[J] Illumin :: Light

[Sosiqui]

Breaking Free

Illumin? Illumin?

... Sosiqui...?

No, that's not possible.

Illumin?

The god blinked blearily and sat up slowly in his bed, shaking his head slightly. He'd sworn, for a moment, that he'd heard his host's voice...

But, no. It was impossible. He knew better than anyone else that she was utterly and completely gone, every speck of her soul and self poured into his own.

He was so tired. The days he'd spent working on that damn puzzle box had afforded little sleep, and he'd used so much mental effort on it. He could practically still feel its weight against his hands, even when he wasn't actually holding it - so accustomed were his fingers to the sensation.

Quietly, so as not to disturb Eibhilin and Eliam, he slipped out of bed and moved to stand by the window. A light tapping came from beyond the glass, hardly visible through the windowpane and thick curtain. With a sigh, Illumin swept the curtain aside.

There were three bedraggled-looking moths there, practically plastering themselves against the glass. He could see the clouds rising from the lava below, the red glow tainting the former gardens even without being directly visible. The journey must have been painful. Frowning, Illumin reached to open the window.

The moths slipped in with a wisp of foul-smelling fumes, and landed weakly on Illumin's arms, the touch of their crisped wings fluttering against his skin. "I told you not to come," he murmured, knowing it had been futile. They were drawn to him by instinct, an innate love of Light and all it embodied.

How many of them had died seeking him in the false glow of Destructions fires below?

And then, just like that, Illumin was angry. Angry for the moths, his first and instinctual followers - angry for Byrne, whose innocence and joy had been broken... angry for the dark and livid sky... and angry for himself, for the dark heavy feeling that pushed him down every day, and for Pana's absence. Angry for the loss of the garden and his sun-tracking windows, for heaven's sake.

"This is madness," Illumin hissed, and behind him he heard noises as the Aoidei began to wake up. He flung the window open fully for the first time in months, heedless of the heat and stinking air that rose up from below, and stood in it, staring up at the sky and the stars that were slowly being swallowed up.

"I will not allow this." His fists were clenched tightly, trembling.

"Do you have a choice?" Eibhilin's voice was a mere whisper, small and far away.

"Of course I have a choice!" Illumin snapped, though he did not turn, the glow around him increasing. "I am a god! What good is being a god if you don't have choices?"

Above, the lanterns began to flicker. Eliam and Eibhilin exchanged worried glances.

"Even if the opponent is Destruction himself... I cannot let this happen. The Light will not die!"

Illumin's wings spread, and then everything exploded.

For one terrifying moment, he was sure that it was Destruction's swift retribution for his treasonous words, but no... Destruction's anger would never be so warm, so bright. The paper shades of the lanterns were shredding away, burning as pure white light tumbled unadulterated from the bulbs within, drawn to Illumin like metal to a magnet. After a moment, the bulbs began to shatter under the strain, popping one by one.

The light swirled and buzzed around Illumin, a living sea, the moths floating ecstatically upon it. It surrounded him, filling him up from the outside in -

- and something inside, some little thing, the last barrier between part-human and reborn god, gave way and snapped.

The light rushed in.

Illumin fell to his knees on the dais as the light poured over him, singing its own song - how could he not have heard it before? how could he have been so deaf? - crying in esctacy at the true discovery of its master. Illumin cried out, too - first in joy at the wonder of it, then in pain as the light swirled around his wings and clung to the edges, then melded in painfully in a surge of new growth. It crawled through him, catching hold of the divine nature beneath the human form and washing the mortal flesh away, and that newly-freed divinity consumed everything human that was left.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity - the cocoon of swirling light broke away, leaving Illumin glowing, sweating, panting... and different. He could tell immediately, the feeling of ecstacy pounding through every part of him.

"Radiance!" He felt the hands of his Aoidei on either side as they rushed to him, but he waved them away and stood, shakily, on his own. There was glass all over the floor, and bits of scorched paper; the scent of burning warred with the fumes from the lava now. But it was a cleaner burning, much better than the ash that coated his throat every time he went out - a burning he thought Byrne would understand.

He cupped his hands, and a blazing globe of light formed between them effortlessly - born out of nothing but his own will, as his own glow stayed steady and strong around him.

Illumin bent his head to kiss it, then, and released it. The light rose up into the garden and then higher, higher, higher, until it was indistinguishable from the stars...

And then burst, a single, sudden firework against the bruised sky. A single flare of light.

"Let the world know that Light has been reborn," he hissed, fiercely, before the sky swam in front of his blurring vision and he collapsed into the waiting arms of his servants.

 

[Sosiqui]

The Temple in the Forest; or, Illumin Discovers Ea's 'Hidden' Depths

Perri Indiya

There were babies. Orin was okay with the quiet, herbalistically inclined sort of child, who either entertained himself or politely watch the gardener go about his work, but he doubt either of the Hunt's daughters were going to be anything like that. They were cute enough now, all shell-shocked from suddenly existing and so calm and tired, but even now they were already pulling on his tail and trying to puzzle him out. He did not want to be investigated, least of all by goddesses. He was going to have to find a lot of landscaping to do.

Trotting home from Beryl's temple through the great forest, the wolfman took some time to run down a deer, eat his fill, and shoulder the rest of the carcas to bring home. They were rare enough in these dark days that you took down big game when you could find it. It slowed him down, but his master would appreciate it.

Sosiqui

Illumin was lost.

Well, not precisely lost; he knew Eamnonn lived somewhere in this forest, but he wasn't sure exactly where. His newfound ability to fly made things faster, but there was no way he could track the Hunt, and it was dangerous to fly very fast among the trees.

At least he was enjoying himself - being outside somewhere still green and alive was a wonderful treat, even if he had started out by nearly crashing in a meadow until he'd figured out the way of wings.

Flapping lazily, Illumin realized there was movement to the side, and canted his flight that direction. Surprisingly, the figure was humanoid and not an animal; Illumin carefully slowed down with the intention of landing nearby and asking a question.

Ten feet above the ground, Illumin realized he didn't know how to land.

"OUCH!" The freshly reborn God of Light tumbled into a bush.

Perri Indiya

"Gah!" Orin yelped, dropping the deer carcass and leaping to the side as fast as his legs would carry him. What the hell was that? A giant glowing butterfly that couldn't land properly? Probably not, but... well, the Hunt and the Wind had just had kids, hadn't they? Clearly, stranger things had happened. It has said ouch, though.

"Hello?" the gardener said, inching up the thing's crash spot on all fours, ready to flee if necesarry.

Sosiqui

"Bloody... ouch!" Illumin struggled ungracefully out of the bush. Fortunately it hadn't been a thornbush; even more fortunately, none of the branches had punctured his wings. He could feel the scratches all over, though, and the formerly gauzy bell sleeves on his arms were a total loss. At least the rest of his clothing had survived enough for decency, only ripping near the hem.

Illumin sighed and tried to be dignified, as if nothing had happened. Despite his discomfiture, light did come to gather around him lazily, and a few moths emerged from the surroundings to flap curiously at him. "I am Illumin. Do you know, ah, Eamnonn? The Hunt?"

Perri Indiya

The wolfman leaped back at the god's emergence from the bush, having to remind himself to stand on two legs instead of four, and not to growl. Think human thoughts, not wolf thoughts. Human thoughts. Huuuummmmaaaaannnn... ah, much better. Judging from the lights and the wings this was another god. Calling Ea 'the Hunt' hinted at it too.

"I'm his gardener. Are you looking for him?"

Sosiqui

"I am. All I know is that he lives in this forest... which is larger than I thought," Illumin admitted. He brushed self-conciously at his clothing, shaking off bits of twig and leaves, then moving to wad up and tuck away the sad remains of the gauzy sleeves. He'd have to get Eibhilin to make up some more when he returned.

Perri Indiya

Orin hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should lead this other god to his master. Normally he wouldn't have worried too much, but with the kids around Ea was a little distracted. He glanced over the other man again. Eh. He wasn't too threatening.

"I'm heading back home now anyway, so you're welcome to come with me if you'd like."

Sosiqui

"Thank you, I'd appreciate it," Illumin said, gratefully.

For a moment, he pondered jumping back into the air to follow the servant - then decided against it. There wasn't a whole lot of light under the trees, making it harder for him to fly anyway... and he really, really didn't want to repeat his performance of tumbling into the scenery.

Perri Indiya

The gardener nodded, hefting the deer onto his shoulder again and starting off in the direction of the temple. Were all gods against shirts?

"I'm Orin, by the way."

Sosiqui

"Orin," Illumin repeated, with a nod. "I didn't know the Hunt had servants. Where are we going?" He looked around as they walked, but saw only trees, trees, and more trees.

Perri Indiya

"He has two, not counting his human followers. I think they get classified as something else." Apparently, this god did not introduce himself. Rounding the large oak Eamnonn liked to crouch in the branches of, the wolfman pointed ahead where the treeline began to thin."

"To the Temple of the Hunt, like you asked."

Sosiqui

Illumin looked surprised. Followers? Temple? Clearly, Eamnonn was not so simplistic and wild as he appeared. "Ah... I had no idea he had one," he said, quickly, trying to cover up his surprise... it could be seen as insulting, if he wasn't careful.

Perri Indiya

"Yeah, it went up pretty fast. When enough people get together and put their minds to something, things just get done."

Orin stepped through the thin tree line and into the areas cleared of trees around the temple, smiling up at the large log front. Eben wasn't out in his chair on the wide deck sewing, which suited the wolfman just fine. He wasn't overly keen on the other servant, who seemed in constant disapproval of him being part beast. "Here it is, home sweet home."

Sosiqui

Illumin stared at the complex, his opinion of Eamnonn going up a notch. Oh, he'd appreciated the god's talents and skill in his art before, but he hadn't known the Hunt had it in him to be... well... organized. "Very impressive," he acknowledged, with a nod. "Where can I find Eamnonn himself?"

Perri Indiya

"Inside with Caolan, I expect. This way." Orin said, walking through the large main door, which already stood open. He nodded to a young human girl who was exchanging slippers for hiking boots. "Hello Loraleen. Where's Ea?"

"In the fire room with my dad and the little one." she said, bobbing in a quick bow to Illumin, recognizing him as a god of some sort.

Sosiqui

Illumin looked curiously at the temple, and even more so at the humans around. So this was what it was like...

His heart beat a little faster, as if in anticipation. Already the Hunt had this place and these people behind him. Soon... very soon... perhaps Illumin himself could begin calling humans to him once again.

Illumin nodded back to Loraleen, then gave Orin a look. "Caolin? Another follower?"

Perri Indiya

Loraleen and Orin exchanged a look, with her grinning and shaking her head as she ran out the door. "Nice to meet you!" she called over her shoulder, disappearing outside.

"Here, I'll show you to the fire room. This beast has to go there to be cooked anyway." the wolfman said, leading the way through more doors and a large, comfortable looking den where a few more humans sat on couches. Passing them, he stepped into the large, earthen vault carved out of the hillside. Light filtered down from the open skylight in the ceiling, and a little heat came from the small campfire in the center. The Hunt was sitting on one of the big logs by the fire pit made to hold a much bigger bonfire, flanked by Eben the aiode on one side and Jerry the middle-aged human on the other.

"There he is."

Sosiqui

Illumin stopped in the doorway of the massive room to just stare for a moment, surprised by the sheer size of the place. It was a temple, truly - but one uniquely suited to the Hunt. He wouldn't be happy here at all - far too few windows for his taste - but the entire place radiated Eamnnon. As if in response to the darkness, his own glow increased, and some of the light from the fire began to trail in his direction.

Quickly, he remembered to thank Orin, and turned to incline his head slightly at the servant. "Thank you very much," he said, before turning to walk towards the group by the fire. "Quiet a place you've made for yourself here, Eamnonn," he called out, raising his voice as he strode towards them. "I'm impressed."

Perri Indiya

Orin chuckled, shaking his head over this new god. He liked his better. Striding past the glowing one, he dropped the deer off with Eamnonn and disappeared before his tail could be grabbed.


The Hunt turned, seeing a glowing god with butterfly wings. "Illumin! How are you?"

Sosiqui

Illumin grinned as he approached the fire, and stood for a moment with arms akimbo. The light from the flames wafted towards him, twining around him gently. "Much improved, I think you'll find... which is what I wanted to speak with you about. But I was looking for a wild god in the forest, and found this instead." He gestured to indicate the temple, and raised one eyebrow. "Truly, you are full of surprises."

Perri Indiya

"As are you. Has little light grown up?" the Hunt said with a smile, waving to the youth who sat sewing on his left to move so that Illumin could sit next to him. The child in his lap watched this new arrival with alert gray eyes, as if trying to learn how he was able to glow.

Sosiqui

Illumin frowned a bit at the teasing, then moved to sit where Ea had indicated once the human had moved. "You could say that. Things have changed, though I'm not sure what prompted it - but Light has been reborn," he said, soberly. "Perhaps it's because of the gathering darkness..."

He tilted his head at the child then, confused. At first he'd thought it to be the child of one of the Hunt's followers, but it didn't feel right... "Who is this, then?" The confusion was plain on his face.

Perri Indiya

Eamnonn beamed with fatherly pride, lifting the child up so she and Light could get a better look at each other. "This is my daughter, Caolan. Her sister Tera-Ilana is with Beryl. They only came last night, so we have no idea what they rule over, but I'm sure that will figure itself out in time."

The little goddess looked Illumin over, as if memorizing his appearance. Then she reached out her hands towards him, grabbing at his aura.

Sosiqui

Illumin blinked again, looking dumbly at the child - then threw back his head and began to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. "So, in seeking a feral lord in the forest - I instead find you with servants, followers, a temple... and a child? So many surprises. You don't have anything else hiding in the closet, perhaps?" He tilted his head to one side with a grin.

Still, it was heartening to see everything going so well. Perhaps it was possible to escape Destruction's pall. "The child is lovely," he said, after a moment, flicking his fingers and sending tendrils of light to twine lightly around her arms. "May she dwell always in light," he added, feeling it appropriate. It couldn't hurt to bring the child up right, after all.

Perri Indiya

He cocked his head, not understanding the question. "There's a weapons and a meat closet. Other than that I don't really have any..." The Hunt shrugged, putting his daughter back in his lap and kissing her head. "And as for the civilization, well, you can blame Beryl for starting that."

Caolan waved her arms, cooing silently as the light moved with her. What fun tricks! She pouted when her father moved her away from the other god, turning in his arms to poke at his chest to show her displeasure.

Sosiqui

"Beryl, is it? Well... perhaps now that she is herself a mother..." Illumin trailed off. While he had grown to respect Beryl more after the battle with Lucius, her tendency to try and manage everything, mother everything, still rankled. Still, it was not at all diplomatic to say as much to her lover. "It will do her good," he said, finally. It wasn't a lie, he just hoped it would do her good in ways that would least irritate him.

Illumin guided more light to swirl pleasantly around the dark-skinned child. "She takes after her mother, I take it," he said, though he tilted his head at her. Something about the babe was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Perri Indiya

"Maybe she'll be distracted enough by her children to leave everyone else to live their lives? Yeah, here's hoping." the Hunt said with a chuckle. "My mate does tend to think she knows best for everyone. She means well. And this little one is just curious and doesn't like me getting in the way of her exploring."

She leaned back to look at the ball of light, pursing her lips in a futile attempt to blow it away. When the mote didn't react to her lack of breath her brow creased with confusion, and she tapped her father's chest again to ask for his help.

Sosiqui

Illumin flushed a bit at Eamnonn's accurate reckoning of his thoughts, and turned his attention to the child to hide his reaction. "... wait, I see... she's not breathing. How odd for a child of Wind..." He leaned down and peered closely at the little one, noting the blue lips and the odd bruise-like mottling around her neck. There was no way Beryl or Eamnonn would do such a thing, nor tolerate such action for long enough for any damage to occur - so they must be natural. How odd, indeed.

But bruises on blue reminded Illumin of the livid sky, and he frowned. Illumin moved to sit up, regarding the Hunt more seriously now. "But now that I've ascended further, I have more things I can do... and more things to think about." He took a deep breath.

"What do you think about... all that?" He gestured up, towards the sky beyond the earthworks. "What Destruction has wrought and will continue to do if left unchecked?"

Perri Indiya

He smiled, blowing on the light for his daughter. "She was born not breathing and has yet to learn how. She watches me, but she doesn't really understand it."

The mention of the outside made his arms tighten around the child, as if she were going to be taken away. When he spoke, all jest had drained from his voice. "I have already volunteered to be Kishara's guard when she goes to speak to Harmodious. Hopefully I'll return to my family afterwards."

Caolan clapped her hands at the dancing light and snuggled up to her father to watch it and the fire. So far, life was going well.

Sosiqui

Illumin felt a small pang of guilt at bringing the real world into this place, but surely Eamnonn knew as well as he that no walls could stand before the power of Destruction, only obscure it from view. "Kishara? The name is not familiar to me."

He hesitated, though a slight smile appeared on his face as he watched the movements of the breathless child. "Are you familiar with what happened to Byrne?"

Perri Indiya

"Gaia, goddess of the Earth. In a past life I think she was Harmodious' consort. She blames herself for letting things go this far, and I have a hard time standing by and letting another walk alone into the dragon's lair." Eamnonn explained, smoothing his daughter's unruly red hair. "As for Byrne, all I have seen of him is that he is not his usual, cheerful self."

The child's eyelids drooped, the warmth of the fire and the excitment of the day combining to lull her to sleep.

Sosiqui

"Ah..." Illumin paused, trying to remember what he'd read. "That is correct, if the story I found in an old book in Gianfar's library speaks truly, and I believe it does. It spoke of Gaia, and Void who became Creation and then Destruction..." He shook his head. "And balance. So Kishara is the name she bears now - I thought I'd heard of her rebirth, vaguely. I had thought to seek her out and ask her myself, but it seems I am late in coming." He smiled, wryly. "As for Byrne... I have some small suspicion of what happened, and that Destruction is at the root of it."

"For what it matters... I wish you both luck." Illumin shook his head. "I can probably find the book again, if you wish to read it. And, there is also this..." The god removed a cube from the pouch at his side, his hands moving over it swiftly in a clear pattern. After a moment, it clicked and slid apart, unfolding up into a tablet with words written on it in bright script. He held it out to Eamnonn.

"I found this in the library as well, written in the most ancient tongue of the Pantheon itself..."

Perri Indiya

The Hunt reached up to grasp the strange object with a free hand, looking it over curiously. "That's a neat trick. What is it?"

Sosiqui

"It's a puzzle box, apparently created by a race called the Grigori to hide their secrets... it took me quite some time to figure it out, nearly a week." Illumin made a face, and handed the tablet over. "Since the writing is in the divine tongue, you should be able to read it after a moment's study, as I could, but... it speaks of these Grigori as a people who rejected the rule of the gods... and Harmdious sent his mortal lover Aristogeiton, the one Panacea seeks even now to bring balance back to Destruction, to lead the godless ones to a realm called the Ashlands. Do you know it?"

Illumin paused, then, "I was hoping, perhaps, that in following the trail of Aristogeiton I might be able to further his rediscovery, for whatever good it may do us all."

Perri Indiya

He looked curiously at the writing, watching it shimmer into something he could understand after a moment. Neat! "Grigori huh? I think my host read about them once. Something all religious and possibly christian. She went through a lot of mythology. I could look at her old books for you and see what I find."

At the mention of looking for someone, Eamnonn's ears pricked. "Going on a hunt?"

Sosiqui

Illumin grinned. "I thought that might pique your interest. Yes, it may be a hunt of a kind... though I haven't decided if I ought to try and find this place or not. All I have to go on is a name... and that list of names, there." He pointed at the bottom of a tablet. "Apparently, those are some of the people Aristogeiton led. No doubt long-dead, but..."

He shook his head, slightly. "I'm not sure if it will do any good, but I can't do nothing any more."

Perri Indiya

Eamnonn nodded, looking over the list. They were a strange list, and he didn't recognize a single one. "I have no idea who they are, but again, I can check my host's books."

"Now that, I understand. That's why I volunteered to go with Kish- Gaia. If I do nothing, there won't be anything left for my daughters."

"Grigori?" asked Jerry, Ea's head human acolyte. "Those are a choir of angels. The watchers, as I recall."

Sosiqui

"Angels?" Illumin frowned. "Those are kind of like Aoidei, right? Why would creatures like that reject the gods? They of all should know... ah, this is confusing. But any knowledge you have on the subject would be welcome. I haven't had a chance to properly research it yet - I had to sleep after finally solving the damned puzzle, and then...." Illumin shrugged, then gestured at himself. "Things changed."

Perri Indiya

The Hunt sat back, waving to the man to continue since he had very little idea what the two of them were talking about.

"I don't know much about aiode, but the grigori were a group of angels - beings made by God to serve him and help him look after everything with no free will and such - led by a guy named rebellion who was supposed to be the lord's right-hand-man but fell out of God's grace for his pride. Lust, pride, and other mortal sins were felt by the grigori, and they were no longer happy to serve their maker, wanting to be like the humans they watched. There was some interbreeding and teaching people bad secrets, and God got mad. He sent his head seraphim - another type of angel - to make the grigori fight each other. After that they got cast into a valley of darkness for all eternity. The Old Testament is like that."

Eamnonn whistled quietly, impressed. "And after a story like that you decided to believe in me?"

Jerry chuckled. "Christianity has a lot of stories. You're actually here and a decent guy."

Sosiqui

Illumin's frown deepened. "Then how does Aristogeiton come into it? Harmodius sent him, but he's no angelic being... just a mortal deeply loved." He threw up his hands. "Ah, it's too confusing! You mortals and your myth-twisting all about until I can hardly tell what it means..." He did wink at Jerry, though, to show he was kidding.

Mostly.

But if all he could get were human myths warped by time and many retellings, that wasn't going to help at all. "The Ashlands. Do you know anything about that?"

Perri Indiya

The human shook his head. "Never heard of them, although the Bible has a wasteland it talks about when Adam and Eve get cast out of Eden. If I was going to to say what it sounded like outside of the myth, though, I'd go looking for a place ear a volcano."


Eamnonn tilted his head, flipping through Perri's memories. "Like Pompeii?"

"If that's a place a volcano belched ash all over, then yes."

Sosiqui

"Near a volcano?" Illumin laughed, but there was no mirth in the sound. "Perhaps they're in the gardens around the shop, it's close enough. But... enough of this dim talk," he said, wryly. "I will be glad to accept your aid in this hunt, Eamnonn, but place your duties for Kishara first of all... I will watch, perhaps, and do what I can. I do not wish to set myself in direct opposition to Destruction, but if this madness continues much more..." His voice trailed off.

"But, there is hope to think about. Your temple here, your followers, this little one..." He gestured at Caolin. "My own ascension continues. There is much we can still do."

Perri Indiya

The Hunt nodded, smiling and holding out a hand. "It was good to see you again, Illumin, especially in this state. I'm glad we're all growing."

His daughter pulled a hand up to her mouth, sucking her thumb as she slept. "I hope at some point to impose upon you to play with Caolan - meeting the other gods will be good for her and her sister."

Sosiqui

Illumin reached out and shook. "I had hoped to show you some of the new tricks I can do, perhaps with an eye towards training further... but this doesn't seem the time, not with the little one about." He eyed Caolin uncertainly, though, when Eamnonn mentioned playing with her.

"I've, er, never really... done anything with a child before..."

Perri Indiya

"I look forward to seeing what you can do. We'll figure out a time, and Caolan can either stay with her mother or be looked after by my people."

The expression of apprehension on Illumin's face was priceless, and Eamnonn did his best to stifle his laughter so as not wake his daughter. "I promise, you won't have to do it unsupervised, and we can wait till she's older if you like. Just do what you were doing before and let her explore - all she seems to want to do is learn things."

Sosiqui

"I suppose so," Illumin said, with a sigh and a grin. "Best to get them started off on the right foot, after all." And having young godlings aligned to view Light favorably would do no harm at all.

With that, Illumin rose. "It has been good to see you, but I think I will leave you and yours and fly home.. and hopefully land there with better luck than I had here," he added, ruefully.

Perri Indiya

"Fly well, Light. It took me a while to learn how to land - I found landing in the low branches of a tree easier than the ground at first." The Hunt said with a wry smile, having figured out where Illumin's ripped hem came from. "You are always welcome here. I'll see what I can find in my host's texts."

Sosiqui

"A tree... hmm. Well, I'll figure something out, even if it's another soft bush." Illumin winced, then smiled. "Thank you, Hunt. I wish you and your followers well."

With that, Illumin jumped into the air - while his entry had been undramatic, now it was time to show off a little. Light gathered on the edges of his wings, seeming to make them larger. With a few flaps, he was spiraling up into the air above the fire pit, the light from the flames trailing after him in an odd sort of contrail.

The light from above and below made it ridiculously easy. Laughing, Illumin spiraled up and flew through the skylight above, with a cheery wave to Eamnonn and Caolin as he did so.

A good exit.

Now if only he could land properly once he got back...

 

[Sosiqui]

A Reconciliation; Illumin Meets With Beryl and Tera-Ilana

Draconayzia

A patter of little feet against bare stone and a peal of laughter met Beryl's ears. Hazily she lifted up from where she was lounging and watched as her daughter chased after a bright butterfly. And when it escaped her grasp, Ilmarinen's robes again.

"Oh for..." Making a show of grumbling and trying to keep out of reach the protests sounded surprisingly endearing.

Beryl had to smirk.

Sosiqui

Illumin had to admit that Beryl's temple was quite easy to reach, and enjoyable to fly to. The winds seemed to guide him gently, flowing pleasantly under his wings as he flew.

And, really, the scenery wasn't half bad. When it was his turn to think about such things... hmm. Where would be best for a temple of his own? A mountaintop like this one? Not a forest, the trees were lovely but cast too much shadow. Hmm...

Soon he spotted the building, and spiraled down to land in the courtyard, seeing some movement there - and, yes, there was a familiar blue-tinted figure. He had been sure to practice after his horrible landing at Eamnonn's temple, so this time Illumin landed with a bit more grace, only stumbling a little on the stones.

"Good day, Beryl," he said, formally, half-bowing to her. He wasn't sure why she'd sent one of her servants to request his presence, but he could always leave if she decided to be more irritating than interesting.

Draconayzia

Beryl looked up, a triffle doze confused before she smiled. "Hello Illumin. I'd like you to meet someone."

Still smiling she got up from her perch and streched, walking over to the aoide who was kneeling on the ground and trying to look put out. He wasn't doing a very good job of it.

Sosiqui

Illumin raised one eyebrow but followed. "Let me guess - is this about your child? I visited Eamnonn the other day and met young Caolin. An interesting child..."

Inwardly, he grumped a bit. He'd flown, and grown, and generally become superior in every way to his previous state... and she hadn't noticed?!

Draconayzia

Beryl was chuckling softly as she picked up the little green girl from in front of Ilmarinen. He looked a triffle relieved.

When she turned to look at him Tera gave a happy laugh. That woke the last of Beryl's senses. "My, I apologize. You seem to have grown. And quite nicely."

A sincere smile lit her face as she brought her daughter closer to Illumin. "Light, this is Tera-Ilana." The girl laughed and reached towards him. He was like a giant firefly! And those wings!

Sosiqui

Illumin preened a bit at the realization, straightening up completely and fanning his wings wide, only encouraged by the little goddess. "It was only a few days ago, but I am learning the ways of the new shape... and I thought things changed after merging with my host's soul!" He shook his head and grinned, pleased with himself. "If nothing else, it makes traveling much easier. I would not have wanted to walk to your temple."

The god peered at Tera-Ilana. "Hello there. Ah, you breathe... good to know." Again, he wasn't entirely sure what to do with the child, but she seemed responsive enough.

Draconayzia

"Well it suits you. And I must say, your hair color is quite fetching." Chuckling she brought the little goddess within reach of Illumin.

"Just hold her like I am, she can rest against your hip. And no worries about tugging. She's very delicate with wings. And scales come to think of it."

The greenling peered up, clapping her hands and cooing.

Sosiqui

Illumin stared. "You want me to HOLD her?" He took a step back. "No... I'd better not, I might break her or something."

The child was imposing enough as it was. The child with Beryl waiting behind, a constant threat... no. Definitely not!

Draconayzia

Seeing the pretty thing move away and feeling her mother pull back a bit the little face crumpled. The little hawks wings tucked tight against her back and she turned and sniffled ito her mother's side.

Beryl's expression became decidedly less pleaseant. "Illumin, she's a baby, yes, but not stupid. Come sit on the blanket with us then and just let her crawl around. But don't you dare do that to her again."

Whispering and cooing to her child she walked over to where a bright blanket was spread over the stones of the patio, a few choice stuffed toys thrown about.

Tera, or her wings, decided to see if she could turn invisible by not looking at the pretty who didn't want her to be close.

Sosiqui

"Do what?" Illumin replied, confused, as he followed. "I was simply worried about the child's welfare. I certainly don't want to drop her, and since I'm inexperienced in holding a child... there's a chance I might. Concern, not offense." He raised one eyebrow at her, then turned to the young goddess. "But if we're on the ground you can hardly fall, can you?"

He sat down with a jovial expression that didn't exactly match how he felt, inwardly bristling. Was there nothing she couldn't criticize? Maybe coming here was a bad idea. He and Beryl seemed to get along better from a distance, and while he didn't want to antagonize her, there was only so much he could put up with.

Draconayzia

"I can understand that. But she can't. She thinks you don't want to be near her because of how you moved back. Just... please think before acting next time." Taking a corner of the blanket she dabbed away the tears on Tera's face until she looked up.

Giving her daughter a calm smile she handed her a toy, a little stuffed bird, and pointed at Illumin. Pale green eyes went wide. She looked to her mother who gave her a gentle shove with her wings.

Slowly the little godess crawled out of her mother's lap and closer to the other god. She made sure to stop a little ways away and clutching the bird like a lifeline, still not sure.

Sosiqui

Illumin forced down the sarcastic response that darted through his brain - how odd, such things had been coming to him far too easily since the merging. Perhaps a 'gift' from his host? Either way, it was something to watch carefully lest he get himself in trouble.

He nodded once to Beryl instead, then turned his attention back to the godling. "It's okay, see?" he said, awkwardly. Remembering how Memi had loved his wings, he spread them carefully, and subtly enhanced the glow around them so that they gleamed like stained glass.

"Is this why you asked me to come here?" he asked Beryl, not turning his gaze from Tera-Ilana as he spoke. "To meet the little one?"

Draconayzia

"Partially."

Slowly, looking to her mother for confirmation, she reached out and gently touched the trailing edge of a wing. It was almost not there!

Little eyes widened. Keeping a firm grip on her bird she scooched a bit closer to see the pretty wings better.

Beryl gave him another smile, this one partially apologetic. "Thank you. And... I apologize for my tone. I'm just very, very protective of my family."

Sosiqui

"I had noticed," Illumin said, wryly, but smiled to soften it. "Had I known she would react so, I would not have stepped back, but I am... not yet at ease around young things. It was the same with Caolan, but she enjoyed the lights and sat well in Ea's lap."

Remembering that, Illumin spun several wisps of light out of the air, sending them to dance pleasantly around Tera-Ilana, coiling warmly around her wings and sliding past her skin.

"They are lovely children, truly," Illumin added, and meant it. "With new things such as this coming into the world... it gives me some hope." He glanced up quickly at the sky. "Destruction cannot rule all; Creation's seeds remain."

Draconayzia

"I understand. The others were eager and Kaelin seemed loathe to let go. I assumed. And I was wrong." Her face grew warmer at the news of Caolan and Eamnonn.

"I shall have to have them come back here soon. The twins need to know what they are to each other. And I miss my little one."

Tera's mouth opened in soft surprise at the lights winding around her wings. The little apendages moved a bit, seeing if the lights followed them. Beryl chuckled.

"If there's one thing that's readily apparent, Tera has an appretiation for beautiful things. If you are careful, and would like to, you can slide her into your lap. She likes to 'nest' when meeting someone." Her smile stayed warm even if she was troubled. Worry could come for a bit later.

"Thank you, truely."

Sosiqui

Illumin felt a sudden spark of gratification when Beryl admitted her error - but did not let it reflect on his features. Pettiness does not become Light Reborn... however satisfying it might be. "So you asked for me partially for the child... and what would the other part be?" he asked, tilting his head in her direction before directing the warm curls of light to form into a soft, low-intensity orb that bobbed in front of Tera-Ilana, as if inviting her to touch.

Draconayzia

"Partially.... well a bit selfishly I wanted to know you better as an individual." The godess was staring at the sky and not her fellow among the pantheon.

"I thought I knew my bro... Lucius. And look how wrong I was. I don't want that to happen again. Even if it's just knowing someone as a 'coworker' I thnk was the term. It's better than assumptions and subterfuge." She offered a small, hopeful look his way.

Tera stared at the orb, reaching out with her free hand. Not to grab, somehow she was just instinctive not to grab, but to touch and see if the light would let her.

Sosiqui

"Lucius." Illumin's smile faltered and fell into a frown, though he made sure to turn towards Beryl and keep the pretty lights dancing, just in case he offended the child and Beryl by extension. "Destruction has punished him, and I can't say I was displeased... he always seemed to bear a grudge against me, jealousy. Harmodius kissed me once, when I was still a jewel and barely in control of my host, barely... and while that would seem a bad reason to hate, when we see what else his 'love' drove him to... I cannot forgive what he has done." The statement was simple, without anger. "I have not seen him, as I do not care to seek him out."

The light-orb, meanwhile, stayed in place for Tera-Ilana's touch, but of course since it was light it was not solid. Light alone could truly touch his element.

Draconayzia

"I have seen him only once. And I was still battered then. I have not seen him since." Seeing the care Light was taking not to upset Tera Beryl gave a small nod in thanks.

Tera was puzzled by the light that could be seen but not touched. Her hand stayed within it, puzzling at the glow. Moments later a happy little gurgle came from her and a smile on her face.

Beryl looked at them and chuckled softly. "I think you've been forgiven."

Sosiqui

Illumin turned back to Tera-Ilana and smiled at what he saw... no, surely it couldn't help for them to know that Light was beneficial... "Light brings joy wherever it is seen," he said, simply, though he flicked his fingers and made the light dance, splitting it up into multiple orbs and imbuing each with a different color of the spectrum. "Since my merging and then my true rebirth, my powers have increased... there are other things, things that would have been useful to have at that battle, but I will not demonstrate them in front of the child. Light can hurt as well as bless, but she does not need to know that yet."

Draconayzia

"Both are true. And thank you for making her smile."

She watched content as Tera cooed at the dancing lights, little wings fluttering as she reached for them.

Sosiqui

Illumin smiled, then pondered. "Beryl... I recently came across a certain artifact. I do not have it here, but it was written in the ancient tongue of the Pantheon, by Harmodius' hand. It spoke of a race who rejected the guidance of the gods, the Grigori.... have you heard of them, ever, in your travels?"

Draconayzia

"I might have. I might hear more. If you're willing to give me some time I can listen to whispers." A faint mischevious smile moved across her face. "One of the perks of being the air itself on occasion is that all whispers find me if I search. The same is true for Melanctha, though through shadows. Give me a phrase or a sound to listen for and I will try to help."

Tera had seemed to take advantage of Illumin's distraction, wobbling up and tumbling lightly into his lap.

Sosiqui

"... Shadows?" Illumin wanted to ask more, but... "No, nevermind. Let's not ruin the mood, not when things are going so well. We can speak of that some other time."

He blinked, then, as the goddess tumbled into his lap. "Well, hello there." Illumin patted gingerly at her, still not entirely sure what to do with the little one. "In any case, any information you can come by would be most welcome," he added, in Beryl's direction. "The Grigori are connected to Aristogeiton."

Draconayzia

"True enough. I will help if I can." She filed away the name for later use as she watched Light watching little Tera.

The youngling, seeing the confused look on Illumin's face quirked an eyebrow. Looking to his face, her bird and then back again tiny arms held up the toy with a smile on her face. Maybe he just didn't know it was ok play?

Sosiqui

Illumin paused. "Also.. if it comes within your hearing, about any treacherous Aoidei... ascended unto demigods, bloated on stolen worship... let me know." The last came out as a sort of growl, and he quickly accepted the toy bird from the little goddess and zoomed it around in a quick, panicked movement so that Tera-Ilana would not be afraid. Light contrailed after the toy's movements.

Draconayzia

"That I will, I promise."

She watched, bemused as Tera's eyes went wide as she tried to follow the light trail from the bird, wings twitching reflexively.

Eventually she over balanced and flopped down on her back in Illumin's lap looking dizzy.

 

[Sosiqui]

Quest - Part Six: Those Who Would Hunt Knowledge

Perri Indiya

Why? Why had Perri liked books so much? They weren't useful for anything except for starting fires or wiping your bum, and yet that fool woman had been bloody enamored of them. She treated them like treasured guests, piling them on exspensive shelves and seeing to their every need. Too hot? Too cold? Too humid? Oh goodness Mr. Book, let me fix that for you! What, me? No no, don't worry about my comfort. It's all about you! In exchange, she said, they'd given her knowledge. Knowledge! Ha! There was an out-and-out lie for the ages! Books contained nothing but dust, mold, and frustration. Knowledge. Yes, she would think that, wouldn't she? Her and her hoity-toity researching ways...

Despite his utter anger at the tome in his hands, the Hunt merely fumed and snarled at it before slamming it down on the 'read' pile to his left, instead of tearing it to microscopic pieces like he wanted to. Goddamnit! Some piece of his infuriating host was still in him, deep down, and it was getting in the way of his attempt to relieve stress. It was also coloring his swears again.

"This is pointless. I can't even read most of these!"

Sosiqui

"Be gentle to the books," Illumin said automatically - how many times had he said that, over the course of this interminable day? It was reflex now; he didn't even half to look anymore. Book noise, response, lather, rinse, repeat. "They won't do us any good if they're cracked... not that they're doing us any good NOW..."

Illumin flicked through another book, the edges of the paper flaking lightly on his fingers. The dust of old books coated the back of his throat, nearly as thick as the ash from the ex-gardens did when he ventured out there. True, the glut of old books was better than that of lava, but... not much. Not much.

What were they even looking for? Significance? Something useful? "Didn't you say you had some kind of follower for this? Some information-hunter-servant? Why can't we set them on it and leave them until they perform their duty, as is right for followers and gods?" Illumin's brow furrowed in Ea's direction. He was tired of this, and by the look of things they weren't anywhere near done.

Really, he wouldn't bother - but what else was there to do? Sit in his room and stew? No. This was, if nothing else, marginally better than THAT.

Perri Indiya

"I said my host used to do this. She would be cackling with glee if we turned her out on this place. If she weren't rather dead, anyway." Eamnonn said, having to pause long enough to squelch the urge to either punch through a bookshelf or turn his ire on Illumin. "Servant and follower-wise I have a gardener, a huffy lady's maid, a bunch of hunters, an animal wrangler, and a weapons master. They aren't exactly scholars."

Because damn it, he didn't like scholars. They were quiet and mousey most of the time, which meant they were easy not to notice and faded into the background. At least the dun, loseable type of bookworm hid what they all really were deep down inside were no one had to deal with it. The rest of them, on the other hand, deserved to be shot. In the end, what a scholar truly was, was a p***k. Someone who couldn't think of anything useful to do with their lives so they decided to pretend they knew everything instead. Yay. The world desperately needed more of those. Writing and reading all day didn't feed or clothe or help anyone but yourself, and certainly didn't earn you the right to stick your nose up in the air. Just like glowing on a pedestal didn't make you better than one of the more 'pedestrian' gods.

The Hunt picked up a fresh book and flipped through it, inordinately glad to find it written in English, something he could read through Perri. Every few pages he glanced up at the other god's back and did his best not to grind down his teeth. He may not have ever genuinely liked Illumin - they didn't hang out much, after all - but he certainly had never disliked him prior to his growing. He'd been classified as "younger than me" in Ea's brain, and so got his rough edges excused and forgiven. The green god had been in that awkward in-between stage too, and having a bad reaction to it was practically expected. And then Harmodious had gone to hell, and Illumin had asked to be taught in ways the Hunt just sort of knew rather than trained for, and he'd been a fairly decent pupil at it. But he'd grown, and the attitude had solidified into how he interacted with the world. Not that Light ever said anything of course, but Eamnonn could feel his... distaste... with how the older god conducted his business. The Hunt prefered to do things himself, although he did certainly deligate, but he was not one to stay aloof and seperate from his followers. He did not enjoying being pampered or served. For this, Illumin seemed to look down on him. The fact that he was practically lost in this sea of books didn't help.

He'd hoped he could track down people for Illumin, who were then capable of tracking down other things. Eamnonn was a god of substance and life, and a library was too far removed from those who had created and filled it for him to get his bearing. As far as he was concerned, all books smelled alike. How could you track of that? Still, he had offered to help because it needed to be done, just as he had escorted Kishara in front of their lord before. He was not one to know his place in this game of thrones, but he was a faithful soldier and could give aid when he saw it was needed. He was trying to be helpful, damn it! Even if he wasn't really helping anything. The other god could be polite enough to keep his prissy I-know-what-books-are-for-and-you-don't mentality to himself!

Eamnonn bit his tongue until it bled and kept reading. Fuming was not useful. It would not get Harmodious balanced - well, not that they were actually trying to do that, were they? They were trying to unbalance him in their favor. A real long-term plan of action this was. Not that he wasn't for it too since he wanted his daughters to get the chance to grow up before this happened again, but honestly, if they wanted stability this didn't strike him as the way to go - nor help him find anything. Not that he was going to find anything because he was just an illiterate bumpkin who could do naught but kill things. Although any bumpkin who used the word 'naught' correctly in a sentence probably wasn't all that stupid. He glanced at the page in front of him again, and started to laugh.

"Do we need to know anything about quiches?"

Sosiqui

"... Quiches? Can we feed one to Destruction, cram it down his lordly black throat, and find 'the colors' again at the bottom?" Illumin said, grumpily.. but he did stick a smile on the end. This wasn't Ea's fault, it was Destruction's fault. All Destruction's fault that he had YET ANOTHER paper cut and dust sticking to his beautiful wings, marring their glow.

"Well, I suppose the secrets of the gods are too lofty for the likes of mortal eyes," Illumin added, sitting up a little straighter. True, they hadn't exactly found anything incredible, but maybe the quiche recipie was something sacred to a god of... food? Kitchens? Something like that.

Perri Indiya

Eamnonn sighed again and tossed the cookbook over his shoulder, smiling to himself at the loud smack that sounded when it hit the floor. It was the closest thing he could get to tearing the damn things apart. He glared balefully at the next book in the stack, and patently refused to pick it up.

"I am going for a trot." he announced, standing and stretching until multiple things cracked. "Perhaps divine providence will lead me to the answer."

Sosiqui

"A trot? Here? Make sure a street gang doesn't catch you and tear your pretty wings out," Illumin said. It was meant as a joke, but there was an edge of seriousness to it. "It's... not pleasant out there. I'd be gone now if I hadn't promised Pana..." He fell silent after that.

Illumin supposed it was only through some power of Gianfar's, or of the library itself, that all the books here hadn't crumbled into dust. His own room was feeling the press of Destruction's presence lately, and only his own exertion of power kept his sanctum whole.

Frustrated, he turned the next page with quick twitch of his fingers.

Nothing. Stains and dried ink. It was like the puzzle box, only more frustrating - at least that puzzle box could be pitched across the room without damaging it.

"Where is Gianfar, anyway? Do you suppose he has some kind of divine card catalog?"

Perri Indiya

"I mean through the library." Eamnonn said, closing his eyes and keeping a hand running over the protruding spines of books as he walked. "We'll see where my senses take me."

He walked slowly, focusing on the feel of his muscles bunching and relaxing to propel him along. It wasn't until you sat still against your will for a few hours straight that you truly apprecieated movement, and he certainly did now. The Hunt became so lost in the simple act of walking it took him a moment to realize his feet had stilled and hois hand had tugged a book of the shelf. Opening his eyes he flipped the tome open warily, lest there be any more cooking adivce contained inside. Reading, he blinked a few times and then pulled eyes across the words again. Had he actually found something?

"Illumin! Look at this! Look!" he shouted, cutting over the other god's last sentence and skidding into a pile of books. "I think I found something!"

The Book

I think of numbers. The numbers 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 all have power.

The Twin Crown. Two hands to Creation, simplicity in the left hand Life, and the right hand of Anima. Three horns of destruction, five are the primordials. Gaia, Light, Darkness, Universe and Time. Seven are the Influences of the End, the domains of Destruction. Nine are the kings of all, the greatest of dragons and guardians of the Pearl which fashioned All.

What of the nothing, the zero that I see in the back of his eyes? aught, cipher, nadir, naught, nullity, oblivion. Or is it Infinity? I wake in the night with numbers in my mind. Nihility. There should be no numbers there.
There was nothing before there was He. Or He was in it. He was it. But Became and in becoming locked that away and should be something else. It should not be accessible.

Or is it beyond in the further reaches, held out from all of us Younger that we should not toy with such things?

Sosiqui

"You... found something?" The thought was slow to percolate through Illumin's head, made slow and tired by so many pages, so many words that meant nothing. "Truly?" Illumin eyed the book Eamnonn held with a wary eye. There was no way he could just pop up from the table and find what they were looking for in thirty seconds. Impossible!

But, then again, Eamnonn was the Hunt... "I think you should have gotten up sooner, then," Illumin murmured, reading the pages Eamnnon offered hungrily. The god's brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the words; a small, arrogant smile touched his face at the mention of his own power within. "Huh. So old, and still I am known. How... useful." The mentions of both Darkness and Universe made him snarl inwardly, though.

When he finished, Illumin sighed and looked up at Ea. "Well. It may be important, but do you have any idea what it MEANS?"

Perri Indiya

"Um..." the Hunt let his voice trail off, giving him a moment to look pensive before shrugging. "Not in so many words. I know who the dragons are roughly, and the primordials. So... maybe all the numbers refer to gods?"

Sosiqui

"So it seems." Illumin sank down onto a chair nearby, then yelped and jumped up again. "Ouch! For the love of-" He turned awkwardly, trying to look at his own wings. "Still not used to them being this large.. crunched one edge into a table, like bending back a fingernail..." Sure enough, the tip of one wing was flipped back, folded, although it was only a tiny bit.

The sudden movement had jostled some books off the table, sending up a small dust cloud and a spray of papers, but the god wasn't worried about that now. "Can you poke that?" he grumbled at Ea, flicking the stricken wingtip at him. "It hurts."

Perri Indiya

Eamnonn grinned, in on some strange innuendo or inside joke that no one else in a million years was ever going to understand. "Yeah, sure. Poking's a special skill of mine."

It had to be the thrill of discovery and the promise of escaping this dusty, book-filled hell hole in the near future that brought his dumb, cocky side out. He certainly hadn't managed to get even the tiniest bit inebriated in the past torturous hours no matter how much he'd wished otherwise. The Hunt reached over, still amused with himself for no particular reason, and snapped the wingtip back into place.

"Are those supposed to have scales or something?"

Sosiqui

"What, my - ow! - my wings? Scales? I'm no dragon king." Illumin winced, then fluttered his wings experimentally, fanning up another small cloud of dust. "That's better... thank you." It stung a bit, but it would soon mend.

Sighing, Illumin bent down to pick up the books that had fallen, then paused. A piece of paper had slid out of one tome, its edges significantly more crumbled and aged than the surrounding book. "Hey..."

Perri Indiya

"No, no, I mean butterfly wings have scales and-" the Hunt interrupted himself, clacking his jaws shut. Repeating information that Perri had left floating in his brain was not very useful at a time like this, unless it pertained to books. He really hated books right now.

"Have you found an ancient coupon left as a bookmark to the ages?"

Sosiqui

"Coupon?" Illumin looked puzzled, but drew the tattered scrap out from the book and peered at it, quizzically. There was writing on it, penned thickly in the tongue of the gods...

The Scrap

This will be the last thing I ever write.
there is a storm coming

Is it sadness? Despair? Pensive sits in my stomach like a carrion bird, swallowing up for me any appetite I may have for nourishment. There is sickness in it. But it is not an ailment that will help Plague. My arms shake, and War is not in them.

a sword fallen from the hand will always point north

pommel to the roots of the world, blades to the limbs, point to the head
To his heart.

It will be beyond the beyond. His foster sons, their lights are dimming. I'll take the key and hide it. Or

Leave the key as a lantern, displayed for all but locked away but for one hand. One claw. When it is needed, the barrier may draw it forth.

"... This, too, is written in that ancient tongue," Illumin said, after a thoughtful moment. "Perhaps I am equal to your prowess in this, Hunt. Your find, now mine, but..." The light god sighed. "What good are they?" He re-read the odd words. A sword, a key, a lantern, a claw, a barrier...?

Perri Indiya

"A human thing." Eamnonn said, waving away his comment as he concentrated on the new find. "At least part of that sounds right up your alley. Surely if anyone can wrangle us a lantern it would be you."

He shrugged after a moment, leaning against a book case and folding his wings over his shoulders. "The claw would be a dragon, right? If our info is related, anyway. I hope to hell it isn't me - I've had about as much grandstanding against Destruction as I can take. As for the sword... well, this whole mess started when Harmodious was run through, didn't it?"

Sosiqui

"Indeed it did," Illumin said resentfully. Foolish, foolish, stupid Lucius... but he'd had his chance to lay punishment on the bound god, had it and let it pass by. Honor. Hmph. For her sake.

Illumin mentally danced past the subject of Panacea without lingering and moved on. "A dragon, perhaps. There are nine kings, and I have met at least one of the hosts. Perhpas there are more flitting about, here and there; I know not."

Perri Indiya

"Dragons flit?" Ea asked, tilting his head curiously as odd mental pictures danced behind his eyes. "Err... anyway... if the key is a lantern, and we can all see it, presumably it's something we've come across before? Maybe at the compound?"

Sosiqui

"But if neither of us posess that one hand, then what good will it do us? Perhaps we won't even be able to find it." Illumin shrugged, then sighed. "We have a lot of this and that, many strange words, but nothing solid... how vexing. Well, then. We can at least try." He stood up and stretched.

Perri Indiya

"Then we track down the hand of course." The Hunt said with a grin, bouncing on his heels in anticipation of escape. "It's the introductions that will be tricky."

Sosiqui

"Well, at least that sounds more to your taste." Illumin grinned, then bent to pick up the fallen books. "More outdoors, less inside, fewer paper cuts..."

Perri Indiya

"Real hunting." Eamnonn agreed, hoping there was something tasty and still warm to eat when he got home. "So Professor, are we released?"

Sosiqui

"It seems so." Illumin made a face. "Well, it wasn't quite as frustrating as that damnable box, at least. Yet." He carefully put the books back where they'd been - he'd never seen Gianfar angry, but leaving the books lying around probably wasn't a good plan - and brushed the remaning dust off of the table. "Remind me, when it becomes time to issue proclamations from on high, to do it in plain and simple language easily deciphered."

Perri Indiya

"And allow puny mortals to understand you? That doesn't sound very godly to me." the Hunt answered teasingly, in good spirits now that trial-by-reading was over. He picked up books and reshelved them too, but with little care to how they were arranged. His brain clicked at him. What was the first thing Light had said?

"I know I'll regret this, but what box?"

Sosiqui

Illumin made a face. "You are fortunate indeed - it will be a cold day in the lava pits Destruction calls a garden before I forget that obscene creation. I envy you. That day when I came to your temple and met your little one, do you recall... I brought with me the box that unfolded into a tablet with the writ of old gods on it. It was that which prompted us to join forces. Small wonder, with the horrors it has led us on, that you have blocked it from your mind..."

Perri Indiya

Ea cocked his head, thinking. Man, that seemed like a long time ago. It didn't help that other things the green god found far more pressing and interesting had happened in the interim... "Right, right, okay. With carvings I couldn't read. Well, it could be worse. There could be more of them."

Sosiqui

"Pff-" Illumin began, then stopped and stared as they rounded a corner of shelving. "Bite your tongue," he muttered, spinning a small orb of light into being and sending it floating into a dark and shadowed recess in the nearest self.

Speak of the devil, his host would have said - and Illumin was inclined to agree, though for a different reason. There, battered but glinting unmistakably in the fresh light, was the shape of a second box.

"This has to be your fault," Illumin accused, rounding on Ea. "You mention it, and there it is! Surely this is part of Hunt's power! Well then. You deal with it!" He scooped the dusty box up roughly and tossed it at the other god.

Perri Indiya

The Hunt caught the object smoothly, turning it over and over to give it a full inspection. Yep. A box. With marks. That meant absolutely nothing. Well, he could probably open it...

Repeating the motions Illumin had used to open the other box as best he could, the green god fiddled with the ancient object none too gently. When it finally snapped open into a tablet, it was probably have out of self-preservation as well as Eamnonn pressing the right spots.

"It's covered in random shapes again." he announced, handing it over to the other god before continuing on to the door. "What does it say, oh luminous one?"

Sosiqui

"I'll refrain from being disgusted about how quickly you opened that," Illumin said, grudgingly impressed as he accepted the tablet and squinted at it. "The old writing again... but this isn't written, it's scratched, look." He ran his fingers over the deep, rough grooves. "Like by a claw..."

It took him a moment to puzzle out the words. "What are the runes and names We call? Where is the Heart of the Twin Crown?"

Perri Indiya

"In his chest?" Eamnonn tried, doing his best to smother the smug grin that had spread over his face upon Light's first comment. "Unless he's related to a shrimp, in which case it's in his head. Although I'm sure we're dealing with metaphor and not biology here."

The Hunt thought about it as he stepped into the light of day, spreading his wings to soak in as much heat as possible. "If you were asking that about me, the answer would be Beryl. Who does Harmodious love?"

Sosiqui

"Kishara.... or Aristogeiton..." Illumin thought. "But that means he's just asking the same damn question we are. Where in all the worlds is Aristogeiton?!" He sighed, frustrated."Scraps and bits and nothing else..."

Perri Indiya

"Aristowho?" the green god asked, distracted by being outside.

Sosiqui

"A... wait a minute, we've been looking this whole time and you didn't know about that?" Illumin resisted the urge to find a wall and bang his head into it. "Very well... Aristogeiton. A mortal whom Harmodius loved. Panacea was seeking him, or news of him, to try and bring balance back to the Twin Crown... and I wished to assist her, as best I could. Hence my research."

Perri Indiya

The Hunt opened his eyes to frown at the other god. "But wasn't Kishara Harmodious' mate?"

Sosiqui

"His Empress... but there seems to have been another, from everything I have researched and seen." Illumin shrugged. "Regardless, it seems this Aristogeiton may be a key to restoring Harmodius' balance, and as such, I don't care who or what he is. We will find him, if the possibility exists."

Perri Indiya

"All right." Eamnonn bit his tongue, squashing the comments trying to get themselves voiced. Harmodious - and anyone else, for that matter - need not be bound by the rules he applied to himself in the realm of relationships. Except for Beryl really, but she'd already agreed to it. "Do we know where he's wandered off to, besides the afterlife?"

Sosiqui

"To the Ashlands... I swear, I told you this before when I showed you the first box-tablet in that temple of yours." Illumin tried not to get visibly frustrated at the other god; they didn't need to be snapping at each other. "The tablet said that Harmdious sent Aristogeiton to lead this race, the Grigori to a realm called the Ashlands. Perhaps it's a wild goose chase and he returned safely, but if he didn't... we may need to go there..."

Illumin did groan that time, at the thought of having to spend yet more time in the library trying to figure out where the Ashlands were.

Perri Indiya

"The Grigori..." Eamnonn frowned, tapping a foot, "yes, that sounds familiar. I'm sure you did tell me all this, but I've been a bit distracted."

"Would that Nergal fellow know where all this is? He is the Underworld, and I'm sure he'd tell my daughter what information he has if not me."

Sosiqui

"Underworld... I haven't met him." Illumin looked thoughtful. "Perhaps, but the Ashlands - they were outside the domains of the gods, beyond shadow and light, according to the tablet... ugh." He made a face. "I am so sick of all this bloody research. Let's take a break. We're not going to be any use like this... I don't know about you, but I'm tired." And ready to set the library on fire, but I won't out of respect for Gianfar...

Perri Indiya

Eamnonn grinned cheerfully, quickly heading towards the door again. "A grand idea: I'm sure Caolan's already managed to set half the temple on fire and get the other half sucked into another dimension. Feel free to come by again when you decide what we're doing next, oh Fearless Leader."

Illumin was the intellectual here, after all. The Hunt had just volunteered to do grunt work and run.

Sosiqui

"Oh, well - best go back to your poor temple, quickly, before the last trees fall to the ground in utter ruin," Illumin teased, his spirits abruptly brightened by the promise of a break. "I will come by when my tolerance for books has increased."

He turned towards the door, and his rooms - then paused, and looked over his shoulder. "Thank you, Hunt. Knowledge is a tricky beast to track, but you do... quite admirably well. I... appreciate the assistance, more than you know."

With that, Illumin opened the door to the hallway with relief, and moved towards his own rooms.

 

[Sosiqui]

The Ones Who Walk Away

"A penny for your thoughts, Lord?" Eibhilin asked, pausing in her chores to note that Illumin was by the window, with the thick curtain flipped aside. The god looked up at the bruised and livid sky, which had only darkened in recent months.

Darkness was falling. What had he done about it? Looked around in a stale house of books - and that was all... perhaps it would all come to mean something, but he was still sour from those hours spent looking, and only crumbs and scraps come to his light.

Illumin turned away, snapping the curtain back across the window with a bit more violence than was really needed. "They're not worth that much," he muttered, wings flaring; the light in the room responded by surging towards him, like an ocean's current strengthening suddenly. "I wish to be away from this place."

The banshee Aoide shrugged. "Then go."

"It's not that simple," Illumin snapped. "You know it's not."

"It could be. You could go. Who would challenge you? Who would dare?" Eibhilin's eyes were bright with a fire Illumin remembered well, though he hadn't seen it for some time. There was a reason the Aoide had been his High Flame, leader of his holy host and trusted bodyguard.

"I would." Illumin scowled. That was the crux of the problem. He wanted nothing more than to be away from here - he felt penned up, too afraid and oppressed by Destruction's presence to leave his rooms, yet he was... in a very real sense... hiding his light under a bushel. He was a god-

But there was the promise. "I swore an oath that Panacea would not find this place abandoned when she returns." A year and more gone now, bright, hardy yet strangely fragile goddess she had become after her first metamorphosis, coldness tempered and thawed by Memi's power. Mortals...

How many mortals were waiting for him out there, for sheltering light? But his oath - he had never broken one. It was absolutely anathema to him, completely repugnant. The very idea made him feel soiled, and there was a voice in his mind that whispered cruelly towards him when he considered it. The tone was similar to that of Khiviance, actually, though he knew she could not speak; it could not possibly be bound and branded Love.

But still, it hissed at him. "One year? Oh, well and bravely done, truly a noble sacrifice you have made for the one who has flown far!" It spoke in biting sarcasm, and he cowered before it; worse, it was true. He was a god, immortal in theory - what was one year compared to that?

It is half my lifespan, thus far. Has it only been two years, truly?

"There is nothing I can do," he snapped at Eibhilin, and turned away.

"Someone has to do something," the Aoide whispered, unexpectedly bold, her long clawed hands clenched into fists at her sides. "You do yourself disservice."

"I do myself honor!" Illumin shouted, wheeling on the Aoide, who actually shrank back as the light around the god flashed into angry brilliance, like flame. "You are too bold, much too bold."

She bowed her head before his wrath. "Perhaps. But - I am not telling a lie to you, my lord."

"No." And that bit most cruelly of all. "You aren't."  

[Sosiqui]

March of the Dragon Kings

Meepfur

Zhijian's clawed hand settled on the doorhandle, and he tugged open the door to the shop with a rumbling purr. His claws clicked against the floor as he padded inside with a slinking stride. He paused in the center of the main room, tail flicking lazily from side to side, and scanned the dimness with sharp feline eyes. The newly-morphed god wore nothing but a self-satisfied smile.

Sosiqui

Illumin did not like being downstairs in the shop, not at all - but lately he was coming to loathe his rooms just as much. The strictures of his own promise were chafing on him like binding ropes.

Thus, restlessly, Light paced about (after making sure Destruction was not present, of course), and looked up startled as the door to the shop actually opened. He turned towards it with interest, wondering who would dare come to this twisted place...

... and spotted Seppa? No, he realized, startled. For a moment the ex-pard seemed like a twisted, grotesque mockery of what the great cat had once been, until he realized the body had simply been shifted into a more human shape. Zhijian.

Illumin nodded at the new god, courteously. "The Fangbridle is reborn, I see. I am Illumin, Light, to whom you spoke at one time."

Meepfur

"Illumin," Zhijian acknowledged, his fanged grin wide, "Though I was half-asleep, I have not forgotten." The surroundings and circumstances phased him not at all, and besides that, he couldn't help but be delighted by his rebirth. All in all, he was in a very good mood...and he found himself rather liking his new body, for the most part. Especially since it was his.

Sosiqui

Illumin thought for a split-second, then nodded once more. "When did this happen? I haven't seen Seppa for some time, but..." Inside, the wheels of thought were turning, and hard. A Dragon King reborn. Are there others? Fangbridle, what does that mean... There was knowledge here that he was missing.

Was he going to have to go back to that library again?!

Meepfur

"In the morning, early," he answered, falling casually into a comfortable crouch on the floor; animalistic, yes, but Zhijian never had had a problem with such things. He was perfectly at home with less-than-decorous behavior and appearances, yet even then he always had a sort of dignity about him. "It was about time;each of us had been more than ready."

Sosiqui

Well, time to learn. "We only had the chance to speak briefly before," Illumin said, moving to lounge on one of the couches after brushing the ash away with a small expression of distaste. "And obviously, trivial matters were not the topic then, but I am curious - a Dragon King, called Fangbridle. In what capacity do you serve our Lord, if I may ask?" He kept his tone courteous and calm, though inwardly he was not sure how to feel about these divine dragons.

Meepfur

Zhijian's tail swept the ash behind him back and forth in an arc, offering glimpses of the floor beneath only to cover it up again. "I am his," he said in words rich with pride, "His mount to call forth whenever he has need or want for me."

"And you, Illumin?" The dragon's eyes gleamed with curiosity as he turned Light's own question back to him.

Sosiqui

Illumin tilted his head. "And I? I am Light," he said, simply. "Though, I am currently trying to do what I can to encourage our Lord to return to balance." There, it was said, and Illumin tensed a bit, wondering what the dragon would think of that. "I confess that I am unsure about what the rebirth of the Dragon Kings might mean to this balancing," he added, still careful with his wording and to keep his expression pleasant and in control.

Meepfur

"Encouragement...a worthy enough service," Zhijian mused, although his precise thoughts he saved for himself. He was not mocking, but...perhaps a little condescending.

"Might mean to this balancing?" He tilted his head, staring somewhere over Illumin's shoulder and yet not looking at anything in particular as he thought. "What is it you might mean to imply, Light? That I or others might work contrary to your efforts?"

"Which," he added absently, "I cannot help but notice, seem to have yet to be...effective?"

Sosiqui

"I wasn't sure, to be honest," Illumin admitted, forthright as always. "There are some among the gods who do not agree with me, after all, and the Dragon Kings are newly reborn in this era of Destruction. You are an unknown factor, as pleasant as you have previously proven yourself to be... so I simply wish to sound you out. I mean no disrespect, Zhijian," Illumin said, inclining his head to the other. "I merely seek knowledge. The world seems to have turned strange since the Twin Crown was turned by Universe's treachery."

Meepfur

"I am a Dragon King," he answered, scratching his chin with long claws. "And He is my Lord. Whatever form He takes, I will serve His will, be it the will of Creation, Destruction, or a balance of the two. It matters not to me, for He is my Master always."

"Treachery," Zhijian growled, "Is the strangest and foulest of all things by far."

Sosiqui

Illumin nodded - neutrality, then. "Certainly, I can respect that; I cannot argue with your loyalty. Those who do harm to our Lord... I would fix the damage that was done that day." The god scowled, remembering. "Those who were present fought hard, but who could dream that one who professed dearest love could commit such a deed? Him - Lucius - I will not forgive."

And where were these dragons, when Lord Harmodius sorely needed their protection? he wondered, idly. He was curious, but he wasn't going to ask... the question would sound accusatory however he meant it.

Meepfur

"Forgiveness does not belong to traitors." The slow sway of Zhijian's tail gave way to aggravated lashing, and the claws of his feet flexed to scrape sharply against the floor. The very idea of such betrayal would have been enough to agitate him, but the knowledge that it had truly occurred raised both his ire and his hackles.

"The mere thought of it sets my blood to boiling." His eyes were narrowed. "I gather that you were among those present?"

Sosiqui

"I was indeed; I fought with those to protect Lord Harmodius." Illumin straightened a bit and lifted his chin, proud of what he had done - for they had done it. "With our combined forces... we managed to save him and drive away the traitor. It was not easily done, for Universe was fully ascended and the rest of us still young in power - I myself was at the same state of union with my host as you are presently - but we fought bravely. And though my power was then weak, I did manage to blind the traitor with a well-placed flash of light." The glow around Illumin intensified slightly.

Meepfur

Zhijian found no fault in pride, and certainly did not hold Illumin's against him. It had been well-earned, and the dragon approved of and admired the loyalty and bravery that had earned it. The only hint of negative emotion was a sliver of jealousy - he wanted to have been there. What he wouldn't give to have felt the traitor's flesh give way to his claws!

"I regret that I was not there," he admitted, "But I am grateful that others were."

Sosiqui

"Others were, indeed - though we may have been lost, were it not for Eamnnon the Hunt, and Beryl, Lady Wind. The others... were only newly come to their hosts. Calico of Insanity, Echo of Music, and..." He hesitated. "Panacea, of Medicine. With such powers as we had, we fought, and managed to master Khiviance, Lady Love who now lies bound and sinned... and of course, Universe. Destruction bound him with power and with metal cords piercing his arms. He will strike no other blows." A vindictive smile curled across Illumin's lips.

Meepfur

"Love," he noted thoughtfully. "My host once met the Lord of it, but not the Lady. Opposites they must be, as he doesn't seem the type given to sin, except perhaps of a very particular kind."

"It is good, then." Zhijian smiled ferally, pleased. "The traitors have been served their rewards."

Sosiqui

"Indeed they have, and it was well-served." Never mind how he'd wanted to retch when he saw Lucius' pierced flesh... it was only what he deserved. "It is, indeed, good to know that Love's Lord is cut of different cloth from Khiviance."

Illumin stretched and lounged a bit more against the couch; he'd missed the joys of a good conversation... not that Eamnnon was bad, but the Hunt was more blunt than brilliant, and there was not such a potential for witty repartee. "I have not met any other of the Dragon Kings, to be truthful - have you, Zhijian? Who are they, if you know them?"

Meepfur

"My host met with the host of Shaiming, Tien Lung, but that has been the limit of any contact I've had with my fellows." Zhijian dropped from his crouch to a sit, unbothered by the ash. "I intend for that to change, however. And I mean to seek out our Lord as well."

Sosiqui

Illumin glanced back towards the flame-back throne, flanked by those dragon statues - of course the Dragon Kings would congregate there. "You can see by the statues that the Twin Crown awaits your return," he said, simply, and stood up. "Though much as my loyalty is ever his... I am Light, and born from Creation in the first days. Destruction gives me pause, and though I would not dream to oppose him or be anything but his, the face the Twin Crown bears now is not the one I knew best. I give honor, but keep my distance." He inclined his head towards Zhijian once more. "So if you seek him, I will move to my own chambers above - and if you choose to seek me, I will welcome you, Dragon King. Look for the door with the sun-in-glory."

Meepfur

"Then I will wait for him now." Zhijian cast his green gaze to the throne, regarding it for a long moment. "I will remember your invitation." He nodded solemnly.

He didn't bother with any pleasantries such as 'it was a pleasure to speek with you,' finding them largely unnecessary. The dragon simply favored Light with another nod before moving - on all fours - to the base of the bronze statue, where he laid himself down, curled up like a great cat.

 

[Sosiqui]

Moth to a Flame

Illumin stood at the window, his fists clenched, his wings trembling, their convulsive movements revealing his inner turmoil. For once the shielding curtain was pulled away, and the god could see the bleak landscape clearly. He wanted to turn away.

He forced himself to look.

The world was in tatters. The world? No, he had stood too long divorced from it. In his first reign, it was this distance that cost him everything, this lack of connection with the world, with the people, his worshippers.

The world? His world. Those mortals who would be the key to his true rebirth were out there, somewhere, looking for the Light - and not finding it.

"Eibhilin," he croaked.

She was there, at once, a cool presence in the air behind him, defying the heat that poured from the ceiling lanterns. "Radiance?"

"I gave her my word..."

There was a soft rustling sound; he was willing to bet the Aoide was shaking her head. She had done so often enough that he could see the movement clearly, despite facing the other way. "Radiance..."

"My word. That I would be here, when she-" He bit the word off harshly, refused to say it.

"I know."

"But if I remain here... I will be as a chick in the egg, refusing to leave. And a chick that refuses to hatch will die. I will die again, Eibhliin."

"I would drag you out against all your will, were you in desperate danger," the banshee hissed, fiercely. "I will not see your power divided again among fools!"

And, yes - there was that, another flame for him to fly to. His eyes narrowed as he thought of the other treacherous Aoidei that had stolen his power. Sesostris, the shadow demon - perhaps not so hated now. So it was, that of the two powers, their battle mixed a small part of themselves and threw back from the royal family and the great tree great shadows that stretched along Terra...

"Must the price of my ascendancy be that of my honor?" Illumin hissed at her, turning at last, his commanding gaze boring into hers.

She lifted her chin and looked back for several seconds before bowing, breaking away - the frustration made him too bright to look at, even for her, and for a moment the shadows in the room fled before his blinding light. "Perhaps it is... merely time to choose which is more important," she whispered.

"But if I break my word one time-"

"You are not breaking it lightly, Radiance! If she returns you will run to her at all speed, I know it - the spirit of your word will be upheld! The letter... is binding you away. You cannot let this be! The world needs light..." She shook her head again, and her voice softened. "It needs light so very much..."

Illumin turned back to the window and regarded the livid sky. "It needs light.. but where would I go?"

"A place can be found. Call Eliam; have him scout. Surely there is an enclave that can be repaired. Now is not the time to build a complete temple, but a small gathering-place to plant the seeds of your rebirth would not go amiss!"

Illumin smiled, then. "Once again I am reminded that I chose rightly in appointing you my High Flame, Eibhilin."

She bowed, her eyes bright, and wild.  

[Sosiqui]

The Glow That Illuminates I

There are two kinds of light--the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.
-- James Thurber



The wind rose and fell under Illumin's wings, and ahead of him Eliam bobbed slightly. The three of them were flying towards the place Eliam had scouted out, and Illumin realized with a small, squirming feeling that right now he was the furthest from the shop he'd ever been... with the possible exception of Eamnnon's temple.

Eliam was leading, his lantern blazing as a beacon in the night. He kept glancing back every so often and making delicate adjustments to keep stable - he had to concentrate far less on the mere mechanics of flight than Illumin did. With the sun and stars darkened, the low ambient light made it more difficult for the god to keep aloft effortlessly. Eibhiln flew behind, her long tail lashing at the air as she kept watch, the two of them forming Illumin's honor guard.

When Illumin wasn't concentrating on the sharp movements of the wind and keeping steady on his wings, he looked ahead. They had drawn near to the coast - or the former coast. While in other areas the sea had risen disastrously, here it had pulled away, leaving craggy cliffs with great salt-crusted mud flats underneath instead of tossing waves. At high tide there was merely a foot of water.

There had been a town here called Solde-on-Palecliff, a center of fishing and sea-trade, and Eliam pointed out the dim lights below; the ships lay beached and useless, stranded. Some of the population had left, but most had remained. They had nowhere else to go.

"Fisherfolk? Surely they would be more suited to Kaelin," Illumin had scoffed, when Eliam made his report.

"They need light as much as any. No - they need a god. Why should it not be you, when Water has clearly forsaken them? Step in!" Eibhilin had urged.

A particularly hard gust blew Illumin off-course for a moment and snapped him out of his reverie; he wobbled in the air and the banshee Aoide drew up beside him, ready to aid him if he needed it. "Thank you," he murmured as a few hard wingbeats stabilized his flight once more.

Below there were other points of light. "Farms - the rain that came in off the sea here made for excellent growth and grazing," Eibhilin said, softly. "No more. The sea's shift destroyed the cycle of wind and cloud, and the dimming of the sun makes for sickly crops..."

They had researched this for him, Illumin realized as the banshee drew back. Researched and sought knowledge, when he himself would not.

They were right. His promise to Panacea had become a binding stricture, but part of the binding had not been his honor - it had been a willingness on his own part to use that honor as a shield, between himself and this admittedly frightening word.

I am a god. I am Light. I am a god.

Ahead of him, Eliam pointed. "There it stands. The Pharos Beacon." And he tilted his wings and led them all, god and Aoidei, in a sweeping turn that showed off the panorama to greatest effect.

In better times, the stately lighthouse and the craggy coastline surrounding it, rich with fertile ground now cleared for agriculture, had been quite a sight indeed. The surf boomed and splashed against the rocks, the fields stretched on like green patchwork for miles, and white sails plied the waters - and all, always, guided home by the light in the high tower.

But there was no light now. The keepers had fled, leaving the lighthouse abandoned. Yet there was still a powerful grace to the old structure. It was white and taller than anything else for miles around, a graceful upward spiral of ivory stone that almost resembled the horn of a unicorn. A small and graceful hall rested at the tower's base, and the room at the pinnacle where the great lenses and lamps were kept was walled in pure glass. Though it lay in some disrepair, smudged and stained with cracks in the glass, the Pharos Beacon was still beautiful.

"Why such a grand scale in this small place?" Illumin murmured, glancing again at the lights from the town and farmsteads.

"I do not know, Radiance," Eliam replied, tilting his wings to begin a spiraling descent. "That will be a good thing to ask the people of this land, when they begin to draw near to you."

They moved downward in silence, then - the absence of crashing waves was obvious, a void in the natural landscape of sight and sound both. Eliam pulled into a hover just before the ground, so that Illumin was the first to touch down on the weathered stone path that lead to the lower hall.

He folded his wings, looked around, and took a deep breath.

"Here I make the mark of Light's rebirth. You are my witnesses, Eibhilin, Eliam."

The two Aoidei bowed deeply, the full obeisance, and thus lit by Illumin's blazing glow it almost seemed as though they were standing in front of a great temple in the full of glory, instead of alone by a derelict building.

Illumin accepted their homage with a nod and a small, grateful smile; then, gathering light into his hands, he spun a great orb between his fingers. It pulsed there, blindingly, and for a moment he stared into the heart of it, watching the hidden shifts of color that only his eyes could see.

I am a god. I am Light! I am reborn! Here I stand... All these things Illumin thought, but he merely smiled again - then opened his eyes. That wildness was in them, the too-bright brilliance of a deity determined.

He released the orb.

Immediately, it shot up like a firework, singing as it soared through the air, and broke apart in a blaze of glory that lit up the area as thought it were full, Destruction-free daylight.

Then it went out, and as darkness descended once more, Illumin gestured for Eliam to open the door.

Here it begins.

... I am sorry, Pana.  

[Sosiqui]

The Glow That Illuminates II

The doors creaked on their hinges as Eliam and Eibhilin pushed them open, one Aoide to each door. Illumin sent a light ball floating in ahead as soon as there was room to do so, then followed once the doors were open.

Inside... inside was dust, and cobwebs, and the scent of dead mold, starved for moisture since the retreat of the ocean. He wrinkled his nose at the reek of it. But underneath all that, he could see the glimmer of potential. This place had been very impressive in its heyday, the dimensions and architecture of the outside had made that clear, and in here he could see it echoed under the crumbling furniture and dirt.

"It's not much yet," Eliam admitted, coming to stand next to his lord, "but can you see it, Radiance? What it once was, what it could be?"

The double doors opened onto a large front room, with doors on all three sides, and Eibhilin drifted ahead. "The doors to the sides lead to smaller rooms - this part is where the keepers used to live. Ahead through the second set of double doors is the base of the tower... I think you'll like that," she added, with a toothy grin.

Illumin acknowledged that with a bob of his head. "Then, by all means."

The two Aoidei shared a smile with each other, swung open these doors - and Illumin let out a long, low whistle. The tower was hollow for at least fifty feet straight up, with a bannistered staircase spiralling majestically up the wall. True, the room was cluttered with supply crates and barrels of lamp oil, but the soaring presence could not be denied.

"And they've been using this place... like this?" Illumin murmured, flicking one hand distastefully at a rusting oil barrel. "It's... amazing. This room will make an exquisite temple."

"There are rooms above as well, stacked one above the other in the tower itself - I thought the large round room above this one would be perfect for your quarters, Radiance, and the room above that for our own use, if I may be so bold," Eliam explained. "The stairs look imposing, but it's easy to fly up in a twinkling."

"And the lamp room?" Illumin tilted his head back and looked up.

"At the top, above the floor we'd claim for ourselves, with your permission," Eibhilin said.

"Let's go," Illumin ordered, and leapt into the air. After the wind outside, climbing up in the still environs of the tower was simple, and in only a moment he stood on the landing outside the door to what was, apparently, destined to be his new rooms.

The Aoidei followed quickly, and after leading him through that room (spacious, though needing work and cleaning like everything else), escorted him up the spiral staircase to the next level, and the next - and there was the view.

Clear glass, with only one or two panes broken, surrounded them on all sides, and in the middle sat the crown jewel - a magnificent Fresnel lens, all prisms and refractions, shining like a star the instant it caught Illumin's own glow. Pleased, he fed light into it and watched it, eyes bright.

"It's perfect," he said, voice rich with approval, as he shifted his light and watched it dance among the lens' prisms.

The two Aoidei bowed low, their features distorted by the lens between them. "We're glad you like it, Radiance. Truly. Eliam searched so hard-" Eibhilin began.

"It was nothing," Eliam put in, quickly.

Illumin sighed. "Nonsense. It was something, and very well done, both of you - thank you. Thank you so much." He smiled.

The two of them shared that secret smile again, then turned serious once more. "There is much to do..."

"Indeed." Illumin made a face; that was the one flaw. "What can we do?"

"We have some funds - workmen can be hired, craftsmen and cleaners brought in, if we can find any." Eibhilin shook her head. "It may be difficult. Mortals are wary of the gods, and for good reason."

Illumin snorted. "They need not be wary of me!"

"But they don't know that, Radiance," Elilam said, sensibly, and Illumin gave a reluctant nod.

"Very well. First - cleaners must be found. I will not show myself yet," he said, decisively. "Let them see me first in glory, not in toil and dirt. Perhaps that works for Eamnnon, but it is not my way."

"Understood."

"And in the meantime - I will return to the Pantheon, and do what I can to see to my affairs there." Affairs, pah. See if Pana has returned, more like, and if anyone cares to call on cloistered Light.

"Also understood." The two of them bowed.  

[Sosiqui]

Quest - Part Seven: Breath of Insight

Perri Indiya

Caolan sat on the kitchen counter, eating some the smoked meat she'd brought and planning her next move. The throne room had deserved more inspection than it had received she felt, but both hound and servant had disliked the nose-clogging scent of burnt things that hung in the air, so the party had retreated to a less Destruction-ruled place. The path they had been following to Light was lost with the stench in the great rooms beyond, and so the young goddess was left to puzzle out the best way to locate the elder god she wished to quiz.

"Perhaps he'll get conveniently hungry hungry and come down for a snack." Quaker said sarcastically from the depths of the fridge.

He has aiode to do that for him. Caolan signed silently, to herself since her servant wasn't watching.

Sosiqui

Some hours after the arrival of the young goddess, Illumin neared the Pantheon. He had chosen to make the flight back from the Pharos Beacon on his own, leaving the Aoidei to tend to the matter of cleaning and repairing the lighthouse. His only orders were that they use craftsmen not from the local area, preferably magic-based ones so the repairs would go swiftly and, with luck, unnoticed by the locals. The more impressive the restoration and work seemed to those he meant to make his own, the better.

He circled in over the Pantheon, then thought better of it as his wings warmed from the rising lava fumes. Grimacing, he banked away and came to land fifty feet away from the temple and the lava. The place looked more dark than ever now, in comparison to the dingy yet stately Beacon.

And, of course, no Aoidei to prepare the way for me. Perhaps I didn't think this through. He sighed and stretched after landing, fanning his wings and tilting back in a long, lean movement.

He opened the door furtively, and was relieved when no dark figure sat on the flame-backed throne. Good. He didn't want to deal with Destruction, not today.

Perri Indiya

Forsooth's ears perked at the sound of a door opening, a short growl trickling from his throat. Quaker might have noticed something too, but she was focused on the objects in front of her.

"Mistress, I believe you are cheating."

Caolan sniffed and continued pulling the pile of teabags towards her. How can I cheat? I don't have sleeves!

Feline eyes narrowed, "I believe you are dealing from the bottom of the deck."

Just because you are bad at poker.. the young goddess sighed dramatically, dealing slowly and obviously from the top of the deck.

The aiode hissed quietly and accepted her cards. Her mistress was definitely cheating in some way, but loyalty prevented her from probing too far.

Sosiqui

Illumin blinked at the growl, then scowled. He was not in the mood for shenanigans, and pushed the door open and stepped inside firmly, his glow immediately brightening the sepulcheral room somewhat.

He had intended to arrow straight for the stairs and up to his rooms, but the sound of voices made him pause and look around - and, to his surprise... "Caolan? You're Ea and Beryl's Caolan, aren't you?" Illumin blinked at the young goddess, perched on the counter with playing cards and a... cat-woman? And no parents to be found, interesting.

Perri Indiya

The hound sniffed the newcomer lightly, sitting and awaiting further instructions once satisfied he was safe. Caolan turned and waved, hoping off the counter and waving at Quaker to pick up the cards and tea bags. Yes, that's me. I saw you when I was very young before. You're still very pretty.

The aiode translated for his mistress as she attempted to clear up their small mess. It kept her distracted and from putting her own emphasis on the words.

Sosiqui

Illumin was vaguely insulted at the hound sniffing him - as if he didn't belong there, when the other was the intruder! - but he wasn't in the mood for trouble. Instead, he tried to ignore it and focus on the young goddess, surprised as the signs she made with her hands were translated into words by what must be one of her Aoidei.

"What a novel way of speaking," he murmured, crouching down to be at her level. "I've never seen the like." He did brighten (literally) at the compliment, increasing the glow behind his wings so that their resemblance to delicate stained glass increased.

Perri Indiya

I learned it from one of my Papa's followers. she signed, smiling shyly at him. But I have always wanted my own voice, which is why I came to look for you. Papa says you're very smart and know lots of things.

The cat girl finished with her task and came to stand behind her mistress, looking the god over appreciatively. If nothing else, he was shiny.

Sosiqui

"Your own voice, hmm... your father said that?" For a moment, Illumin was flattered.

Then he thought of why he would know lots of things, and his wings twitched a bit. By all the Pantheon, he was not setting foot in that damnable library again unless it was for Creation's sake! "I'm not sure I know how to find a voice, though - I've always had my own," he said, apologetically. "The only stories I know about beings without voices are ones that had their voices stolen, and I don't think anyone took yours...?"

Perri Indiya

Caolan frowned. He'd spent time in the library, hadn't he? He could read scripts her father couldn't? Oh. Well. I was hoping you could illuminate things for me. Maybe I'll just ask Harmodious then.

Sosiqui

Illumin sighed, inwardly. As much as he was tired of searching, searching, searching - the little goddess had come all this way to find him, and it would hardly be gracious - or diplomatic - to turn her away because the task displeased him. Honestly, Ea...

"Just because I don't know now doesn't mean we can't find out," he told her, sounding cheerful as he resigned himself to another session in the books. "My Aoide-" ... are back at the Beacon and can't help you, foolish god. "- aren't around to help, but perhaps yours... and maybe we'll be very fortunate indeed and stumble across Knowledge, who knows more than anyone I know."

Perri Indiya

The hound and aiode glanced at each other. Research? They were being dragged into research? They thought this was just a chaperoning expedition. Ugh.

The young goddess smiled, taking Light's hand and gesturing with her free one. They would be more than happy to aid us. Is Knowledge another god?

Sosiqui

"He is indeed - Gianfar, the Seat of Knowledge, though I haven't seen him for some time." Illumin took her hand carefully in his own - so small, but he was oddly pleased by the gesture. "The library is upstairs, if you will come with me."

Perri Indiya

Caolan followed quietly, trying to absorb anything of throne room she'd missed the last time through. Her servants followed, looking for danger. How big is the library? Papa said it goes on forever. Can you really get lost so long you starve?

Sosiqui

Illumin lead the young goddess and her retinue up the stairs, moving carefully past the doorways that led to the other deities' sanctuaries. "It's not quite that large... but it's definitely very big indeed. Bigger than you'd think could fit in this building from outside." Then again, most of the rooms were like that.

He stopped in front of the all-too-familiar library door. "But I won't starve anywhere there is light."

Perri Indiya

Oh. Good. We eat meat. Caolan said, worried what would be on the other side of the door. Illumin was being rather dramatic. How do you eat light? Do you drink it? What does it taste like?

Sosiqui

"Hmm..." Illumin was enjoying this. "It tastes like... light? It's not something you can understand, really. It's not like food. And I can soak in it, sunbathe in it - anything I like. It is my element, after all."

He swung the door open and beckoned for her to follow into the stacks.

Perri Indiya

The goddess considered this as she followed him in, marvelling at the rows upon rows of books. If suffication is my 'element', does that mean I can eat not-breath or something? That made little sense, but she supposed it was because their two realms were different enough the extrapolation got lost. Shrugging, she turned back to the books.

Where do we start?

Sosiqui

Illumin looked speculatively at the young goddess. "As Suffocation... I suspect that what you might eat is breath itself. It coincides, doesn't it?"

Good question. Illumin looked at the expanse of shelves. At least they wouldn't have to go to the history section, the one he and Ea had slaved over. "Voices, voices... hm. Well, what I said I knew was fairy tales. Maybe we should look there first. Many tales have a grain of truth at the heart."

Perri Indiya

Caolan stuck out her tongue. Ewww, breath? But some people don't brush their teeth!

She cocked her head, remembering some of the stories her father's followers used to read her when she was very little. Like mermaids?

Sosiqui

"You're not a mermaid, that's Kaelin's job," Illumin said absently as he crouched to scan the lower shelves. "My host... she liked stories." A quick glance back at the goddess. Fortunate child, to be born anew without this host business. "Stealing breath and voice is not uncommon... there are stories involving mermaids, and also flutes of bone... but I don't know the details."

Perri Indiya

Caolan cocked her head. Because flutes sound like they sing with human voices? Jerry had explained about myths once: they were stories people told to make sense of the world, but that didn't make them any less true. The little goddess took this idea at face value, and had accepted that sometimes a thing was many things at once, and true in all these ways.

If I stole breath, could I use it to talk the way you do?

Sosiqui

Perceptive child, almost disturbingly so. "Perhaps... if you do not breathe, then of course you can't talk. The ability to make sound comes from breath. From your vocal cords, here." He touched his own adam's apple, lightly. "Breath moves through them and creates sound, which becomes speech..." He wondered if she even had lungs. Would Suffocation require them? Or, perhaps, as useless as they were, had they simply not come to exist?

Perri Indiya

'Breath moves through them and creates sound'... Like windchimes? she asked skeptically. Her father had never told her that there were chimes in people's throats. They seemed a little big to fit in there properly.

Sosiqui

"No, like... strings on a harp." Illumin made strumming motions with his hands. "Ask your father to show you next time he makes a kill. Most creatures have voice boxes so they can make sound."

Perri Indiya

That sounded even stranger. She shrugged. Nature makes no sense some times. the little goddess announced, turning to frown at the books again.

So, where are the stories?

Sosiqui

"They are all around." Illumin moved over a few shelves, then knelt again - this section had lower shelves, as if expecting small ones to come and browse. As if there were any small ones coming to the Pantheon, except for this one...

He ran his fingers over the thin, brightly-colored spines. The decay was not as evident here, perhaps through the protection of Knowledge or simple defiance of the written word. "The mermaid one... is here. I believe there was a curse. An ending made ill." Rather a foolish story, from what he recalled of his host's memories. Insipid, to his mind. Still, he pulled the slim volume of Hans Cristian Andersen stories out and handed it to the young goddess.

His own gaze continued down the shelves until another thin book caught his eyes. The Lands of Ash. An ironic smile quirked on his lips and he pulled it out, idly curious.

Perri Indiya

Caolan accepted the book and promptly sat, reading slowly. Quaker stepped lightly around her mistress, going to the lower shelves and pulling more books for perusal.

Strange story. the goddess said, turning the book to peer at an illustration. What would anyone want with another's hair?

Sosiqui

"There are bits of old magic in the stories," Illumin said, absently, flicking open his own little book. The illustrations were bright.

'There once was a great King with two faces, white and black, who wore two crowns, white and black. The Lady of Life was his lover, but there was another... a poor peasant who had fought hard to come before the Two-Crowned King...'

He flipped idly through the pages, then paused as the words he was glancing at began to actually make sense in his brain.

'Aris loved the Two-Crowned King...'

A king with two crowns... two faces... Aris...

Illumin stared, flipping back and reading the words more closely this time. This was... more than a bit of old magic.

The Lands of Ash...

Could it be possible that the clues he and Eamnnon had looked so hard for, that seemed to have been wiped from all history, were contained here in a child's volume? Surviving by disguising itself as a mere fairy tale?

He realized that he'd been ignoring the goddess, and forced himself to turn towards her once more, away from the book. "My apologies. See, there's a story for everyone here. Even for me, it seems."

Perri Indiya

Caolan shelved her book and went to peer at the one Illumin held. What is your story? Is it the one where the dragon eats the sun?

Sosiqui

"Mmm... no, it's something I haven't read before..." Illumin quickly leafed through the rest of the book; it was small, a child's story told simply, so it didn't take long.

The Lands of Ash were so far away, they were beyond even the earth and the universe - and only the Two-Crowned King, his lady, his nine great nobles and the universe itself knew the way.

More reading revealed nothing else of value, more embellishments added by the passage of time and the storyteller's whim - but it was impossible to have so many nuggets of truth gathered here without there being a real core. Why else would there be, in one story, the aspect of the Twin Crown, the Empress Gaia, nine nobles who were surely the Dragon Kings...

... and Universe.

Illumin was faintly grumpy that the chronicler had mentioned him and not Light Itself, but a revised edition could be produced later. An ending to the story that was less foolish than the false one added here.

He closed the book and tucked it under one arm, then turned back to Caolan. "You must be good luck. Your father and I were looking for this book for a very long time - and now you're here, and I found it in minutes." He smiled at her. The urge to run off to Hunt with the book immediately was very great, but he owed a true debt to the young goddess now. "Now, we have to find what you're looking for."

Perri Indiya

Caolan nodded solemnly. Perhaps we should find the books that don't breathe?

Sosiqui

Illumin's brow furrowed. "That don't breathe? None of these books draw breath... at least, I hope none of them do." Then again, in this library...

Perri Indiya

The goddess shook her head and tried to explain. I mean... that haven't been opened in a while. That don't like being opened. That is stifling.

Sosiqui

"Ah, of course..." Illumin stood up, the book still held in his grasp, and looked around hesitantly. "Perhaps where it's most dusty..."

Perri Indiya

She nodded, frowning at the ground before heading off in a likely direction. She walked towards a lack of footprints.

Sosiqui

Illumin followed the young goddess, letting her lead the way - this was her 'hunt', and perhaps her blood would tell. The dust was surprisingly thick in some areas of the library.

Perri Indiya

She walked carefully, not wanting to disturb the tomes. They were restless here, where few came to visit them. They both wanted to horde and share their secrets, and the presence of eyes made them uneasy. She tried to listening to their rustlings, hoping one catch her ear.

She finally stopped at a shelf on her left and looked up. Could you get that one down for me please?

Sosiqui

Illumin obligingly pulled out the book she indicated, glanced at the cover, then handed it down to her. "Is it special?"

Perri Indiya

She touched the cover, tracing the thin blue line that wrapped around it, cutting through the old leather. It doesn't breathe either. See? She opened the book slowly, fighting the stiff spine. Inside was filled with strange, haphazard writing, pictures of plants and goblins.

The author was haunted by a Nightmare.

Sosiqui

Illumin looked down at the odd writing and bizzare pictures. It was disquieting, somehow. "By nightmare... one of Revei's creatures, or Morpheus', perhaps. What does it say?" For all that the strangeness of the book made it disquieting, it also made it somehow... compelling.

Perri Indiya

The Nightmare was a woman, who's kiss stole his breath. She explained, turning the pages. The writing slowly got weaker and the drawings more feverish. They gave him medicine, but it didn't help. He became pale and wasted, and there was always blood in his mouth.

At the end the pages stuck together and were splattered with dark stains. The last night she came to him, the Nightmare sat on his chest and kissed his cheek. She said her name was Siren. In another, more constrained hand, there was a short, terse note at the end.

The doctor thought her name was Consumption.

Sosiqui

The disturbing aspect of the book, and the story Caolan told, made Illumin step back - just once. The stained pages were revolting. "I think 'consumption' is just an old name for a normal disease," he said, trying to sound light-hearted about the whole thing.

Perri Indiya

Yes. The humans call it tuberculosis now. After watching a very odd movie about French ladies who danced with their skirts over their heads and sang pop songs, where the main character died of said disease, Loraleen had explained it to her. Then Gabriel had told her about what his Granny had told him about it when he was little. Consumption meant a demon woman was eating you up one gasp at a time, she'd said.

But a name shapes a thing, and people used to believe that the affliction stemmed from an evil creature in female form drawing your breath away. Like witches and cats and kelpies. Flutes and voices. The supernatural is, of course, true.

She shut the book, holding it close. The important thing is, the man wrote about where Siren came from and how to find her.

Sosiqui

What is this child? Every time I think I understand her level, she goes beyond... and throws me off! Taken aback by Caolan's rush of knowledge on the subject, Illumin merely nodded as he tried to regain his mental bearings. She was not a human child, and he had to stop thinking that her age - and the size of her physical form - limited her capability.

"Then we both have what we want... maps to the people we're looking for, it seems. I wish mine had as much detail as yours seems to." Though I'm very glad it didn't also come with charming stains. Illumin nodded to the young goddess. "Are there more books you seek?"

Perri Indiya

She shook her dark red mane and smiled warmly. Nope! All my answers lie in Destruction. She turned around, trotting back to her hound.

You're all set, right?

Sosiqui

"I am... wait, Destruction? You shouldn't-" Illumin cut himself off, then nodded respectfully to her once again. "I would be... very careful in facing Destruction," he said, revising his statement to something less... parental. She was a goddess, after all.

Perri Indiya

I will. she responded firmly, giving him a serious look. If you see Papa, please don't tell him I've gone if he doesn't already know. And don't tell him about Destruction. It'll only worry him and cause him to do something foolish.

Sosiqui

"I... very well," Illumin agreed, with an inward squirm. Eamnnon really should know what his child was up to, he'd doubtlessly be worried, and the Hunt was a friend - he really didn't want to do anything to damage their relationship.

Still, she had asked, and... she was capable of handling herself, it was clear... "I won't mention it to your father," he said.

Perri Indiya

Thank you. she said quietly, handing the book to her aiode to be packed away in her backpack and hopping back on to her hound's back. Good luck with your quest, Illumin.

Her party left through the door they had entered, with Caolan trying to devise a way of calling upon Harmodious for an audience.

 

[Sosiqui]

Footsteps of Night

Meepfur

He was far from content with his situation, far from accepting it as over and done. The weight of it had settled like a hard knot in his stomach, giving him a queasy feeling that wouldn't go away and made it all the more impossible to get any sleep. He had paced the empty rooms that were Harmodius' gift to Itztlac for hours on end, letting exhaustion steal thought.

Finally, Finn-att could not take the confines of walls any longer, and descended the stairs to the lower part of the shop despite his leeriness to return to where he'd come face to face with the Destroyer. His sword rested at his waist, indicative of his unease.

Sosiqui

There was smoke pouring through the downstairs, but it was not Destruction's fault.

Illumin swore under his breath as he flipped a charred bit of meat out of the smoking frying pan and into the sink. This 'cooking' business... if only there was sunlight in his rooms as there had once been, to tend to all his needs! But nooo. Nooooo, he couldn't have nice things. Nor Aoidei to fix food that wasn't blackened. Why hadn't they sent word of the work's completion yet?!

All these cranky thoughts swirled through Illumin's mind as he slammed the pan back down on the stove.

Meepfur

The smell of smoke wrinkled Finn's nose as he came down the stairs - slowly and not at all quietly, considering he was hooved and grumbling under his breath about beings who couldn't be happy just safely on the ground. At first he assumed it was the Destroyer's doing, but as it turned out he was wrong.

The individual behind the smoke was obviously angry, but didn't seem at all dangerous, delicately winged as he was. Still, the centaur could only assume this was another god, and so he bowed his head, watery eyes cast down, erring on the side of caution and waiting to be acknowledged.

Sosiqui

Illumin turned, surprised by the presence of another... and somewhat surprised he hadn't heard the intruder first, with those great clopping hooves. What was he? A god or some other being?

Light glowed around Illumin's body as he drove the smoke away with a few powerful wingbeats, herding it up towards the ceiling, chased by playful light-wisps that seemed to have a life of their own. True, he could have done the same thing without that... but there was an audience now, and he had to save face somehow.

To his surprise, Illumin found that the - whatever it was - was bowing. To him? A smile stretched across his face. Well, wasn't that nice... "You may rise," he said, generously.

Meepfur

Finn looked up then, to see the glow of light around the god and the wisps of light that helped to drive the smoke up and away. Perhaps partly because the Destroyer had spoken of him by name as being in residence here, the centaur's mind jumped to an elated, quivering conclusion. Hand over his heart, he bowed his head once more and ventured, "Lightbearer...?"

Sosiqui

Illumin's grin increased - finally! Someone who recognized him for what he was. How refreshing! "I am Illumin, Piercing Radiance, God of Light," he replied, letting the glow around him intensify, the light dancing around his wings and making them look like stained glass. "Who are you, seeker?"

Meepfur

The god was certainly a sight to behold, even as a frail two-legger; Finn assumed, though, that like the Destroyer his form could change.

"I am Finn-att Sokk-att," he answered readily, "A servant of your father the Sunlord." The antlered centaur's face fell then, touched by dismay and a hint of shame as his large ears fell back. "Though I fear I have been pressed into another's service."

Sosiqui

Illumin frowned, slightly. "You have been taught wrongly, Finn-att Sokk-att." Strange name, all clip and clop in the mouth. "If anything else, the Sun descends from me, Light born from Creation at the beginning of time. But it is no great sin," he added, lest he scare the centaur away. He seemed oddly skittish for all his size and power.

Meepfur

"Forgive me, Lightbearer," he apologized, bowing his head again. Each such movement stirred the feathers and carved bone beads that hung from the tines of his antlers. "It is told differently in the stories of my people; time must have twisted the words."

To Finn, his strength meant nothing when he faced a god. He might as well have been a stumbling foal, so powerless did he think himself in the presence of a deity...when his head was calm and he was thinking, at least.

Sosiqui

"It's nothing to be forgiven," Illumin said, generously. Ah, this was what he was looking for, what he so craved from the mortals that lived around the Pharos Beacon! Recognition... respect... worship. He basked in it for a moment.

Until the other thing the centaur had said came to mind. "In service to another?"

Meepfur

Finn-att breathed deeply in relief; he would not want to get on the wrong side of a god. He might worship the Sunlord, but he recognized all gods; even if he was having difficulty accepting the one he'd found himself bound to.

In answer to Illumin's question, he nodded solemnly. "To the Nightrunner."

Sosiqui

"Nightrunner..."

Illumin surveyed the centaur again, quickly. This time his gaze was drawn immediately to where a rock? no, a gem - was set in the flesh, and he cursed himself inwardly for a fool. Who but one forced would come to this place? Foolish, to think one flare of light would bring the hordes to my door.

"I see." His manner shifted slightly; more formal now that he knew he was speaking to the host of another. "I wish you well of it, then." And, inside, Why does everything that greets me warmly belong to another?

Meepfur

"Itztlac is his name," he offered as well. Perhaps that was how the gods knew each other, or even preferred to be called? Finn-att was on shaky ground when it came to knowing about the higher powers of the universe lately.

"Thank you." Finn wasn't precisely grateful, unhappy with his situation as he was, but it seemed the thing to say.

Sosiqui

"Itztlac. I see." So that was how Night styled himself. Preposterous thing to be a god of, really; only a minor demigod under Universe or Time, perhaps. "Are there... more of you? More who would seek me?"

Meepfur

"More of my people?" There was a touch of longing in Finn-att's expression. The centaur was homesick, and he'd only be here for such a short time. "We are many, but only shamans truly seek the gods. Herd-chiefs serve, and the rest worship whatever god their leader serves."

"None will come to you here; none perhaps a shaman would be able. It is Itztlac who brought me here. I have never known of such a place before."

Sosiqui

Illumin frowned. That sounded like another world - and wasn't that just inconvenient? "Well, I hope to make myself known to them someday," he said, trying to sound light-hearted about it, as though it were easy to breach the walls between worlds. A simple matter, surely. Pfft.

Meepfur

Finn-att bowed again, this time a grateful bending at the waist. "They would be honored greatly by your presence. Kann-att Jurr-att has been my closest friend for all my years."

"Tiss-arr Fovv, however...may not hold so true to the oaths he once swore." If what Itztlac said was reliable; though he found himself wary of most of the god's words now, those at least made sense.

Sosiqui

"Tiss-arr Fovv?" Such odd names this race had. Illumin tilted his head to one side, curious. "What oaths did he swear? You must tell me about my people from afar." He moved to sit himself regally on a couch, and motioned for Finn-att to follow. After all, if they were technically his - he should know about them. The better to plan a future appearance, as his ascension continued.

Meepfur

Obviously, couches - most furniture, for that matter! - were not made for centaurs, and so while Finn-att followed Illumin, he stood before him rather than joining him in reclining. It probably would have been presumptuous, anyway. "I do not know the details of a shaman's oaths, but I do know that they, like herd-chiefs, are sworn to worship and serve one god, and one god only; though like all the rest of my people, we recognize and respect all gods."

"Heretics have risen, however," the centaur stomped his forehoof in a gesture of scorn, "Who deny the existence of all but one. I do not know how long ago he went astray, but Tiss-arr Fovv is among their number. He serves the Destroyer now."

Sosiqui

"The Destroyer... interesting. I can only assume that means Destruction of the Twin Crown." Illumin shook his head, sharply. "And are there any who serve the Creator?"

Meepfur

"Yes," he answered, "And yes, though the herd's number has been cut by sickness." There was no sharp sense of loss for Finn, who had made at best only passing acquaintance of any of the Creator's herd.

Sosiqui

Illumin shook his head. "Plague is one of Destruction's creatures. Small wonder - well then." He nodded his head to the centaur. "Thank you for your knowledge. One thing more... what is your world's name, and how did you come to travel between it and this place? Through... Itzlac's... power alone?" Even if he could not appear before those far, hooved faithful now, he might be able to make the effort later.

As for Night, he held himself wary. Night was home to many little lights, but it also made him uneasy. It was closer to Darkness than his own brilliance for his comfort.

Meepfur

"It's...name?" Finn look quite confounded. "It...just is. No one's ever thought to give it a name, it's the world." It had been name enough for him until now, since he'd discovered there was, apparently, more than just the one.

"I thought at first I dreamed," he answered slowly. "I had given chase to a strange animal that then disappeared between two trees, and when I crossed them, I found myself in the...strange stone outside this place. From there, Itztlac...guided me. I do not kn-"

A portal.

What? The centaur frowned.

It was a portal.

"Wait, he says...a portal?" He didn't quite understand, but relayed the it nonetheless - more for Illumin's information than anything.

Sosiqui

"A portal..." But, he says. It seems Night had spoken. Illumin nodded, this time as god to god, equal to equal. "Your tales have so intrigued me, Finn-att, that I fear I have been ignoring the god you bear. Greetings, Night." He offered them with apparent cheer, and inner wariness.

Meepfur

"Greetings, Light," Itztlac purred from his host's mouth, slipping into control - much to the centaur's consternation. Perhaps it was the god's right, but a little warning wouldn't go amiss.

Inwardly, Night frowned, finding Finn's voice to be unpleasantly rough for his tastes.

Sosiqui

"It is good to see more gods coming into their strength," Illumin replied. "I am sure Tilion of the Moon especially delights in your return..." Lucius as well, likely, since Night best showed off the delights of the vast spaces, but Illumin would not sully the conversation by speaking his name.

Meepfur

"Tilion has returned?" Night asked with interest, his host's strange ears flicking forward to reflect it. "I must seek him out...do you know where he dwells?"

Itztlac seemed pleasant enough, if somewhat distant; unlike some, he tended towards quiet and relative seclusion. Still, he he respected Illumin well enough. Though dark, night was lit, and the lights many, if dim.

Sosiqui

"I do not know where Tilion dwells. I met him and his host in the library once, some months ago, but I have been there many times since and not seen them." Illumin shrugged. He was pleased enough with the respect to relax a bit - it was clear the other god was not hostile towards him or his domain. Not truly tied with real Darkness, perhaps, or if so, not enough to care deeply. Perhaps an enviable balance?

Meepfur

"Unfortunate," he remarked, disappointed. "Well, I suppose one of us will find the other sooner or later. Thank you, however, for the information. Do you know who else has risen?" Feeling as though he had much to catch up on, Itztlac was hungry for whatever information he could get. Information was always valuable.

Sosiqui

"Some dozens - not a great number, but I know many who have come - the Twin Crown, naturally. His Empress, Gaia. I hear the Dragon Kings walk the world again as well, though I have only met one. Love, both of them... Dream, also both. Hunt and Wind are mated, and begat Suffocation and Archery. Water. Rebirth. Insanity." Illumin counted down the litany of those he knew, and knew of, smiling a bit at a few of them. "Medicine and Music came together. I have heard of Underworld's return as well. Knowledge... Moon I have told you of. There are others, I know, that I have not yet met..."

He paused, then. The last names. "And there is Shadow. And Universe." The last was muttered low, with eyes narrowed at the memory.

Meepfur

"I see," Itztlac said, nodding as he thought. The domain of Lucius had been uttered almost grudgingly, leading him to wonder why. That curiosity, however, he would keep to himself for now; he was not so unsubtle as to go prodding at everyone directly to find out what he wanted.

"Thank you, Illumin, for your patience in answering my questions." Night inclined his head much as Finn-att himself had a tendency to do. "I should leave you to your...cooking endeavors." And also head back up the stairs and force his host to rest, if he could manage it.

Sosiqui

Cooking endeavors? Illumin weighed the statement quickly to see if it was an insult, but he really couldn't tell one way or the other, so he decided to ignore it for now. "I understand. You must be still tired. It is no easy thing to control a host's body when the walls of the gem still contain you. I remember it." His wings rustled.

Meepfur

"I'm sure it will pass soon enough," Itztlac replied. "But farewell for now...Lightbearer." He used his host's name for the god with slight chuckle, finding it quaint and somewhat endearing.

With that, he coaxed the unfamiliarly large body carefully back up the stairs.

 

[Sosiqui]

The Glow That Illuminates III

Illumin's wings beat powerfully at the dry air as he soared towards the Pharos Beacon, the ivory tower a plain landmark. As he flew alone, his mind danced with thoughts of what would be. The light atop the tower would gleam, sending his element flashing across the land as an unmistakable sign that his Radiance had returned to bless mortals. The ivory stone would shine, lines of worshippers snake across a countryside made green and living again by his power... and from those mortals would flow a river of power and adoration sweeter than ambrosia, the true finest food of the gods.

And he would rise upon it, using that power as the basis for his movements. Another meeting with that... that demon-creature, Sesostris, to divine the movements of the traitor he had known... and then, at last, divine vengeance upon those who had taken his power from him. Their congregations for his own, increasing his power still more...

But there were other thoughts, too, that had to come first. The children's book tucked safely away in his chambers at the Pantheon - who would have thought that a story wiped so cleanly away from other records would surface and find quiet voice in the form of a fairy-tale? He had to speak to Eamnnon after checking on affairs here.

And then there would be movement, and victory; that obscene dark face melting away to reveal Creation's alabaster visage once again. And thanks, blessing, ascendancy for Light and Hunt like none had ever known...! But even that promise of future thanks was as nothing next to the bone-deep relief he felt when he thought of Destruction gone and his true Lord brought back to power. All the worries he had felt would surely melt away under that gentle Lord's re-emergence.

They were sweet thoughts indeed, and they held Illumin's interest until he at last spiraled down to land before the Pharos Beacon - and then, as he let the daydreams free and focused again on the real world, he realized the doors were still as weathered and faded as ever, still rusted at the hinges.

Illumin frowned, and pushed the doors open.

What met his eyes was an interior nearly identical to how he had left it. Oh, there had been efforts here and there, and buckets of paint and whitewash lay next to ladders, but they were meager. It would take years to clean the structure at this rate!

Light scowled, and strode into the inner chambers, opening the door with more force than was really needed. "Eibhilin! Eliam!" he bellowed, the light around him going white and intense, reflecting his agiatation. The lower tower was no better off.

His shout echoed hollowly for a moment before the high door opened, and his Aoidei spilled out, Eibhilin coiling her misty body down to him, Eliam following in a tight, circling glide. They landed together and bowed immediately.

"Enough of this obsequiance," Illumin snapped, gesturing irritably for them to rise. "What has happened - or, rather, what hasn't happened?"

Eibhilin glanced at Eliam, and the latter sighed and began to speak. "Radiance..."

"By now this place should be a shining testament to my coming glory! What is this... cheap whitewash, boxes barely moved, dust everywhere..." Light stalked among the cardboard angrily, the blinding glow around him reaching out to set the corners smoking. "Is this what you do, or fail to do, while I am away?"

"Not so, my Lord," Eibhilin cut in, her own tone sharp with rebuke, and Illumin turned to her with astonishment. "There were... difficulties..."

"Then explain yourselves. Tell me of these difficulties." Illumin huffed, then gingerly found the least dusty box he could and sat upon it as if it was the most loathsome thing he'd ever touched.

The two Aoidei exchanged looks, and Eliam bowed again. "Radiance... they would not come."

Illumin folded his arms, not understanding. "Who would not?"

"The mortals... craftsmen, workers. They do live nearby, you are right... many tradesmen and artisans were stranded in Solde-on-Palecliff when the sea withdrew." Eliam shook his head. "But they would not come."

Illumin growled. "Did you tell them that Light their Lord demanded it?"

"We did, Radiance," Eibhilin replied. "But... they would not. If anything that threat seemed to..." She hesitated a moment. "To increase their resolve to stay away."

"What?" Illumin's fists clenched tightly at his sides, and he ground his teeth in a mute snarl. "How dare...!"

"Radiance, these people have been foresaken by their sea, their sun and their lands... they were loath to... to..." Eliam didn't finish the sentence, but Illumin's mind filled in the blanks quite well. "Destruction has made them wary..."

"Fools!" Illumin burst out, making a sharp gesture. "Idiots!"

"That they may be, but the fact remains that they are not open to divine coercion," Eibhilin said. "Myself and Eliam have tried our best..."

And that explained the condition of the Beacon - not a score of workmen set to the task as he had imagined, but just his two Aoidei. Illumin slumped then, his wings drooping. "So they will not come to me," he said, dully.

"Not... as of yet, Radiance." Eliam said, cautiously.

"I see. Thank you for your service." Illumin got up, his movements stiff. "Please continue in that for now. I have business with the Hunt for the restoration of my Lord Creation."

"Radiance!" Eibhilin moved to pace him as Illumin turned and headed for the door again. "Where are you going?"

"Out! Bother me no longer, Eibhilin - do not overstep your bounds." His voice was low and dangerous.

She drew back immediately, sinking to the floor in a bow. "Radiance."

Uncaring, feeling the silence and foul surroundings beating on him with an almost physical pain, Illumin shoved open all the doors in his way and sprang into the thankless sky outside the Beacon as soon as he possibly could. He would escape this place, and perhaps gain some perspective by it.  

[Sosiqui]

The Glow That Illuminates IV

Illumin fled from the Pharos Beacon, a dull knot twisting in his stomach. He had never before been unwanted, unloved... he was Light Itself; who would spurn his advances? Who would dare?! What mortal soul did not yearn at its core for the touch of his element?

He did not understand.

The town of Solde-on-Palecliff was below him now, its dried-up docks protruding out like bones into the salt-crusted plain that had once been the sea. It was so empty there, so pathetic, the houses huddled together. Why had they not responded with joy to the task he had given?

There was a dot of yellow on the end of one of the dried piers. Dull curiosity made Illumin tilt his wings and bank his flight in that direction. As he descended, the dot resolve itself into the form of a man, wearing a battered yellow rain slicker.

The dock wood was parched dry, cracked, and brittle; it splintered uncomfortably under Illumin's bare feet as he landed. The sudden prickling made him cry out, and although he muffled it, the man staring out at the former sea turned around. An old man, Illumin realized, grizzled, the very picture of an aged sailor. Old salt, a shred of his host's memory supplied.

The man glared at him. "Who're you?"

Illumin summoned his very best glow, the one that made his wings shine like stained glass, that made him the very picture of divine radiance. "My name is Illumin, and I am Light," he declared, firmly.

Instead of falling to his knees as he should have, the old man merely raised one eyebrow, and focused on Illumin's feet. "Yer bleeding."

Illumin flinched. "What does that matter, to a god?"

"Ah." The old man's gaze narrowed abruptly. "So them two wasn't lying. There really is-"

"Lying?!" How dare this insignificant, washed-up shell of a man accuse his servants of lying? "Oh no, they most certainly will not. You may tell your people that divine Light has come to spread His wings over them," Illumin said, the glow flaring around him.

The old man snorted. "You're the one, eh... what proof, tell me that? What proof have ye? Mages act and look as well as yeh, and glow as well, too."

Grimly, Illumin called up a construct of light twice the man's height and sent it spinning out towards him, giving it the aspect of a breaking wave. It rose and crashed over and around the man before vanishing in a shower of sparks.

"Ah..." And then, abruptly, the old man's mouth twisted into a snarl. "Then where were ye?!"

The ferocity in that question was such that Illumin took a step back, wincing as the movement drove a splinter deeper into his heel. "Where was I?"

"Where were ye when the crops failed? When the acid rain fell?" With every question spat forth, the old man advanced, and Illumin stumbled backwards. How had this happened? He was a god, he was- another splinter bit him, and he flinched.

"Where were ye when the sea failed us? When we began to die? When my daughter-" The old man bit off the end of the last question savagely, then shook his head and looked at Illumin with disgust. "What matter of god be ye?"

The words were spoken with deep loathing, and a wash of anger spilled over Illumin at last. "I am Light Incarnate, the Piercing Radiance," he snarled back at his challenger, the glow around him increasing to blinding once again. The deck around his feet began to smoke.

"Did ye know what had happened? Did ye care? Ye didn't stop it, that much is plain - did ye guide the souls of those what left us to the heavens?" The old man's accusations rang out.

"What do you think of me?" Illumin burst, raging now. "That I should know all, see all, have power over all?"

"That is what gods do. If ye be divine - then I name ye God of Folly," the old man said, and Illumin saw the look in his eyes - as if he was looking at a worm, something of the least value, something foul. "Get out. Get out. If ye would be our god, ye must earn it."

"How dare, how dare you speak that way to me?" Illumin hissed. "I could - should - kill you where you stand for your blasphemy!"

The man looked him straight in the eyes, and lifted his chin. "Take my life. Ye think I have a reason to hold on to it?" A single curt gesture indicated the surroundings. "Take it, and be damned, for felling a man speaking only the truth."

Illumin fell back, stunned. Truth. Truth. He could not be - impossible... but the firm look in his eyes was not that of a liar. The old man meant every word. There was no deceit. "You..."

The old man merely looked back at him, holding his gaze, and Illumin was the one to break it in the end as he looked away. The man snorted, dismissively. "If ye be a god in truth, come back when ye've learned humility. If ye be not - then may the true lords of Light devour ye whole and never spit ye out."

This spoken, the man turned away, leaving Illumin staring, open-mouthed and dry, unable to summon a reply. The old man's stiff back was the last thing Illumin saw as he let out a shallow moan and leapt once more into the air, barely caring that the force of his leap drove splinters more deeply into the soles of his feet.

All he cared about, as he beat his wings frantically with all the speed he could muster, was getting away. The man's expectations seemed to dog his heels even in the sky, crushing at his wings and his mind, baying for fulfillment from one who - at this point - could not possibly do so.  

[Sosiqui]

The Glow That Illuminates V

The lanterns bathed Illumin's chambers in light, but they held no solace. As he crouched alone over his splinter-marked feet, wishing briefly for Panacea's skilled touch to help him in their extraction, he felt nothing but a bone-deep ache.

"What could they want? All knowledge, power, presence - heavens and hells... they claim too much for a god!" Illumin hissed and imagined each of the splinters he pulled away as a small and insignificant mortal cast out by his anger, but whenever he closed his eyes all he saw was the old man's penetrating gaze. Staring, accusingly, forever.

Even if he had given in to wild impulse and cut the man down, he would still be there, staring.

"What do they want from me? No god can be all that! Knowledge is Gianfar's, the hells Underworld's, the heavens... I don't even know... fools, they are the fools," Illumin snapped, to no-one. "I cannot be what they want! No god can! Impossible; they ask too much."

The tweezers were clumsy in his sweat-slicked fingers. But he had not stopped at the Pharos Beacon to recall his Aoidei; they remained at the lighthouse, toiling away. For him.

I cannot be what they want. Are we... all doomed to insignificance? The thought was cruel. To be reborn into a world so demanding, so changed, that there could be no true ascendancy... no! It cannot be true!

'Come back when ye've learned humility.'

Humility, a most mortal virtue. He was a god, Light, the Piercing Radiance; what need did he have for humility?

Flashes of past error flicked through Illumin's mind. The treacherous Aoidei, but... what had they said? We have been the only face of Light these mortals have ever known. They are ours! And they had been theirs in truth, snatched away, undermining in an instant all that Light had held...

Illumin had a feeling that, had his host still remained, she would have called him deeply, deeply stupid.

He had come in with arrogance, demanding, expecting his due - exactly as he would have done in the past. In that past, which ended in his ignominious death. Not by Fading alone, but by a theft of such magnitude that it should not have been possible.

No. His own actions had given the Aoidei the power to do what they had done, to claim his own worshippers and become demigods in their own right, to speed what time inexorably would have done for him, in the end.

And if I do not change this... then how long will it be before I see the walls of a jewel around me again, seeing desperately for the perfect soul? And he had already found that perfect soul once, after millennia of searching and reaching out. Maybe there was no other. Sosiqui might have been his only chance. He could not lose it!

Another splinter pulled free from his skin and he flung it away, angrily.

The fault is mine. The thought rankled, so hard that he shoved it away as hard as he had thrown the splinter of wood, but it came back. Mine...

"It's my fault. My fault. MINE! Are you satisfied?!" he shouted, trying to make the accusing thought shut up. His words echoed among the lanterns.

When they faded, he found himself panting with the effort; the tweezers slipped from between his sweaty fingers. "My fault..."

He would have to make restitution to them. The people of Solde-on-Palecliff would be his, but the road was longer than he had thought, and the distance stretched further because of his thoughtless actions. God of Folly, indeed.

But - no, not now. While relations needed mending, he had a job to do. Illumin stood and paced over to the shelf holding his books, ignoring the pain in his feet from the few remaining splinters, and ran one finger down the spine of the children's book he had found. He had to see Eamnnon. See him, and speak with him about what the simple tale contained, and divine out the core of truth hidden under the languge of a child and the passage of time. And then...

And then?

And then the pursuit of that truth.

Illumin shook his head and moved back to his bed on the dais, stopping to reclaim the tweezers as he went. His lesson had been painful. He would not waste it.  

[Sosiqui]

Quest - Part Eight: Truth in the Tale

Sosiqui

Illumin angled his flight towards the green forest of the Hunt, feeling grateful to the other god for the life he had preserved. The contrast between Eamnnon's domain and the surrounding landscape was sharp, and as Illumin grew nearer and finally soared over the trees themselves, he breathed in deeply. Even the air seemed sweeter with the scent of green and growing things. The forest was not as vibrant as it had been under Creation's sway, of course, but it had clearly been protected.

This time, the temple was easy to find. Illumin moved downward easily as soon as he saw the roof, pondering an entrance through the smoke hole but thinking better of it. Who knew what ritual might be going on in there?

Light settled for a less visually spectacular landing. His bandaged feet twinged a bit as he settled down in front of the Hunt's temple; they were still sore from the splinters. But the flicker of pain was a reminder of the lesson he had learned.

Illumin brushed off his clothing, made sure the book had survived the flight okay, then took the slim volume in one hand and moved towards the temple's door.

Perri Indiya

Sticks crackled behind him as two figures moved out of the trees, leading a small party. Snippets of their conversation preceeded them:

"But they were unclothed my lord! She was naked! He was naked! Together!"

A laugh. "I don't know if you've noticed Eben, but Orin is technically naked all the time. The fur covers the bits humans get worried about and is pretty warm anyway-"

"Yes my lord, yes, but she-"

"And the whole joint nakedness with someone you like is a time-honored tradition of bonding. Why Beryl and I-"

"But my lord, she is your mate! Your lady! And I was in the room!"

Eamnonn sighed, climbing the stairs to the front deck of his temple. "I hate to break this to you, but it sounds like they knew that and that may have been the point. Don't begrudge Orin his happiness, okay? Alex will be gone soon enough. Hello Illumin! What brings you here?"

Sosiqui

Illumin raised one eyebrow at the discussion. "Some scandal among your followers, Hunt?" He smiled at Eamnnon, though. He'd actually kind of missed the other god's company. "Never mind that - I've found another clue to our mysterious Ashlands." He held up the thin book. "What was too weighty and secret for the histories was masquerading as a fairy tale, it seems."

Perri Indiya

Eamnonn laughed. "No, simply aiode squabbles. Eben, you can sleep on the couches in the living room for a bit, okay? That way Orin and his lady can have their time, and you are less likely to be assaulted by Quaker. Everybody wins."

Eben bowed to his master, keeping further complaints to himself. "Yes, my lord." What he really wanted to say was something along the lines of how uncouth his fellow servants were. To him it was a very bad word.

The Hunt turned back to Light and raised an eyebrow at the book. "All that searching and our answers are in a volumn with less than thirty pages? I guess I'm not as good a finder as I thought. How'd you come across it?"

Sosiqui

"I chanced upon it in the children's section, believe it or not... my Aoidei were away on business I had set them, and I was terribly bored." That much was true; Eamnnon did not have to know that one did not follow from the other. It rankled, but he had promised Caolan.

"But, see..." Illumin let the book fall open in his hands. "It's just a children's story, but it speaks in brief of all the truths we already know. A Two-Crowned King that can only be the Twin Crown; his Empress of Life who must be Gaia... nine nobles, the Dragon Kings. And a bold one entering the Twin Crown's court, called Aris - surely Aristogeiton." He turned the pages until he reached the important one. "Though we have all been made fairy creatures, the core truth remains... that perhaps we can find our way to these Ashlands, if they still exist, by seeking those who knew where it was. The Dragon Kings. Gaia. Universe," and the last was spat.

Perri Indiya

Eamnonn nodded, mostly following. "Well, we could certainly ask Kishara. We're friends and I'm sure she'd be willing to at least try to help us."

He looked longingly up at his temple. "I would like to take a moment to say hello to my daughter before we dash off though. If there's time."

Sosiqui

Nnngh. Illumin twitched, inwardly. He couldn't hide anything from the Hunt if he asked directly; that would be to lie, and that went against every fiber of his being. "You know the Empress? That's a stroke of good fortune; I've never met any of the gods mentioned, except one of the Dragon Kings, and while he was cordial enough... I would rather pay my respects to Gaia."

Perri Indiya

The Hunt nodded. "She's very nice. I accompanied her when she went to see Harmodious as Destruction for the first time. It wasn't fun."

He sighed, assuming that Illumin was trying to be tactful about their need to hurry. "I suppose we should locate her - and our answers - sooner rather than later."

Sosiqui

"You went before Destruction?" Illumin looked surprised. "You're braver than I am, then... I cannot, cannot think of that... being... as being the same as my Lord Harmodius, my Creation..." His wings shivered together. "I fear him with every part of my being, Eamnnon. Respect... and fear. I cannot understand him." He shook his head, sharply.

Then he sighed, thinking of Caolan before Destruction - but she was a goddess, even if young; surely she would be okay... surely... "Yes. Shall we move? When I think that the key to restoring the balance of the Twin Crown may lie in our hands, and a path is clear before us, I cannot bear to hesitate even a moment."

Perri Indiya

The Hunt raised an eyebrow, contemplating his fellow god. "Really? I... well I certainly don't like him much, but he is Harmodious. Destruction is a part of us all, if some more than others."

"Sure. ...we might have a little trouble locating her, since the last time we met was in my forest. Hmm. Perhaps heading towards the compound would be best? Everyone seems to gather there."

Sosiqui

"Indeed. Shall we fly... do you fly?" Illumin tilted his head at Eamnnon's branch-like wings. They didn't look flightworthy, but his own wings didn't look capable of supporting his own weight either.

He paused on Ea's first statement. "I read in the histories that Light was born from Creation entire. Perhaps that is why he feels so foreign to me, so impossible to comprehend."

Perri Indiya

The Hunt laughed at Illumin's question. "Of course I do! Ah, well, I suppose they don't look like proper wings - more camoflauge - but the magic do not need things like physics on their side to soar."

He was still confused with Light's vehement reaction against Destruction, but he let it go as simply one of the man's eccentricities. "That must be it. Mine is a younger realm, and one steeped in death besides. It is a different sort of baggage."

Sosiqui

"Perhaps." Illumin didn't want to dwell on the subject of Destruction a moment longer, so he spread his wings and fanned them out, calling light to gleam along the edges, making their span subtly larger. He tucked the book carefully away again, then nodded to Eamnnon. "Let us fly, then."

He crouched and jumped lightly into the air, and was surprised at how much easier it was to gain purchase into the skies here, where Destruction's power was not quite as threatening.

Perri Indiya

He could fly, but not by just leaping from the ground. Ea was a predator, but not a raptor. He ran instead to the nearest tree and swarmed up to its highest branches, leaping into the air from the platform it gave him. Gliding more than flying, he drifted on the air currents in the general direction of the main compound. Hopefully all their talk of the devil would not invoke him.

Sosiqui

Illumin smiled and enjoyed the flight - he had never soared through the skies with another god before, only with his Aoidei, and while he held them close the relationship was not the same. How pleasant it would be to do this in better times, with warm sweet wind to fly on and the sun shining brightly...

Illumin sobered as they approached the Pantheon, and he had to land outside the gates, away from the wing-crumpling hot fumes from the lava. "I like your residence better," he said, with a sigh, looking resignedly at the forbidding temple. "So. Where do we find the Empress in these walls?"

Perri Indiya

Ea frowned for a moment, looking the place over. "I think she has one of the back rooms on the second floor."

He looked sidelong at the other god, and walked towards the side of the building instead of towards the door. "Let's go through my old room via the tree and the window. Alex won't mind, and we'll be much less likely to bump into Destruction that way."

He led them in said direction, not finding Alex or Rio-in-Alex home. In the hallway, he frowned a bit more before choosing a door and knocking. He was mostly sure it was Gaia's.

Lady_Ourania

The tendrils of green that had been steadily creeping out from beneath the door quickly retracted with a sharp hiss of friction, the noise cancelled out by the faint tap of footsteps on the other side of the threshold as someone moved to answer. Her voice rang out clearly, directed at another individual in the room as she sternly ordered, "Put that down right this second if you are going to insist upon chewing on it. Those bulbs are poisonous and not for eating. If you are hungry, Rognvaldr will gladly share his croissant. Oh yes you will, Rogn."

The handle turned and the doorway was suddenly occupied by a somewhat frazzled seeming redhead who was trying very hard to smile for company. The expression took on a more genuine touch when she recognized Eamnonn and his leafy appendages, her wings fluttering in a cheerful complement to her voice. "Hunt, what a pleasant surprise this is. I had just been thinking about paying you and your daughter a visit..." She glanced behind him, pausing for a moment before offering the unknown deity a polite nod, carefully making her way back toward a more formal mindset. "And greetings to you as well, sir. I am Kishara, or Gaia, if you would prefer. I apologize, but I cannot immediately recall your title..."

Are you babbling?

Best to admit ignorance ahead of time in case he takes offense later. And yes, a bit. I have a tendency toward it when I am utterly perplexed.

She had thought Ea was paying a social call, but the presence of the solemn god at his back implied otherwise. She took a step inside to clear a path, shooting the Hunt a quizzical look as she respectfully asked, "If I could request your forgiveness in advance for the disarray, would you both care to come inside? Or would you prefer to stand in the hall?"

Sosiqui

Illumin brightened as the goddess opened her door. He'd never seen the Empress, but he felt an instant kinship with her. Here was the one who had first drawn out Creation...

This knowledge in mind, Illumin actually bowed to her. Not too deep, but enough to indicate respect and honor. "Thank you for your invitation, Empress. I am Illumin, Light... and we seek your counsel. We are trying to find a way to rebalance the Twin Crown..."

He left the rest for Eamnnon, as he did not know Gaia as well as he did.

Perri Indiya

"Hello Kishara!" Ea said cheerfully, breaking into a wide smile. "How have you been? You're looking much better than the last time we saw each other. You haven't had any more trouble, I hope?"

He stepped inside when asked, completely forgetting to introduce Light until the other god spoke. "Gah, sorry, this is Illumin, god of Light. A decent sort and on your level of formality. I'm helping him try to balance the Harmodious, and you were mentioned in one of the books we found."

Mess? She called this a mess? The Hunt shook his head, impressed. He should hire her mess-makers as maids.

Lady_Ourania

"Nothing that I could not manage," She replied with false bravado to Hunt's final question, amused by his jovial disposition and wishing not to dampen it with her own troubles. "And you are looking very well yourself, I trust your family fares just as finely?"

Illumin's bow and introduction suddenly made perfect sense to the goddess, and she gave a considerate nod to indicate as much, her smile growing a little more complicated when her old title was used. "It is a true pleasure, Illumin, though you may simply address me as Kishara if you please."

The room was warm, but not unpleasantly so as she ventured further in, leading both Hunt and Light to a wider area where the green did not press as heavily upon them. She stooped to scoop Milo up off the floor and hand him to a waiting aoide, the little boy protesting angrily until she collected the variety of bulbs and seeds he had been playing with and deposited them into his waiting palms with a stern look that repeated her previous statements. They were not for eating; if she caught him behaving to the contrary, they would be taken away.

She turned to hear mention of the Twin Crown, her scarlet brows rising with Eamnonn's more thorough but less coherent explanation. She bit her lip before motioning to a pair of chairs for the two older gods to utilize, leaning up against the unsteady table she used for projects instead of sitting herself.

"Books?" She pressed inquisitively, her hand fluttering to send a stray tendril of plant life away from where it had been tapping on her shoulder. Her head was spinning and her stomach was clenched with anxious anticipation, almost disbelieving that such an opportunity had knocked on her door. "You will have to expand on that, if you could, and I will be more than glad to extend assistance."

Sosiqui

Illumin stepped inside, taking a moment to smile at the green and growing surroundings - this more remarkable than even Ea's forest, perhaps, because it was at the epicenter of Destruction's rule - before taking the indicated seat. He produced the children's book and held it out to Kishara.

"Panacea, Medicine, had been sent out by Harmodius before his full shift to Destruction," Illumin began. "He had indicated that the rediscovery of his lover Aristogeiton might be able to rebalance his natures. Eamnnon and I have discovered several artifacts indicating that Aristogeiton was linked with a people called the Grigori, and sent out to a place called the Ashlands..." Illumin indicated the title of the children's book, The Lands of Ash. "This book carries some of the story, we think, hidden in the language of a child. It mentions you, Empr- Kishara, as one of those who knew the way..."

Perri Indiya

"My family is well. You should come see the girls some time." The Hunt said with a smile, staying standing when she swayed to offer help if needed. He nodded along to what Illumin said. "Days of searching other books and then it was tucked away in that."

Lady_Ourania

Mention of the twin girls revived the warm smile that had been threatening to extinguish, the promise of being able to see them quieting the frantic percussion of her pulse. The balance of extraordinary and mundane was precisely what she needed to keep a clear head about the proceedings, even if the possibilities surrounding Harmodius sparked immediate tension.

Kishara took the offered book, turning it over thoughtfully in her hands before opening it to a random page and eyeing the writing skeptically. It was very obviously a volume intended for younger children, graphic-intensive with simple sentence structure and an uncomplicated vocabulary. Idly, she realized it was something she might read to Milo on the nights when his grandfather was missing and he needed something other than warm milk to fall asleep.

'There once was a great King with two faces...'

She listened without comment to Illumin's explanation, already well-aware of the reasoning behind Pana's excursions from her host's encounters with the young deity. It wasn't until he spoke of the Ashlands that she quietly shut the book and looked up at her guests, her fey features troubled.

"There are many things that I have failed to recall since the Fading." The goddess' tone was one of apology as her fingertips traced the embossed letters on the cover, lips pursed while she struggled to find something more encouraging to tell the two gods. "The way to this place may very well be one of them..."

Sosiqui

Illumin did not let the small surge of disappointment enter his expression, but merely nodded to Gaia. "Many things have been forgotten by many gods... it is no fault of yours if you cannot remember," he said, firmly. "But there was more, from a strange puzzle-box I found..."

He could quote the words by memory, now. "This is what led us to chase the tale of the Ashlands.... 'The Grigori, as the others have come to call themselves, we have made a kingdom of their own, outside the bounds of light and dark. It is the Ashlands. It is left to Gaia, Universe and their loves, to keep eye of. Only their aspects are connected therein, for they are Primordial as Us, and all that Is remains within them.'"

Illumin paused, then bowed again. "As you can see, it is outside even my own boundaries."

Perri Indiya

Mystic gobbledegook, as far as Eamnonn was concerned, but he nodded along anyway. "Nice and clear, isn't it?"

Lady_Ourania

Neither of them seemed the least bit daunted by her lapse in memory, and Kishara wasn't certain whether such adamant determination was to be met by relief or dismay. Did they trust her to give them direction? Or was it simply that they had expected nothing of value to come from her in the first place? If one was worse than the other, she could not distinguish which.

The words Illumin spoke about a puzzle-box caused her brow to furrow, and she stared uncertainly at the book in her hands, murmuring a quiet question under her breath before speaking aloud. "Clarity is very rarely a consideration when it comes to matters such as these, dear Eamnnon, but perhaps the words are a bit less evasive than we had previously thought..."

She reopened the book, eyes tracking across the vivid illustrations and the spidery writing while she skimmed further. "'And all that Is remains within them.' That is not some random phrase that was decided upon - there is a greater significance here, even if we are overlooking it."

Thoughts of a balanced Harmodius were being slowly leveled by taunts of inadequacy, and she was left feeling like an insignificant blip in the face of a seething, hungry dark. She was close to something, some revelation that would fling all the stars back up into the skies and stop the worlds from deteriorating into dust, but it was largely intangible. If only there was more information, or at least a source that felt more reliable than a slim children's novel.

"Have you spoken to Universe about this?" She asked at last, dissatisfied with her own tedious analysis. He remembers so little about the past, but perhaps this would be the one thing Lucius can recall better than I. There was no guarantee that he would share his memories, however, no matter what the angle of appeal happened to be.

Sosiqui

Illumin flinched. "No, we have not. We... he holds no love for me, at least, though I do not know how Eamnnon fares. I fought against him when Creation was so wounded by his hand." Illumin's fists clenched at his side, briefly, and he shook his head. "I cannot forgive him for that. He knows this. I have already used the only favor I am likely to get from him; I doubt he would aid me."

Perri Indiya

The Hunt shook his head. "I don't have any personal animosity against him, but he did attack Harmodious, and seriously injured Beryl during said attack. I... have a hard time being nice to people who harm my family."

He frowned, mussing his hair distractedly. "And I did almost claw open his inner thigh to get to the major artery in there during that whole business so... yeah. We're not chummy."

Lady_Ourania

Kishara clicked her tongue, having anticipated responses of that nature but still finding the small measure of hope in her breast had been effectively quashed. If Universe knew anything, no one amongst their modest group of three was about to politely request that he disclose it. "I see," Was all she said to their mutual reasoning, not the least bit accusatory since she was hardly offering to visit the Universe again of her own accord.

She mulled thoughtfully for a few more seconds, taking a deep breath before turning her green gaze back toward Light and Hunt. "Although I am not an authority on this matter, I believe that how you uncovered this information - in a children's book and from a puzzle-box - is significant. Both are in plain sight, but require a mind already primed by purpose to discern the importance of what is being offered. Having said that, I believe that there is a literal aspect to the lines I mentioned before... interrupt me if I am making little in the way of sense, but I think that the path to the Ashlands is not merely guarded by us, but held within our very beings. The only way to arrive there is to travel through the knot of divinity that shapes us, that was passed on from gem to human to god."

Kishara stopped, flushing slightly and hoping that the two older Edelsteine would not think she had cracked her head on something; or worse yet, that they had come to exactly such a conclusion themselves and were now being fed something they already knew. But even as she said it, the words felt somehow right, filling up the empty spaces that had opened up when she'd spoken to the son of her previous body and felt despair and helplessness in her inability. She was not wrong.

Sosiqui

Illumin tilted his head to one side and looked thoughtful. "To take steps through your very self... but how..." He took a step towards Kishara, as if walking to her now might transport him to some other land, then bowed. "I'm... afraid I don't know how such a thing could be done..."

Perri Indiya

Eamnonn cocked his head, really hoping his brainhad gone off somewhere bloody of his own accord, instead of understanding what Kish meant. "So... you think we need to cut you open and walk through the wound or something? And that'll be a door to the Ashlands instead of your innards?"

He shook his head. "I don't like the sound of that - I mean, Illumin and I are big enough that we'd have to cut a pretty big hole in your flesh, and after getting injured by Destruction in your defense I'm not keen on ausing you to bleed to death."

Lady_Ourania

She paled slightly when actual cutting was mentioned, not having traveled down that particular mental avenue until Eamnonn's suggestion caused her insides to quail. It made the most sense when she thought on it further - an actual parting of flesh to make a door beneath the pale arch of her ribcage - but even the sensibility of that was outweighed by the amount of gore that would spew forth from the center of her being when they hacked a space large enough for two.

Her knuckles were white around the slim volume in her hands as she darted a glance over her shoulder, making certain Milo was still engaged in playing with his makeshift toys and hadn't heard the turn their discussion had taken. When the Were failed to look up or seem upset, she returned her stare to the duo in front of her, some of her resolve returning in the tightening around her mouth. "If that is the only way that He can be balanced, then it must be done. I can think of no alternative, and I doubt I have strength or power enough to open the gateway myself..."

Did she even have the ability to survive such an undertaking? No matter how careful the incision, there was always the possibility that she would bleed out onto the floor or succumb to shock of being split from neck to navel, or however far they needed to open her up. Humanity still threaded with the divinity in her veins, a potent cocktail to be certain, but not necessarily enough to keep her in the realm of the living if she was pushed beyond some untested threshold.

Kishara took a deep breath, feeling around the knots of tension and trying to loosen them with a vulnerable smile. "Unless one of you has a plausible substitute? I would be open to listening, I assure you."

Sosiqui

Illumin paled, looking absolutely horrified at both Eammnon's suggestion and Kishara's apparent acceptance. "Pardon me, Lady, I need to speak with my cohort here..."

Illumin quickly sidled over and hissed in the Hunt's ear. "Are you crazy?! That's - there's no way we can do that! Surely that can't be the solution... so... so... literal, messy, bloody!" His wings quivered against each other as he whispered - though the force of his emotion meant the words weren't as subtle as he would have liked. "We could kill her!"

He was babbling.

Perri Indiya

The green god stared at light for a moment, before laughing. He quickly pressed a hand to his mouth, trying to smother his mirth. He was just so twitchy!

"Breathe, Light, breathe. Hyperventalating is messy too." he said with a grin, patting the other god on the back. "As such a portal would be both physical and metaphysical, there's a good chance we can manage not to get blood in your hair."

Turning back to Gaia, still smiling, the Hunt patted one of her white-knuckled hands gently. "Could any of your servants look after you properly while we did this? We would try to keep the incision as small and non-fatal as possible, but having someone by your side would be best."

Lady_Ourania

Kishara said nothing regarding their aside, though she could tell without much needless guessing that Illumin was hardly pleased at the prospect of slicing her open. It was a strange sort of relief that descended over her when Light seemed unwilling to even consider the notion, his voice hushed but angry as he argued with a placid-seeming Hunt. She wasn't too keen on the idea either, but it was beginning to seem as necessary as breathing, and possibly more important since balancing Harmodius was the only way to keep the Universe and everything contained therein from crumbling into absence.

Am I capable of doing this? Of opening a portal with weakened influence?

If she was not, then they would soon find out precisely how far will alone could carry them.

The goddess glanced up when her hand was touched, fighting back a flood of anxiety and keeping her features composed. "I have two aoidei, but neither of them are well-trained if something should go awry." She replied honestly, pausing and considering another thought before adding. "And I would rather not do this in front of the child, if that is at all possible..." Milo woke up screaming from enough nightmares - she was determined that this event would not grant fearsome future material.

Sosiqui

"I..."

Illumin took a deep breath, then moved to one knee in front of Kishara. "If you believe this is the answer - and it seems to be - then I will do my utmost to protect your life despite what we must do. I swear it." There was a sharp clang to the oath, like a door somewhere slamming shut. "I have chambers here, empty but comfortable. Clean. No prying eyes... and I also have this."

He rose to his feet again, and cupped his hands. Within them spun a sudden light of blinding intensity. He let it die after a moment. "Concentrated light. It cuts like a blade, but seals the wound it creates. I believe the word is 'cauterizing'... but there it is, if it is useful. Sadly the only one I knew with the healing arts - Lady Medicine - is gone." He bowed his head.

Perri Indiya

Eamnonn smiled warmly at Gaia. "My vow to see you well from our last journey together still stands, my lady. Thank you very much for this."

He wished he could do more, or perhaps stay by her side while Illumin traveled, but he could not send him into the fray alone.

Lady_Ourania

They were going to do this; they were going to do this now. The dread in her throat pulsed threateningly, but she refused to let it escalate into full-blown panic and tear out of her in a blind effort to affect the two men. Illumin already seemed shaken enough by the suggestion, he did not need to know how bleak her considerations were.

Kishara was faintly surprised when he fell suddenly to one knee, having suspected from their very first exchange of words that Light held few in higher esteem than himself. Staring at the wavy fields of lilac-colored hair that crowned his head, she felt immediately guilty for the assumption, the heft of it doubling with his promise to keep her safe. It wasn't until the light strands appeared in the cradle of his hands that she calmed, managing to compress the fear into a small block of solid distress and file it away for later speculation. She had expected terrible steel to make its way through her, metal forged for the explicit purpose of rending flesh and splattering internals, but instead it seemed that she was destined for a sweeter, less deadly alternative.

She pressed a palm to Light's cheek when he spoke of Medicine, sensing something there that she had been too distracted to recognize before. When Eamnonn spoke his own oath, she reached out to take one of his great, callused hands, her vegetative bracelet closer to matching his skin tone than her own pale flesh was capable. The Mother tried to acquaint herself with them, to acknowledge them as brilliant extensions instead of separate entities so that when the time came, the body that was not entirely her own would not fight to keep them out.

"And I must also thank you both..." She said with quiet sincerity, taking a breath and releasing it slowly. "For allowing me to be a part of this - for giving me the chance to take a step toward helping Him."

Many had perished for a far lesser cause.

"I will make arrangements amongst my aoidei and my permanent guests tonight so that they will not be set adrift in the event of my absence," The goddess gently removed her hands and brought them down to her sides again, her expression pensive but no longer grim. "I will come to you on the morrow, before the sun has risen, and we will commence with the... journey then. But know that I am not the only one at risk, and though I will attempt to shield you from anything malevolent in the portal, I can make no guarantees for your safety once you have stepped through the doorway."

Sosiqui

Illumin looked up, surprised at the touch... how long had it been since someone had laid a gentle hand on his cheek? A very long time. He smiled. "Thank you, my Lady. I pray that what we do will not be in vain. The face of my Lord has been too long darkened..." Illumin shook his head.

"So. Tomorrow then." He rose, then bowed to Kishara. "We will make our preparations, and I will hone my power..."

Perri Indiya

The Hunt squeezed her hand, raising it to his lips to give her knuckles a quick kiss. "We'll see you then, Kish."

After giving her another confident smile, he released her hand and headed to the door.

Lady_Ourania

They were not bothered by her warning, so she determined that she should display the same sort of unruffled valiance for as long as they remained in her quarters. Eamnonn's confidence was by no means contagious, but at the very least it made her feel less wary about the undertaking that would come with daybreak.

"Tomorrow." She agreed quietly, caught between nervousness and reassurance when Illumin mentioned that he would be improving upon his limits in the coming hours. The god of Light knew what he was doing when it came to influencing his own powers, but did he know how far she could be pushed?

Now is not the time to worry about that. Kishara scolded herself, annoyed that the thought had circled around so many times, continually dipping beneath her radar only to reappear when she least needed it. Her only role in this act would be to successfully open a gateway that could not otherwise be accessed - every other complication could be considered when and if it happened.

Lips on her hand caused her face to relax into a tiny smile, and she accompanied the two to the doorway to see that the plants did not pester them on their way out. She did not say that she would see them soon, or that everything would turn out as it was intended. She merely raised her hand in farewell, and hoped that the coming days would feel Creation's gentle touch once again.