time she pretended to not be interested, though the fact that she knew that books held wonderful stories and rhymes were a constant thorn in her side.
She climbed onto her mother's lap, now that she had her attention, nesting against her comfortably. "'s about the sky," she announced. "I cried for it when everyone cried, because it was so ... it was so ..." She shifted, the fingers of her hands intertwining as she struggled for words. "So sad," she finished helplessly, wishing she was as good with words as Kios. She'd been better, but now he was learning new words all the time from his books, bleh. For her, there were simply no words to describe the overwhelming wave of shock, horror and grief which had swept her from her feet almost literally.
"No," she corrected herself, "didn't cry for it. Only cried for what people ... had lost." It had felt strange, strange and wonderful, as if she'd been empty inside and the people's tears had filled her, given her meaning ... She picked up one of her mother's long strands of her, striking it softly, as if it was some kind of pet. "Lucius, what was he like?" she asked abruptly. "Did you know him. Was he a nice person? What was the Sky like?" Zero Dream Echo listened to her daughter, letting the pen down on the table with a soft sound easily picked up by both set of ears present. She pondered what to answer for now, what to tell the young girl of what she knew... and what might have been better left unsaid. "I did not know him all that well." Music admitted. "I have only truly gotten to speak with him but once, and... that was a long time ago. He... had done a very big mistake, and had been punished for it, but I did not get the feeling that he was a bad person. A little lonely perhaps, and proud, but..." She ran her fingers though her daughter's dull stand of hair, carefully untangling small knots with the greatest of care. "I do not think he ever wanted to truly bring ill to anyone." At least... not to the extent to how things had gone back then, so long ago. Nergal would have been able to answer that better than she, a frown settling on her face. It just seemed like she could not truly answer her daughter's questions. She simply did not know enough. Thabara "Hm." Crys tilted her hair, obviously not satisfied with the answer. "So he was a bit like Soto?" Zero Dream The comparison caught her completely off-guard, and she could only barely stop herself from laughing. It was a good thing she had not been drinking anything. "Perhaps. As I say, I did not know him all too well." She pondered for a moment, however, the sound of filed nails brushing against the wooden table making itself known to the child's sensitive ears. However... however...
"Though... if we could get a hold of Tian Yue... Perhaps he would be able to tell you about it." She knew it, though title and simply gut feeling, that there was a relation, but... what had it truly been ? "Though, I... do not know where he has gone." She gave no promise to find him. At this point, she knew better than to do that - not with what looked more and more likely that she would have to do. Thabara Crys' lips pulled into a pout, as she was pretty sure she hadn't said anything funny. It did sound like Soto a little, what with making mistakes and getting punished but not being a bad person. Her head perked up, however, when a new name was mentioned, unfamiliar to her. Though ... no, Kios had spoken of him, hadn't he? Something to do with his books. "Tian Yue?" she inquired, curiously. Zero Dream "Hm-m. The worldsheild. One of the dragon kings." Echo answered. "He is a rather kind and protective god, a very close friend of mine... I have named him godfather to you three, though... I have not seen, or heard anything him lately. I remember he was close to Universe..." Even if Crys could not see her mother's face pull into a thoughtful frown, the worry in her voice was unmistakable. It was not like Tian Yue not to be present, or doing nothing, unless he had left to a journey or some sort, or...
She did not know. Which reminded her, that she had wanted to ask him if he remembered anything of that language that mortals wrote books in so that blind people could read them. She remembered the concept loosely, from the memory of her host, but he... would likely remember it more clearly. The goddess had tried to take a hold of Knowledge, both to thank him for what he had done to her youngest son and to ask him directly, but the search for her beloved's fate often kept her too busy. After there had been a resolution, though... Thabara Worldshield. Dragon King. That certainly did sound impressive and was by itself enough to perk her curiosity. Over the last term, she stumbled though. "Godfather," she asked, a little confused. But, they already had a papa! She couldn't imagine having two ...
And, he'd been a friend of Universe. A friend, a friend, a friend ... It made her remember, for some reason, the roars filled with despair she'd heard high up, the night the sky had gone away. Yes, she decided for herself, it would be good to meet him. Maybe he held the answers to her many questions. Zero Dream "Yes." The goddess said, nuzzling the side of her daughter's cheek with one hand tenderly. "It is more like an uncle, not like a dad. I am not too sure why they call it godfather either, come to think of it ? Should it not be called goduncle ?" That was pretty literal for them, was it not ? A rather amusing thought of it's own. "But what it truly means is... that he is like family. That any of you can go to him if you need, that he will watch and protect you and your brothers should there be a need. Tian Yue has many brothers of his own, so he can probably tell you how to deal with yours best." A small hint of mischief was present in her voice. Thabara Ohhhhh, that godfatheruncle of hers grew more and more interesting with every breath she drew now. "What does his door look like?" she asked eagerly. Zero Dream How the door looked like... oh. Oh dear. This could get complicated rather quickly. Unless...
"It has a dragon, and stars on it." Echo started, running one finger across her daughter's forearm. " A dragon is like..." Oh, hopefully the worldsheild would forgive her this. "A really, really big lizard. All scaly with some fur, too." She started to trace the rough shape on her arm, to let her 'see'. "And stars are like little dots on relief on the door. It is about..." She passed the dragon's door every day, oddly enough, but it was hard for her to remember the path in the way. "Going away from the stairs... Maybe 15 or 20 steps down the hall, to the left." Thabara Crys nodded solemnly. She'd remember the door. If she didn't find it by herself, she could still go ask someone to help her, but she'd rather prefer to figure it out on her own. She was actually glad that her mom hadn't gone out of her way and simply guided her to her godfather's place. "I'll find it," she assured, snuggling closer to Echo's form and enjoying the warmth and the comfort the close contact gave her. "Can I stay here for a little?" Zero Dream She had learned, a long time ago, that it was better to let her daughter find her own way for things like this. It was hard to curb her instincts of trying to overprotect her, expecially her since she was blind... But it was better that way. She was blind, not helpless. Crys simply surprised her again and again with how quickly she got used to new places.
"As long as you wish, my dear." The goddess said, her voice soft and loving.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:34 pm
To Mourn The Sky Logged here due to length
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:39 pm
Muddled Answers Zero Dream It had taken about two weeks for the passage of the catacombs to be cleared fully, for pillars to be added to reinforce the structure to a point where it could barely be considered safe - it was not perfect, far from it, given that even those materials had went though Decay - but it was enough to make sure the whole structure would not collapse on their heads, which was the point.
Once it had been safe enough for them to come, she had wasted no time. Tempo was by her side, as he always stubbornly was - this would be no exception. Even if the arguments of his brothers held true, Ishum and Priya followed, as well - the children had been left in Alto's care, as she did not have to deny them the right to try and figure out just what the hell had happened to their lord.
The celling was pretty low, though it was more so a bother for the boys than he was from her, as she stepped into the dark with no hesitation, guided only by the light of the candles that had been put here as the mortals and aoidei had worked on the passageway. She had no idea what she would find, but she would not let that stop her.
Not after coming so far. Thabara „Lady, if I may …?“ Ishum squeezed past her – for the length of time it took to draw a breath uncomfortably close to the goddess – and then strode ahead to pick up a lantern at the first crossing. „I know you are eager to go first,“ he explained, „but trust me – it's still far from actually being safe. Please let me be your guide.“ He bowed, and then motioned for the small group to follow him. He had made the trek down and back up again countless times in the past two weeks … To help clear away the rubble with his bare hands, to carry down heavy wooden posts, bricks, bags of cement and other construction materials required to secure the walls and ceilings where needed, and to – most importantly – offer directions and guidance. He was the only one to have been all the way down there before, together with Nergal. Nergal … Like the others the pale skinned aoide couldn't help but wonder what might have happened. Even if Kios and Grace hadn't said anything, it was apparent Nergal had managed to achieve something, the obvious absence of the wisps being telltale. But with the god of the dead usually being such a busybody, all work and no play, it was … worrying that there was no real message from him yet. „Careful with your head,“ he warned, offering Echo a helping hand to aide her descending a small flight of irregular stairs, the deed promptly earning him a glare from Tempo. The golden winged aoide pointedly ignored it. „They still aren't quite done yet,“ he told during one of the passages that was easy to manage, a long hall with many gothic columns, so high that the ceiling couldnt' been seen in the dim light of their candles and lanterns. But it had to be huge, judging from the way Ishum's soft voice echoed. He and the mortal helpers had quickly dubbed it the 'underground cathedral'. „A big part of the ceiling just before the Sanctum collapsed, and they were still busy clearing that up when I left. But, we figured you'd want to go in as soon as it was possible … With some luck they'll be done by the time we arrive. I … do hope that was the last barrier that needed to be taken care of. You may still have to wait a little.“ 'They', that were the countless mortal volunteers who had worked so very hard in the past weeks to clear the passage for Echo. Ishum had been downright floored by the resonance the simple request he'd put up on the noticeboard had gotten him. Many of those who'd stepped forward were admirers of gentle Music, but there were quite a few familiar faces from the Day of the Dead as well. Many of them seemed to see this as some sort of service, or sacrifice. Just like in the past, when the chance to aid in the construction of those massive tombs had been considered an honor and a safe way to gain Underworld's favor. Ishum sincerely hoped it would be regarded as such, because … there had been casualties. Zero Dream Echo knew better than to argue with the beastmaster on this - it had been, after all, one of the reasons she had hoped he would come as he, as far as she knew, had been the only one to ever go all the way done before, beside his own master. As much as she wanted to get there as quickly as possible, it would be extremely counter-productive to get lost.
It was a long way down, she could not help but notice, and there was a certain stench in the air that was far from pleasant, but she forced herself to ignore it as she took hold of one of the ropes and started her way down. Tempo was casting some extremely nervous glances at her as she did, but otherwise did not intervene. Or, perhaps, forced himself not to intervene was a more accurate way to put it. She seemed to be doing well enough, though her decent was a little slow compared to those of the aoidei, as she had to put more care in the rather foreign actions, less she lose her grip.
What she would give for actual wings at this very moment....
She had not initially wanted to get mortals included - though they had came, and there was little she could do to stop them. On a logical standpoint, it would have taken her small force months to clear though the passageway, but in a way, it had almost seemed a better outcome than this one, where what she had feared had come to pass and some lost their lives. Often she had rushed down the tunnels at the sound of a cave-in, followed by a small pack of rather frantic aoidei, only to arrive too late. It made her heart heavy - for them to give all they had on her whims...
... did not feel right.
The goddess had sang, hoping they would find both peace, and their ways to the realm she believed at least existed in some form, since her lover had gone for so long. She had sang, and she had refused to hide her sorrow. It was the only thing she could do for them.
Her feet hit the ground once more, and it was only then that Tempo started his own decent - he always went last, and in despite his previous reactions, always made sure Ishum was down first - that way, one of them would end up quick enough to catch her should she have lost grip.
From there, it took only a few minutes of walking to get to what they supposed was the end of the way, and, just as the beastmaster had said, it seemed that they where not quite done yet. Echo waited, to the side, in silence, her impatience betrayed by the twitch of her tailstrings. All this, and she still did not know if the gate would even let her though... Thabara „Hey.“ The casual greeting was offered by a short, mortal woman, her dust-smeared features only on second sight identifying her as Xing. She held out a hand to Echo which was just as stained with dirt, and tightly wrapped in bandages to protect her fingers from some of the damage done by the hard work. „We're almost done, just need to prop up some supports to keep the ceiling from coming down on you. Just a little longer ... I know you're worried about him, but try to stay out of the way, hm? No need to have him come down on us in the afterlife because we managed to get you hurt.“ Her smile widened to a broad grin, and she winked. „Seriously though,“ she added, her features sobering up quite quickly, „I'm worried about him too. I've rarely met someone who was so skilled at getting himself into trouble.“ She gave a nod, and then quickly turned to lend a hand with the work the moment someone called for her. Zero Dream Echo took the offered hand, with no hesitation that she may, herself, get dirty as a result, and nodded. "Oh, believe me." She offered a smile, though it was strained. "I am hoping none of our children end up with that particular skill." But, that was perhaps too much to ask.
Expecially with Sotiris.
"Xing... Thank you. I..." The words seemed to get stuck in her throat, and the small woman was gone before she could try to force them out, so she shook her head, and slid even further than she had been standing, in order to give them as much space as possible to work with.
She remained out of the way, as asked, however, it only took a few minutes for the goddess to start to pace, to fiddle with the rim of her long gloves and the longer ends of the shirt and pants she was wearing, that Alto had managed to make her. Dresses where, after all, not exactly suited for catacomb exploration. The tailstrings never did stop, often kicking up some fine dust in their wake. Thabara Getting the wooden beams and planks into place that were to secure the ceiling was hard work, and after having stood by and watched for a while, both Ishum and Priya went to lend a hand as well in the endeavour. Perhaps they'd simply wanted to get out of the path of Echo's pacing. There was a frightening moment when a rush of dust and rubble came down on the group of workers unexpectedly, and all present were holding their breath and fearing the worst ... But the volunteers remained stubbornly put, not letting go of the supports they were trying to erect. „Don't worry,“ Xing shouted over her shoulder. „Keeps happening all the time. No one got hurt.“ That wasn't entirely truthful, as she herself was bleeding from a small wound on her forehead, but it seemed to be little more than a scratch. About half an hour later they were finally done, and one of the mortals – a cranky man in his fifties, who seemed to be the only one to have some actual experience working underground – advanced a few steps into the hallway beyond, holding up a lantern and critically examining the ceiling and walls for signs of more weaknesses. „Looks safe,“ he finally announced grumpily. „Someone tell the princess to stop pacing and come over here.“ Zero Dream When the dust and rubble came down, or more importantly, when the sound carried over to her sensitive ears, Echo stilled, if only for a moment, worry flashed into her eyes, and she had been about to dart in when Xing's voice stopped her. It was not long until the pacing resumed, though it seemed to have become an increasingly worried sort. It was no doubt that the 'princess' had indeed picked up the sound of the man's voice, as she came closer before anyone could relay the message, though no comment was made toward it. Instead, she looked at everyone present, and helped disinfect and bandage those who had sustained injuries, including Xing, and even those who had tried their hide them stubbornly. She was in a hurry to finally get to the bottom of this, yes, but she would not forget about those who had made it possible. A few more minutes would not kill her, after how long she'd spent waiting. After this was done, she finally stepped inside. The stench was even stronger here, and the cause became apparent with the corpses littered about, but she forced herself forward still. There was was an immense... painting, if she judged by the paint peeling off, of a gate, which... was not exactly what she had expected. Where they in the wrong place ? "Ishum... ?" Right in front of the painting, however, there was one of the corpses, placed rather oddly right in front of it. It had clearly seen better days, if the dim purple tint of sickly green hair, flayed arm and skin tone where of any indication, though it also seemed... completely different from the other ones littering the room, with the dimly glowing runes scattered on what had been spared of his flesh, as well as bare bones protruding from his back, hinting that there probably had once been wings. But the strongest difference was, perhaps, noticed by only the goddess herself. A ragged, low sound that took her a few moments to identify. BreathingWhen she had noticed, she darted, offering no explanation until she knelt in front of the limp body, turning him so he was not face down, clearing dirt from the bone-exposed place. Not dead, but clearly having seen better days. Just what could survive something like this... ? How long had he been here... ?!? Thabara Once the goddess was done tending to their wounds, everyone stepped aside, murmuring quiet words of gratitude under their breath, and then respectfully clearing the path for her. Ishum handed her the lantern and kept close to her, but did not interfer with her advance. It might still be dangerous, but it was her privilege to go in first. Ishum swallowed nervously as he followed Echo, glancing around cautiously. The octagonal room seemed unusually chilly – even taking into account they were deep, deep underground – and the presence of so many dead made him feel extremely uneasy. What if the Defilers had set up another trap, and they were now walking right into it? Echo's voice would be powerless against the animated corpses, as there simply was no heart and mind left for her to touch upon. Her calling out his name startled the wary beastmaster, and for a moment he thought it was because something had happened. But her features seemed confused, more than anything else. „This is the gate,“ he confirmed. „It may look like a mural, but I've seen it open for him before. Though I'm not sure, with the deteriorated state it's in …“ His voice trailed off when Echo turned her back to him abruptly, something obviously having captured her attention. Was it the gate? No, something else, something in front of it … He drew in his breath in a sharp hiss, when he saw she was about to tend to what seemed yet another corpse. „Get away from it,“ he warned sharply. „It may be a trap.“ It wasn't until she turned over the body that he recognized the face, even in the half decayed state it was in now. „Ianthe ...“ Ishum uttered in a hoarse whisper, eyes wide with shock. „That … is impossible ...“ Zero Dream If anything, this only made Echo even more confused, as she looked back up at Ishum inquiringly. Tempo stood at the door, looking like he had been about to interfere, but had been stopped in his motion by Ishum's sudden reaction, and recognition.
"Who... ?" The question seemed to slip out on it's own, before she shook her head, working on sliding his pristine arm around her shoulders in an attempt to support him and get him back upright. "Someone get some water for him !"The young boy did not say anything at first, hanging rather limply from the hold the goddess had on him, mind muddled by the sudden influx of information around him. There had been nothing, for ages, though time was an equally muddled concept for him. Nothing, and then suddently, there had been something, someone, him, then nothing again... and then...
And then now all this. How much of it had he actually dreamed up, like so many things, and how much of the horrifying scene he had seen been... real ?
His lord, back at least, back for him, back for them, and then... gone. Gone again.
And he'd been pulled out, he started to realize as clarity slowly started to pierce though the muddled feeling, when the void had become void no more.
He had the loose feeling that he was no longer alone, that someone was pulling him upright, but it was the voice that managed to truly piece though to him. He knew this voice. He simply could not shake the feeling that he it was true.
Eyes finally snapped open, one black and decayed, but the other, still bright with a piercing blue, allowed him yet some kind of fuzzy sight. None of the faces staring very openly back at him made any sense.
Beside one, and for the moment the two stared at each other just as if they felt like they respectively had seen a ghost in each other's place. "Ishum... ?" The boy managed, after some physical and mental struggle, though his voice was raw from unuse.
Focus on the present. Damnit, focus ! Thabara „Yeah, it's me.“ He crouched down to peer at the other's face, still seeming sufficiently spooked – which was quite a feat to achieve, considering whom he served. Whom they served. It was hard to believe that it could truly be him, but there was no way the Defilers would have been able to get hold of his body, or for a shifter to get all the details down. But his appearance … as if he had been decomposing while still alive. He shuddered. „When the Underworld was about to perish … back then, when the Fading happened … Lord Nergal did not only permit his court and servants to leave, he even asked them to do so. He would go down with his realm, but he did not wish for anyone else to share that fate. Still … some stayed behind. I guess … they were more devoted than I. Or less of a coward. Ianthe was one of them.“ Someone tapped his shoulder unexpectedly, causing the rattled beastmaster to downright jump, but it was only one of the mortals, handing him a plastic bottle with water. Zero Dream Echo did not answer, though the look of shock in her face seemed to answer on it's own. How the aoidei latched on her had even survived such, she had no idea. Perhaps his faith had simply been that strong.Ianthe looked like he was about to answer, a slight frown on his face at the beastmaster's words, but nothing seemed willing to come out, and instead drank the water as it would be offered to him. After being alone in nothing for so long, the influx of colors, voices and sounds was almost too much for him, though it seemed like the mental fog was starting to clear at least. Everything seemed real, for the first time in ages.
"You.... did the smart thing." He finally was able to say, shaking his head sightly. There had been more, with him, but he had no idea of their whereabouts. "Where..."
The aoide's voice seemed to fail him once more, with another cough. Thabara „Maybe.“ Ishum didn't seem wholly convinced. „What of the others who stayed behind – do you know, remember anything? And how … did you end up here?“ Doubtless, there must be some sort of connection to the current state of the Underworld. There just had to be. Zero Dream "I do... not know." Ianthe answered, as he glanced to the side. The gate... he was... ? Something had forced him out, quite violently, thrown him out there. How long had he been laying here... he had no idea. "We were all together, once.... but I lost track... of them. ...Long ago."
How did he end up there... ? That was a slightly harder question. "I saw Him. I... swear I have." He started. "But I do not think... He saw me." This was, in fact, the only thing he was certain off. He had felt too foreign, too real among the absence. The rest...
He honestly wished that what had followed after had not been real.
"Something pushed me out... I must have ended... up here." There was no other explanation he could think of. Thabara „'Him'? Do you speak of Lord Nergal? He … went through this gate with the intend to restore his realm, at least we think he did. We have not heard from him since.“ A month, no more. A blink of an eye in the life of a God. But still … „But the spirits of the dead, of this world at least, are gone – so I think he must have achieved something.“ Ishum's voice was filled with desperate hope. „Please, if you know or recall anything that would be of help ... if not for me--" Hardly for me, having fled the realm and left our Lord ... I can't even imagine what it must have been like ... to witness his last moments ... „--then for her at least." He motioned at Echo. „Perhaps you remember her, the Lady Echo. She is our Lord's betrothed now, and the mother of his children." Ishum shifted his weight to his heels, peering at the gate thoughtfully. The mural had definitely seen better times, so much of the ancient wall painting had withered and faded. „I wonder if we can make it work," he murmured, speaking to himself rather than addressing any of those present. „It didn't, when I last tried, but that was before his rebirth ..." Zero Dream Betrothed...
....Children.... ?
If Ianthe had anything to add to Ishum's previous request, it seemed to have been completely forgotten as those two points where brought to the forefront, and his valid eye gave a rather surprised look to the goddess what was still keeping him upright. What... What of this ? What about the Lady...
...No, in all honesty, it was all beyond him, and if anything, it started to drive home the feeling that a rather long length of time had to have passed in between what he had last known to be true, and the here and now.
"I must thank you then, my Queen. I should be able to stand now, thank to you." He said, his head low in respect. The words... fell foreign as they rolled off his tongue. Still, it was not his place to contest something he barely even understood. The aoidei moved then, and though he stood on wobbly legs, he managed to keep himself upright. Surely she had better to do than to act as his pillar - he could see it, in those shifting eyes full of worry. She sought his lord.
He turned, slowly, the face the gate, bare feet padding his form closer to where he had come out from, features pulling into a slight frown. "I do not remember it being this cold..." So cold, in fact, that it seemed he just might freeze in place if he even dared touch it. This was not normal, though that would be up to Ishum to confirm. The beastmaster was the one with the knowledge of this strange, foreign new world. He knew him all to well, he dared to think. He thinks himself coward, but he was the smartest of us all...
"I can only confirm that there was, indeed, something accomplished, though... You will have to forgive me for lacking in clarity." This apology seemed directed to both Echo and Ishum. He was not sure what had been real and what had not been, beside one thing... "I remember there suddenly being... something where there had one been nothing."
Ianthe was silent, for a moment, before his pristine hand rose, palm reaching from the door - a glowing rune adorning it. "...Let us see, then..." The gate had seen better days, but there was still power, strong and wild, running below the surface. It would still hold it's purpose. Thabara „The Lady … is gone,“ Ishum said quietly, the confusion so openly displayed on Ianthe's withered features all too evident of the questions that caused his inner turmoil, even if he did not voice them. „The Twin Crown … Destruction himself confirmed it to be so. A lot of time has passed since we last met. Ages, Ianthe. Ages.“ The beastmaster, usually cheerful and easygoing, breathed a deep sigh. He looked ancient for a moment, ancient and tired. It was one of the few occasions one could but guess at the toll it must have taken from him to watch his dear Lord's domain crumble and fall, to live through the countless millenia after-- No, to survive them, devoid of any hope to ever see the gods rise again.
If it hadn't been for Harmodius.
He of all gods had remained, his continued existence given hope to the ageless servants of the gods that remained after their Lords and Ladies had faded. Fallen. Died.
Queen. Deep inside Ishum couldn't help but twitch, when the fellow aoide addressed Echo by that title so readily. Much time had passed, yes, but even though he certainly approved of the relationship between the two deities, he couldn't help but still connect that title to the incredibly warmhearted, wise woman he'd known. He reached to gently touch upon the elaborate golden armlet he'd received from her, a small token as a thanks for his services. A key.
His hand joined Ianthe's, the flat of his palm pressing against the withered surface right next to his. „It is cold,“ he confirmed. „The whole room is.“ He had noticed this, the moment they'd entered. Usually, temperatures underground were pretty constant and didn't shift by much, which was why deep cellars were so sought after as storage rooms. But the moment they'd entered the ancient sanctuary the air had seemed chilly to him … he wondered if the Lady had noticed as well.
It took barely a moment, and then the door shifted under the joined touch of the immortals – withered paint seeming to flake back on like being filmed with a time lapse camera and then played backwards – and it was indeed cold.
Oh.
So.
Cold.
Ishum drew in his breath in a sharp hiss, fighting hard to resist the urge to pull back his hand immediately, as it did not only feel as if the warmth of his body was drained from him, but … life itself.
If one of the mortals were to touch it …
The door was looking and feeling so real now, and there was the genuine touch of wood against his skin. Root wood, part of him whispered, carved from the Yggdrasil itself.
But …
It wouldn't budge.
He pressed his hand against the surface harder, but still, to no avail. They were standing on the treshold to their Lord's domain, and even though obviously vibrant with power, it …
„It wont open,“ he said, his confusion quite evident. „He is beyond, or else the gate wouldn't respond so readily, but for some reason … it just wont open.“Zero Dream As the beastmaster came closer to join him, he nodded in acknowledgement of what he had been told, though it was only when Ishum was next to him and their hands joined, that he finally spoke, voice low and completely unaware that the lady who watched with wide, worried eyes would probably hear no matter what.
"...I shall miss Her." His voice was low, and full of sorrow, though nothing of it showed on his face. As advisor and representative, after all, he had long ago learnt not to let his feelings cloud his judgement and outwardly affect him. Learned to let nothing show.
Ianthe's reaction was similar, yet different, once Ishum had joined him, and they had both pressed against the gate. He remained unmoving, his face still like a statue, yes the muscles of his decayed hand twitched, the hand clenching so hard that Echo almost feared it may fall apart, with no skin to hold it together.
Yet, even as the rest of the runes that covered Ianthe's body flared to life, the gate still refused to budge. The aoide shook his head, and withdrew his hand - almost frozen stiff enough that he seemed to have issues moving his fingers. "...My Queen-""Please." Echo's eyes twitched closed in discomfort, and it took multiple pair of eyes focused on her to realize that she had spoken out loud. It seemed only normal to continue and voice her discomfort at this point. "...Do not refer me as such. Not yet." Maybe not ever..Ianthe did seem rather relieved, though Ishum would probably be the only one who would be able to tell, by how well-hidden the reaction was. "I apologize, my Lady.""You had no way to know." Echo shook her head, her voice heavy. She was the one who seemed tired and worn, now. "What was it ?""...I suspect the wards of the gate may have changed by the remaking of what lays behind. If that is right, then our previous means of transport from one side to another are likely not to work at all." It was a wild guess, but that seemed the most logical explanation as to why neither Ishum nor himself where able to do anything to make the gateway react. Thabara „What he means to say,“ Ishum attempted to translate Ianthe's words into an easy to grasp analogy for those present, „is this: Now that someone's moved in again, the locks got changed. Our old keys no longer are a fit.“ He paused, his eyes darkening as he looked at Echo. To see the gentle goddess so worn and low-spirited was just too ... „It makes sense if you think about it.“ He stood back, taking a look at the remnants of withered murals and inscriptions. Maybe they had overlooked something. Like: 'Speak, friend, and enter.' Silly.„Well,“ he tried to sum up the good things, „at least we know where he is, and that the restoration of his realm must have worked … somehow. I think that's why it's so cold here. It may be his power bleeding through, or the air is thick with ghosts.“ That wasn't helping matters much, he realized. „Also,“ he added, „if we can't get there, probably no one else can, and that … may be a good thing. Considering the Grigori, and all. He may have done it on purpose even, a means to up the defences.“ Somehow he couldn't believe that himself. Purpose implied conscious thinking, and if his Lord were in a state to do that, he would have sent message. „Though I rather think … it may have been instinct,“ he admitted foolishly, casting down his gaze. „Or simply because the new realm is different. He … may be resting now, or trying to get the hang of things. A month is really short, you know?“ Why the hell am I talking? „Maybe … we should wait it out.“ He wished he could have bitten off his tongue, knowing these words were an error the moment they slipped out. But it was too late to backpedal now. „Idiot,“ Xing summed it up quite nicely. So, all the hard work, the injuries, the deaths, had been for nothing? No, not for nothing, she corrected herself. They all had volunteered. Word had gotten around quickly the night Echo had returned from her attempt to go after her beloved all on her own, disheartened, covered in dirt and grime, the items Nergal had left behind on his descent pressed against her chest. They had been doing it for her, because witnessing the goddess suffer like that was like having a dagger twisted in their own hearts. It was a suffering they understood – there wasn't a single one among them who had not lost someone dear to them during the time of the impeding apocalypse, many remaining in uncertainty still if that person had simply gone missing … or if they were dead. She stepped up to the goddess – she was a little taller than her, but not by much – to give her a tight hug. It felt strange, the goddess' very skin seeming to vibrate under her skin, like the membrane of a heavy speaker … For a moment she was awfully aware of just how dirty she was, but she pushed that aside quickly. Echo didn't mind, she knew that. As distant and reserved as Nergal was, his beloved seemed to be very much his exact opposite, seeking closeness whenever she could. Those two – they'd simply been made for each other, she felt. „Ignore him,“ she murmured softly, gently pushing a streak of the goddess hair back behind her ear. She was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at her. „He's just some stupid, ignorant male who doesn't know what he's saying. Ignore him. There's gotta be a way. We'll find it. For you. For him.“ There was veneration in the gaze of her slanted eyes, true and steadfast. She'd come to know both deities a little during the past events, and quickly realized how very much they needed each other – what with Echo being too soft, too emotional and too forgiving. Too uncertain of the tremendous power she wielded over people's hearts. Nergal, on the other side, a captive of his own convictions and rules, distant and reserved, rarely accepting an opinion other than his own. They balanced out each other so perfectly, she wondered if they were aware of that ... Zero Dream She bore it all, silently, in despite the stab of pain she felt every time Ishum started a sentence anew. Maybe he was right. She'd been foolish to get all of this together. So many injuries, so many deaths, and it was all her fault.
The last sentence, however, was the one that broke her. The one that hit the closest to home. "No." There was no harmony in her voice - her tone was only driven by pain and determination both. "He asked me. He told me to go and get myself in there after one month. Such I have promised." This would not end there. If there had been any hope that she would sit back and wait beyond this, she had just shattered it.
She allowed Xing to come in her embrace - she needed that support right now, she had to admit. "I am sorry." She whispered. "I will make it up to you all one day... I should not have allowed this. I should..." Somehow. She would. She would have found a way. She had to. There had been so much loss, and perhaps she should have known to take the other path first all along.
_____„Yggdrasil“
__________„Its roots … went deep.“
"There is another path." She admitted to the woman in front of her, one hand reaching upward, slender fingers pulling at the hairsticks, one by one, until they where all out, and her hairs fell back like a shifting sea of blue and light purple. "But that path is not for you and everyone else to follow. It is too dangerous, and my folly has caused too much wrong already." Her hands traveled again, going for the clasp of the locket, the one Nergal had given her before leaving, and giving over the whole to Xing. "But I would like you to watch over these, if you could..." She could not bear to bring these along, and have them damaged. "...And to continue rebuilding. There is much yet to be done, but..." For now, she could not continue what she had started. A selfish choice, perhaps, but she refused to break her promise.
Something sparkled, in the side of her vision, and she finally looked away, steps taking her toward an altar, toward the back the room. There was a body here, a child, and in her hands... A small vial, filled with silvery liquid. It looked out of place, for some reason. Dead fingers should not have been able to hold it so easily...
... It had to have been placed here. To be kept by those he trusted most. She reached for it, slowly, almost as if afraid of some kind of retribution. "I will bring it back to Him. Do not worry." She whispered once more.
To who exactly, she was not sure.
The goddess paused, and then finally turned. "Ishum." Her voice had, finally, levelled once more. "Do you have any idea.. On how to get to Yggdrasil ?" Thabara Ishum actually flinched back at the tone of the goddess' voice, eyes widening. „Of course,“ he stammered, „I didn't mean to … I only thought … I'm sorry.“ He hadn't known Nergal had asked her to come after him, or that there'd been a promise, or else he'd never-- The aoide quietly bowed his head, biting his tongue hard enough to draw blood. Shut up and stay quiet for a change, he admonished himself. You've done enough harm already with your careless babbling. „There is no need to be sorry,“ Xing murmured softly in response to the goddess' words, much like she would have done it if she were to be talking with her daughter, blessed be her soul. These gods reborn, ancient and newly born the same, so many of them were just like … big children, really. Unaccustomed to the world of the mortals, inexperienced without their memories of ages past. „We all were well aware of the risks we took and willing to take them. And those who died …“ She glanced at the Gate over the goddess' shoulder, shivering as she witnessed it's wondrous transformation reverse to its former state as soon as the aoidei broke contact with the surface. Few moments later it was little more than a battered, barely recognizable mural once again. But still she could feel the cold emanate from it. „They are in good hands now.“ There was not the faintest trace of doubt or uncertainty in her voice. „He'll take good care of them.“ „As I'll take good care of these.“ She glanced down at the items Echo had given to her. „Only, of course, until it's time to return them to you.“ „I hope you'll manage to drag him back somehow. I know he'll probably be terribly busy, but … Hell, do I want to see that wedding of yours.“ She grinned and winked. „Yggdrasil ...“ Ishum pondered this, relieved that he seemed to have been forgiven for now. „It used to be everywhere, once. It is … was … is the World Tree after all. But you could see it in all its majesty in the former Pantheon, the City of Gods before the Fading. There was something on the noticeboard, I think, about … Lady Greed and one of the Dragon Kings having gone there, into the tree, to retrieve the Manacles? And didn't the Lords Tian Yue and Zhijian go there as well, to seek the advise of the Fate Stones?” Zero Dream "I will, but..." She did not voice this but, but kept it to herself. If he had not returned, even sent message so far... and that she had not been able to reach the Underworld by simply world-walking as he had taught her...
The situation had to be much more complicated than anyone thought.
She had, at least, a slight idea of who she could ask, thankfully. More delays... and who could tell exactly how long all of this may take.
She would have to leave her children in an all too similar way that their father had, with no way to tell of when she would return... and her heart sank. Would they resent her - and him - for all this... ? But was a life without ever knowing what had happened any better ? Her resolve faltered. If this had worked, she had thought she would not be gone long - days, a week at the most, maybe.
But Yggdrasil... She had been perfectly happy not to think about it too much so far, but now it all came to basically smack her in the face, the knowledge. To travel the world tree would take...
Could possibly take...
"Ianthe." She finally said. "...You are more than welcome to return with us, if you like." At any rate, she could not leave the broken aoide there, all alone. Until they could get him back in there, at the very least... as she look on his face as the opening failed had more than revealed that all that he truly wanted was to get back in there.Ianthe said nothing, but bowed in respect. That seemed to be a yes, at any rate.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:41 pm
From One Mother To Another It seemed like she had no longer any other choice. She would have to go though the world tree to get to her beloved. She would do so, of course, but there was one fact that weighted heavily on her heart. Her children would have to remain behind. She would not dare endanger them, especially at the journey would likely take quite a length of time. Yggdrasil was huge and vast, spanning entire worlds, it had no other choice but to be so. At least she knew the direction she had to head to, and not the exact location. Had she been looking for one world in particular among the branches... She had no idea how she would even have done it. The task seemed impossible. There was likely some points to allow one to localize themselves, but she would only know once she got there. There had been little information to be found in what was left of the library, and she had not dared bother Knowledge. He seemed rather busy, and her youngest son certainly did not help the matter much. But there were other source of information about. The errais were world-walkers by nature – maybe there had been some lore to their race which would result in some information ? That, and it had been a long time since she had managed to find the time to visit Aria. It was for that reason that she left on that day, and walked, for a few minutes, until she had reached outside what had once been the town where the Pantheon had stood. It was starting to look slightly more like a town, but it did not really reach out that far. The only things that stood there now were the husks of building, most hollow and caved in, that had been abandoned a long time ago for the most part. Her steps took her even further, where there were once more long length of bright green grass, and various other plantlife. The few trees what had survived were again full of green leaves, and there was a small sproutling, there and there. Slowly but surely, life seemed to be taking hold of what had been dry and dead for so long. She left the main road, the concrete broken mostly in large chunks, to reach down into one of the grassy spans, headed further toward the outskirt of a mighty forest, but was now merely a shadow of it's former self. It was where Aria and Falada had ran to, to raise their foals, while she had been gone. 'Lady.' Came the mental voice she had grown to recognize. The first time Aria had talked to her, it had startled the goddess very much. It turned out that the erras was mostly of the quiet sort, but was now doing more efforts to communicate with others and use her voice more often. The horse-like being galloped out from behind a large pair of trees and went straight for Echo, rubbing her head against the side of the goddess' face in obvious affection. ”Hello, dear.” Echo answered, raising her hand to stroke the side of the erras' face, then reaching up behind the ears. ”I am glad to see you well... I am sorry it took me so long to come again.”'You have been rather busy. Such I have heard. You ought not to worry about us.' Let her worry about those who needed it. Surviving had been the hard part, but ever since things had started to stabilize and once again go toward the better, it had became much easier to do so. The goddess looked toward the distance, and saw two others running though the grass, clearly younger than the one in front of her, but yet a little bigger. ”Are these... ?”'My sons, indeed. The two who survived. This time did them much good.' The event was no longer recent, but it still pulled at her. Her third son, the weaker one, had not been able to survive past Plague's influence. She could only hope that he found peace, whenever his spirit went. Echo was quiet for a moment, respecting the erras' mourning before she continued. To lose a child... It would break her, if it happened to her. ”They were so small when I had last seen them... They have grown so much.”'That is what children do.' Aria said, her mental 'voice' sounding rather amused indeed. 'You will see it in your own, in due time.' ”I already have.” Music's smile, however, faded with the thought that came next. ”Or I would not do what I am about to do.”'Something is troubling you. Sit.' Echo followed the gentle advice, and sat on a large rock nearby, her tail of strings giving a small twitch every now and then. ”You are right on that. There has been no news yet.”'There had not been ?' Aria knew immediately just what the goddess was talking about. Or, more accurately, just who. Hadn't it been almost two months since Underworld had left ? She knew little of him, beside the fact that he was the one Music loved, and the one that her own love served. Delightful irony, perhaps. 'That may indeed hold some worry... Had he not meant to contact you ?'”Yes, but... there has been nothing. I do not think I can wait any longer. I must go, and I have exhausted the easier means to do so. To leave my children behind...”'They will be well. They have others who will watch in your stead. It is a perfectly normal for a mother to worry about the well being of her children and to watch over them... But more often than not, it is in hardships that they learn, and not under their parents' careful eye.' She stopped a moment, tilting her head to look at her sons and give the mental equivalent of a sigh. 'They are restless, my owns. They lack of anything to do. There is no Chasm for them to run. They are free to come and go as they wish, adults as they are now, but they always come back here.' ”Do you think they may wish to find deities to serve ? I know there are many of your own that do so, now...” It was simply a suggestion, and she hoped Aria would not find an insult where she had meant none. 'Perhaps... They will decide. Their lives are their to decide on, not mine.” The erras definitively sounded like she had much experience on that matter – almost as if she had seen many of her own children be born, grow, and go in turn. ”What will you do now, then ? About the one you love ?' ”I will go down to the Underworld myself, to see just what has happened. I have promised...” That she was almost nearly a month late on her promise, and that there had still been no word from him to either his brother or his son, only served to make her more antsy. The more time passed, the more certain it seemed to become that something had indeed happened. 'I am afraid that I cannot carry you there, Lady. As I have said, there is no chasm for us to run, ever since the sky had gone.' ”I had thought so... and it is why I come for advice instead. Do you know anything about Yggdrasil ?”'Yggdrasil... The world tree ? I had heard legends, when I was young, but I had thought that it was simply that – a legend. Therefore I cannot be sure if the information I can give you hold any truth. I have heard of a tree that connect to one world though each branch, spanning the entirety of what exist. I have been told that there is an entrance on this world, but it is... quite a fair bit away. It will be a long travel to reach it. Due north of here, I believe.' ”That is quite helpful... Thank you, Aria.” Echo inclined her head in thanks. It was vague, but it was something to go by. ”I should likely go get ready, then. She worked herself on her feet once more. 'When it is what we leave, then ?' ”...We ? Aria... I would not dare take you away from your own. Not for so long...”'Lady.' Was it possible for a horse to look impish ? Because Echo was quite certain this was exactly what the erras was doing. 'With all due respect, I must deny you this request. I am your steed, and I would not fathom you riding anything lesser than I. My children are adults in their own right, and I assure you do not need me eying their every moves.' Neither did the goddess' own, but she kept that comment quiet. Being a mother hen came with the territory – she had done much the same with her first daughter, a long time ago, so long ago... The goddess would learn how to let go in due time. 'You are a goddess, certainly worthy of the title, but yet I am quite sure that I do run faster than you are able, therefore making the whole thing shorter. And I must also remind you that I am a world walker. This world tree of yours has be rather intrigued , and now I have no choice but to see it. So, I will ask again – when do we leave ?' The goddess looked like she was about to say something else for a moment, but let it go, as if resigned. Aria was rather hard-headed when it came to things like this. She had known this long before she had started to speak to her. ”In a few days, most likely. There are things I need to do, and... I must talk to my children first. Let them know why I am doing this.”Good. Very, very good. Perhaps she was already learning. 'I shall be ready when you are, then. You know how to find me.' ”I do.” However, she was quite certain that she could not carry both her and Tempo on her back... The aoide would not be pleased with this. But such were things. Maybe he would be able to be convinced – he was at least trying to let go, somewhat, ever since his brother knocked some sense into him. ”Aria... Thank you.”'I would be quite an useless mount if I was not willing to serve, would I not ? Go, now. Prepare what it is that you need. I will be ready.'
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:43 pm
Been Awhile midnight_medea Cosine could not remember the last time she had spoken to Nergal and Echo. She had been so tied up in her own little projects. Helping her mortals to settle in to their new rooms within the pantheon. Moving her own belongings into Ankou's room. The time had just slipped by. There was something not right, she knew that. Ankou had not really told her what was going on but she knew it was something to do with Nergal. Beyond that she was in the dark.
When Kios had sought her out for math lessons it had brought her mind back to the rest of her family. She was long overdue a visit. In her hands she carried some tea she had found as she approached Nergal's doors. She took them in for a moment and smiled, reaching out to knock hard and hoping that someone would be inside to greet her. Zero Dream There were so many things on her mind now.
So many things that needed doing before she left... so many things constantly haunting her heart and mind. Fears of the unknown and of what she would find at the end of her journey.
But before all that... she would need to explain her children just what was going on. Everything. She owed them at the very least that much...
The goddess had almost overlooked the knock on the door, deep in thought and in fretting as she was. When she heard no footsteps going toward it, she slid out of her chair and went herself, and was slightly surprised by the face she saw on the other side.
"Cosine !" She said, with a smile. "Oh, please, do come inside." midnight_medea Cosine smiled warmly as her friend opened the door. It had been so long since they had seen each other last. Her friend looked worn and rather stressed, she could only imagine this was something to do with Nergal, Ankou had been distracted too of late.
"Hello." She said stepping inside and looking around with a smile. "I thought it was time I came to visit. It has been so long since we last spoke." Zero Dream "It has been, much too long in fact..." And it had somewhat been her fault. She had not truly seen the other goddess ever since the events of the ritual... but it seemed that from there, one thing had simply led to another and she had been much too busy to see the time pass.. busy, or otherwise distressed somewhat. A bit like now.
Echo led Cosine inside, though the small corridor and and living room of sort, heading toward what looked to be a rather large garden with no celling to it to speak of. Had there been a sky, the view would have probably been rather breath-taking... but there was still nothing but inky blackness.
The goddess navigated though the collums to sit down at a small garden chair, with a table nearby, and invited her friend to sit by her side. "How have you been ?" midnight_medea Cosine smiled as she was invited into the apartment and found herself glancing around at the interior. All of them were so different, almost impossibly so. There was a garden within Nergal and Echo's. She smiled a little, it was pretty, even in the darkness. As she was invited to sit she did so and folded her hands in her lap.
"I've been ... good. Still trying to settle in to the Pantheon. It's a rather intriguing place." She smiled a little more and turned her eyes up to Echo's. "Your son came to visit me the other day. Kios, he wanted to learn to count." Zero Dream "I see... I hope he did not come while you were busy ?" The words were light, but there was a slight frown on her face, betraying some inner thoughts she did not yet reveal. She could barely even keep track of what her children did, these days...
"And I trust he has been a good little student ?" At that, however, her smile returned, her pride evident. midnight_medea "Not at all." The goddess smiled, taking another glance around the pretty garden. "I was organising my things so they would not take over Ankou's apartment too much." A good student? Cosine nodded. "Of course, he was the perfect little gentleman. Much like his father I feel." She smirked and looked around once more as if Nergal might suddenly appear from nowhere. "How have you been? Is everyone out?" Zero Dream "I am glad." Weither that related to him not bothering her, or to her youngest son being a good little student, it was left unspecified. "I hear he has been getting lessons from Knowledge, as well... It does seem like he has a knack at finding the right persons to seek what he wishes to learn."
Alto came in, and the goddess sent him to get some boiling water and cups for the tea Cosine had brought along before continuing. "Lacrymosa and Sotiris are likely outside.... and Akakios is very much likely holed up in his room with his nose into some kind of book." She gave no mention of Nergal at all, but peered inquisitively at Numbers. Someone had thought to tell her... right ? midnight_medea Cosine smiled and watched Echo pour the tea for them both.
"Akios is a boy after my own heart. I can imagine myself being similar as a child ... perhaps?" She shrugged and looked down at her hands again wondering how to broach the subject of Nergal. "I have yet to meet little Sotiris, he is quite elusive." She smirked and turned her green eyes back to her friend. "And Nergal? There is no word from him?" Zero Dream "I would not call him elusive..." Echo commented, visibly very amused indeed. Her oldest son was anything but that, given that he often charged though life like a stampede of rhinos. She knew this very well. Cosine must have simply been unlucky. "If I can ever manage to pin him down, I will bring him to you."
At her friend's last question, however, Echo's bright smile faltered. "No... not yet. It has been more than past time. I... will probably need to leave soon." The prospect wouldn't have been so bad, if it had not been for the children... midnight_medea Cosine smirked a little. The eldest of their spawn was quite famous for his antics among the family.
"I would like that." She cupped her tea in both hands, feeling the warmth work their way into her cold fingers. Her eyes remained on Echo, watching her as she answered. "Leave?" She asked, visibly shocked, though she supposed she should have expected it. She would have to find Nergal, just as She did before.
"Do you think it will be dangerous? When you get him back we will have to put a leash on him." She smirked a little despite her fear for Echo. She knew Nergal would not be happy with such a suggestion, he would be greatly unamused. Zero Dream "It very well might be." For once, Cosine's humor did not seem to reach her, and her face settled into a worried from. "He... left to remake the Underworld. No one has heard anything from him since... And who knows what might have happened." Or what would await her. All her attempts to go there directly and quickly had failed... and now there was only the long and unknown way in front of her.
"I have promised to go seek him should this happen... And I seem to already be very late. Most of my attempts to go there, either directly or though the very gate he used, has failed. I will have to leave soon..." midnight_medea Echo's worry was not lost on the number goddess. Her smile faded and she listened closely to her friend, placing her tea cup down on the table and breathing deeply as she took it all in.
"Remake the underworld?" She asked, her voice soft in the silence of the garden. "Do ..." She paused a moment and thought for a moment. "Do you need any help? To get there, or with anything?" Zero Dream "I would not dare ask anyone else to undertake a journey that even I are uncertain of just how it would end." Music admited, with a sigh. To endanger Cosine, somehow... she would never forgive herself if that ended up happening. No, for this, her beloved sister's place was not at her side. But yet... Her free hand rose to curl around her cup, in fear that she might end up dropping it with how her hands had shook for a moment.
Yet there was perhaps something she could ask. Both to quieten her fears and make Numbers feel useful, as she feared her previous statement would make her feel powerless in this situation. "Could you... watch the children for me ? While I am gone ? The aoidei will be there, but..." But to know there would be another deity at their side, if the need for it came... A gentle hand to guide and perhaps even teach in her absence... Such a task, she knew, could not fall on their uncle - she had seen Ankou come and go, back and forth, in and out day after day, keeping himself busy with what he could - maybe it was his way to deal with the worry he felt about the lack of news from his brother. Or maybe he was not worried at all. The serious expression of the uncle of her children and Numbers' beloved was not always easy to read. And who knew how long it would be when the Guide would finally leave to undergo in own journey, now that he had purpose ? Echo would have felt guilty, to chain him here with such a request.
But Cosine was a scholar, not a wanderer. She would write, keep count, certainly, but Music would not think her sister would go far unless it was required of her. It was easier to ask such a thing to the other goddess. midnight_medea Cosine watched Echo struggle with the cup and stood from her chair. It could not be easy for the goddess, her lover and her children on her mind. The need to be with both though it was an impossible need at that moment. She walked over to Echo and crouched, placing her hand on her knee and looking up into her eyes.
"I will take care of them for you." She said with a smile. "They will keep me distracted so that I cannot worry about you or Ankou, as I have a feeling he too will be leaving soon." She smirked a little. "I barely see him, he is so busy with his projects for Nergal. I hope Underworld appreciates the love he has been blessed with." Zero Dream "I should not be forcing my fears onto you... I apologize, I..." The goddess went silent, for a moment, before finally just saying... "Thank you."
She ought not to be worrying yet. She ought to be enjoying the time she had with those she loved before she left, but... it was not all that that easy.
"Must run into the family." The goddess commented, amused. That feeling, indeed... she had come to know it well. "As long as the both of you are happy with what time together you have... Then it is what matters the most, yes ?" She could very well imagine that those times appart could shatter some bonds... But it had not for her and her love.
And she hoped it would be the same for Cosine and Ankou. midnight_medea Cosine smiled a little at Echo's wordsand shook her head.
"Never feel you cannot talk to me." She smiled, nodding at music's further words of wisdom. She would miss Ankou should he go but it would not be the end of her. She was not weak.
"I am a hardy flower, a weed perhaps. I do not need much attention." She smiled and shrugged a little. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder as they say." She laughed a little. "Though that does not mean I condone him going off and getting himself into trouble." She winked and sat back on her heels. "I will have Infinity keep an eye out, if you need any help you can call her. I want you all back safe." Zero Dream "You might wish to invest into a leash..." Was the answer she got from the older goddess, mostly playful. Though, on some days, that seemed like it just might have been a good idea.
"Ah, that is right..." That was another amusing thought. And also seemed rather handy. "He would be hard-pressed to land himself in trouble unaware, with Infinity's careful eyes set on him, hmmm ? Though... I will keep this in mind."
But she could not help but hope that she would not land herself in trouble, like Nergal seemed to skilled to do. midnight_medea Cosine laughed and nodded.
"I may invest in one for those children of yours. I imagine it will make them easier to take care of." She laughed a little and stood once more to go back to her seat. "All of us will be willing your swift return. A swift, safe return. I am not sure I will sleep with with you both gone." her smile remained on her lips though she was nervous for them all. Zero Dream "If he turns out as skilled as his father to get into trouble, then you might want to find the strongest one possible." Echo did manage a smile, and shook her head. Still, she could only hope that none of her little trio had inherited that particular talent of their father.
And... She could not blame her. Sleep had been an issue for her, too - she had given up on counting the sleepless nights. "You will have my youngest to keep you company - he sleeps very little, and trying to force him to do so is a lost cause. He most likely takes that from Nergal... Though I... cannot say how long I will be gone. I wish I knew... There are so many things I wish I knew, right now." She admitted, taking the last sip of her cup before gently laying it on the tray and making her way to her feet, taking a few steps toward the spaces where Adrienne had planted the snapdragons and taking a moment to touch the flowers lightly. They thrived, in spite of her previous inability to take care of plants before - she figured Creation's magic had a lot to do with it.
"There are so many I will miss." She said, with a sigh. "But.. I have to go. I have to, or else... I will always wonder. And I promised." midnight_medea Cosine smiled and reached for her tea again. This was certainly going to be interesting. Three godlings with minds of their own to take care of.
"You do not need to worry Echo. I will look after them as if they were my own children. And, I have plenty of people to help me." She breathed deeply. "You have promised and that you must and will keep." Zero Dream "Still... It is not something easy I ask of you. But... They will make you happy." She turned to look at her dear sister again, looking much like a tragic opera singer - with the way she moved and looked, always elegant in spite of it all. "Even if you think it isn't possible... They will make it happen nonetheless. I owe them most of my stability in these last few months."
She hesitated again, for a second, but continued. "They do not know yet... But I will warn them, before I leave." There was no way she would leave Cosine to deal with picking up the pieces if she departed without saying a thing. Not that she would ever dare do so, but she figured it was something she needed to know. midnight_medea "I am sure we will have a lot of fun." Cosine said with a slight smirk. She could see bug hunting with Crys a lot of fun, not to mention her lessons with Kios ... then there was the third, she would have to round him up somehow and introduce herself.
"The time will fly by, so do not worry yourself. They will be sad at first I think, but I am sure they will understand, they may be children but they are also gods." Zero Dream "I can only hope so." The goddess let out, with another sigh. She turned on her way to check on the fountain, pulling some of the creeping wines that surrounded it out of the way of the water flow before returning to her guest, her tail of string wagging back and forth, further betraying her nervousness. Echo sat once more, then forced a smile to come out.
"So, what have you been up to, my dear ?" This was much better conversation, for the both of them, really. More interesting, and fixating on her worry would only make it worse. midnight_medea Cosine watched the older goddess and shifted to cross her legs at the knee.
"Um, nothing much I can think of." She said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. The days seemed to just slide by. "I went to visit the Mystery God, his host had a child, just a baby. He is a lovely little thing." She smiled warmly and sat back in her chair. "I've been teaching your little ones and trying to make plans for the rebuilding of things. I am thinking of asking Harmodius for a school room. There are lots of children that need educating." Zero Dream "A school room... That would be a great idea. I am sure He would agree to it." The goddess said, pouring herself some more tea from the kettle. It was not a flavor she recognized, but she quite enjoyed it. It was soothing, a bit. Perhaps Cosine had an inchling of what state she would find her in - Numbers had always been a perceptive one, after all.
"There are indeed many children about, these days. They are getting bigger, slowly but surely." The small lives could find space to thrive in the world that had been reborn from the brink, from the ashes almost like a phoenix - though that thought made her heart thug in worry in thought of Rebirth. She had heard nothing of that... she could only hope his influence had found him back among their rank safely.
"What kind of tea is this ?" She finally asked, after another sip. "I find it rather nice, and I do not think I had ever tasted it before..." midnight_medea "I think it will be good to have some normality for people. The world cannot stop learning." She finished her tea and placed the cup back down on the table.
"I am not sure what tea it is. Isra, the nomadic tribe from Baadris. Her people blend it, I believe it has saffron and some spices." She smiled warmly. "It's delicious though, very relaxing which is what we all need right now." Zero Dream "It is." The goddess agreed. Both to the deliciousness of the tea and the whole relaxation aspect. She definitively needed it right now.
"Indeed... The children born now will be the generation of tomorrow... It is likely that they will have to continue the work their parents began..." After all, could such damage truly be completely repaired by one generation of mortals ? She... was not so sure. midnight_medea Cosine nodded and looked around the pretty garden.
"Yes, and their children, they will have to teach each other about this time. Stop their selfish ways and keep us alive." She nodded to herself. "It is our job to teach them too. Keep ourselves alive and wanted." Zero Dream "Ah... Certainly." Yes, that certainly had truth to it, blunt as it was. "If we cannot do this, then we likely have not learned much from past mistakes."
Personally, she liked to think she had at least learned a few things, though this odd journey that had been her own. But learning was one thing... but putting it all in motion, in practice, was another alltogether.
"...While I think about it..." The goddess blinked at the sudden realization that occurred in her mind. "One of my... followers, I figure I could call it this way... Perhaps the two of you should meet. She is an architect..." midnight_medea
"An architect." Cosine mused, feeling a little bit of excitement building up inside her. She would certainly like to meet someone who understood her domain. Someone who may, at one time in another life, have paid homage to her.
"I would love to meet your follower. Architects will be very useful when we begin to rebuild and I would love to meet a fellow being of logic and creation." She smirked and nodded to herself. Zero Dream She does come to the pantheon occasionally..." The goddess pondered this over, how to get the two to cross paths. "But, she is mostly at the catacombs lately, when not in the city proper... It is near where the Day Of The Dead was held, if you remember... ?"
That seemed so far away, now. So long ago. In a time both darker and lighter than the present. Where so many things had been in jeopady... When she had not even been sure there would be a tomorrow. midnight_medea Cosine nodded and smiled warmly. She would like to meet this woman, they would be bale to discuss things, maybe set up a way to rally such practical minded people. They would be needed when it came to rebuilding society.
"The Catacombs." Cosine mused. "That is not far from here, maybe I could go and look for her, see if she is there? She may need help." Zero Dream "Indeed... She very likely will. She is the only one that I know of... though I can only hope she will find more alike minds to help her."
...Like Cosine, for instance. They honestly seemed like a match, and she was glad the thought had occurred to her. These two... would likely do great things together.
She shook her head, then, and finished her cup once more before setting it down. "Would you..." Music paused. What was upcoming... was still working at her name. "Come outside ? Walk with me ?"
She needed to calm a little, first. And think. Then... she would have to tell her children. This burden would not fall on Cosine, no matter what. midnight_medea Cosine smiled and nodded to herself. She would definitely seek this woman out, if only to keep her mind off her family who would be away and in danger.
"Of course I will walk with you." She said with a smile, standing from the chair and holding her hand out to Echo, she could only imagine what was going on inside the Music goddess. "You can show me more of your lovely apartment."
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:44 pm
And So She Left Zero Dream She waited.
This had the potential to go very easily, or very badly, and she had no idea which one of them it would be. Still, she felt like she owed her children at least this - an explanation. They deserved to know what she was doing, and why. They should not have to wonder just why their mother left and why she had not told them anything - she feared that going though the world tree would take quite a long time, more than she had thought this journey of hers would take if her previous two attempts had worked out. She had figured that they would have taken a few days, tops.
But this could most likely take weeks. Months. She had no idea how to navigate the world tree. The only thing she knew was the direction she needed to go in. Down.
Her children deserved to know how much she trusted them, as well. To leave them with only a few adults to watch over them as needed.
She forced inside the sigh that threatned to come out, and called for them - her voice easily travercing the walls and reaching out the whole place, even as she sat in the middle of the garden, to reach them. She did it now, less she lose her courage to do so if she dared to wait.
Her biggest fear was that they might resent her. Hate her. The goddess was not sure if she could deal with the three of the most precious ones in her life hating her. Thabara It did not take long for the first to heed her call to breathlessly arrive on the doorstep to the atrium. It only seemed natural to assume it would be either Kios or Lacrymosa, as both of them had obviously inherited their mother's excellent sense of hearing. The same probably went for Soto, but with him it was more of a matter if he actually wanted to hear.
"Mommmm~!" the little blue-skinned goddess shouted, zooming towards her mother at a speed which made it almost impossible to believe she was actually blind. But this was home and she literally knew the location of even the smallest pebble. Unless Soto moved things around again.
"Look, I'm wet!" she exclaimed happily, wrapping her thin arms around her mother's legs. And, indeed, she was – her dress being soaked completely, and droplets of water dripping from the clingy strands of her hair. If it wasn't for her ridiculously happy grin, she would look like The Ghost Of A Drowned Girl incarnate. Reyna Crelos  Soto's little face screwed up in a scowl befitting that of his father as he stomped towards his home. He had just nearly caught the lizard he had been stalking all morning when he heard his mother's call. Normally he would have simply ignored her outright, but there was a sense of urgency to her voice he did not feel inclined to ignore. That, and there was the overwhelming concern he felt for her currently.
His father's absence had worn on her terribly, and he did not like to think of it. He was almost irritated with his father that he had left her alone for so long. He would certainly give him an earful about how he felt about that once his father returned. And he would return! Even if it meant he had to stomp his way all the way to... wherever he was! Yeah!
With that thought he marched into the atrium and towards where his mother and sister had already gathered. His stormy expression softened a bit at the sight of both of them, but he still held tightly to his foreboding mood. He'd weather bad news better that way, or so he had convinced himself.Zero Dream Oddly enough, beside being one of the closest children, Akakios was the last to make it there. He had been writing, as he often did, and simply refused to go before he was done with his sentence. Once that had been done, however, the child slid his quill back in the inkpot and let himself slide down his hair to his feet, padding his way to where his mother had called for them. He likewise did not seem very warm about the idea, as if some kind of sixth sense was telling him something was about to happen. The godling made his way though silently, however, and waited, leaning against one of the pillars there, his expression blank as it mostly was, betraying little of his inner doubts."I can feel that." She had avoided the word 'see' on purpose, scooping her daughter to rest her on her lap in spite of the water dripping on the floor. As if a little wetness would stop her for loving on her daughter... and it was probably the best place the young one could be at. She could not see her take what she had to say very nicely at all.
Her two sons followed soon enough, Sotiris looking rather somber and Akakios much like his usual, though there was something in his eyes that she could not quite identify or recognize. It would be easy for her to ignore what she had to say now, and simply enjoy their presence, but... she owed them that much. It would only bring more pain to all of them if she fled now.
"Thank you." One hand reached to ruffle her eldest's hair with obvious affection. "I will not keep the lot of you away long, but... I need to tell you about some things, my darling. About your father... and what will come now. You three know what a promise is, yes ?" Thabara "Like a pinky swear," Crys said sagely, snuggling comfortably against her mother's form. She loved sitting on mommy's lap, it was always so warm and comfortable. "Or ..." She frowned, trying to remember. "'Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.'" She smiled proudly. "Grace taught me, that's what you say if you are really, really serious about a promise." Reyna Crelos Soto folded his arms over his chest and gazed over at his mother levelly. He grew very still, and very quiet as he waited intently for his mother to speak. It was the equivalent to watching a storm brew in the distance. Keeping still and quiet was never his forte but this was obviously important. He could fairly sense it in the air that surrounded his mother.
A small frown tugged at his dark lips before they twitched slightly with the beginnings of smirk. "Promises things that you don’t break,” he said with a knowing look as he surreptitiously glanced over towards his little brother for a brief moment.
"Things that make trouble if you break,” he went on. "Especially if’a soul breaks promises with Da~aad,” he sing-songed. Zero Dream "S'something you say only if you truly intend to keep it." Akakios' glance met his brother's for a moment, but he was back to looking at his mother a split second afterward, his expression never betraying just exactly that had been about, save for a small glimmer of mischief in his eyes. That is, if their mother had even seen the twin gesture at all. Though, that glimmer very quickly faded and was replaced by the same look as before. He, perhaps, more than his two siblings, most likely knew exactly what it was about. "s'about daddy... isn't it ?"Echo could not help but smile a bit at the explanations her children gave her, though she settled again at her youngest's question. "That is right. Well, I have made a promise of my own, to your father." She was not trying to dumb it down for them. They did not need it. She knew that much. "He left to remake his realm... And neither of us, not even him, knew exactly what would truly happen, and how long it would take. He has told me he would send word if he could, but..." Her glance settled on Akakios, who nodded silently. "There has not been anything. What I have promised was, that if he did not send word to me, in one way or another, that all was well... That I would go myself and see what had happened." She stopped there, alternating in between hoping for the best and fearing the worst. Thabara "So," Crys pursed her lips, trying to figure out things for herself. "We're going to find dad?" If he had become lost, and that was what it sounded like, the more people to search for him the better. So it was just natural for her to assume that she and her siblings would tag along. Reyna Crelos Soto watched his mother’s expression closely after Crys spoke up. His frown intensified. No, that did not seem to be the case. Mother would not look nearly so worried were that the case. He ducked his head and stared down at his feet. He wasn’t sure what to say or do. He didn’t think that he was going to like what he was about to hear. Zero Dream The youngest seemed like he was about to say something... but stopped himself before the words would come out, looking over at his brother with a slight frown on his face. Apparently, they were thinking much the same thing... Soto was very easy to read, most of the time at least, though at the moment he found nothing amusing about it... Even though there was something attractive about the buildup of what he knew would happen, even if at the same time, he disliked it.
He couldn't help but wonder if everything that happened so far, and everything that could happen in the future... had been worth it. His mother's worry and sadness, beautiful and ethereal, and now her... departure.Echo was, indeed, very easy to read. It was probably a good thing that her daughter could not see her expression at the moment, almost as if she'd been tugging at her heart directly. But her long silence, as her mind raced for the words to smooth this over as well as possible, most likely betrayed her.
"It.. is not that simple, my dear." She started. "This... will likely take a some time, to get to where he is. And it is likely very dangerous. If I took the three of you along... and something happened..." She shook her head. "I would never forgive myself. Until I know it is safe..." If only it had not been for the matter of that possible danger, of that unknown... The goddess would have likely took them along. But would they understand that their safety was, for her, more important than anything else in the world, even if they would recent her for it ? Thabara Crys couldn't see her mother's face, but that wasn't necessary. She could feel how her body tensed under her touch, hear how there suddenly was a discord in the soft hum of her wings, long before she said anything.
Mom was indeed going to look for dad, but she was going without them.
Mom was leaving.
Her mind latched onto something else she'd said, and she sat up abruptly, pale blue fingers digging into her mother's gown to hold onto it. "What," she said, a slight quiver in her voice already, "if something happens to you?" Reyna Crelos "Dad would not allow that," Sotiris insisted firmly as he crossed his arms. His tone left no room for arguement. He believed it to be utterly true without question. If something terrible had happened to their father, wouldn't it be Lament and Grief who would be the first to know?
He did not speak those words aloud for fear of causing further upset. He also knew that it would not stop their mother from leaving. Just because their father was not dead or dying did not mean he did not need help. He desperately wished to go with her, to protect her, but his siblings would need a Guardian far more than his mother did. Zero Dream It simply seemed so much easier to be silent right now than to attempt to interject with anything - right now, it seemed no one was paying attention to him, and that was a very good thing, he thought, with his face frowning in a mix of thought and upset. He was not happy with this turn of events, of course he was not, but he could see how it was needed. If only for their mother rather than them - she would never truly settle unless she knew what had happened.
To tell the truth, even he started to be a little worried by now, though he was certain there was a perfectly good and logical explanation somewhere. However... he simply could not think of it at the moment. It was not like he could have missed a message, that much he was certain - the ghosts knew how to easily get his attention before, so why could that have changed any ?The goddess had been about to speak when she was interrupted, oddly enough, by her eldest. It took her by surprise, to see him defend her decision, but she said nothing of it other than a thankful glance, instead running fingers though the dull locks of her daughter's hair to calm her. "Beside, you are needed here." She said, softly. Weither or not the little girl truly realized it... she was. She had seen it at the funeral, and time and time again - perhaps even more than she was. It had been company with the little girl that had managed to dull the pain in Allysia's heart, as well as so many others. And there was Caleb, and Grace... "I will need someone to keep track of things for me. Could you... ?" Perhaps... Perhaps giving her something else to focus on would dull the pain.
She doubted it, but she could not think of anything else that did not simply involve glossing over the details, or outright lying. She refused to do that. Thabara Crys wasn't one for logical explanations, but Soto's words at least caused her to abruptly press her lips closed to a thin, determined line. It was her 'I'm-not-going-to-cry' face, though she still looked as if on the verge of tears.
"What things?" she finally asked hesitantly, her voice still decidedly shaky. She didn't feel at all as if she was needed. And she most certainly didn't want her mother to leave! Part, because she worried for her, and part for her very own selfish reasons. No one was as calming, warm and comforting as mommy, so whose bed was she supposed to climb into when she woke up at night now, feeling all alone? Reyna Crelos Soto's face fell into worried lines at his sister's sudden distress. He didn't want his mother to leave. He felt plenty of sorrow over his father's departure. He could only imagine his sister's grief being that it was her very domain. He edged towards her and placed a hand upon her shoulder before idly twisting a lock of her hair in his hand.
"I need you, Sis," he declared with a serious look that was horribly reminiscent of his father's own stern features, "And much more people need you still." There were still others that came by day after day that needed both his siblings. He knew it to be true, because when he was out exploring he saw them firsthand.
He wrapped his arms about her shoulders and leaned his cheek atop her head. "No worries," he said as sunnily as he could muster, "I'll keep you safe, Sis. Kios, too."
Guardian. That was his domain. Zero Dream *I need you, too." Lament said without any hesitation, though he stayed right where he was, left the physical shows of affection for his brother to give, He would do the same later. He did not doubt, for any moment, that his sister knew of the depth of his affection for her, if only by the intonation of his words alone. He came closer, though, and slipped his hand into her's, laying his head against his mother's legs as she sat. "Creation, too. And Allysia." He had not been there, but he had heard - heard that his sister was her, wailing in the architect's lap as she did the same, sharing in the half-elf's grief.
He had been very proud.
Other words did not come, so he fell silent. Silent, but present. Crys would know he was still here. The sound of his breathing. The touch of their joined fingers. He would always be here if either of his siblings needed him like this. Always.Echo watched, in silence, as the scene around her unfolded, and said nothing until both boys were done. And then... it did not seem like there was anything else to add.
They would do well in her absence. They would pull though. She could see it now, very clearly, and she could at least be sure of that.
"My followers will require guidance while I am gone." She said, voice soft, combing though Crys' hair with slender fingers as she often did. Crys was the principal candidate for many reasons, though she kept those to herself, and moved her hand to pat her Eldest on the head.
'Only you will hear the things your brother will miss.' Her lips only barely moved, and her voice was so low that only Crys could make out what she was saying. 'Take good care of them, my dear.'.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:45 pm
Departure Gathering what little she intended to bring with her on the journey had taken a very short time – the goddess intended to travel as lightly as possible, which meant even leaving most of her instruments behind, safe behind the door of the music room. The goddess had spoken at length with Aria about the upcoming journey, and the rumors surrounding their destination. All they had were rumors, and they had no way to be sure if that place the errais were often talking about was really an entrance to the world tree or not. Beyond going and seeing for themselves, there was little other way to know for sure. They would travel light – bringing only supplies, food and water for Aria to sustain herself on. The errais was only so strong on her lonesome, after all, and she had not been keen on sending her sons into something that could likely be very dangerous. Echo understood the feeling very well, and she could never bring herself to force it to be otherwise. Which meant that Tempo had no choice but to stay behind. There was no way the errais could support the both of them along with what supplies they were taking. Letting the aoidei know of that fact had been... interesting. The kind of interesting that gave Echo an headache and made her want to scream, but she eventually managed to make him see reason by reminding him that she, in fact, was the goddess here, and thus the authority figure. She was certain he was not going out of his way to challenge her, or else she would likely have gone to more drastic actions. After all, she felt that some part of it was her fault – she had rarely even used her authority before recently, so it was no wonder the bold protector unconsciously wanted to take charge. It was something to work on... for the both of them. The goddess knew her servant was trying his best, out of love and respect for her, to do according to her wishes, but craigcats did not change their spots overnight. That held rather true for deities as well, she found... This whole journey, from gem to now, had been a learning experience, and it would be a mistake to discard it now that these times seemed so far gone. She was stronger than before, more willing to use that authority that was her birthright... and that was for certain. The goddess stopped for a moment, shaking her head slightly. Enough of that, now. She busied herself with tying the last of the supplies on Aria's back, the errais standing as still as possible in order to allow her better access and keep complications to a minimum. Each mother had bid farewell to their beloved children the very morning and now, with at least one of them with a heavy heart... it was time to finally go. Ultimately, though... she had no fear for the safety of her sons and daughter. Their uncle was there, and she had asked Cosine to watch over them as her work would allow her. There was also the aoidei – Tempo's protective instinct had very quickly redirected to the three little godlings, it seemed, which was a very good thing. Her children would not be left wanting of comfort and protection... And she figured her eldest would most likely use the situation of having no parental figure howsoever watching over them to it's full potential. No, perhaps it was the aoidei that one truly should worry about... ”Is everything solid ?” The goddess asked her companion once she had tied the last knot, breaking the relative silence. So far, both goddess and mount had been silent, both apparently lost in their own mind with only the goddess' wings to provide backdrop. The equine trotted a few steps safely away from the goddess before she broke into gallop for a small circle, stopping in front of Echo once more. 'All seems well enough.' The calm, mental voice of the errais answered her. 'Are you ready ?'The goddess paused for a moment, looking longingly toward the pantheon for a few minutes... before she forced herself to stop looking and climb her way to the saddle on the equine's back. ”As ready as I will likely ever be.” The goddess admitted with a sigh. 'Stop your fretting, mother.' Aria reminded her goddess gently, before shaking her head. 'Let us go, then.'The words had barely left her mind that the equine was in motion trotting her way out of town. Due north, and far away, a large tree opening much like a cave. It was a wild guess, and neither knew if it was truth or rumor... But it was the only option she had left. She had to find that opening, and she had to make her way downward.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:45 pm
Northward It had been quite some time ever since the pair of goddess and steed had left the place they called home, and the things and people they held dearest to their hearts, in search of answers. The fate of one dearly loved. A long time since they had left, chasing down rumors. There was no way for Echo to say exactly how long, only that Aria had to stop to rest more time than she could count already. Perhaps it was better to remain ignorant on the exact length of her journey so far, as she was likely to worry about those she had left behind if she knew, for sure, the true length of the days, weeks, that was hidden from her by a blank, broken sky that showed no sun, no moon and no stars. There was only dark, and slightly less dark. When Aria stopped to rest, the goddess watched over her beloved companion and steed. The only sleep she allowed herself was during the 'day', when the equine was not asking her questions about their travel, or simply doing small talk. Sleep was just that now for her – a convenience, though one she found rather hard to let go of, her mind sometimes feeling sluggish for little to no reason at all. She had gotten so used to the limitations of her once-mortal body, and of the small comfort they could end up bringing, that they were a bit hard to shake off, now. But she forced herself, not so much that she feared something may end up hurting them, but it simply was a safety she made herself take. An habit, so to speak. It may very well come in handy later. The landscape was full of signs of both the very nearly adverted apocalypse, and of the renewal that came afterward. The green grass under Aria hooves, some of the tree bearing leaves once more, but there were still many that were broken, twisted, cracked and scorched, mere shells unable to bear life of their own one more. One day they would fall, and break down, and the resulting fertile soils would serve to nourish the trees that would take their place. Such was the circle of life did, if it was left uninterrupted. They passed multiple towns and village, most of them left abandoned by their previous occupants, who had either fled to any possible safer location, or died, as the many bones, long ago picked clean by scavengers, proved. It was one thing to know this, as she had, but to see it with her own eyes was another entirely, and it sent a chill down her spine. There were also lakes, rivers, and many other water sources that had sprung to life once more, bringing with them one of the source of life. And with water, came the presence of the survivors. Groups of men and women, still looking worse for the wear, and still lost and confused, did their best to survive there, to raise their young and rebuild their society. It was not only the world around them that was important... but the people that still dwelt into it. And as such, every time she found a settlement, she stopped her journey for the length of a 'day' or two. To many of these mortals, the coming of the goddess, looking and feeling so different was a surprising event, and they had many questions for her, which she did her best to answer. Not one of her fellow deities had reached out so far northward, it seemed. They asked her of a dream they had, so long ago, about gods, one that she remembered. Revei's work, most likely. Dreams knew no boundaries, after all, and they had reached out even there. She pointed down southward, toward the town which held the pantheon, where other gods and goddesses lived, and where they could find safety under their attention and in sheer number of mortals. Some entire settlements packed to move southward. Some only did in fewer numbers, and some refused to leave their home at all. The goddess did not force them, and did her best not to sway their decision with what she believed was best. One could not force another to believe, but most seemed willing to believe in anything at the moment, and she could feel the flames of belief flicker even as she left to continue on with her journey, always north, and always on the look out. Aria had first seen these stops as non-beneficial, but they were also sources of information and rumor which narrowed down their search, of local legends that spoke of a great hollow tree which reached so deep that whoever entered it simply never came out at all. There were also lost errais, stranded into this world by mistake and wondering, who held more information to give to the pair. Never anything precise, but all those small tidbits of information, rumors, and folktales slowly added up to something more and more precise the more they traveled. And the closer they got to their destination, the more it seemed that the rumors were anything but that. On one stop, at least, an young woman told the goddess of a place she used to play at when she was younger, a tree so big that it seemed to be many centuries old, hollow and open like a twisted cave, that she had been forbidden to enter simply because no one could ever map it, and most who entered never came out, with no remains ever found. Either dead, or... simply whisked away to another world, the legend said. It was then that Echo started to truly think that she might very well have found exactly what she had been looking for. Before going there, however, she carefully checked out her supplies of food and water for the equine, and bartered for what she needed in exchange of a song, much like a traveling bard of old would have done. It was only when she was sure they held a few weeks worth of nourishment for the equine that they finally ventured toward that grove.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:46 pm
Entrance The grove had likely once been a sight to behold, full of grass, flowers and animals. Perhaps even a lake, if the dried out shape was to be of any indication. But little remained of that now. The grass was dry and snapped under Aria's hooves, with only a few patches being a crisp green and alive. There was no sign of water anywhere to hint to a possible return of the lake, but what was most impressive was... the trees. Or perhaps the tree was a better term for it. There was a tree in the middle of the grove, more massive that anything either had ever seen before – it's bark charred and cracked by decay, it's large trunk twisted, with only a few leaves to show some small hints of life. There was more to it's impressiveness than it's sheer size, however... Part of the trunk wound up and knotted with themselves, parting in places to join again to create an huge entrance similar to the entrance of a cave. Huge... Dark... Apparently bottomless. 'Lady...' Aria called out, but her mental voice died down to nothing before she could complete her sentence. The goddess on her back let herself slide down, hitting the ground on her feet with the sound of dry grass cracking under the impact, each of her steps resulting into a similar sound trailing her, mixing with the one from her wings. This... she could feel it. Feel her, as clear as day, even if it had been so long since she had last seen her. When she still wore the face of a teenage girl, and long before she had became a mother. She felt her almost as clearly as if the small, red-headed figure had been standing right in front of her. Gaia. Kishara. Each deity, she found, had it's own distinct 'feel' to them, that let it be known just what they were. Some were stronger than others, and Kishara's in particular had always been so. It was unmistakeable. The rumours had not been rumour, after all. The mortals simply had no idea what they had been facing. This was far from the end of her journey... but it was an answer. A mark, so to speak. It gave her hope that this actually could be possible. It gave her hope that downward, ever so downward... her love awaited. Even if he was not aware of it yet. ”This is it.” The goddess announced, with no hesitation howsoever held in her voice. She was certain. ”This is a part of the World Tree. An entrance.”'Somehow... this is not what I expected.' It took a split second for the mare to realize she had 'spoken' out loud, and she looked as sheepish as an equine could possibly do. 'I mean no insult, Lady.' ”The world has seen better days.” Was the answer she was given, turning to slip herself back on the saddle. ”Mortal-made and god-made both, all things eroded... some died. Yggdrasil most likely is not any exception.” 'Are we ready ?' The errais asked, wanting to make sure before she went toward the large, twisting opening of branches and bark. 'Food, water... ?' ”About a month's worth for you. If that is not enough, I figure we can stop in worlds on the way, as long as we do not stray far... we hopefully will find our ways.”Aria hesitated for a moment. After all, what about the goddess herself ? She did not require such things, sure, but yet... No, Echo would know best. 'Then, let us go.' The errais started in a slow trot, and entered the darkness leading to the unknown. What awaited them inside... not even the goddess truly knew.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:47 pm
Journey Downward The pair of goddess and equine had barely stepped inside the cave-like entrance of twisted branches that Echo had to fetch a candle from the bags adorning Aria's flank to light up the lantern she had carried along all this way. To navigate on the sky-less world had not been so bad, but this was darker... much darker. Or perhaps that had only been her imagination ? Music could see now where the legends came from – the span of the path they were walking along was wide, seemingly infinite, with nothing to light the way. The glow of her lantern could only reveal so much, and it revealed nothing of natural 'walls' or 'roof'. Only an infinite space around them that made her feel small. Very, very small indeed. Perhaps she should have asked Illumin to lend her lights to guide her steps before leaving... but it was too late for that now, much too late – to make her way back would take too much time, even if she now knew the way. Goddess and mount exchanged a glance, and it was only when Echo nodded that Aria started to step forward, keeping to a medium gallop as to not drain her strength too quicky. She hoped to at least do some kind of progress before having to rest. The wood below the erras' hooves was old and cracked, worn down by the influence of Gehenna, and of Destruction beforehand. And maybe even by the fading of Gaia, long before that, for all that Echo knew. The feel of the Mother of All in this place was unmistakeable, as if she was running silent all around the pair of travelers. It only made her wonder just how Kishara fared now, but the world tree itself gave her no answer to that unspoken question, just as it yielded no sound save for her wings and Aria's hooves hitting the wood at a regular interval. It only seemed to become more and more apparent as they stepped deeper, where no mortals had recently dared to reach for, and Aria's hooves began to kick up a fine dust in her trail. It seemed that no one had been there for... for how long ? Years ? Centuries ? Millennias ? Ages ? And there she was, daring to walk this path with only her faithful mount to keep her with any sort of company. The hum of her wings kicked up a notch, as if she was attempting to fill up that emptiness with sound, or perhaps only for her own comfort alone. Yet, it seemed like not even that was able to fill in the emptiness she felt. The pair traveled in relative silence, each lady trapped in their own thoughts – they had ran out of a whole lot of things to say quite some time ago, in the long journey there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 'Lady...'It was Aria's voice that broke Music from her reverie. Not sleep, no, as she did not dare sleep here, just in case something happened. This was territory more foreign than almost anything she had ever encountered, and something, some base instinct, told her to keep her guard steady. Who knew what dwelt in the paths of the world tree... However, they had been running steady, straight ahead, for quite awhile now. How long, exactly, the goddess had no idea. Her mind had wandered off somewhere else, in worry for the children and the friends she had left behind to embark on this journey where nearly nothing was certain. ”What is it, Aria ?” Echo asked, raising her lantern to survey the surroundings more clearly. The path was branching out in multiple directions, up, down, left and right, almost as if they had reached the trunk. For the first time, she could not help but wonder if they had been running into a branch all this time... or perhaps even a root, for all she knew. A tree limb so wide that it looked like a tunnel to those who did not know better, save for the ground below them being wood instead of earth. 'There has many paths from there on.' Aria said. She was a world-walker by nature, but this was not the path she was used to follow. She knew her way though the Charsm like nothing else, but these living paths of wood had her confused and awed both. She did not know her way though this. It would be so easy to get lost, and never come out of this living maze... 'Which path should we follow ?'That, perhaps, was the only thing about this journey that the goddess was relatively certain of. ”Down.” The equine tilted her head to look at her, curious at how quickly the answer had come. Echo nodded. ”Downward, always downward, when it is possible. We need to reach the roots.” Beyond that... She was not quite sure, but she kept that fact to herself. ”Can you safely run down this ?” She peered over her companion's head, voice creeping up with worry as she saw the slope the path was taking. 'I will have to take it a bit slower.' The errais admitted. 'But all will be well. I have made my way down worse than this.'”Shall we go, then ? Or do you wish to rest ?” The health and care of her companion was her priority here. Echo could keep on going with no food and no sleep – these were only comforts for her at this point - but Aria could not. If the errais pushed herself too hard... 'There is still much energy in me, my lady.' Aria playfully smacked her tail against one of the goddess' legs before starting on her slow descent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yet another span of time passed before Aria chose to stop and rest – eat and sleep. Sleep was exactly what the equine was doing at the moment, and for the first time, Echo found herself truly alone in the silent paths of the world tree. She was not certain that she had ever felt so alone before, in this life. There had almost always been someone at her side – Zero, at first, even if only as a voice. Lyric, whom she had seemingly lost, his chime likely destroyed as her former home had been. Melody, also lost to her, her gentle student. Her boys, almost always by her side. Nergal. Their children. But now, there was no one to keep her company as Aria rested and recovered her strength, and she refused to give in to the urge of sleeping. The goddess felt that it was her duty to watch over her companion as she was not aware of her surroundings – she was the only one who could. Echo had already lost much of those she loved, and she refused to let it happen again, at least not let it happen so easily. So rather than sleep, the goddess simply followed the trail of her thoughts to keep herself busy. This place... this place was a maze, and neither goddess nor world-walker knew exactly what to expect of it. Music could only think herself lucky, in retrospect – she knew exactly what she was going for, and roughly where it was, or at least which direction to follow. Downward was easy enough for even her. Had she been looking for a specific world... she was unsure she would have been able to find it. They had traversed quite a few paths – branches, she was starting to believe in earnest, simply by how the lantern's light and the faint glow of the occasional mushroom revealed their connection with the main path. None of then had given any signs as to what world laid on the other side. Their only difference that she could see was the level of health and decay – some were more cracked than others, others had a shant few small branches with leaves there and there creeping along the sides. There were some odd, large shapes, that looked like there had once been a branch there, but that it had been cut or fallen, and that the tree had healed itself shut. She had not made Aria stop to check it out in greater detail, but... the implications were clear, even for her. The access to these worlds was cut off... is there was even still worlds there at all. The realization had shaken her. It was one thing to think some things may have happened, but to see things with her own eyes... The goddess shook her head and rose her lantern to survey her surroundings once more. They had chosen to stop a few paces into one of the branches, away from the main path. Aria said that it was mostly to make sure the way stayed clear if someone else was to come by. The goddess was not quite sure anyone else would come though after them – the place certainly felt still, like if no one had come here at all in recent history. It was hard to truly believe she might be the first, but it looked like it just might have been the case. Echo got up from where she had sat, leaning against the 'wall', in order to do a few steps and relieve the ache that was starting to spread into her legs, and it was when something illuminated by her lantern caught her eye, an irregular shape off one side of the branch. It was not too far away... It was not the wisest thing to do, but the goddess gave in to the temptation, eager for something to do, and walked toward the place, the sound of her steps resonating though the wood. It looked... like a camp. Small structures that had fallen to time and decay. It certainly was not a recent thing – more like an ancient place run down. Were there actually beings that called Yggdrasil their home ? She rose her lantern to look at one 'wall' and saw something carved in the wood... the crude shape of a tree, with a clear path carved though, and fainter ones. Was this... a map ? Perhaps. If she was to take this as a map, then it looked like they still had quite a long road ahead of them – the path the carving highlighted was about halfway though the top of the tree and the root. But who could say if it was accurate description, or even a map at all ? Echo frowned in a mix of thought and small annoyance. She had no way to know for sure. Maybe she should ask Aria what she thought of it once the errais awoke from her slumber... But now, it seemed wiser to return to her post at her companion's side – and so, she did just that. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ As time passed, Echo had taken to separate the time length in 'days', even if such a measure was probably not an accurate one at all. But with no way no truly tell the time, and with each excursion into other worlds to gather food and water for Aria showing only darkness where there had once been a sky... she had no way to tell for sure, and some part of her mind struggled to be able to apply a time span onto this travel. So, days it had been. I had been five days since she had found the abandoned camp. Aria had much similar thoughts on the carving, thinking that it was probably a map, and that the path carved more deeply might have been the most relevant one for whatever had once dwelt there. In these five days they had found another of those camps, proving that it was not a freak occurrence. That camp also held a carving of it's own, similar to the first one the goddess had found – it showed some progress on their part, but not all that much, if it was believed to be accurate at all. There was still a long journey ahead of them, many 'days' worth of travel. Still, in spite of it all, neither goddess nor errais lost morale. Or, at least, they were doing their best not to. Aria, who was used to long travel, kept Echo busy with talking about nearly anything that crossed their mind, with the mount talking about what little she remembered of her life as an immortal, before she was sealed off due to a reason she could not remember at all. Of her awakening, of the realization that she had lost what she called her spirit – it had been music, she admitted, to the goddess' amusement – of her many children and of the men she had loved. Echo could not help but feel a little guilty that she did not have that scope of life story to share in return, in spite of being a goddess reborn. Aria, of course, had found such guilt silly. And so, the pair marched onward.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:49 pm
The Lost Guardian Echo had taken to count the length of her journey in 'days', separating them by the actions of her companion and mount. When Aria stopped to eat, drink and sleep, then one day had passed in the goddess' mind. It was far from an accurate notion, of course, but it provided her with at least some way to keep track of her time there, some notion and structure to keep to for comfort, even if it was meaningless to anyone else. For all she knew, Aria most likely went on for several real days before stopping to rest. She knew, by observation and by taking care of the worldwalkers alongside Ishum, that errais were surprisingly resilient beings – even in good times, Aria often went on for days without food or sleep. And now, she could very well see that the errais pushed herself, and that her scolding changed nothing of it. So her trip was most likely much, much longer than her perception of days, but there was a certain comfort in that nonetheless. In having at least one thing in all this that looked remotely certain. That day was the 'morning' of day six – and after Aria had been awake for a moment and had gotten her bearings straight, the pair started onward again. The last few days had been rather uneventful, save for the discovery of two more of those camps the goddess had found before – each as barren and abandoned as the first had been, but each also bearing an engraving, which the pair started to suspect more and more to truly been a map. The deepest engraving, the 'important' path to those who had once dwelt here, either in ages past or more recently, perhaps, varied from camp to camp, and each map showed that they were making progress as to their final destination. Each carving they found showed their location a bit lower along the trunk. Again, the goddess could not be more glad that she was not looking for one world in particular among all these branches, roots, and other passageway. How was it possible for one to find exactly what they were looking for along this natural maze, varying quickly from lush and full of time to dead and decaying, without some sort of guide at their side ? Was the state of the branches connected to the state of the world that dwelt on the other side ? These were questions with no evident answer to them, and the goddess forced herself to not give into her curiosity and to continue on. At least, she thought, her direction was an evident one, bypassing much of the maze and the guesswork of what road was the right one. Roots was what she needed... and she could only hope that all the roots led to the same place. If they did not... then it would become much more complicated. But she had no way to know, and she had figured this would be a bridge she would cross once she had gotten there. Had the goddess kept on hesitating and pondering things, she likely would have never left and all. And that would have been a very bad thing. Her love was waiting for her, down below the darkest confines of the earth. He had to be, and now she simply did not allow herself to believe otherwise. She would reach the newly remade Underworld, and it's keeper would be there, waiting for her. He had to be. Because if he was not... then Echo did not know what she would do in her pain. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On 'day' ten, the path circling the trunk of the world tree ended suddenly, forming some kind of alcove, a small flat surface with thousand of growth – roots, she now knew for sure - heading off the sides in all direction, each seemingly heading further downward. There was no life there, but there was also surprisingly little decay. It would be fooling to think that Destruction's and Gehenna's influences did not reach here, but it all looked surprisingly well off. Or perhaps, there had been a new sort of life breathed into these roots recently... No, not life, she corrected her thought, shaking her head, making her long ponytail (she had all but given up on anything that needed more maintenance than this quite a long time ago – pride was, after all, wasted here) sway back and forth. Not life. PurposeAs if some force had cleared the area of debris and decay to make the ways passable for travel. Travel, perhaps, of those unseen... ”Can you safely scale down these ?” As always, the goddess had the safety of her companion at first priority, but had no choice but to trust her judgment – if Aria thought she would likely get hurt, then she would have to send her back at the very least out of the world tree and continue on by foot. Having her wait here when she did not know how long she would be gone – and if she would even return though this path – was something she refused to let her do. The equine trotted up to one root to take a better look, watching down the dark passageway created by this specific root for a moment before answered. It did look like it took pretty sharp angles. 'I believe so, though we will need to go slowly.' ”Your safety is the first priority here. If you feel that it is getting dangerous for you, then I will continue on my own and you will return to our world.” She could feel the equine prepare a retort, and she aimed to silence it with a well-placed glance and an authoritative tone to her voice that she rarely bothered to use. ”Am I understood ?”'...Yes, my lady.' Aria liked none of this, it was evident, but the goddess refused to endanger her more than she already had. The slower pace of travel did not bother her – she was already so far behind the month they had agreed on that any lengthening of the time seemed rather meaningless at this point. She could only hope that her love was not starting to doubt that she would ever come... With a nod of her head, Aria started to carefully walk down the root. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 'Day' fifteen came. The root was much narrower than that what branches the pair had bothered to explore prior to now, and the pace had indeed slowed down greatly. There was still quite a bit of water and grass left for Aria, but Echo was starting to notice that her supplies were starting to run down. If this went on for much longer, then she would have no choice but to send Aria to make her way out though the nearest branch and hopefully sustain herself that way as she scaled her way back to the world the goddess called home. Music was hoping it would not come to that, for she knew it would likely led to an argument if she was to send the equine back with no obvious physical obstacle. She was not in the mood for an argument. Try as she might, and even with her friend and companion at her side, she was starting to feel a little lonely. She missed her children, her friends, and her lord deeply, and wanted nothing but to give in the urge to sleep, if only to have some time simply slip her by unaware. All these factors were starting to get to her, but at least she had the self-control not to take it out on her sole companion. Aria did not deserve it. The root had eventually given in to an open area where many other roots seemed to interlock, creating a miniature version of the huge maze that the Yggdrasil itself seemed to be. This had been deemed by both parties involved to be the perfect place to rest, and now the goddess was left by her lonesome as her mount rested and recovered her strength. Unlike her, who seemed to be slowly fraying at the edges, Aria showed no sign of faltering – she had to be used to long trips like these, into the unknown. Echo could only wonder what she had done before their paths met – and what exactly had convinced her to settle down and remain by her side. Ishum had said her to be a gift from Nergal, but she had never known more. Perhaps she should ask. Now that it had occurred to her, her curiosity demanded an answer. However, her thoughts were suddenly distracted by a low growl suddenly in the distance, long ears perking in that direction. What had... Had she imagined this ? No, there was no way she could imagine a sound like this. The growl came again, from the left side. Closer.”Aria !” She called out, shaking the errais along her neckline until she woke. ”Aria ! Wake up !” Music added, voice slipping into panic. What kind of thing was this ??? 'What is...' The errais' words were cut of by another growl – so close, too close – and her eyes went wide and she was suddenly upright so quickly that she almost made Echo topple over. 'What was that ???'The goddess did not even reach for the saddle, instead tying the supplies to the errais' back as quickly as she could before attempting to scale her way on her back as it. ”I do not exactly intent to figure it out !” But it was too late. The creature – large, stark black with way too many heads and eyes, looking like something straight out of one's wildest nightmares. She had heard of guardians of the Underworld, or more accurately Zero had often read tales of such from myths and legends out of boredom – was this one of these, a guardian long asleep that had awakened ? Most importantly, why was it trying to attack her ?! That was certainly nothing that Nergal had an direct hand in, that was for sure. The beast barreled for them at high speed, maws snapping at the idea of a tasty dinner. Aria seemed frozen in shock, having never seen something like this before. This was up to her. This time, when faced by danger, she did not hesitate. She caught as much breath as her lungs could possibly handle and howled – a sound high and painful, yet as focused as possible toward the creature and not to the errais behind her. It stopped, pinning it's many ears backward in an attempt to make the painful screeching stop, swatting at the source a few times, though the shock seemed to have it disoriented and even Echo could dodge such attack easily by stepping back and forth. This was not enough, and the painful sound only stopped for a second before Echo caught her air again and launched another attack, sending it a few steps backward. The sound stopped... but if the blood coming from those many ears, black and tar-like, was to be of any indication, it was not because the goddess had stopped. Far from it. It turned to scurry away, but Echo had taken one nearby rock and threw it in it's direction. She did not even wait to see if it had hit the fleeing beast. ”GO !” She called out, clinging to Aria's neck and pulling herself up on her back. This time, the errais reacted, and galloped down the nearest path, safety be damned. In her fear, she simply leaped over the steep slopes, and did not even dare slow down until quire a long time passed when there had been no sound other than the stampede of her hooves and the sound of the goddess' wings. ”Are you allright ?” The latter asked, suddenly sheepish. Music had reacted only on pure instinct. What if she had hurt her, too ? But it was proved not to be the case. 'My ears are still ringing.' Aria shook her head for emphasis. 'Thank you...' ”As if I would let anything eat you. I would not be a very good goddess if I let that happen.” Echo answered, more drily than she had intended. She would have to explain herself later, if that had really been one of the guardian of the Underworld, but that time was not now. She turned to look back, ears perked upward and her sharp sense of hearing at the ready. Nothing was following them. ”Shall we continue ?”'Yes. I find myself quite awake suddenly...' Aria let a rather nervous mental laugh slip though. 'Let us go.'And with that, the group continued their way forward. Riding without a saddle was not exactly comfortable, or something Echo was used to, but she did not dare head back for it. She could only hope the beast had learned it's lesson and would not come near once she sent Aria back. Or that, in the worse case, the errais could out-run it.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:51 pm
The End Of The Journey By the time 'day' seventeen had come, thankfully with no sign of the beast that had attracted the goddess and her mount prior, or any of it's buddies that may or may not have been lurking around (Echo did not honestly intend to find out. For once, her curiosity was content with remaining unanswered), the paths had started to become more and more steep, Aria's hooves having difficulty with such terrain. The roots were taking a sudden turn to the downward, very quickly, and Echo had reached the point where she had no choice but to take a decision. A decision that she knew her companion would not appreciate. She made the errais stop, sliding from her saddle-less back to let her feet hit the ground once more. ”Aria... This is getting very dangerous for you.”'I know.' She said, stubbornly. 'But I...'”I know.” The goddess repeated, running one hand fondly though the equine's mane. ”But that is that. You should not end up hurt just because I lack foresight and basically jumped into this blind.” Her voice was even and low. 'You do not.' Aria looked both pained and resigned at once, and Echo could not help but feel a stab of emotional pain in her chest. But she would not relent on this. She had to not relent on this. 'What do you want me to do ?'”Whatever you feel is safest. Duck out into the first world you can reach and wait for the sky to return...” It would return. It had to, if it had not yet. It was another thing the goddess forced herself to believe. ”If you decide to make your way back home, though, I do not think you have enough food and water left for the whole trip. You will need to duck out in other worlds as well.” Again, Echo had little choice but to trust her companion's judgment, and that her stubbornness would not make her say here to await her return. 'I shall see.' Aria nuzzled the side of the goddess' face with her own, fondly. 'Be careful.'”Likewise to you.” Echo whispered, running her hand one final time on the errais' muzzle. There was this fear, that the creature would come back... but it couldn't be helped. With no way to world-walk, Aria would have had to pass though the area again, with or without her. Once she was past the roots, though... There had been nothing alive, it seemed, before that. Nothing that had belonged to the world tree. Perhaps, once past that point, Aria would be safe. But she would not know for a long while. Echo remained standing there, stubbornly, until Aria finally gave in and turned, making her way back up. It was only then that Echo turned, and continued her way down. Always down, almost as if the world tree knew no end to it's span. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ She had no mean to count the 'days' anymore. The goddess had no idea that the notion would actually bother her as much as it did. It had not been long since she had sent Aria back, even though it certainly felt like it had been a long time. Much like she had thought, the paths only got steeper from there on – at time, Echo was literally squeezing herself trough nearly vertical narrow spaces, with only her hands and the natural curves of the root to keep her from falling. Aria would have certainly been unable to go though this without hurting herself, so there was at least some comfort in knowing her own judgment was not failing her. She stopped after one curve to untangle the strings of her tail, and pluck off the part of root that had remained stuck. There was no telling when they could be useful... be it from further defense, or to cut things that were in her way. She certainly neither would happen, as she would feel loathe to being pain to something she knew was directly linked to the Mother herself. Perhaps she felt what the tree felt – she did not know. It was a sudden thought, a rather odd notion. The goddess shook her head, and continued on. The root was taking another sudden horizontal, and she sat to let herself slide though it as she had done prior. It was still rather large here, but it was definitively getting more and more narrow as she progressed. Perhaps... Perhaps she was finally close to the end. Close to her goal. Close to finally knowing what had happened to the one she loved so much, against all reason it seemed, to embark on something like this with no skill in solo travel and certainly no plan as to how to eventually get out. To plan that, she would have had to have known what the way in was like... which she hadn't. The goddess let go and let herself slide though the root. She had not quite expected, however, that what looked like a solid ledge was actually the very tip of the root, soft and not quite mature. It gave in under her weight, and... she fell. She fell into nothing and she screamed. In the distance, she could hear Aria scream her name right back – so far away, that she could barely hear her. Anyone else would not have been able to. Too far away, and too late.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:53 pm
Everything they whispered in our ears,
is coming true.
Try to justify the things,
I used to do.
Believe in you.
Watching you drown.
I follow you down.
I am here,
right beside you.
The lights in the sky
finally arrive.
I am staying,
right beside you.
-- "Lights In The Sky" – Nine Inch Nails Lights In The Sky Zero Dream She was falling.
The startled scream had come out before she'd even truly realized it. She could hear Aria call out her name, but even the equine's mental 'voice' was fading away very quickly. The goddess tried to grasp at the longer roots that zipped at her side, but her hands did not take hold. On instincts, her tail strings lashed, winding up at them in a desperate attempt to end her fall.
It worked... for about a second. But then there was a sudden pain at her lower back, some of the golden strings giving in and snapping under the strain, but some outright being uprooted from her skin and pulled out.
The second scream was one of pain.Come here
Pretty please
Can you tell me where I am Then, suddenly, there were no roots anymore. She'd fallen past them, and now there was nothing. Nothing but barely moving shadows, of dark gray against black.
There was nothing there. nothing. But it couldn't be so, couldn't it ? If it was so, she would not be thinking this. If this was Void, she would be gone.
Wouldn't she ?
Was there even a ground ? The goddess couldn't see it. Black and black and specks of gray. All around her. Higher. Lower. Try as she might, her wings refused to be of any use.You, won't you say something
I need to get my bearings
I'm lost She fell, for what seemed to be forever. Fell, and screamed, hoping, somehow, to catch the attention of something, even if it was of another guardian beast all too willing to attack her. Was there even a ground, she asked herself. Again, and again, and again. Would she fall forever ?
An irrational thought, but fear did not know rationality.And the shadows keep on changing... Eventually, she simply squeezed her eyes shut and waited for something, anything to happen. Thabara _____It was sleeping
__________Dreaming
_____Dreams of the past
__________Dreams of the Dead
The heavy scent of incense fills the air, the priests are chanting their prayers, the ear piercing wails of the Mourning Women can be heard even here, in the innermost sanctum.
Woe!
The heavy scent of incense fills the air, warm hands wash his cold body to prepare it for its last, its final journey, a voice calmly recite spells and verses, speaking of the tests and hardships to come.
Woe!
The heavy scent of incense fills the air, the Embalmer's table is ready, his blades and tools prepared prepared. The Mourning Women claw at their faces, their hair, ash covers it all.
Woe!
The heavy scent of incense fills the air, precious oils are poured onto dead skin, the linen--
He pauses, vague irritation forming as he becomes aware of a sound other than the chants and recitations of the priests, the anguished cries of the professional mourners.
Something foreign, something which does not belong.
A scream.
High pitched and desperate, filled with surprise and indignation just as much as it was with Fear, the sound causing the mark of his very bones to resonate.
That Voice, so familiar. He began to stir restlessly, the dream stubbornly clinging to his consciousness, weighing it down like lead ballast. It is her, her, Her! He realized, the thought filling him with delight, leaving sleep and dream without chance from that moment on. She has come for me! His heart jubilated, and then – still unused to it – he looked inward to find her. And then – out of reflex – he looked up, realizing with shock which path she had taken, and that she was falling, and that he … that he … How was he to catch her?! His distress at her plight was enough to set things into motion, his Will obvious even without requiring Order to be poured into Word. Within moments unshaped miasma and souls rushed upwards – far, far upwards – in a surge to meet the goddess' rapid descent, towering like an impossibly high tsunami before it collapsed. Myriads of cold hands attempted to grasp for Goddess' helplessly flailing body, and while none of them was of essence enough to quite succeed, it was sufficient at least to slow down her fall. The touchdown was still rough, but hurt no more than from the plunges she had taken when she went through the catacombs. After that, around her, all was silent. There was a plane, seemingly going on forever and ever, only a thin line at the horizon discerning where it met the 'sky' – and yet there was the sensation that it was quite limited in size despite its seemingly overwhelming vastness. It hurt the eyes to look at it, as there were no landmarks. No hills, no trees, no nothing. Only endless, softly swirling fog. It was like watching the sea, while one was threatening to drown it it. You came.It wasn't really a voice, more like a whisper coming from nowhere and everywhere the same. But it was vibrant with happiness. The realm's air, which had been calm and stagnant until now, turned into a soft breeze gently playing with her hair. Wisps of fog caressed her skin, as if to cool and soothe the many injuries and bruises she had obtained on her journey. Zero Dream There was sensation, something against her skin - cold - and her eyes snapped open again. There was... something. No, things. Grapping at her. The sensations of hands, but nothing that could quite hold her. Each and every of her instincts basically screamed that she needed to straighten herself, flip so that she would land feet first instead of head first. But with the lack of anything substantial to use to grap on and flip, there was little she could do. She did manage, however, to at least turn on her side before the rought impact with a ground she could barely distinguish did happen, knocking all the air out of her lungs with a one last, startled scream.
The goddess did not get up just yet, gritting her teeth at the surge of pain that her landing earned her. The darkness had definitively made the fall to seem from being higher, and it was not much better on the ground. If she could have called this a ground. Black and dark gray fog. She could not help but wonder if this was what her daughter had to live with every single day.
She finally managed to work herself back on her feet, doing her best to ignore the pain. It was then that the voice came, but... where ? From where ?
Nowhere.
Everywhere.
The wind brushed against her. Cold. Cold and familiar. She could not help but shiver.
"I had promised, had I not ?" Thabara Of course.
But sometimes ... Sometimes promises could not be kept, no matter what. And the way she had chosen to come to him …
He reached out. The Roots, he could feel them, the tingling sensation of the presence Another brushing against his self. Her. The thought was filled with bitterness. But what he truly was looking for …
The Gate.
It was there, but it had become disconnected. Too many changes Beyond. He hadn't thought of that.
He … hadn't really thought of anything much at all.
Are you cold? he asked with concern, having noticed her shiver. Of course she was. She had to be. He his touch had always been cold, yet she had never minded it.
And, very likely, this was the one thing he'd be unable to change. Everything else, however ...
Zero Dream "I will be fine..." She had just taken a rather high drop, and she was already standing on her feet, even it is was not the most stable standing that she had ever done. The muscles on her right side, where she had landed, were protesting rather loudly, but the cold helped numb the pain. At least, nothing had broken.
But.... where was he ? She still could not pinpoint it._____'Tear me open, break my bones, twist me inside out to harbor them ALL if it needs be'But that couldn't be... right ? Thabara I ... His 'voice' trailed off as he wondered – for a moment – if 'I' was still fit to refer to himself. The sound of it was strange. It would do, he figured.
... am sorry, he continued. Perhaps the pause had not been noticed. I did not realize the month had passed already. Much more than a month, likely. Traversing the Roots took time. She was a goddess reborn, but definitely not in her full strength yet.
I was ... He paused again, wondering how to put best into words why he hadn't gotten back to her, just what he had been doing. Or not doing. She must have been so worried ...
A month, the blink of an eye, such an incredibly short time. But for her …
For her.
... sleeping, he finished, defnitely sounding apologetic. Dreaming. Of the dead. With the dead.
The sensation of being washed away with the incoming flood of souls, of sinking, drowning in them and their memories, the utter exhaustion that had come with changing his form so drastically – there were no words to truly describe what had happened. Zero Dream Unfortunately for him... he was wrong. She had indeed noticed. And it only made her think all the more that, perhaps...
Perhaps that had been right. As much as it frightened her. She was not sure what to truly think of that possibility. Was not sure she was ready to believe it for herself.
Everything felt so distant and confused... the landscape around her did not help.
"Are you... ?" She asked, without truly noticing it. She had to know. Thabara I … He hesitated once more. He was still struggling to grasp himself what had happened. The full extent of it. I am here. With you. The ground you are standing on. The air you are breathing.
There was no other way, I think.
All those souls pressing into him, once he had called, how could he have forsaken them what they truly wanted?
Or was he the one who'd wanted it? Zero Dream So that had been true. That had been it. The very thing they'd both feared...
But she did not react. She knew what had happened, but she did not react. Did not cry. Did not scream. The truth of the matter hit her, and that was it. As well as the fact that she would have to explain it to her children. But the emotional reactions did not come.
Perhaps she was too numb. Or too tired, to properly grasp it. The trip had been long and complicated. She had not slept ever since they had left, having been the one to watch over Aira as she rested. And then there had been the beast... She still needed to tell him about that, she remembered belatedly.
But for now, she said nothing. Thabara 'I am sorry.' He wanted to say this, out of reflex, when he saw realisation dawning on her face. The shock in her eyes. Her beautiful, beautiful eyes.
The way everything about her went still.
Soundless.
Completely quiet.
Beloved, he whispered, the word encompassing all that he felt for her at this moment.
His love.
His devotion.
His sympathy.
He wished he could touch her, but much as he tried, it seemed not possible to pour himself back into a small physical form such as hers. He had become too vast, it seemed, in his attempt to hold all of them. And there were more, ever more pouring in. Those who heeded his call at the border between life and death, and those who found him on their own. The time of growth was nigh again, it seemed. He remembered vaguely, the agony in his dreams, whenever he'd been struggling to make space for more.
The look on her face was devastated, hard for him to bear.
He had to do something.
His realm … Himself. Still largely unformed, unshaped, how hard it must be for her to bear? Eternal twilight, monochrome colors, an endless sea of swirling fog. The harsh ground which had hurt her so much.
That.
Perhaps he could at least do something about that.
He recalled the sensation of soft grass brushing against his bare feet with every step taken, close to the Pantheon. The moisture of the morning dew.
He managed, somewhat.
The mists parted around Echo, giving her some space. The grass which sprouted underneath her feet, however, only vaguely resembled its real life cousin. The blades were colorless, glittering slightly as if covered with frost. They were definitely not alive.
But they felt right. A soft surface, inviting to tread upon, to sit down and take a rest.
A rest. Zero Dream All that gray, all that black. There was truly nothing here, and it almost hurt her eyes to look at it. Definitively made her feel almost blind, with how the darkness seemed to stretch on and on, almost to infinity. At least, that was how it looked like. She would have simply closed her eyes, but that did not change the view much.
Black was still black.
It was the sudden clearing of the fog that alerted her that something was about to happen, but it still took a moment for her to look down.
Well.
She seemed to understand that, at least, shifting to sit and doing her best to repress her wincing at pain shoot up at her right side once more. She could already see the bruises forming on her bare arm, and already know she most likely had one hell of a story to tell once she made her way back. Not that she knew how. Her tail was thinner, missing strings rather obviously as they sped though the grass, and the goddess couldn't help but give it an experimental touch. Definitively colder than real grass.
"I... think I might have gotten to one of the guardians on my way down." Might as well get that out of the way first. Thabara She felt closer like that, sitting down, but her words caused him to startle once more.
Guardians?
He could not recall having appointed any, nor having put up any wards to secure the borders of his realm.
Himself.
He simply hadn't had the time to do so.
But some of the old wards, the old guardians, maybe, had last through ages. Maybe.
You … did what?!
There was amusement in his tone, amusement and wonder. His guardians of old, they had been powerful to even keep his fellow gods at bay. That his frail, fragile love should have gotten the better of one of those--
He stopped himself.
No.
Not frail.
Not fragile.
Slender, flexible, agile and strong. Like those strings spawning from her lower back. Like steel wire, only, she was even stronger than that. Zero Dream The amusement seemed to have interpreted the wrong way, and the goddess frowned, the shape of her pupils giving a few sharp movement, almost like lightning strike. "Whatever it was, I can assure you it tried to eat me and Aria." She hoped the errais had listened to her, and made her way out... and that she would not simply wait up there. There had been little food for her left when they had gotten there. And who the hell knew if there were more of these things around. "And that this is definitively not laughing matter. I can assure you that at the very least, it is deaf."
She had not stopped to see if it had crawled it's way out of it's hiding place or not. She hadn't especially been interested in knowing about that specific detail. Thabara You are right, he was surprisingly quick to admit. This is no laughing matter indeed. I am sorry, he apologized sincerely. I had no idea any of the guardians of old were still left. If it is deaf now, that is fine. As long as you are alright and unharmed.
More than ever he wished to be able to touch her, but the only thing he could manage, was another gentle breeze. One not too cold, he hoped.
Still. He could not quite banish the amusement he felt from his voice. I wish I could have seen its face. Zero Dream The goddess gave another irritated huff. "I figured it most likely was, since it was much too close to this place for it not to be." She still seemed rather unamused by the whole thing, as the look on her face betrayed quite nicely.
She found herself staring at the grass. Not really out of any embarrassment, but simply because it was the only thing she could truly focus on that did not seem to give her a headache after a few minutes. Even though it was monotone as well, it was a lighter gray, not easily drowned by the rest of the span around her, and the small breezes kept it moving.
"So." She started, but then stopped again for a moment. Just what was she supposed to say ? Have any plans for yourself ? This still sounded impossible. Improbable. Had it been anyone else, she might have likely refused to believe it. But she knew him too well. He did not pull off pranks like these. She could only hope none of her children would wind up with their father's ability to get both into trouble and in nearly unbelievable situations. "What are you going to do now... ?"
Technically she knew what she had been there to know, but... to leave him alone, insubstantial in something like this...
She could not bear it. Thabara What I am …? He paused, and around Echo, everything stilled. The grass no longer rippled with the gentle breeze, and even the ever swirling fog seemed to halt its movement completely as he attempted to consider the current situation in its entirety.
I do not know, he admitted ruefully. I did not yet have a chance to think about it. If you had not kept your promise … I might easily have been asleep for years, centuries, possibly. And he still felt weary, exhausted, the constant inpour of the souls of the dead distracting him and demanding his attention. It would be a long time until that flood died down to a trickle, if ever. And these were only of few worlds yet, and those who found him on their own.
More space, he'd need more space soon. It was a good thing Echo did not have the ability to see … how crowded it was, around her.
I do not think I can leave, he added, figuring this was what she'd truly wanted to know. At least, not yet. It would mean … to step outside of myself? He found himself wondering if that was possible at all. Zero Dream She stilled herself when the world around her had, suddenly fearing that she might have said something she ought not to have. All seemed well, though, and the pause seemed to have been one of embarrassment rather than anger.
"I figured." She had known, perhaps even the second he had left, that she would not have been able to drag him back out even if she tried her hardest to do so. It did not please her, but how she felt in the matter was rather irrelevant. "However, at this point, I am quite sure that if anyone would be able to pull off that kind of paradox, it would have to be you." It was hard to tell if she was amused or annoyed, for once. It was odd of her, keeping in mind of how expressive and easy to read she tended to be.
This whole situation was starting to make her head hurt, and that was not saying a thing about her bruised arm, side and leg.
"No, I meant. Well... this." She gestured to the span of space around her. While he certainly did not seem to require anything specific in there... "Can you not feel it ?"
Somehow, she could. The space around her yearned for more. If it was the dead themselves, his subconscious, or maybe even her own desire to have something else to look at than gray grass and fog... she could not say.
He had the power to shape his own self however he wished... and she could not help but be curious what he would do with it. As much as the situation was nearly unbelievable and headache-inducing. Thabara To me, now, nothing seems wholly impossible. We are gods, he reminded her gently – and himself, perhaps. That small, mortal form of his host he had loathed so much after his initial awakening, how quickly had he grown accustomed to its limitations. I will find a way.
If both, Gaia and Universe, had been persons within themselves, it should be manageable to send at least part of him outside, he thought. Perhaps even to manifest himself fully, if he could figure out just how to twist himself the other way around, carrying everything inside. The thought fascinated him. To leave, yet not – it was a possibility that hadn't occurred to him yet.
The possibilities.
They were endless.
'This?' He pondered her question. He had – by instinct – stuck to the basics when he had taken on this form. A ground. The membrane that was the border to the Living World. That was all that had been necessary. The dead were dead, they did not require more. Pragmatic as he was, space to host them all was to come first. Interior design – that could be dealt with later.
Or could it?
This monochrome, bland uniformity of his realm, it seemed to be waiting for things to happen.
The possibilities ...
And the souls would be less restless, he guessed. Be at peace without him having to soothe them into sleep … There was a moment of confusion, and if he'd been in his mortal form still, he would have frowned. Had he truly sung for them? Or had that been a dream as well. He wasn't sure. Everything was flowing, unshaped, undefined. Echo was right, he could not remain like this.
What would you suggest? he asked hesitantly. He did not dare to tell her of the one distinctive landscape his realm had yet – a mountain range, arching up impossibly high, marking the borders of his realm. It looked too much like the gigantic ribcage of some fallen beast, it would only serve to upset her. Cosine … I promised her a Place for the Lost …And to Ankou I said, halls would be ready for him once he makes his way Down.
If she had been uncertain before, his words at least were telltale that the worst case scenario had not quite occured. He seemed to remember, at the very least. Zero Dream That confirmation seemed to indeed hit home, and the relief was suddenly evident on her face. Perhaps with little to no explanation to the god-turned-realm.
"I..." She hesitated for a moment. Would it be right for her to be involved in this ? This was his realm, was it not ? Yet, he had asked her...
The more she stared at the fog, the harder it seemed to think, somehow. The concept of being alone yet not was an odd one, though she could not seem to shake the feeling that there were hundred, thousand of pair of eyes staring at her...
As far as she knew, it might just was well have been so. There were presences all around her, but to her sight and most of her hearing, she was alone. It was such an odd thing.
"These should be these things, then. They were promises, after all." She hesitated again for a moment. "...There were rivers, did it not ? I remember the sound of water flowing." She said, softly, not knowing how he would take it. It was the first thing that had came to her mind. Not an image, but the sound of water. Droplets dancing. She let her eyelids fall closed and her form slide to lay down on the grass. Her body was aching all over from her fall, and welcomed the cold of the grass under her. Her memory knew little, and her host's was gone, discarded as they became one. Perhaps it was for the best. "Mountain ? Lakes ?" Now she was just naming random things. Honestly, she had no idea what would be best. Or even what he planned to do.
"But this should be what you want it to be..." He had to have the slightest idea of what he wanted... right ? "Not just something I may like, but that you would not. I can try to think of many things... but I do not want you to do something simply because I like it. Or to not do something because I would not." If he did that, the goddess was certain she would find some way to slap him, all this matter be damned. He was the realm, and the realm was himself. Maybe if she kept repeating it to herself over and over, she might come to truly grasp and believe it. They were very different, he and her - they always were.
But ultimately she had loved him for what he was. His qualities, his shortcomings, his mannerisms, his sternness. Her mere presence here, battered and bruised after a journey of many failures, was perhaps the biggest proof of it. He could likely decide to be anything, and she would be there, waiting for the man she loved so much. Thabara What I want … The vastness of the open sky, truly endless, sparkling with countless stars and comets. The air seemed to grow heavy with sorrow. What I want most, miss most, I cannot have.
But yes, there were rivers and lakes. Mountain ranges, seemingly endless rolling hills and grassy plains. The mortals always desired some likeness to the living realm, though of course it could be naught but a mere shadow of it ... Zero Dream "A shadow is better than nothing... right ?" At least she would think so. Especially from her own, hands-on experience. She had felt the sorrow rather well, and it reminded her of... of...
Suddenly the goddess darted upward again, panic suddenly taking over for a moment, ignoring the ache and the protests her body have of her movements, burying her hands into one pocket only for both the sudden spark of panic and her movements to stop once she touched glass.
A whole, unchipped, unshattered vial of glass, to be precise. She allowed her sigh to escape and pulled it out, letting the vial of silver-colored liquid dangle from the cord. Thank to all of her brothers and sisters who existed... she most likely would have never forgiven herself if it had broken.
"I found this, after going down to the catacombs. I... only thought right that I take it with me." The way it had been left, in the hands of that dead child. To be protected. More precious than anything else. She had no idea what it was, but it didn't matter. Thabara True. Something the mortals would not dread nor fear … His 'voice' trailed off as he watched his love pale and jolt back to her feet, searching her battered clothes frantically as if for something important.
This.
When the object was revealed, it felt as if the whole realm was holding it's breath and looking at her.
I am grateful. It means more to me than you could ever imagine. It … is something very precious to me. But I thought it best to carry nothing with me but myself when I stepped through the gate. It would likely have shattered under the violent forces that were at work when he had filled the void beyond. The vessel was only manmade, after all.
The grass at her feet whispered softly, as if with a sigh. He owed her an explanation, he felt.
It is part of what little remains of the Skies of All, some of Lucius' blood. It was a gift given in what might have been the beginning of a friendship. If only …
If only.
I offered it to Harmodius, together with the Scepter, so that some replacement for the Skies be made. I was allowed to keep this. Zero Dream "I..." She glanced at the vial, watched the liquid inside, shimmering much like one would think a liquid star would. The feeling of everything suddenly starting at her only seemed to make her slightly more nervous. "Do you want me to keep it for now ? Or leave it here somewhere ?"
As if suddenly attracted to the sudden light, some smaller ones seemed to emerge from the darkness around her. The goddess knew what they were, the will o the whips that near constantly trailed at his side. But it was, perhaps, one of the first time she saw so many, and saw them so clearly. There was no shortage of awe in her features as they trailed to inspect the vial - and by extension, her - with little fear. There was no need for fear here. Nothing would be allowed to hurt them. They seemed to know this, and there was a sudden tickle as one slid though her extended hand in between her fingers, much like hope.
They shone so bright compared to the darkness all around her.
So bright, in fact... suddenly, her head tilted to the sky. They were underground. Echo knew this all too well. As thus, there were borders beyond that dark sky. And if there was a solid border.
"...Can anything be fixed to the borders of the sky up there ?" She said, never detaching her eyes from the blank plane over her head. "Glass, crystal... quartz ? Something like it ?" Thabara Creation told me … that it could be made into a star. Only one lonely star, but it would be more than he'd previously had.
That the smallest souls were drawn to the starlight emitted by the small glass vessel surprised him a little, though it probably shouldn't have. It was something which belonged into the Living World, something they would yearn for as much as he did.
Possibly, he hesitantly replied to her question, unsure as to what his lover was up to, though he had a vague suspicion.
Though the borders are not yet stable. I am … still growing, after all. Something like a soft chuckle could be heard after these words, though she might have been mistaken. Zero Dream That statement did manage to make a somewhat hilarious expression cross his lover's expression for a few seconds. How he was able to apparently claim this with a straight... face... was beyond her completely.
"Try it... Just a few for now, maybe ?" She wanted to see something.
She did not see this happen, of course, being basically confined to ground level. But she definitively knew when it happened. Both by the odd feeling of energy she felt... and the reaction of the tiny whips lingering about her.
Suddenly presented with another new something to explore, they did exactly what she had thought they would have. They all darted upward, spiraling much like dancing fireflies. And when they got high enough...
The first thing she saw was a flash of purple, coming quickly then gone. Then another, blue. A third, orange. Then, quicker and quicker as the rest reached the required altitude. The light of the wisp themselves was reduced to tiny dots of fireflies at this altitude, but their reflection on the crystal... created dancing waves against the stark, dark sky. Moreso like an aurora borealis than stars, perhaps, due to all the colors gathered upward. The pattern was ever-changing, never the same. The smallest souls seemed to be unable to stay still, and that worked perfectly to their advantage.
The goddess grinned, and if she had been a bird, might even have preened. Thabara He peered up with her, figuratively speaking, stunned by the sight.
He had only been able to guess what it was that Echo was aiming at, that she would want something capable of reflection … He'd had to make use of his host's knowledge of the refraction of gems and prisms, her obsession with antiques and jewelry finally being good for something.This view, however, was something he hadn't been expecting to see at all.
It is beautiful, he admitted. Much more so than the ceiling you painted for me back in the house we shared.
It wasn't going to last, likely, which was a shame. He would have to extend his borders again and again to make more space, and soon enough there would be more things to distract the ever curious wisps. At least he hoped so. But once he was done … A grand stream of souls, floating across the sky. Like an Aurora, yes, but even grander. Zero Dream It was a grand sight indeed. The colors ever-shifting, the sky over her head never quite remaining the same. The mix of color seemed to change with the barest movements of the small souls.
"As if it could even compare to this." Honestly. Small dots on black paints versus... this ? She knew what had to win out on this one.
"You might not have stars, beside one." The vial rested in her hand, safe. "But some might argue that this might be even better, would it not ?"
Maybe he was right. Maybe nothing was truly impossible, with a little imagination. Thabara Some might. He didn't seem wholly convinced, but that was more due to … personal feelings rather than anything else. It cannot compare to the vast glory that was the True Sky, but it certainly has a unique and distinct beauty of its own. One that cannot be found anywhere else. He was being a killjoy, he realized that, but he couldn't help it. That the Grand Skies has passed away, gone forever, it still stung painfully. Nothing could truly compare to him, and he wasn't sure if he even really wanted to see that replacement … thing Harmodius planned to put up instead.
He still couldn't quite take his gaze from the shifting colors up … within. That he was capable of such beauty still surprised him, and whenever he thought of the sheer endless possibilities his still largely unmade realm offered, it seemed to bring his mind to a grinding halt. A clean slate, and he didn't know what to do with it. The possibilities of what could go wrong seemed just as endless.
That he had an onlooker now, even if it was Echo, didn't help either. It did give him the feeling of having invited guests, and then getting surprised by them while still naked in the bathroom. It made him nervous, his fear of mistakes grow. It was easier to admit failure and fix things while no one was watching.
He reached out for the lights in the sky tentatively nonetheless, for some minor adjustments. The colors muted some, became softer, cooler, more pleasing to his sight. She'd told him to do what he liked, and it proved as well that things could still be changed around, that they were not set in stone once he'd done them. That was something of a relief.
Though, the one thing preventing him from change had always been he himself anyway …
Still, what was needed now, were the basics. He could still play around with the interior design – so to speak – later. For now …
He looked at himself, floating in the vast nothing that had once been filled by his realm, aimlessly. No wonder the souls had trouble to find him, that the gates could not connect. Stability was required first. And the best way to achieve that …
There was no warning for Echo beforehand, he did not think of that, focused on the task at hand as he was. Just as she seemed to forget everything around her when she'd set her mind on creating a new song. Nothing truly seemed to change as he carefully turned over, drifting closer to the world of the living until he came to rest against it. Leaning back to to back, basically, against Gaia. Anchoring there, in a way.
There, that was better.
He could feel some of her Roots pierce his skin, he could feel the caves and underground lakes and rivers at his back. He bore it, even though the sensation creeped him out and part of him screamed to do nothing more than to back away and flee.
Well. The start of this hadn't been pleasant, so why should the rest be?
And it would make it easier to draw from the world above, mrror what those who passed away desired and missed most. To connect old paths and create new. It would make it easier as well to remain close to the living, those that were to be his followers. Zero Dream She watched the colors suddenly dim, her expression turning into one of wonder once more. The muted colors were equally beautiful. Or perhaps... even more so, against the darkness of the sky. It seemed more like something that belonged here.
The next thing, however, was not so pleasant or comfortable. There was the distinct feeling of her stomach trying to ball up in her throat, as, unknown to her, everything flipped the other way around. Eventually the mix of moving and the feeling of vertigo seemed to get to her, and she felt back on her behind with a rather startled eep. After a moment, though, things seemed to quiet down. Return to normal.
What the... ?! Thabara I am sorry, Nergal said ruefully, only now realizing that he possibly ought to have warned his love. But within, the center of gravity hadn't shifted at all – it was strange that a thing like that would be present in the realm of the dead in the first place – so he hadn't really thought she'd feel the effects of his turn.
Granted, he hadn't thought about it at all.
Are you … alright? She looked pale, moreso than before, and it worried him. Zero Dream "Yes." That was not entirely the truth. Her innards very much felt like they remained stuck in her throat, the sensation of vertigo not quite leaving her yet.
Funny how the world around her found a way to spin with barely anything in it. Maybe she ought to lay down and close her eyes...
Just for a minute or two...
She did so. But while she technically did not require sleep, her body was used to it. It yet wanted it. What had meant to be a few minutes of rest was not so, as she drifted into sleep.
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