Welcome to Gaia! ::

Even without the map there was no mistaking which house he was to visit once he'd taken his last turn - it was easily the one best in shape in the whole street. It seemed less affected by the overall signs of decay and ruin, the window panes were clean, and apparently the doors, window frames and the balustrade of the balconies had received a new coating of paint but recently.

However, there were two entrances to choose from, and Underworld hadn't mentioned a thing about which half of the house it was that he occupied.

A minute or so passed before the door was opened for a bit and a pair of cat-like eyes peered at him warily. There was just enough visible of her to tell he'd just encountered someone who might be a sister to Nebula and Topaz, only that this one's fur was colored completely white.

"Who are you?" she asked cautiously.

It took Priya only a short moment to run down the - admittedly rather short - list of visitors her Lord might expect.

"You may enter," she said, opening the door wide and bowing deeply. "Welcome, Sir Colin, Lord Silence - I apologize for my obvious suspicion, but in these days you can't be cautious enough, my lord already managed to make himself plenty of enemies it seems."

She closed the door once they had entered and quickly sped ahead. "I will announce your presence," she said from the top of the stairwell, "simply go up the stairs, down the hallway and then enter the second room to your right - that's the living room. Do you wish for anything to drink? Tea? Coffee?"

A very faint but still noticeable smell of paint hung in the air as soon as the dancer entered the hallway, mingling with the more dominant aromatic scent of incense once he stepped into the living room - overall the effect was not unpleasant. It conveyed a strange sense of the Old mixed with the New and at the same time it was a welcome relief from the charred and ash heavy air outside.

The room itself seemed strangely unfinished.. It was fully furnished, shelves of dark wood lining the walls, a large couch and a coffee table dominating the center of the room, accompanied by two arm chairs. The walls, just like the ones in the hallway, had been painted in calming shades of dusky blue and gray but bore neither pictures nor paintings. The shelves remained mostly empty still, containing only a handful of books and even fewer decorative items. Overall it gave the impression that someone had just moved in, or had no intention to stay for long enough to actually make this a home.

"Welcome," Nergal spoke softly, intent to not startle his unexpected visitor if it could be avoided - he already seemed troubled enough as it was.

He had been sitting on the couch all along - reading, actually, until Priya had hastily poked her head in and announced his visitor. His lecture, a small booklet of poems, now remained safely hidden underneath one of the many cushions. He had been watching the boy ever since he'd stepped inside and by now it had become clear that he had not yet taken notice of his presence. It happened, occasionally. "I did not expect to see you again so soon. Please, take a seat." He motioned to one of the arm chairs.

The clothes Underworld bore were simple yet elegant, mostly picked for their comfort of wearing. Wrap around pants in a shade of grayish blue, and a loose, embroidered shirt of oriental design - both tone on tone with the colors of the couch itself and the silk brocade cushions, a fact which might offer a welcome explanation for Colin's poor mortal mind as to how the hell he'd managed to overlook Nergal. Part of the god's dreads were put up in a bun, secured with several hair sticks carved from bone.

Despite the fact that the couch seemed to invite for lounging - especially considering the piles of pillows decorating it - Nergal was seated straight enough that it might just as well have been a throne, a very uncomfortable one at that. However, his rigid posture and the loose shirt openly revealed something Colin might have missed out on when they'd last met - that Underworld's 'host' apparently must have been female.

"Well, who is not having a trying time in this age..? We all are struggling, each with our own problems."

He inclined his head in return to the greeting, though he couldn't quite prevent the polite smile on his lips from becoming slightly strained for a moment when the incomplete change of his body was mentioned. It wasn't meant to be an insult, he was aware of that, but still - why did everyone feel they had to comment on it?

"It takes time," he replied calmly. "It has been almost two years since my host accepted me into her body, and I expected to be reigning over the Dead once more soon after, and yet still.." It might be his own indecisiveness which was holding him back, his unwillingness and downright fear to change, even though he was painfully aware it was necessary. "It takes time," he repeated, "best be prepared for it."

It knocked, and a moment later the door opened to allow Nergal's white-furred servant in, carrying a tray bearing a pot of tea, a small bowl containing rock candy, and a set of delicate tea cups and silver spoons. She quietly set down her load on the coffee table, placing a cup each in front of her Lord and his honored guest, but when she reached for the teapot Nergal slightly shook his head and motioned her to leave.

"If I may ask," Nergal said, waiting for Priya to close the door completely before he spoke, "did you come to pay a courtesy call, or did you have a specific reason to seek me out?" He had a distinct feeling it was going to be the latter. Quietly he rose to serve the tea himself, pouring his guest's cup first.

The selection of books assorted on the shelves seemed random only at first glance.. If one were to give the titles a closer look they would quickly realize there was a theme (excluding that one small booklet about coffee specialties) - a deeply morbid one. There were heavy tomes dealing with ancient mythology, Poe, Lovecraft, collections of ghost stories, works dealing with funeral rites and burial traditions.. It was hard to tell if Underworld had picked them for his personal entertainment or if he had been trying to catch up on the ages which had passed without his presence. Both, perhaps.

Compared to the rather bare so-called 'living room' the room next to it actually seemed habituated. Dominated by a huge bed which had been luxuriously fitted with with cushions and throws (and looked incredibly comfortable) its purpose was clear, even though the bed seemed to not have been used for a while now - there was actually a fine layer of dust present on silken sheets if one looked closely. Still, the room seemed to contain most of the gifts and trinkets Nergal had received over the time, including even a plush animal or two; and its ceiling had been painted to look like a starry sky. Another thing became apparent as well - Underworld seemed to have a fondness for dark woods and antique furniture. There was a huge (but mostly empty) wardrobe, a dresser and.. oh, a desk.

The latter one definitely had seen use, it seemed tidy and chaotic at the same time. A pile of books had been neatly stacked on one side. There were papers, envelopes, ink and other writing paraphernalia, even sealing wax. A tiny vial containing something looking like starlight, an elongated item carefully wrapped in layers of silk, some tattered maps..

Neither Colin nor Endiovar needn't have worried about being quiet, because by now Nergal was way too concentrated on the task at hand to take notice of anything. He stood tall but relaxed, eyes closed, surrounded by the swirling, mist-like substance of his wings. His fingers rested lightly on the balustrade, the feel of cold iron against his skin anchoring him safely to the Real while his mind was lost searching, listening.. To filter out the voices of Old had been the hardest part for him, now that he was able to focus on those who had perished but recently his search had become less taxing. They were fewer than he had thought, but with Destruction's influence going on for almost two years now, that probably was to be expected. Only the strong ones remained now.. Voice by voice he sorted through the whispers now, one at a time. If there was a soul to be found who was a stranger to this time and space, it was only a matter of time now..

He almost hoped he would find him. For the souls of the dead he could still do something, while those destined to fuel a god's rebirth were inevitably lost to him.

***

The maps they'd come across were - albeit stained and tattered from use - modern ones, the kind you could easily purchase at just about any rest stop or outdoor shop. There was one of this town, with places of interest marked and commented in a neat handwriting which must be Nergal's. The Pantheon was there, libraries, museums, graveyards and catacombs. Another map - one of a harbor town called 'Koiso' - was rather peculiar. Much it had been shaded with a blue ballpoint pen, with passages-- no, 'bridges', marked just about everywhere. Right, hadn't that town been in the news a while ago, something about a terrible flooding caused by a broken dam or something? But.. it couldn't have been that bad now, could it?

There was another map, a rather small scale one, depicting the whole area and the towns that were in it. Two traveling routes had been marked on that one, accompanied by notes in a neat and tidy handwriting which seemed to be Nergal's, on where to find water and supplies, or places to rest. One of the routes, mostly sticking to the regular roads and highways, had Koiso as its destination. The other route veered off the roads at some point, leading to a huge forest. 'Ancient Forest' was written next to it (it seemed to bear no official name), and 'creepy, quiet, dead' had been added to that note in a different handwriting. On closer examination it became apparent that Underworld had had no choice but to leave the roads behind, as none - not a single one - went straight through the forest. Strange, really, as it certainly would have been the shortest route to connect some of the larger towns instead of choosing the roundabout way.

Secret military or government projects seemed to be the most likely reasons for the area to be off limits, if it hadn't been for Nergal's comments. There was a dashed line leading into the forest, titled the 'Unseen Road', and there was a place marked as 'Ancient Mausoleum' though Underworld didn't seem to have been sure about its exact location within the heart of the forest. Since people of this modern age usually cared little for the taboos and prohibitions of ancient times it left only one likely explanation - some of the powers of ages long since past might still be quite active within that area.

The feline aoide had a keen hearing, and she had expected to be called in sooner or later, so it took only moments for her to show up at the door.

"Sir?" she mouthed with a questioning look and bowed gracefully. She wasn't sure if it was host or deity who requested her presence; but 'Sir', she figured, was hopefully neutral enough to embarrass neither of them. "How may I be of assistance?"

Priya glanced at the map, the spot Lord Endiovar was pointing on, and then bowed her head respectfully. "It has no name, at least none was given on the maps we found."

"It is a strange, eerie place, my Lord. Spooky." She smiled weakly. Having accompanied her master on a regular base there were few things actually able to give her the creeps, but that forest certainly had. "I accompanied His Highness when he went there some months ago, in search for the soul of Aristogeiton, and was able to witness it with my own eyes. Some of the old powers remain still dormant there, it seems.." She looked at the map once more, and for a second, a shiver went through her slender body and her white fur bristled slightly.

"The water there is still crystal clear, the plants and trees green and thriving - but there is no true life there, Lord. There is no birdsong to be heard, not a single track of dear or rodent to be found, not even bugs will crawl through soil or bark within its boundaries." She absently raised her hand to smooth out her fur some. "We found an ancient road, almost impossible to see unless you walk it, and a mausoleum.."

"The trees certainly seemed old enough for the forest to have been ancient even before the Fading.." Priya nodded. Of course she was only able to guess, as she knew nothing of the Ages past beyond what little had been told her. But those trees had been so huge.. "I would be more than happy to be your guide, but.." Her ears flattened a little, showing her discomfort at having to deny a deity's wish.

"As you can see, my Master travels a lot. Currently he waits for Lord Illumin to return to the Pantheon grounds to gain some important information from him, but once that has been taken care of I have no doubt he will be off again - and require my services as his guardian." Of course, there was always Ishum, but compared to her own, the golden winged aoide's battle skills pretty much sucked. Sure, he was good at treating injuries and such, but she very much preferred for her Lord to not get hurt in the first place.

"But you should speak to Nergal himself about this - I'm sure something can be arranged."

"No, no problem at all, Lord Silence. If you'd let me know where you have taken up residence, I will have it delivered to you within a few days." How soon would probably depend on if she'd be able to find a decent xerox machine, or if she'd have to copy it by hand.. Maybe if she could find the same map again in a shop, then she'd just have to add the routes and the notes..

Suddenly Priya's ears perked up when they picked up a faint sound that caught her attention, and then rotated slowly backwards in that way unique to cats alone. "I think he's about done," she murmured, bending backwards a little to take a quick peek at what was going on in the other room. "Yes, looks like it."

"Then please rest, my Lord. Do not strain yourself too much." Your time will come, Priya added silently, in her thoughts only. Uttered aloud these words would probably only serve to unsettle the host.

She quickly moved to Colin's side, holding out her arm for him should he require the support or comfort offered. She didn't know much about how the whole host/deity business worked, but she assumed it must be tiring and confusing for both to share control over the same body. Possibly quite frightening for the mortal as well.

"That would be nice," she nodded, "but for now you should sit, and rest a little. We can take care of that later."

Said catgirl could have easily lifted the young man up and carried him back into the living room, had she wanted to. Only the swishing of her tail told of the mischief she contemplated for a moment, and only for a moment. While the urge to play was strong in her, just as it seemed to be in all her 'sisters', she could not possibly cast a bad light on her Lord, no. She would behave. So instead she merely guided the boy the nearest chair in the living room and nudged him slightly to sit down.

Her lord, Priya registered with a worried glance, looked to be just as weary - apparently he really had stretched his abilities to the limit and then some beyond for Silence's host. She raised a questioning brow, wondering if he'd need help, but Nergal denied her unspoken offer with a barely noticeable shake of his head. He had his pride.

When Nergal left his position at the balcony door - he had been leaning against it just moments before his guardian and the boy entered the room - each of his steps and movements were carefully controlled, not allowing a single sign of weakness to show even though he very much wished to simply collapse and rest. He sat, one hand moving automatically to smooth out the fabric of his pants before he looked up at his guest, the color of his eyes more akin to quicksilver than their usual shade of gray. He still felt.. disconnected, in a way. 'Stretched thin' was perhaps the most accurate way to describe that strange sensation. He had never tried to extend his powers this far in his new life.

"I admit my powers are still frustratingly limited and do not reach far. If your beloved has remained within the boundaries of this city I can tell you with certainty that he has not died." His voice was calm as he spoke, the certainty in it absolute. "If he has left however.." The god shook his head slightly. "But from what you have told me I do not think he would have gone far. However, there is something you may want to consider - with the Pantheon so close the flow of mana, the power of the gods, is very strong. Even though we are still weak after our rebirth, there are more and more of us, closer in physical space than we would usually be. It.. disturbs the order of things, especially with Destruction's influence being so strong currently. I noticed that the fabric of time and space has become rather unstable around here."

He raised a brow, leaving it to Endiovar and Colin to come to their own conclusions.

"You are welcome," Nergal nodded slightly. "And I wish you best of luck finding him. There have been gods of Luck and Chance once, perhaps some of their influence has remained." The ghost of a smile touched his lips for a moment, as if he was referring to some personal joke.

He too had noticed that the other seemed rather worn out and it made him wonder.. Silence must have made an appearance while he had been busy searching, that was the only explanation he could think of. He still recalled very well how much strength it had cost him and his host just for him to be able to talk to Echo for a few minutes back then.

"If it is your wish.. you may stay and rest before you take your leave," the deity offered politely. "However, if you are in a hurry.. One way or another, Priya will accompany you and make sure you will arrive at your dwelling safe and sound."

He cut off Priya's protest with a sharp motion of his hand the moment she opened her mouth. "Do not worry," he said, addressing his guardian with a wry smile, "I am most certainly not going anywhere today."

"Yes, my Lord," the aoide said obediently and bowed. "As you wish." As he looked now her Lord would probably be lucky if he made it to his bed before he collapsed.. He was hiding it well, but to her it was plain obvious. Still, she'd feel better if she could actually tie him to his bed before she left, just to make sure he wouldn't move about on his own..

"So," she said, squeezing Colin's shoulder slightly and giving him a warm smile. "What do you wanna do? I can get the guest room ready in a moment, if you want." She found she rather liked them both - deity and host. And her Lord seemed to feel comfortable in their presence which was a rare enough thing. It would be nice for him to have.. friends.

"I.. do understand, and yet I do not - both," Nergal said cryptically, slightly inclining his head. He knew love, oh yes, but that had never kept him from placing other matters at a higher priority. That, and so far the amnesia brought on by the Fading had fortunately prevented him from having to experience loss and grief. Feelings were such a strange and meddlesome thing to have.

"In that case I shall bid you farewell now." He rose, ignoring the protest of his body against having to leave the comfort of the soft cushions, and nodded politely. "Until we meet again, Colin. Endiovar." He couldn't help but wonder what might have caused Silence to make an appearance while he had been searching, and why Priya would require the boy's address - but he'd find out, eventually..

"Mh-hm," Priya agreed vaguely. "You should at least tell me where you live though, just in case you pass out on the way." She winked, and after a moment gave in to the temptation to ruffle through the dancer's hair which promptly earned her a glare from Nergal cold enough to freeze over even Pyriphlegethon, the Flaming River. No humor at all.

With a small sigh she bowed, surprised when there was no verbal rebuke of her behavior, and then went to guide Colin towards the door.

As Endiovar went to open the door, it opened for him, revealing a tall, skinny female, a stack of books in her arm. "Oh!" she exclaimed, looking a little surprised and taking a step backwards involuntarily. "I, um, haven't seen anyone up here in a while, hello," she babbled, shifting the stack to a better position. At first glance, she could easily be mistaken for a devotee of the God of Knowledge, who's library lay behind her, but for the subtle hint of something else, something more powerful than the mere favor of a god.

Stop that, Tilion scolded sharply. Idhren had gotten over much of her social anxieties since the fusing, but an unfortunate side effect was this tendency to ramble on. Then again, the god mused, she had apparently done that when she was a teacher as well. The effect of the reprimand was instant, the elf stopping her speech in mid-sentence with a barely audible click of her mouth.

"Did you need something?"

His hand hung in the air a moment longer; as though his brain hadn't quite processed the idea that this tall woman had opened it for him. He tilted his head and watched and listened while she babbled; the sounds unpleasantly muffling the not-words that came across -- she was nervous. She was shy. This was surprising and uncomfortable for her...and then her manner changed sharply.

Curious...more curiuos was the power sliding off her in silky strands; a gem? Did she house a God or Goddess as his host once had housed himself?

"I am--" looking-seeking-wanting "--trying to find information about a place on map I have." The map that Nergal's erstwhile Aoide, Priya had so graciously copied for his use. Endiovar had it with him, but he made no move to pull it out just yet -- this person may not wish to help though her body language said she might.

There was a bit of a ringing quiet after his words - after the not-words that came across as well. The hush of the Library was still no match for the still-quiet that came with the God of Silence.

Idhren's head tilted to the side as he spoke, her body language implying that she was listening to what the other was saying, that she genuinely was interested in helping. She was, of course. Idhren was not the type to dissemble, it simply wasn't in her nature at all. "There are more than a few atlases in here," she replied with a somewhat shy smile. "Of course, they're all out of order," she continued with a severe frown. Imagine! Someone had gone through and undone the months of organizational effort she had put forth to make the Library more accessible to everyone.

Tilion was quiet and still in Idhren's mind, able to read, somewhat, the nuances of not-speech, of the silence the other wore like a shroud, that Idhren seemed completely oblivious to. It was familiar, but he could not say why it felt so.

The blond nodded slowly; mindful that his wounds would likely be pulled should he bend or move even his head too quickly --thankfully, the loose shirt he wore kept the bandages from view or this kind-hearted girl may have "mothered" him to death (something he couldn't afford).

"You work here?" 'And so I can ask for your aid without guilt?' Definitely there was a power here -- he could sense it. Feel it. Cool and familiar though he knew not why. Endiovar wet his lips a little, not liking the use of so much speech on his part; he would ask her if she housed a god...but those words died before ever being born. It was not the right Time to ask.

At the question, Idhren stilled. "No," she said after a moment, a bit curtly. She would have gladly worked here, become a follower of the God who ruled, rather light handedly, over the Library, but someone else had claimed her in a deeper manner. It was occasionally still a sore subject with her, however resigned she was to her fate otherwise. "I haven't seen many that do. I am familiar with it, though, if you do need help."

Idhren was quite good, now, at ignoring things, and although Tilion felt that ignoring the Aoide who had accompanied the other was not, all things considered, a good idea, Idhren continued to do so. A brief, slight movement of her head was all the acknowledgment Xedre was likely to get at this point, unless he made the first move.

Impolitic, Tilion murmured quietly. You don't know who's service he's truly in. Idhren ignored him, though that was certainly more difficult.

"There are," she said, hesitating a moment as she marshaled her thoughts and knowledge of the Library's contents, "Atlases, at least. If you can find, say, a general area where this forest is located, I may, may, be able to find more information." She gestured with her chin, hands having shifted to hold the books in both arms. "Please, come in." Assuming the other would follow, Idhren began to backtrack through the Library, leaving her own stack of books on an out of the way table where, hopefully, no one would disturb them.

A subtle tension oozed out of Idhren as Xedre left; the spiderish Aoide had unsettled her, a little. She paused, once, to get her bearings and make a reply. "It would, if only to match it to a larger map." Indeed, being able to fit the map Endiovar had with him into a larger would make this quite a lot easier. The journey was fairly straightforward, no more than a few turns from the main corridor, when Idhren stopped to gaze intently at the shelves, then began to pull down volumes. "We'll start with the areas closest to the Pantheon," she announced, setting one such atlas down on a nearby table. Normally, she wouldn't have explained her research methods, but this was different. "And move out from there, naturally. It's best to start with a recognizable area."

Tilion had been silent throughout, his earlier irritation washed away under the general sense of amusement he got whenever Idhren went beyond the nervous woman she still was, even now. He had chosen well, no matter how it appeared otherwise.

"Thank you," Idhren said absently, turning her attention back to the maps she'd pulled out, laying the parchment down. Occasionally, she would glance at it and frown, flipping to a different map as she tried to match the terrain and roads to one another.

"There's no reason you can't sit," Tilion commented dryly as Idhren continued to work. She would remain standing, if only for ease of taking newer volumes off the shelves. "There are chairs," the elf added, pointing at one not far away, never taking her eyes off the maps in front of her, finger tracing along the edges of the marking of a road. She did not seem to have noticed the other voice at all, except that her comment followed directly from it. On the contrary, it appeared that she almost expected such an occurance.

"Tilion, Chariot of the Darkened Skies," Idhren replied, her manner still absent and distracted, but her voice more formal and heavy. She tapped her left shoulder, and Endiovar was likely to pick up that the sound of it was different enough to suggest that there was something other than her own flesh under the sleeve of her dress. "He's rather, hm. Patient," came the follow-up, one voice whimsical, the other more firm. Idhre grinned slightly to herself as she turned to pull another volume down; obviously she got on well with the other, if her intention to tease was any indication.

The book came slightly open as the elf pulled it loose, and a slim volume fell to the floor with a soft thud. "Could you get that?" Idhren asked, setting the new book down to put another away. "I seem to keep my hands rather full."

"Likewise," Tilion replied amiably, content to sit in the background of his host's mind and simply let her work. She was the expert here, not he, and any extra exertion made on his part would only interfere in her search, which was certainly not something he desired. No, helping Endiovar was no trouble at all, for god and host alike.

"Find something interest...?" Idhren trailed off, looking at Endi curiously. "I gather that the journal triggered a memory?" she asked instead of finishing her first question. She was familiar enough with the sensation, having been on the receiving end a handful of times. Hopefully, she decided critically, she'd never looked quite so pole axed.

"No, keep it," Idhren replied, shaking her head slightly. "I may have found something as well," she continued, moving slightly to allow Endiovar easier view of the maps spread across the table. Indeed, she'd nearly reconstructed a path from the Pantheon to the Forest, though a few gaps remained where no maps could be found. "Most of the notes regarding the journey," Idhren indicated a few such handwritten notes along the roads, "Mention that the road itself seems to be quieter than the surrounding areas. Like this one, here," a tap on a map closer to the one Endi had brought with, "Says that camping off the road is preferred, for peace of mind among merchants and their guards." The elf shrugged, falling silent to allow Endi to read and draw his own conclusions.

"More than likely," Idhren replied idly, not knowing what else to say. She certainly would have no idea how to help Endi with that; her traveling was limited to places near the Pantheon, and that was rare enough.

"Ah," she said, ducking her head at the thanks. This was, more or less, her passion. She enjoyed this sort of work, even if she was the only one to benefit from it, but being able to help someone put an entirely different spin on the matter. "You're welcome," she said finally, looking back with a bright smile. "When you return, if there's anything else you need to find here, please let me know."