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 Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:24 pm
Dragons at the GateFyre As preparations were being finalized, before Li Shing took his own place as guard, he sought out the Lady Gaia. With a great deal of formality, the General returned the Shears which he and his brother had retrieved. Later, he supposed, there might be questions regarding the details of how the weapon had been obtained, but not then. Only necessary formalities were exchanged, each occupied with other concerns and tasks. Li Shing would take his place wielding the Glaive of his lord, outside the doors of the hall. The decision had been made after some discussion between Li Shing and his brother Zhijian (which might have been called an argument, if either had been inclined to think of it that way). Li Shing believed strongly in the power of tradition and the proper place of things, and had, eventually, convinced Zhijian that not only were the shears best served in the hands of their mistress, but, as Zhijian's place way by their Lord, the glaive would serve them all best in the hands of Li Shing. Final task complete, the dragon slipped through the gathering crowd to the front of the hall. He stepped outside the heavy doors, and stood for a moment, closing his eyes and thinking of the hall scrubbed clean and decorated and full like the temples of ages long gone. Sosiqui Tian Yue had been quiet, almost meditating - thinking of the fate-stones, thinking of the Chrysalis unfolding to reveal not doom but salvation, and - unwilling - thinking of what might happen were they to fail. He was snapped out of his reverie by his brother's approach. "Li Shing..." He offered the other Dragon a quiet smile. It was good to have his brother here, and he knew the other would understand that. Fyre "Tian Yue." He nodded to his brother in response. He did not smile, but Li Shing rarely did, and it was not surprising. "The shears are returned to their mistress." Sosiqui "Excellent... I am glad." He sighed, though. The pain Kishara must be feeling at the loss of her firstborn... it had to eclipse even his, though right now his adrenaline and determination for the ritual was mostly shadowing that. Mostly. "It seems everything is coming together... very soon, all that will be left is the ritual itself, and then..." Oh, please, and then joy, celebration, and rebirth. Please. Fyre "And then, may I return this weapon to its master." Li Shing answered, simply. His own hope contained, solemn and quiet, in the statement. Sosiqui "Yes," Tian Yue said, relieved, and wholeheartedly agreeing. "It is an exquisite device," he added, turning to study the glaive. He moved to rest his hand on the hilt of his own blade, which Harmodius had given to him what felt like centuries ago. "Another thing foretold that has come to pass. It is... exciting, to see all these things that Zhijian and I saw on the stone. To see them made real." And may the conclusion, too, be made real, he added, silently. Fyre Li Shing, who had never been entirely comfortable with prophecy even though he believed in its strength, merely nodded. His own concerns were colored a little differently. "I hope the strength I have is enough for the task at hand."Sosiqui "You are a Dragon King - even as you are now, you are still vital," Tian Yue said, instantly. "I remember the last conversation I had with Destruction before... all this happened. He told me to gather the Dragon Kings, that we were important in a way no one else could duplicate... and you're here, now. You weren't before. That alone is something of tremendous value." It sounded cheesy, but he meant every word. Fyre "Its value is somewhat lessened if I fall in battle." Li Shing answered blandly, although you could tell in his expression that he was hiding a smile. "But your point is taken." Sosiqui "Hmph." Tian Yue grinned. "Still, your tactical knowledge has not decreased, I am quite certain. If all else fails, I shall take my true form and use that for a wall to protect us. It wouldn't be the first time," though that was an unpleasant thought. Still, if that's what it took to save everyone - he'd do it. Fyre "I admit there are occasions when I find myself counting on my own true form - and being forced to remind myself that it is not an option." Sosiqui "I hope it won't come to the point where that trips you up..." Tian Yue looked out over the bleak landscape, even as people continued streaming into the Pantheon. "While I am willing and ready to battle if I must, I'd rather not..." Fyre "What is it that they say....'hope for the best and prepare for the worst'?" His brother might have a point, but Li Shing might almost have preferred something as straightforward as a battle to the uncertainty and waiting he faced instead. Sosiqui "Indeed... did you see Plague and his concoction? A very interesting idea." The hypo was in Tian Yue's pocket, in case he felt the need to use it. "A shield of a kind I'd never thought of." Fyre "I did. I admit I am somewhat skeptical, but I have been....dosed.... regardless." It had seemed to Li Shing that there would be no time to attempt an injection himself where a situation to arise in which the concoction might be useful. Sosiqui Tian Yue nodded. "An unusual tactic, but perhaps one that won't be expected. And I am impressed with how many we have reached. Can you feel it? The mortal belief beginning to converge on this place?" Fyre His brother nodded, "Distantly. I am still limited by mortal senses. To me it is like a song to which I cannot quite make out the words, but yes...I can feel it."Sosiqui "It seems so... strange, that these beings that are weaker than we are in almost every respect have in their basic will the ability to sustain us." Tian Yue shook his head. "Perhaps, if this fails, we should coax them all to disbelieve in the End, and see what happens." Fyre "I think I should rather not have to test the theory." Sosiqui "No, I'd rather not either." Tian Yue grimaced. The flow of people entering was beginning to slow now. "But I refuse to worry about that unless I have to, if only to avoid becoming a bundle of nerves." Fyre "Focus on success of the immediate endeavor." Li Shing advised, lifting his gaze to attempt to find the end of the lingering crowd. "It is nearly time." Sosiqui Tian Yue nodded. "I will." We will do this. Whatever it takes.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:25 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:26 pm
Writ and LoreSosiqui The Writ.
The book sat huge and silent in Destruction's chambers, the celebration below muffled here in the sepulcheral stillness. Perhaps it too would begin to shift and change to match the shifted aspect of its owner, even as the world itself began. Fear did not underlie All, not anymore.
I'm really not dreaming, this really... we really did... save the world... Tian Yue took a deep breath and leaned against the wall for a moment, trying to give his mind a chance to catch up. So much had happened, and so suddenly, so dizzyingly. Creation was on His throne below, surrounded by a celebration of mortals and divine the like of which had not been seen in Age upon Age... and the shadow of Gehenna was gone, so completely that it was almost - paradoxically - scary in and of itself. He had grown so used to that feeling of encroaching erosion that to have it gone put him almost off-balance.
And so we return to... no, not normalcy... The Dragon King shook his head, then straightened. Get your head out of the clouds, dragon. There's duty to be done.
Lord Harmodius had asked for the Writ, and Tian Yue alone of all the gathered gods now that Lucius is gone knew what He meant. He lifted the book with care, brushing any remaining ash from its grooved surface, and hugged it to his chest; it was heavy, but not crushingly so. A wise thing indeed, to set down such memory for the time of need. For this time.
Tian Yue descended the stairs carefully, dodging revelers and giddy gods alike, then approached the Throne - shining, set with lotuses and glory now rather than the foul cocoon that had stained it for months. "Lord," he said, lifting his voice so Creation could hear him over the joyous bustle, "here it is - what was set aside for you." Ivynian While his posture on the throne was not proud, but worn, Creation's eyes held promise of strengthening peace and vitality. He accepted the great tome, to his hand it was matched in size, a book and little more. "Thank you, Dragon." The words were still slow, soft, but of a timbre to be strangely audible to those spoken to whatever the din. "You are different then the soul I remember."There was no accusation in it, only curiosity, internal and without. "We knew this before, but it....is lost to us for now. Forgive me, but please...indulge me. Speak to me dragon, words are something I can feel that do not just....vanish...now."
I can Feel. I can See. I can Speak. I can Listen. All this and more. Sosiqui Tian Yue bowed. "I remain Tien Lung, but am now called Tian Yue, Lord. The Self that once was joined wholly with the host, and became... well, me. I am Shaiming in a sense, and yet wholly my own self as well. A tremendous gift." Somewhere, he was almost surprised at the reaction. Destruction's reaction at learning what had become of dragon and host had been so vehemently negative... but, then, that was Destruction waning. This was Creation, waxing at last, on the dawn of rebirth. Everything is new today. "Our natures are blended thoroughly now in our full ascension, and I am certain you will not find your Shield wanting," he added, straightening with a gentle yet confident smile on his face.
Confidence in himself - somewhat of a new thing, something he hadn't enjoyed for quite some time. If ever, perhaps, in this new life. Their final blending had given him more than he realized beyond simply power and a new form. "How may I aid You, Lord?" he added, waiting hopefully for an answer. Now his Lord was here, and he was a Dragon King - what could he do but wait in wonder for the slightest whim, need, order of his creator?
Underneath, something dark-edged and hurt whimpered about putting the sky back, but he tried to ignore it. Now was not the time... Ivynian While his posture on the throne was not proud, but worn, Creation's eyes held promise of strengthening peace and vitality. He accepted the great tome, to his hand it was matched in size, a book and little more. "As, before, Speak. Here is the Writ thta will tell me what I knew before of Before. But what of the before Now? Speak as I look over it, Tian Yue. What....happened? There is still some fear that drives the hands of the divine to their sides searching for swords, they eye the walls of Ours with uncertainty....walls that should be comfort or at least surety against whatever shadows may haunt their strides. " He traced his own claw through the pattern, closing his eyes as the latch clicked. "That.......that was nearing to Gehenna's birth. The Egg that I came from was not my own. Why was it so?"Creation opened the tome to the strangest and first pages, his eyes still closed, and rested his hand over the flat of the volume. Sosiqui "I will tell you what I know - I was not present for the start of things, but I have talked with those who were..." Tian Yue shook his head, slightly. "Destruction's Crown was wearing on the worlds, and many worried that the influence was too strong... Universe, especially. But it seems the catalyst was not from within but from without. It was a Grigori, Lord, styling herself Samyaza." He hesitated for a moment, then continued, at a slightly lower volume; the mortals around were probably not listening too closely, but this wasn't something they should hear. Not now.
"At the beginning it was Gaia alone who witnessed the Grigori's treacherous act. From what I understand, she... somehow, by some means, stole and ate Your Name, shaping your Form into the Chrysalis you emerged from. She took Gaia's arm also... but her acts sent great tremors through the Fabric of All, and some dozen of the Pantheon came to challenge her. But they were disoriented by what had happened, and few among them had power, so she escaped with her prize. I have not heard of her since, but from what I have learned of the Grigori, her plan was no doubt to bring about the End and return all to Void before its time. I cannot imagine she or her benighted people will accept our interruption of that plan without reply."
Tian Yue paused, checked to make sure all his shields were still in place, then continued. "From that point, all continued as was foretold." He gestured at the broken windows around the throne room. "The End was delayed for some time under the influence of the Manacles, retrieved by Futs Lung and Greed, and we protected what we could and sought ways to stop Gehenna's awakening. And, well..." He smiled, a little wearily, and indicated the joyful court around them. "We have much to rebuild, now. The... damage... was severe." He hesitated again, then sighed, the smile fading from his face. "And... Universe was taken." Ivynian Some of these were names already filtering through the light and pages of the tome, others were certain to come in their own time. The whole that was the lack of sky was the most apparent of the crippling damage. "The refashioning of a sky will be an undertaking. The first born is dead and I have neither queen nor consort. A thing made, then, fashioned a replacement will have to be in the initial stages of rebuilding. Nameless, thoughtless, but a roof I will make for the comfort of the survivors. " "Gaia. No great tree is ever bereft of any limb where, unless slain, it cannot come to fashion another. But the lost will have served purposes to whatever ends the Grigori deemed." "There the matter of Rebirth. I felt that dance, but now I will need the ashes. These should be gathered, and brought to me." Sosiqui Despite himself, Tian Yue visibly drooped at the mention of dead - no comfort, no rebirth, just a rebuilding of something... different...
But it would have been thus anyway, and all the rest of us besides, unless- But they'd put that kind of guilt-ridden thinking behind them, hadn't they? And in any case, now was not the time to exalt his own wishes over that of creation and Creation. "A noble sacrifice," he murmured. "I will have them gathered at once-" He turned, quickly, and sought a familiar face in the crowd. The revelries continued; they could not have the ashes trodden into the floor and tracked about.On the floor below, Penny caught her Lord's gaze, and quailed for a moment - she knew the god who had come from the cocoon was good, or in any case far, far better than what could have been birthed, but she was still afraid. Still, she steeled herself and crept forward, weaving through those gathered. "Y-yes, Lord?" she asked at the foot of the stairs, trying not to squeak as she spoke. Tian Yue sighed, then smiled to try and calm her nervousness. "Penny. The ashes of Rebirth, the bright god who danced and burned, must be gathered again. Speak with some of the priests of Baadris and gather them up - quickly, before damage is done."Penny bowed hurriedly and rushed off to accost the nearest crystal-winged priest. "Penny, one of my followers," Tian Yue explained, turning back to Creation. "She will have the job done." No need to trouble one of the gods with such a task when devoted mortal hands would do as well. "As for the matter of the sky..." He hesitated. "I would aid in that task, if you would have me do so." Penance, perhaps, of a morbid kind. Ivynian The Great Sky, not simple. Not a sky of a single world, but the spans that crossed the chasms between worlds, nebula, stars, something great space in which to hang the jewels of light and dark as ornaments. "You ask to aid in a task for which I myself am not certain the best course of action. " He hesitated, considering the feel of the what was nearest, and looking at the written names and souls of the celebration. "A single step solution yet......somehow the most complicated may be the finding of an Empress. Such a simple thing, yet I do not think I could bestow the title without loving the recipient. Such a person could bear anew the power and Majesty of over fabric of what Is. It would be a great thing to ask of any, to wed the Crown. Simpler were it only me, to whom the Empress is joined. Embodied in the Twin Crown are two rulers, however, and such a lover must be ready and willing to deal with the other Aspect. Gaia, while there may be great esteem for her in My heart.....I do not want to expect or lock her again into the role. Within this life she seems more uncertain, and deeply shadowed. A lighter mate, less proud and high purposed, may suit her needs better. I cannot say. " "What is certain regarding that matter: the Empress must be of sufficient bearing and blood to handle the directness of ....such a relationship. The minor influences may have served as lovers or trysts in the past, but they cannot hold the title. They could not survive it. No matter. ....I cannot think on that more now. Another solution may be better suited. " "It may be better to consider how I am Maker....and put myself to better use." He lifted his hand to his temple, rubbing the muscle there from temple to jaw with his fore and middle fingers. "Can you tell me.....is there token or fashioning of what was Universe left to us?" Sosiqui Tian Yue was quiet as Creation spoke of love and Empresses, unsure of how to respond; he did not know Kishara well enough to speak for her, and Love was hardly his forte. Fairly obvious, but he quashed that line of thinking before it could go any further.
Fortunately, that last he did know, at least in part. "There may well be, Lord. I know... that before hi- before, Universe gave one of his eyes for use in an artifact." So hard, to think of just pieces, fragments scattered here and there; was this a small echo of how Lord Harmodius had felt after the Fading? "The artifact... was brought to him by Underworld." He really should have asked Nergal about that, but how was he to know it would be important? "I also have a token in my own keeping, a star ensconced in crystal, though it may have faded, after..." He hadn't checked, hadn't even thought to check. Everything had happened much too fast.
"Wind may hold some knowledge or relic, also. They were close friends, before Destruction's appearance, or so Lady Beryl told me." Closer than he had ever been, but they were immortal, weren't they? They had all the time in the world, wasn't that so?
Tian Yue frowned slightly, frustrated at his own inability to stop thinking about everything he'd done wrong for five minutes, when the evidence of what they'd all done right was all around him. But it really had happened so fast... "My apologies, Lord. It has been... a challenging week." Ivynian "You ask to aid in a task for which I myself am not certain the best course of action. " “Challenging few weeks, more likely. The count of empty windows that stare back at us dark is not singular. There is time for rest, now, whatever the case before. The greatest shadow is passed for a time. “ And leave to me the struggle of retaining balance again for a while. The hold, though, more tenuous then before. One at least should be found, but I know not how or which. Drawn up through mortal coils I become more remote from my children then before, a parent who must wait and watch, through opened windows and doors, for steps upon the road to the house if any ever need help and no more. No more. Harmodius toyed with the arm of the throne, clicking his claws on it in fashion of mortal pondering. “These relics I will need brought to me. Trouble not yourself for the summons, my voice carries well enough.” He stilled his hand and closed his eyes, and voice when out from him to the minds of those sought, Bring forth the scepter, Lord of Silent Halls, and hearken to my presence when your affairs and rest come to reasonable pause. The Great Winds also I summon forth, that hold the crown of jewels fashioned by the fallen. When your families are settled and your weariness washed away, I require these things in sacrifice to heal one among the hurts of Gehenna.
Sosiqui Tian Yue just bowed in response; it had been hard, more than hard, but the hurt wasn't his alone. Everyone here had lost much - and yet they hadn't lost everything. "If I may aid in steadying the foundations, you have only to ask-" but, of course, Harmodius knew the depths of his Kings' devotion. Still, the world around them now was changed vastly from anything it had ever been before; the planes he had protected and held in the past were now pressed together, maybe permanently. "I can feel power at my command, only very recently returned to me."
And... I have no idea how to best use it where and how it will do the most good.
Had he really planned out anything beyond the moment the fate-stone had foretold? Ivynian "The first task for all of the greater is to protect the lesser know. Dragon son, in these very hours as my will spreads and returns life to the dying ground, yet the mortal races have little or no guidance The survivors yet may die without succor. It is a time for all of you to act as what you all are to the mortals. Fathers and mothers among them as I to you. "
“ That will take some time to achieve, in travels alone. But if you would, a harder task may lay on your shoulders. Mang is not in my service, and knowledge comes not in aide or wrath before my eyes....maybe later at his own time. The definitive count and place of the worlds and stars is now unknown. The jewels of the black are left to drift wild in the emptiness. I will need this information before any solution may be seen to their fastening. " Sosiqui "Anything; only name it, and it will be done," Tian Yue said, immediately, bowing again. The place and count of the stars and worlds... "Most of those mortals who look to me are - were - starfarers, and are ill at ease when forced to ground as they are now. I can think of no greater way to care for them than to aid in that restoration, and the return of the stars will be an unmistakable sign to All that rebirth has come."As if on cue, Penny quietly sidled up behind Tian Yue, casting awed, reverent glances at Harmodius. "U-um... Lord, I think we collected all the ashes we could find..." Ivynian “Please, bring them up, Penny. I would see those who are the pillars of my dragons, and seeing me, perhaps you will be comforted. This form is not so great as to damage the aged races….I have walked among your people for great count of ages.” All present were thin with care, bruise blue and purple drawn beneath their eyes in wide thumb strokes. But this girl had familiar strength in her jaw like she was well acquainted with sarcasm. Gathered in his hand, the ashes grew cake-like with unknown moisture. Creation cupped his hands together and pressed the willing stuff as clay. Opened again, there was no ash, but lacquer-shined an egg the size of goose’s. Miasma of the vanished ashes coalesced and wings formed to fold about the thing. “Take this then, and find it someplace suitable, someplace well for him, and in his time he will be born anew.” Sosiqui Penny stared as the ashes coalesced into an egg, smooth and vibrant, brimming with new life. It shouldn't be her accepting this, surely there were others more worthy, more appropriate - one of the priests, maybe - but she glanced at Tian Yue quickly, and he just nodded, a soft smile on his face. So she took a deep breath, bowed, and held out her cupped hands for the precious burden. "I will take care of him, or if there's someone else who should do that, I'll find them. Lord." Tian Yue couldn't help but feel a pang as Penny moved to accept the egg - there would be no such thing for his Universe, and yet the circumstances were so different that feeling... jealous... was utterly illogical. But there it was, all the same.
He was tired, he realized, distantly. That probably accounted for a lot. "I will number the worlds and bring that number back to you; catalog their names and those within them," he said, bowing low. "As I do so, how may I bend my scales to protect those who remain?" Ivynian Creation fluttered his eyes closed, flatting his ears as his focus stretched Out. The sweeping presence was tangible, a storm of petals against skin. The new-formed shoulders slouched as he opened his eyes again, some minutes later, “ " Tatter-worn the tapestry, frayed and plagued by residue that clings like soured milk to the edges of the inside of the vessel. The Powers, though, should not be blocked. The gods are needed now, more then before, to stretch themselves out as they are able, to become the fabric and reform these worlds. Do not reach out to prevent the gods, my scale. “
“There is a name….”
“It ghosts through the back of the minds of the Gathered, Samyaza. In this tomb. This tome-“He shook his head. Breathed, forcing immortal to mimic mortal fashion, instead. “If that is what troubles you, what wisdom is yet left to me before I have time to Remember….do not worry yet. There was something….”
“I cannot remember. But it will not be written. There was no time, no flow of hands between thoughts and Fall to record what I should know. When it happened, no, Started, was there any there to witness it? If so, I need to know what they know. What was spoken. There was some discordance that struck deep enough to overpower the echoes of the Empty Heart. “
“knowing.”
“The Sage? Does he survive? I brought him forth in my own time. Gianfar. “
Sosiqui "Samyaza." He breathed the name almost angrily, his tail lashing behind him, stirring up petals and nearly tripping a reveler; Penny skirted him carefully, still cradling the egg, moving it to a safer location. "The Grigori. I have not seen her, yet I know some were present at her treachery... Gaia was there, close at hand, this I know. Samyaza took her arm." His tail lashed again, though this time he brought it up close, coiled it under his robes. It was a sore point with many here that they had not been there to prevent what had happened - he was hardly alone in feeling so.
"Others pursued the traitorous one when she fled - I do not know all of them, yet I know Knowledge was there. Knowledge, Hunt..." He shook his head, slowly, names refusing to come when he called. "Gianfar tried to slow her retreat, I know, yet she escaped with the Empress' flesh nevertheless."
My Scale; the endearment was gentle, like cool water after an eternity of drought; unconsciously Tian Yue leaned forward, and had he been in dragon-form he might well have pushed eagerly under his Lord's hands as Zhijian was so fond of doing. "The worlds that remain - by what definition, Lord? Physical space alone holding against the Void? I have heard of empty spaces, places not Void but devoid." The noise of the revelers was slowly souring to his ears, becoming too much of a tumult, making it difficult to think. With the task of reviving Creation done, the cost of doing so was rapidly making itself known.
"Forgive me, my Lord. My thoughts are... not as sharp and skilled as they would be were I rested and whole." Ivynian " While the great cloak in which all worlds were hung is gone, the hands that lifted them up from below remain. The worlds that have not been eaten are still held together by the branches and roots of Yggdrasil. This is the last physical connection, save by mine own veins. “
“They are marbles surrounded by emptiness, devoid, as you say. About them is only the negative space on an empty easel...not even canvas to work upon. “Harmodius' lips drew thin, “In frolic yet there may be exhaustion. you are already overtired with exertion, but I keep you here. Rest, dragon. Find space and arms that please you and rest. I am new to this place, but allow me to take up the task and Watch. I will keep what Is safe for a while in vigil while all may sleep.” Sosiqui "I will do what I can, Lord..." Tian Yue smiled softly at Creation's tone. "I am sorry. Such should not be your place. I am but very newly ascended to my former glory, and I fear in seeking and speaking Names so... that ancient tongue still buzzes and burns in my mind, dances on my tongue as though it had spoken no words since."
"... I am glad, beyond glad, that it has done well for you, my Emperor," he said, quietly. "I rejoice, and I mourn, and it is all bundled up into confusing cacophony." Ivynian " All we must weep is for that absence of what was once delight...that there is no beyond a horizon, lacking horizon itself, unlike mortal kind who's lost become again stars in the memory of love. Time, it will take time to write out the stains of tears and let the scars form over clawed scales. Be gentle in your weeping, for what flows is better water then blood....and the latter does not ease the pain faster, whatever the seeming. “ Sosiqui "Yes, as you say," Tian Yue said, his voice quiet, barely audible; this had happened before, Tien Lung bereft come to seek Creation's solace, alabaster hand resting cool upon his muzzle, giving comfort with word and touch. The resonance was powerful, almost too much so.
Abruptly it was too much - not memory, but the noise, the revels and celebration. "My Emperor, with your permission... I will go to rest my scales, and rise again refreshed to seek Your will in all things, to guard and guide and..." He could not get the rest of the words out, and instead knelt, lowering his head before his Lord. Ivynian Creation gathered again, sitting forward to gather within his long reach the dragon son before him. " Rest now, at the noontide of celebrants waltz, at the highest crest when raised again was the Life and Blood by all your voices and hands. Sleep in you self, in your scales through the eventide and seek no deeper darkness then the arm's of wholesome night. Wake in the dawn with gratitude and your night's memories upon your lips in song...let the cool dew balm your wounds. These things may begin to heal you hurts, and worry not for a while on other things until the sharpest thorn is left bloody on the grass to come. "
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:26 pm
Rest
Tian Yue was only dimly aware of pushing through the crowds of revelers, gods and mortals alike so transported by their joy and relief that even his changed and imposing stature did little to clear the way. At some point, Xing Yun detached herself from the dance and came to his side, her steady hands guiding him and shooing others away as the Dragon King ascended the stairs, Creation's words echoing in his mind.
Seek no deeper darkness than the arms of wholesome night.
A thin smile, at that - could night truly be called wholesome now that it was so bereft of stars? He was Tien Lung, the Celestial, and much of what he had loved was gone. Gone irreparably.
... He had not realized how much of his drive, his hope, had been buoyed by a certainty that Universe, too, would be all right. Surely saving the world and stopping the End was the hardest task; next to that, calling Universe home again would be nothing. A trifle. Or so he had thought.
Let the cool dew balm your wounds.
With a start, he realized that Xing Yun was closing the door to his chambers behind them; lost in thought, he hadn't been conscious of coming this far. "Thank you," he managed, as she came alongside him again and pulled back the curtain, moving away everything in his path. The rooms were utterly empty; he couldn't' remember the last time they had been so quiet. The only sign of his followers were their meager possessions here and there in the outer chamber.
I wonder what they will think? Will they weep, too, when they emerge from the celebration and see the sky still blank and heavy overhead? He thought they might.
"Lord..." Xing Yun began, hesitant. "My Lord, will you rest?"
Raised again was the Life and Blood by all your voices and hands.
He couldn't think anymore. He could still hear the thrum of voices below, the noise of celebration - well deserved, truly. They had accomplished much today. Tomorrow would come, and the day after that, and the day after that.
"I... yes. Thank you."
The Aoide moved carefully around him, guiding him to his bed, removing his elaborate outer robes; he had dressed grandly for the occasion, as was befitting a Dragon King. He had been ready to welcome his Lord... and his once-lover.
Worry not...
Tian Yue closed his eyes and let himself fall into the bed, exhausted beyond telling.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:27 pm
Stars and GriefZero Dream Things were rather odd now, that both parents were gone. There were still the aoidei, of course, to provide some sort of authority, or perhaps attempt to apply some sort of authority was more exact of a term, but on the most part the children could now do exactly as they wished.
Akakios, however, had not done much yet with his newfound freedom, beside the usual - write, go to the library, learn, sleep a little, raid the garden for peaches, rinse and repeat. Though now he figured he could go out and seek out his uncle, whom he had not seen in a while. He had to thank him - without his journals, he might not have been able to write at all !
And that was an horrible thought.
Carrying his folded pair of wax tablets close to his chest as he almost always did, the godling stopped before one of the door. This sounded accurate as to what the cat-like aoidei in his uncle's service had told him. "Think that's it..." He murmured, and reached one tiny fist to knock.Ianthe, for his part, simply remained at the young child's side for now. There was little he could do, especially out of the loop as he was. A long glove and a shirt found somewhere was enough to hide most of the decay on him, and he could almost have looked normal had it not been for the hue of his skin and the exposed bone on his face, as well as the black eye. He needed to learn more about how things were now, and he could do so mostly by following the young one on his daily activities. This also had the advantage of him keeping a close eye on the child. He knew very well that his Master would be very upset should anything happen to his youngest.
And Ianthe knew very well what an angry Nergal could do...
So he stood still, and waited. If the deity inside did not appreciate his presence, he would simply go. Sosiqui Toki slid silently out of his Lord's room; the Aoide had been staying faithfully at his Lord's side as he slumbered, mind and body brought low by the tremendous efforts he had made so soon after his ascension. Even gods had limits. The world had been changing; he had heard it, felt it. Smelled it in the clean breezes that crepd through the cracks in the windows. He had not cared. His Lord was everything, the only thing that mattered. Xing Yun would care for the humans; his place was here, at his Lord's side until he woke again. For he would wake - of that much, the Aoide was sure. The soft rapping noise was not enough to do so, but Toki went to it anyway, curious - his Lord's followers would not knock, nor would any of his Lord's exalted brothers and Kings. Who would come to seek the slumbering Dragon? He opened the door with care, looked down, and blinked. Zero Dream Well, he had not quite expected this - though it made sense that the dragon would have aoidei like his father and mother (and him, he liked to think). Hopefully he had not knocked on the wrong door, else the young boy was likely to bolt off of embarrassment,
"'scuse me." He said, not exactly noticing the rabbit-eared (oh, he'd never seen that before !) aoidei's surprise as seeing someone so tiny, in all appearances. Though rather small indeed, he definitively had the energy of a god to him, though it was faint. "Is Tian Yue here... ?" Sosiqui "Ah... young Lord," Toki said, after a moment; he bowed, though it was not the full obeisance he would offer to his own Lord. "Forgive me, I did not know you." This one was divine, clearly, though of a different kind - there was no ancient power singing through his bones, but a fresh, new strength that Toki had not experienced in many, many Ages. "My Lord Worldshield is indeed within, though he sleeps. And has slept. For some time." Absently, Toki reached up and straightened the tip of one ear, apparently unbothered by how it sagged down again immediately. The Aoide hesitated. It was true that he was somewhat concerned about the length of his Lord's sleep, but he was loath to awaken the slumbering Dragon King without cause - if he slept, so, did that not mean he dearly needed what gifts sleep could provide? Rest, solace, dreams, silence. Lethe, his mind filled in. Toki bowed his head. "Perhaps your coming is a sign that the time to sleep has ended," he said, quietly. Zero Dream "Asleep ?" For some time, even ? Well, that did explain why no one had seen him around. There was perhaps something worrying about it, given the aoide's reaction. "Can I go see him ?" If the dragon slept deeply, then he would not awaken him. His matters... were not exactly important, after all. All the young one wished for was company other than his siblings and the aoidei - someone who would not tease him for sitting in his room and write for hours.Ianthe had been about to interject, say that perhaps it would be better to let the Dragon King sleep, but his young charge had spoken in his brief moment of hesitation, so he remained quiet. Sosiqui Toki squirmed for a moment, unsure of what to say. This young one was a god, no doubt about that, but... "Forgive my ignorance, young Lord, but... who are you? Ah, I mean no disrespect," Toki said hurriedly, bowing his head in a quick movement that set his bunny ears askew. "Just, to know... would help?" Zero Dream The young god did not really know what to think of this. Wouldn't his uncle's servants know who he was... ?
Hm.
"Akakios." He said, in a way that made it apparent he rarely pronounced his complete name, though he was getting better at it. Though, he figured, that would not give the bunny-eared man much in term of information. "Tian Yue's my uncle... Mom is Echo. Ill go, if you want..."
This was starting to get slightly ridiculous. Sosiqui "Ah!" Toki's eyes widened; he bowed again, several times in quick succession. "Lady Music's child! I apologize, young Lord- of course, of course you may enter - a thousand apologies, truly-" Toki forced himself to stop bobbing and babbling, and took a step back to open the door completely. It was only then, apparently, that he caught sight of the godling's companion; the already-anxious Aoide jumped visibly, but said nothing. "This way, this way, young Lord-" Inside was dark and silent, warm and stuffy. The air was slightly stale, and while the rooms were in impeccable condition due to Toki's constant cleaning, it was clear that the rooms had been kept in dark silence for quite some time. The curtain that separated Tian Yue's sleeping area from the outer room was closed, but the sound of the Dragon's breathing was clearly audible in the absence of any other sound save Toki's quiet footsteps. The Aoide very, very carefully moved the curtain aside and bowed again, clapping one hand to his head to keep the bunny ears from slipping off. "If you desire to wake him, young Lord, I will not stand in your way," he whispered, after a moment, squirming a bit more. The decision to wake was not one for an Aoide to make, no. Let gods wake gods, and set things in motion again. Zero Dream Lament could not help but make a face when the aoidei all but launched himself in apologies. This one... reminded him of Ishum. A little bit. Blabbed on and on about as much, really, once he got started...
"Ianthe, wait here." It was hard not to notice Toki's nervousness, and so he thought this might lessen it a little.In answer, the other figure simply bowed. "As you wish, Young Master." He would get other opportunities... And the situation seemed rather different than either had thought it may be.It was only with that done that the child stepped inside. This one certainly seemed more reserved that most children his age would be, stepping quietly and following Toki. His eyes wandered in curiosity, but he did not try to touch anything. This all seemed so odd, the room was clearly silent in a way he could not quite explain, but understood. His uncle must have been asleep for a long time. Maybe it was what gods did when they did something important... sleep for a long time.
Maybe that was what his daddy was doing too, and his mommy had to go wake him up again ? The thought was even odder than the current situation. He had never seen his daddy sleep at all.
The boy hesitated for a moment even once they had reached the sleeping area, proving that even he was not quite sure what was best to do here. "Uncle Tian Yue ?" He called out, softly. If such a sound woke him, then he probably was not sleeping very deeply to begin with. If it didn't... then he would leave it be. Sosiqui What had been deep and dreamless sleep for - how long? he wasn't sure - had given way to something more fitful, more prone to dream and nightmare both. He had roused once, he thought, but it was muffled and distant; woken only briefly into stifling heat and silence and fallen asleep again, unnoticed.
It was easier to continue on, dazed and silent-
"Uncle Tian Yue?"
He was flying, soaring after a comet, and no matter how fast he moved, how much he whipped his tail against the sky, he could never, ever catch it- but the clear, soft voice intruded, making everything else seem faint and unreal in comparison to its sound.
Something important-
The Dragon King was curled in his bed, the furniture almost too small for his frame now; it had been designed for the needs of a smaller Dragon. Had he been in dragon-shape, the full room could not have held him; as it was, his tail spilled over the edge of the bed, lashing occasionally at the floor. He stirred a bit at the godling's voice, but did not yet wake."A long time, too long perhaps - perhaps I was in error," came Toki's reedy, nervous voice from the other room. Zero Dream "What do you mean ?" The boy's voice called out in inquiry, but his attention did not leave the dragon - instead, he came closer, watching and mindful of the tail's movement as he stood on the tip of his toes to peer at his uncle's face.
It didn't look all that comfortable...
"Uncle Tian Yue ?" He called out again. Something nagged at him, and the more he saw, the more he felt that the dragon should wake. There was something... familiar in the air. Sosiqui "Couldn't decide, couldn't," Toki said, unhelpfully; perhaps he hadn't even heard Akakios' words in his fretting. "Needs, wants, who knows, too much..." The dream-stars were fading all around him; he flailed at them, roared desperately. They shouldn't be so fragile that a child's voice should knock them from the sky-
"Uncle Tian Yue?"
None of the Dragon King's dream-movements were echoed in his physical form, except for a sharper movement of the tail. But Tian Yue was curled up tight, visibly tense even in sleep-
-and then, with a slow exhalation, he woke, blinking dazedly at the stifling, stagnant darkness around him. "Who," he said, finally, voice ragged from lack of use, "speaks?"Zero Dream ...Well, apparently there wasn't much help to get from there. The child's face shifted again in slight irritation, but it settled back once the dragon showed signs of finally waking. The sensation of familiarity only became much stronger then, and he had to bite back his sigh.
Where was Crys when he needed her ? She could deal with this better than he could...
"Kios." He answered, peering with wide eyes. "You okay ?" It was a moot question - he could already tell that he was not. Sosiqui "Kios..." Tian Yue hesitated for a moment; then his eyes focused on the godling. One blink, and he relaxed, the tension flowing out of him. His head felt like it was full of cotton, muddled and muzzy from the long sleep. "Yes, of course, little Lament." He smiled, faintly, and rested one hand on the child's head. "I am..."
He hesitated again, torn between honesty and diplomacy. "... not entirely well," he admitted, at last. Zero Dream The boy simply nodded, sliding one hand on the dragon's and sliding in even closer, in a slight hope that the conversation might escape Toki's hearing. "What it is ?" There was no childish innocence there as he spoke, peering into Tian Yue's eyes, and there was also the impression that he already knew. But that wasn't the matter here. No, the matter was that his uncle needed to simply let it out, because otherwise it would simply keep on eating at him. And he would keep on suffering.
And while tragedies were beauty for this boy... it did not mean that he enjoyed seeing the people close to him suffer. Far from it. The look Lament gave him was a mix of understanding, worry and respect, which looked all too strange and foreign on such a tiny face. Sosiqui Ah, yes, that was why sleeping had been so appealing - because under the haze of sleep lay reminders of what he had done, and what he hadn't.
Saved everything. But not the most important thing. And that thought alone was selfish, but he'd promised himself-Shaiming, they'd promised each other, that they were done grieving and mourning for the ancient past.
But that is not ancient. That is... was...
"How long has it been since Creation's return?" he asked, quietly. Zero Dream The boy seemed to ponder it for a moment. "Hmm..."
Time was not something he was very familiar with. Or that he truly had any reason to track. Though he's overheard people talking, every now and then, and he took a moment to sit on the floor beside the bed and focus on his hands, apparently counting. "Hmmm..." He repeated again. It had been a long time, that he knew of. So long that both his parents had time to leave. "9 months ?" He offered. That seemed about right. Sosiqui "So long..." The Dragon King looked blank for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. Definitely time - past time. While he had stretched his newly re-ascended Self and powers to their limits, especially so soon after said ascension, that amount of time was rather excessive.
Especially considering the task his Lord had laid him to - but that thought almost made him want to lay back down again, curl up tight, and forget. "Thank you, little one," he said, after a moment. "It is... good that you came to wake me." He could feel the unpleasant burn and ache of too much sleep in all his muscles as he sat up fully and stretched; one of them protested with a sharp ache, and he hissed at it reflexively. "To sleep forever... I could have done that in the gem, could I not? Or in Gehenna's embrace?"
Even though he was speaking, his own words seemed as distant as Kios' had, before waking. Zero Dream Distant or not, apparently this was not what the godling wanted to hear. His tiny face settled into a frown as he stood up again. "I got enough with one god to mourn." It was a good thing his mommy had not come to know this - she had already been distressed enough with not having any news from the man she loved. Perhaps that had been the only thing that had kept her from seeing the dragon out had been just that.
"What it is ?" He asked again. Sosiqui Lament, Grief, Guardian. A suited three; Guardian I thought closest, but now the other two may be best suited to Tien Lung. He remembered roaring at the starless sky, straining his ears for answer or echo and finding none; the Ritual had been great and glorious, swollen in power and unity sufficient to rebuke the End Itself.
But it had come too late.
We barely knew each other.
Didn't have a chance.
Wasn't fair-
But none of it had been fair; the mortals had lost much. But he had lost the Stars - you barely knew him! - and-
He shook his head, sharply, frustrated to the core with the endless, unstoppable turning in his own mind. "The stars are gone, and all our power could not save them. All my power cannot bring them back, little one," he said, voice barely above a whisper. "You are Lament; your sister, Grief. Will you help me know these things you rule?"
The pain lay buried under layers of exhaustion and denial; things he did not want to face, felt barely able to.
Yet... I must.
I am Tien Lung. All is new again. I cannot be so... weak...
"Please," he added, and it was not so much a word as a breath, a faint movement of lips. Zero Dream And then, suddenly, it made sense.
It all made sense.
"To mourn the stars." The boy said. Oh, he knew this. He had come to know this, of course, as it had been one of the tasks that had been given to him and his sister. To carry on the Universe's passing. It.. had not simply been for the Father.
It all made sense now. And the more he saw, the more he wondered if adults really knew what was best for them sometimes. To allow himself to suffer that way...
Adults. Fff.
"Don't know where sis is." The godling admitted, but that did not seem to stop him. Instead, he hesitated but a second and came closer, to whisper in his uncle's ear. His voice did not hold the same characteristics that his mother's, but had it's own way to draw someone in and listen.
And press just all the right buttons in a person's heart, apparently.
"There were once stars in the sky
Bright and clear
Dancing and dancing
Even if clouded
Then a great shadow cast
Darker than night, feel of absence
Stretching, covering all
And there was nothing left
Mortals panicked, screamed, wept
Thought they did not know
It was not only the great sky that was lost
But someone beloved
He will never come again
But He will never be forgotten
His memory kept close
in people's hearts" Sosiqui Tian Yue grew very still as Akakios' soft, clear voice filled his ears; the young one was not Music Herself, but the impact of his song was no less than if it had been Echo's voice. He closed his eyes and allowed the godling's lament to guide him, to open up the spaces inside of him that had been hidden and held fast, lest the hurt of it all become too much to bear.
And it was not too much to bear, he realized, as he bowed his head and allowed himself to weep, claws digging into the rumpled robes he still wore. Not too much, with Toki shivering in the next room, and with his awareness of his own Lord's bright presence, the sharp stars of his brothers and sister, the warm flames of his followers that still flickered bright despite Tien Lung's sleep.
The stars are gone. I cannot replace them.
... It is how it is.
And while it was something he knew he'd have to teach himself anew each day, again and again, merely learning that lesson was the beginning. There was something healing, something cleansing in that release; and Tian Yue slowly rose, tears still falling down his cheeks, and held out one hand to the godling. "Will you sing that again? With me, to the sky?" Zero Dream "Shhh." It was not to make him stop that the godling did such, though, but simply for comfort, just so the dragon knew he was still there and that he understood, most of all. This was better - keeping one's tears inside did not help. On the contrary.
The young Lament still wondered what it was with adults not allowing themselves to cry when it was what they needed to do the most.
In answer, the godling only nodded. The idea terrified him - to sing to everyone at once but...
He was the only one who could do this.
He had to. Sosiqui "Thank you," Tian Yue whispered. He leaned down and scooped the godling up with ease, then stretched upward in one long motion.
It began as merely reaching for the catch of the skylight above; the movement transitioned into one of transformation, rumpled robes tearing away as the Dragon coiled through the skylight before he became too large for the room to hold him. Around him the air was warm and sweet, and he took an almost disbelieving breath before cracking his tail into the breeze and spiraling upwards, transferring Akakios to sit on his neck, just behind his head, his mane and long horns providing easy handholds.
The sky above was devoid of All; a task set, not yet completed. It would never again be as it was - perhaps that was another reason he had been so loathe to move forward on this quest, partially self-appointed, partially given him by his Lord. Replacing the vibrant, living Stars with a firmament that could never be more than a facade...
An admission. An undeniable admission that he is gone.
"Sing, little one. Please," he rumbled, trailing his claws against the edges of emptiness. Zero Dream It was one thing to know something, but it was another thing to see it for one self, apparently. He has very well known that is uncle was a dragon, after all it was what his mommy had said.
But it was another thing to see it happen, and suddenly - very quickly - being up in the air, so high, so high - higher than he thought possible without the inky blackness eating you --
He was reminded to sing, but he almost did not hear it, clinging to the horns with a near death grip and staring almost straight downward. Everything was so small... It was almost as if his young mind could not grasp it.
He settled to look forward, however, and sang. Sosiqui Tian Yue tilted his head back, then, and roared - the sound a counterpoint to Akakios' song, reverberating against the hard edges of the blank firmament above. Music was not his forte, but he allowed the sound to go as it wished, echoing Lament's words.
Perhaps - very likely - no-one could hear them. The air was thin here, so high up, but that mattered little to the divine.
But he had not brought them here to be heard. Not by those below.
I am sorry, Universe. I will fill the heavens again and I will not forget you in doing so; I will make new constellations, shape a new sky that Yours might always be remembered.
I will remember.
Tears dampened his long whiskers, rolling down before being torn away by the wind of his own flight.
"Child," he said, after both their voices had fallen silent, "thank you." Zero Dream There was no way his voice could truly keep up with the dragon's roar, but that did not mean he did not try. That had seemed to be enough encouragement for the child to practically scream as loud as his tiny lungs could possibly bear, no longer worrying or even thinking about if people down there - so far down there - could even hear them.
Let them.
This is for them, too.
Eventually, he had to stop, letting himself fall against the dragon's neck to catch his breath. "S'okay." He whispered. Weither it was in answer, or about something else entirely, was unclear. Sosiqui "Facing one's grief, singing so, mourning - are paths to healing. I had forgotten," Tian Yue said, then tilted his head back and laughed, abruptly. The sound was not entirely pleasant, but there was a faint undercurrent of genuine amusement in it. "A dragon sleeping on a hoard of memories, loathe to see anything else. Whatever sent you to me, I am glad of it."
Because of Akakios' position, it was physically impossible for the Dragon King to look his rider in the eye; still, he flicked one ear back to brush lightly against the godling in an affectionate gesture. "What can I give you, in return?" There had to be a reason why the young one had come looking for him, after all. Zero Dream "Silly." The child chided, seeming as serious as one his side could possibly be, even though it was a playful berating at best. "Not many people know." Those words were more pensive, however.
The question seemed to catch the young one by surprise for a split second, until he did, in fact, remembered that this had not been the reason why he had came. Though, it had been a good thing that he had.
"Just wanted to say thank you." The boy started. "Gianfar showed me what you wrote so I could learn to write." He hesitated for a moment, then continued. "Felt lonely too... Soto and Crys are always outside doing things." Sosiqui Tian Yue snorted in surprise - that hadn't been what he was expecting to hear at all. "Gianfar showed you what I wrote? Really. It wasn't anything embarrassing, I hope," he added, tilting his other ear back.
"Regardless, I am glad you came. It was past time for me to awaken." Now, with the wind against him, underneath him, he could feel the fog in his mind beginning to disperse. "The sky must be filled again, even if it cannot be the same as it once was. How does your family fare?" He canted his head downward just enough to see greenery below; while the signs of Destruction's Age and Gehenna's narrowly-avoided reawakening were still visible, they were blunted under new growth, new life. Zero Dream "Very embarrassing." There was a teasing tone underfoot, though, which proved that it probably had not been so at all.
"s'Complicated." It was the first word that came to mind, and the godling frowned a little. "Daddy left... make his place again, called all the ghosts with him. Been... very silent." He had gotten used to it, certainly... But there were still times, in the middle of the night when everyone else was sleeping, that everything felt too silent. "Said he would send word but... didn't. So mommy left to see what's going on since I can't tell. I think... He might be sleeping like you were." Sosiqui "Hmmm." Tian Yue's rumble was thoughtful, that time; he turned and began spiraling lazily downward, descending at a speed that wouldn't be uncomfortable for his young charge. "Many things are being made new, in these days. It would not surprise me to learn that your father's realm was among them. I smelled one who is dead, in the antechamber. One of yours?" Zero Dream "He not really... dead." Kios pondered for a moment. To him, dead meant that he could not see the person, and he could see Ianthe just fine. Though the aoide had certainly seen better days, and that could not be denied. "Is daddy's. Ianthe. Im watching over him for now."
There was some undertone in his voice, however, that betrayed that he did not look forward to the day where he would have to 'give up' Ianthe at all. Sosiqui "Ah, I see. And your mother is gone as well, you say? That must be lonely, for you." Lonely for him, too, come to think of it; he missed Echo abruptly. Still, it was not as if she was the only one who understood him. My brothers... my Lord. I must reconvene with my brothers, at the very least. A faint thought of Tien, too, flickered across his mind, though he cringed away from it. Anything he might do with her, now, would taste too much of a... a rebound.
She deserved far better than that. Zero Dream "It's weird." The boy admitted. "...but kinda fun." Of course, for children this young, having no parents about was a rather odd freedom, though they had not been left alone, but in the care of his uncle and aunt, as well as the aoidei.
But sometimes the latter had... issues asserting authority, so to speak.
Which was amusing. Expecially when Soto was busy driving them crazy. Sosiqui "Hmm." Tian Yue smiled, faintly; he dragged his claws deliberately through a cloud as they descended further, bringing a trail of mist to dissolve in his wake. "I have missed much. I was to care for you all, know you all. I should have been there." And that could have been another chance for guilt to gnaw at him, and yet...
"But I am here now. For a time, until I fly in search of a new sky as Lord Harmodius charged me." Zero Dream The motion seemed to delight the young god, who even dared to let go of one hand to attempt to grasp at the cloud, though the mist simply slid though his fingers in an odd sensation of wet-not-wet. It was hard to explain, and the child made a small, startled noise that could remind one that, in spite of it all, he was still just that - a child. He had learned a whole lot in the past months, but there was still so much his young mind had to get to know and understand.
"Things happen." He said, after the surprise passed, though he was still turned to watch the remainder of the mist flee into the blackness. "And things don't always go as wanted." If anyone knew this, it was he, who wrote of the tragedies others dreaded.
Without those things... he would simply have no reason to be. Just like the world couldn't be all good things, it couldn't be all bad things either.
"Look for new sky ?" ...He had no idea where one could find that. Sosiqui "I must number the worlds again, and so stitch together a seeming to cover what has been lost." Poor child, had he... he had seen the sky whole, had he not? There were children being born now that would never know the way the sky had once been.
A sobering thought.
But that thought led to another. "What of Ankou? Does he travel with your father and mother as well?" Zero Dream "How does one do that ?" That left the child perplexed - not so as to what a sky was, but more so how did one... made one. After all, if it was that easy, wouldn't someone had made one a long time ago ?
"No, he's here. Goes outside to bring stuff back for the mortals. Auntie Cosine moved with him when we moved out." Sosiqui "How, indeed," Tian Yue murmured. Still, the task would not be asked of him if it were impossible.
He did, however, raise one eyebrow at the rest of Akakios' words. "Aunt Cosine?" This was new. Zero Dream "Yes. Auntie Cosine makes Uncle Ankou all weird~" The godling said in an odd sing-song, meant to amuse but falling a little flat. It was rather easy what 'weird' was supposed to mean in this case, especially with the family ties tacked on, though, as the dragon himself proved, aunt and uncle could certainly be used beyond any kind of 'true' relation, but rather bestowed to those Echo called dear.
Much like Cosine had been before Ankou, though the godling had little memory of such a time. Sosiqui "Hmm." A faint, sad smile appeared on the dragon's face for a moment. "I see. Perhaps I will speak with him, in the absence of your mother."
They were low to the ground, now, and Tian Yue marveled at the changes that had come over the land; gone were the lava pools and the distorted facades, replaced with grass, water, and elegant pavilions. Had he not instinctively known his own home, he would not have recognized it in the least. "I see Creation's influence spreads." He felt his heart lifting as a warm breeze brushed his scales; it was impossible not to feel at least a little less dour and stuck with the evidence of the world's rebirth surrounding him. "Do you still dwell at the Pantheon, young Lament?" Zero Dream "Hm-n." The boy nodded in answer, using the dragon's decent to snatch up a peach from the outstretched branch from a nearby tree, managing not to drop it in spite of the speed of the decent. "Right down the hall. s'the door with people on it." ...Rather general definition, but then it was also a child doing said explanation. They were closer to the ground now, so it was a little less scary, and so the child dared to take a bite from the fruit. Sosiqui Tian Yue angled his flight towards the bright glint of water in the distance; he was large enough now that an uncontrolled landing could do damage to the landscape, and the ache of long sleep hadn't quite left him yet. Instead, the Dragon King opted to land in the water, trailing spray and making waves lap up eagerly on the shore.
"This world is healing," he said, submerging his muzzle in the cool, clear water, his words trailing off into bubbles. Zero Dream The waves were high enough that a few stay drops reached the child, but he managed to resist the temptation until the dragon was still - only then did Lament let himself slide down the side and barrel down in the clear water.
"Hmm." Was the only answer that came until another bite of the fruit was taken. "Everything... so different." And it was. After all, he was a child born during the worlds' spirals into complete destruction - that decay, that destruction had been the only thing he had known. He had never truly seen flowers before the lotuses, or even known that the grass was supposed to be green, and waters supposed to clear, and trees full of leaves and fruits.
"Do you think s'like that everywhere ?" The godling asked, tilting his head in inquiry, wet curls of lavender hair framing his face. Sosiqui "I certainly hope so - everywhere will not be as glorious as this place, but Creation's return will have set certain things in motion. Rebirth and re-growth." Tian Yue closed his eyes and slid down into the water again.
Water instead of lava, greenery instead of ashes - it had been this splendid everywhere once, but Tian Yue himself had been reborn into the Age of Destruction and become used to constant decay, which had only accelerated when the aborted End began to move. True, the Pantheon under Destruction had been splendid, in its way, and he would serve the Twin Crown in either aspect as eagerly, without reserve, but...
He surfaced again, resisting the urge to shake lest he stir up waves and swamp the godling; instead, he flicked his tail up and held it over Akakios like an umbrella. A very wet, dripping umbrella. There was something about the open curiosity and wonder in his face that made everything seem sweeter. "I am sorry I was gone so long. I will have to make amends." He grinned, showing all his sharp teeth.
Guilt is only useful to a point; beyond that, it is a fetter. And I did promise, didn't I? Zero Dream drip drip drip...
Apparently, the custom was that when one got the other wet, revenge was the norm. At least, this was perhaps the explaination as to why a rather sharp wave of water hit the dragon's side. There was no true malicious intent, though, as proved by the quiet, subdued giggle that escaped the child. It did seem like the young one could be coaxed to play, even though he had acted mostly serious until that moment. Sosiqui Tian Yue moved carefully, aware of his size in comparison to the child - if he wasn't careful, he could practically inhale Akakios! - bringing his tail down and up under the godling's feet, lifting him lightly out of the water. "Yes?" he said, giving him an amused look. Zero Dream The boy made a small startled sound as he was lifted out of the water - those fans were definitively stronger and thicker that they looked like they were - but he quickly settled and made a face, crossing his arms on his chest.
"That's cheating." After all, it was obvious who had the advantage here ! Sosiqui "Oh, is it?" Tian Yue said, mildly, then rumbled deep in his chest, amused. "Though your domain is bound up in sorrow, it seems you yourself need not be. A good lesson," he added, that last more to himself than to the young god. Zero Dream "Hm-n !" The boy continued, apparently a little clueless as to what the dragon was truly alluding to. He was himself, and he did not especially like to think of it beyond that.
Small hands let go of their grips, however, as he went to squeeze some water out of his tunic. For now, he was actually glad his mother was gone - he had no idea how she would have reacted as he came home soaking wet. Sosiqui Tian Yue carefully lifted his tail so that the young god could step off of it onto his - relatively dry - back. "Shall we go back? I am sure you have much to tend to with your mother and father gone." Zero Dream He did not really want to go back, to be honest - he liked it here, he liked flying, and going though clouds. He kind of wanted to do it again, and again, and again... But Ianthe was probably wondering just what was going on that was taking him so long. And he probably ought to tell Ankou that Tian Yue had asked about him...
"Yeah..." The godling reluctantly said. Sosiqui "We can do this again, you know," Tian Yue reminded him with another amused rumble. "Now that Gehenna's claws have been sheathed, we have all the time in the world."
For the moment, at least. Zero Dream Well, that seemed to do it. "'kay." The boy seemed to be at least less reluctant, holding on the dragon's mane as he lifted off. "Soon, then. Will bring Soto and Crys too !" They needed dragon rides too. Yes they did.
Even if they did not know it yet.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:28 pm
'Homecoming'
They were waiting for him when he returned, waiting alongside the side of the main pavilion in a circle of light, erupting into motion and sound as they caught sight of the dragon's shape in the blank sky. Tian Yue shook his head, a little dazed; had he really had so many followers, so many to shout and wave frantically at his return? True, they were a mere handful compared to the worshipers Tien Lung had once boasted... but they were true, precious. No mere cursory offering.
"You're back," came Penny's breathless cry; as Tian Yue gently landed on the soft grass, she tore free from the others and wrapped her arms around one foreleg as best she could.
The dragon laughed, a pleased rumble, and lowered his head to nuzzle at her gently, taking utmost care. "I am. I am sorry to have been away so long, my dear."
"No, no, it's okay... we've done a lot," she said, smiling broadly at him through her tears, her tone turning almost shy as she continued to speak. "Everything has started to change again - for the better, this time."
They were all there, Tian Yue realized, as he focused on the group still waiting behind Penny - Jax, the survivors from the Cosmodrome, Toki, Xing Yun, Shartha and Evin, Gringolet, even Lao Shu, the Rat. He ducked his head again, abashed. "All of you have waited too long."
"After what ya did, we figured whatever you needed... hell, we'd all've been toast," Jax grumbled, folding his arms.
"We've been helping the others - trying to rebuild," Penny said, giving Tian Yue's leg one more squeeze before stepping back, her hands clasped behind her back. "It's a big job... but we don't have anything else to do, not right now..."
"I understand." They were people of the stars, more at home in their silvery ships in the vast - now eaten - spaces between worlds. Ships that could only go so far before hitting impenetrable emptiness. "I do not know if your way of life will become possible again," he said, lifting his head, moving his gaze from person to person in an effort to meet all their eyes. "But Lord Harmodius has charged me to aid in building... a substitute."
A murmur swept through the small crowd. "Substitute?" Jax gave Tian Yue a skeptical look.
"Yes. Universe... is Eaten. There can be no true restoration. Not now." Tian Yue bowed his head again; this time, a profound silence stilled the group, and many among them bowed their heads as well. "But I must find what worlds remain, that they might be brought together again by this... substitute. The sky will return; beyond that, I do not know what my Lord plans."
"You will leave again?" That was Penny, and Tian Yue heaved a sigh, remembering at the last minute to turn his head so that the outpouring of breath tore at a nearby tree rather than his own followers.
"I must - and I will again. I am a Dragon King, servant of the Twin Crown. I go where He directs. It is the way of things," Tian Yue said, simply, though he softened his words with a fond gaze. "But I will also return, always, and walk with you. With all of you," he added, looking at them all again.
"Okay," Penny murmured, then smiled once more. "We'll wait, I promise."
"I know you will, my High Priestess," Tian Yue said, softly, and with infinite care ruffled her hair with his breath. "And now - tell me of all you have accomplished," he said, sitting back on his haunches and giving them all an expectant look.
"-cleaned the entire room two hundred and six times-"
"Not you, Toki," Tian Yue sighed, then grinned as the others stepped forward and began to speak.
It was, indeed, good to be back.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:29 pm
The Spirit Guide's SummonsZero Dream This had been a rather odd development, the Spirit Guide could not help but think - try as he might, he could not quite figure out just why Tian Yue would have a need for him at this moment. Akakios had not been very clear as to why his name had come up at all. Perhaps he needed some information again, as the boy had said he had slept all this time ?
Perhaps.
Ankou rather liked finding himself of use, so he had come as fast as he could. The boy had said to have seem the dragon a few days ago, but the god had reached out to a town further away and had only came back to the pantheon this morning - he could only hope that the dragon would not find offense in his lateness.
He stopped in front of the door the child had described him, pulling down his hood and shaking what dust he could away from the tail ends of the cloak before knocking. Sosiqui The door swung open almost immediately; however, instead of Toki's smiling, anxious face, another Aoide stood behind the door. She was female, lightly furred in blue and dusky purple, with hooves and delicate horns arching over her head. She bowed to Ankou, the movement graceful and practiced. "Be welcome, Lord of the Hidden Ways. The Worldshield has advised me of your visit." Her gaze traveled over his hair and misty wings, and she nodded to herself as if confirming his identity. "I am Xing Yun, an Aoide in Tien Lung's service. He is within the treasure chamber; I will lead you there if you wish to see him." She took a few steps back from the door, opening it wide so Ankou could enter. Zero Dream "If you could. I hope I have not kept your lord waiting ?" The apparence of the aoide did not surprise him - after all, Anima looked much the same, and Jinx had quite a few exact copies running around the pantheon. Aoide, it seemed, always tended to hold similar traits, most of them... though he could not remember why. Or perhaps he had never known at all.
Ankou gave himself one last look over to make sure he would not carry any debris inside with him, and stepped in to follow Xing Yun. Sosiqui "Not so, Lord. He himself h- no, that is not my place to say," Xing Yun demurred, after a moment. She closed the door behind him, then led him through first one archway, then another. "My Lord? Lord Ankou has arrived to see you." She bowed again, then stepped aside to allow the god entrance. The treasure chamber was a small room, windowless, lined with shelving on all the walls. Tian Yue himself seemed to only barely fit within its confines; his tail brushed at the shelves when he moved, and his broad shoulder-spines seemed perilously close to impaling the few artifacts displayed there. Still, he turned with a sober smile at the Aoide's words.
"Ankou. It is good to see you again, my friend." The Dragon King held a book in his hands; he let it fall closed, though kept one finger tucked within the pages to hold his place. "It has been some time. Too long, though that is my fault."Zero Dream The god said nothing in answer to the aoide's backpedaling - he did not attempt to pry it out of her, and simply let it be. He would get to know, in time, if he was meant to know at all. Though after spending time with Ishum, sometimes it was hard to remember that not all aoidei were so chatty.
"Thank you" He said to her before stepping inside. "It has indeed been... Much has happened." The Guide's face did not betray if he considered it good or bad. "Dare I ask what has happened ?" Sosiqui "An overextension of my Self, heart and mind and body, all three. It required... some tending. A long slumber. Longer than was required, I fear, but grief held tightly until young Lament found and released me." Tian Yue's smile was a little sad, but there was a spark in his eyes that had not been there for some months.
"I fear I have not done my duty by the children," he added, giving Ankou a more serious look. "I was named godfather, and yet was not there when stepping into such a role would have been most appropriate and... helpful. And I cannot in good conscience do so now, for our Lord has charged me with a task that has already gone too long. I am sorry. I wanted to... to apologize. For my oversight." Zero Dream "...You do realize how ironic this actually sounds like, yes ?" Lament releasing him from his own sister, even though he knew very well that the dragon had not meant it this way. It was not a matter he should be amused at, however, so he held himself. Did that mean nothing could truly be done for the sky ? "I am sorry to hear..." He stopped himself at that. No use twisting the knife in the dragon's wounds, especially not when it looked like they had finally started to close.
The admission seemed to puzzle him, however. "I am not the one you should apologize to." Though, he figured... with Echo and Nergal gone, he was the closest thing available. "And... I believe you know just as well as I that Echo will not let you step out that easily. Come to think of it, I really doubt even the kids will. I don't think this was about... roles and matters and obligations." The last mention, however, caught his attention. "A task ?" Sosiqui Tian Yue just gave him that faint sad smile again. "I will go on. It's... foolish, really. Tien Lung and Universe had only the most tenuous of connections in this life, and yet..." His eyes lost focus for a moment.
Then he shook his head. "I've traveled down that path often enough," he said, firmly, again more to himself than to the other god. "The sky must be replaced, though for now the replacement will be a thin thing, for the comfort of mortals, no longer Universe Divine. What has been eaten... cannot be remade, or if it can, not so easily." Tian Yue flipped the book open again and held it out to Ankou; inside were star charts, ancient ones. "The task involves travel, numbering and naming of the worlds that remained. Connections must be reforged. I should have done this months ago, and yet..." He hesitated again. Zero Dream To that, Ankou said nothing. So they were... had been ? Close, at the very least. He could barely imagine how he would feel if he lost Cosine, and their relation was far from ancient. Words that might have been comforting failed to be found, so the Guide simply remained silent until the dragon moved on with his explanation, in respect.
The book caught the other god's attention immediately, and a few steps brought him close enough to see the pages it had been opened at. Star charts were not his forte, but they did resemble what he saw behind the Doors closely enough. While he could probably not make Tien Lung see what he saw...
"Many worlds were destroyed outright, when Hell collapsed on the mortal planes. I can remember... This." He pointed to one star. "And... I believe this one..." Another. Slender fingers traveled over the open book, never once touching the pages as if he had been afraid he might send them crumbling to dust with the lightest touch. The Guide spoke much like an old war veteran recounting battle wounds, as if he had been right there when it had happened. "There were many others, though... I did not see them all. There is also one other... Ah, here." His finger pointed to another star, face pulled in a slight frown. "This one, I do not know it's name, but it holds a city called Karsch. When I went there, with the one bearing Oath... There was no one and nothing but demons. The living had been killed, and the souls were eaten. We did not reach beyond the city, but it all felt... empty." The way the god spoke of the last word betrayed that it had not been a good feeling at all. "I fear there may be other worlds that may have suffered a similar fate..." Sosiqui Tian Yue tilted his head to one side, then nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "That alone is more than I have been able to divine - then, I have not been actively pursuing such knowledge for long. You traveled much, then? ... Yes, I suppose you would." He made a face, then laughed at himself. "I forget your role, sometimes."
He quickly picked up another book, then moved awkwardly towards the doorway, sidling so as not to jostle either the shelves or Ankou. "I would like to make notes, if you know more. It may be only a little knowledge, like a drop in the ocean, but it's something." Zero Dream "Not nearly as much as I ought to have." The Guide admitted, somewhat bitterly. The dragon's task was one reminder of so many things that he ought to have been doing... but had no idea where to begin. There were ways, of course, to travel worlds without direct world-walking, but using them, for himself at least... felt rather backward. "Most of what I do know comes sorely from observation, I fear. I could tell you which are gone, but of those that remain... I cannot say what has truly gone on on the surface, so to say."
All that mention of traveling, however, reminded him of something old and ancient, faded images of a place he had not yet seen in this life - of twisted root-paths and dark hallways... of the world tree. It was the most direct access to the Underworld, he remembered. He must have traveled though the roots often, back then... When time was a meaningless concept and that there were no limitation of a mortal body to keep consideration of. Would he remember those paths now ?
Doubtful. As is, he only remembered flicker of memories, nothing more. However, for some reason, it made him... nostalgic. Sosiqui "And many, I suspect, would need to be visited, pathways felt out and poked and prodded to assure that there is truly only absence beyond." Tian Yue shook his head as he led the way back out into the outer chamber. The furniture there was not so grand as it had once been - having all his followers sleep there for the last months of Gehenna's aborted awakening had done that - but he found himself disinclined to restore it. There were much more important things to life than mere fripperies. "Yet, as challenging as this task is likely to be... I would not give it to another. A... penance, if you will."
He put the books down on the battered coffee table. "The only way I had used to travel was on the backs of the errais - equines who travel the worlds, if you know them. Yet I am certain such ways are closed, now... leaving only the ancient pathways of root and branch, if my research - and memory - serves." Zero Dream "There are the Doors." Ankou followed the dragon king, but remained standing - most likely would unless being invited to sit. "Any of the doors of the halls that are not yet connected to a room can be used to travel to other planes, though by my own experience, they are handy devices... when you know where you wish to go, specifically. Otherwise, a lot of time is wasted simply looking. That, and I... must admit I have not attempted travel though them ever since quite some time before the ritual." If they worked, then it would be his best choice for his own tasks, but to travel alone with so little of his own mana at disposal to use seemed a rather foolish thing. There were the matter of potential demons, still... and Grigori.
Had it not been for Eddard back then...
Of course, the dragon would have no such problem. Ankou could not help but envy him a little. "And there is direct walk from plane to plane, which I know gods who have more of their mana at their disposal are able... Or the World Tree, as you have said, but the branches and roots are rather hard to navigate without a guide. These are the methods I know of." Sosiqui "The substance of All has been badly damaged; Gaia below, Universe above. Half of the foundation has been eaten." Tian Yue shook his head. "I would be wary of methods that require any form of reliance on... anything that isn't purely Gaia's own power. It could be very dangerous to do so. Void is unkind, as we all know..."
"... And that, naturally, would remove all methods but Yggdrasil itself," Tian Yue sighed, sitting down on the couch; it tilted to one side under his weight. "I understand that my brother Futs Lung traveled those paths to find the Manacles that tethered Gehenna for so long. I should speak with him as well, and perhaps also Knowledge..." He gave the closed books a rueful look, then glanced up at Ankou.
"I would more than welcome any knowledge or aid you have, though with your family's concerns - I understand if you are busy. I would be with the children if I could, but my Lord's desires must take precedence." Zero Dream That was a point. Even if he probably would not hesitate to make use of such measures if needed even if it was dangerous... the dragon was not. Which did, indeed, only leave the world tree.
At the last words, however, the Guide found himself silent for a moment. "Busy... There are so many things I ought to be doing." He sighed. "And I find myself doing things that anyone could do, and not what I alone can..." His own safety... he would not have cared before. If it had not been for his nephew, his niece, and most importantly the goddess he loved... he likely would not have cared, even now. "There are halls for them now, but the dead do not always find their way." Or want to find their way. "And yet, to go alone, for now... seems rather foolish."
There was another moment of silence, before the Guide spoke again. "Though, if we are likely to walk though the same paths... Perhaps, if you would find me more of an asset than I liability, I could go with you ? I doubt I would remember my way in Yggdrasil, however... The paths are like mazes. Perhaps I never did know my way though them and instead stumbled my way though." Sosiqui Tian Yue looked surprised. "I would be glad of the company, but... I do not want to tear you away from your duties here. But having footsteps alongside my own in those ancient corridors..." He had vague, distant memories of arching wood and crowded, laughing corridors; but he had seen Yggdrasil in the Ancient Pantheon and smelled the dust and stale air. It would be worse in the roots and branches, stagnant and choked with a silence that had not been broken for millennia. "... I would be comforted," he finished, finally. Zero Dream The dragon's words made an amused chuckle raise up in the Guide's throat. "My duty... Tian Yue, my duty is to be out there, gathering the dead to send to the Underworld, not to remain here, wondering if I can afford the risk to go alone. I have been bound in one place for too long, it seems." The last sentence sounded more like Ankou was simply thinking out loud rather than addressing the dragon king. "The scales have tipped... I would not be surprised if some realm held more dead than alive. If they do not go to Nergal, they cannot be judged. If they cannot be judged... Then they cannot be reborn in the normal circle of things. It is all well and good to have worlds, many stars and planets, but what uses are they if they are empty... or simply haunted ?"
"...I would be comforted, as well, to know that there would be someone walking by my side." Such foreign words he spoke of now. Words that he had thought he would never utter, but it was the truth. Until he grew more into himself, it was foolish to travel to other worlds alone. "The mortal body has it's limitations... As you know well." Sosiqui "It seems our paths are aligned, then," Tian Yue said, with a grateful smile; he merely nodded understandingly at Ankou's last words. The last vestiges of those limitations were gone now, burned away by that last blaze of power and then healed forever by his long sleep. A strange thought, to think the brief mortal life that seared so brightly in his memory was now gone.
He was not Crispin; he was not Shaiming. He was something else entirely.
"I have, however, seen only Yggdrasil's great trunk and spreading branches in the Ancient Pantheon; surely here there must be root and branch as well, as they are in every world, but I know not how to ferret them out." Tian Yue looked thoughtful. "One of my brothers has traveled through that wooded path in this life - I should seek him out, speak with him. For that, and many other reasons." Zero Dream "Indeed." It was better to leave entierely prepared. Something Music... had not quite done. But he mentioned nothing of it. He knew the King and the goddess close - Tian Yue had enough on his mind right now for the Guide to willingly add some more worry into the mix.
"I have heard rumors, of such an entrance existing far to the north of here - perhaps there is a way to truly verify if they are founded or not... I shall see what I can figure out." He gave a nod. Sosiqui "And I will consult my brother - Knowledge as well, if I can find him. I hear he was using my own tomes to teach the little ones?" Tian Yue raised one eyebrow at that, amused.
He glanced down at the book with the star-maps and shook his head, some of the amusement fading from his expression. "It is a task worthy of the gods, indeed. Would that I had fleet-footed messengers to fly ahead of us down the long, dark paths of Yggdrasil, who could peek through the cracks and tell me what they saw at each fork and branch." Zero Dream "That, I am not aware of." The Guide said with a chuckle. The dragon seemed more amused than angered, at any rate. He had never seen Tian Yue angry, and something in his subconscious said it was probably better for this fact to remain as it was.
"...I believe there were once guides, dwelling in the branches..." Ankou's expression pulled into a thoughtful frown. "Or that there may have been. But I cannot remember what they were.... Or what may have happened to them." Sosiqui "I heard no sign of life in the Ancient Pantheon. If life remains within the roots and branches, they must be deep indeed." Tian Yue traced one claw gently down the cover of the book. "How long will you need to put your own affairs into order, do you think - and to research those rumors? I am no travel-god, nor as swift as my brother Ying Long, but I can still move my coils at speed. Ask Akakios," he added, with a grin. Zero Dream "Perhaps I should." The thought managed to get an amused grin out of the Guide. A little expert then ? Perhaps he ought to be jealous right about now...
"A few days at most." In all honesty, he was sure it would take him much shorter than that to be ready, per-se - that was allotting time for the Worldshield to seek his brothers, and for him to see if he could pierce anything from the rumors. And... to warn Cosine of his departure, he remembered belatedly. The concept of actually having someone close enough that he felt the need to tell of his many departures so that she may not worry about not getting word was still a very new one. "I shall be ready whenever you will be."
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:30 pm
A Walk in the GardensSosiqui Even without the sun, moon, and stars to offer blessing, the gardens around the Pantheon were still beautiful. They still lifted Tian Yue's heart even with the empty sky yawning overhead, an ever-present reminder of both his loss and his unfinished task.
A task that he was no closer to remedying, and to which no answers lay in the garden, but he found himself here just the same. There was only so much he could take of books and dust and ancient fragments, of living half in the past, trying to divine from memory what current experience could not give.
Thus far, there seemed no easy solutions.
The Dragon King came to rest within a tiny pavilion, a teahouse from the look of it - created for no purpose but simple enjoyment. And that, too, was healing in its way. It had been long since they'd been able to afford the luxury of such pleasures. If I can afford it now, but if I breathe in more paper-dust... I'll choke.
One hand easily pushed aside the veils; the lanterns lit easily, bathing the small pavilion in light and warmth. Tian Yue settled himself on a pillow with a sigh, breathing in the scent of tea sachets and past visitors. Thabara He was not alone in the tea house, though the presence of the other was easy to miss – there'd been no need for her to light the lanterns. There never was. Lacrymosa lay curled upon a small nest of pillows, in the far corner of the pavilion – having fallen sound asleep there, once she'd gotten tired of exploring. One of her thin arms was wrapped protectively around an earthen jar, one that suspiciously looked like an urn. It was the sound which woke her, the soft rustle of someone moving about. Slowly she rose into a seated position, her dull black hair a tussled mess, and yawned heartily. "Who's there?“ she inquired sleepily, still clutching the jar with one hand. She kept her eyes closed, head canted slightly downwards. Things generally went better with strangers if they merely thought her blind, she'd noticed, though that generally rather seemed to be the rule with mortals. This one … wasn't, she was able to perceive at least that much. Sosiqui Tian Yue actually started at the sudden, quiet voice - he had been quite sure he was alone, after all, who would curl up in a dark tea-house? When he turned, though, the fear flowed out of him... though, he had to admit, had he still been mortal and unable to feel god-presence, he might well have run out of the room entirely. The silent, pale blue form - with her dark hair tangled like that - could very well be a creature out of a horror movie. One of those silent, strangling water-maidens...
But he could feel the soft pulse of her power... and, furthermore, the resemblance to a particular god and goddess. "Ah... I am sorry for waking you, little one," he said, smiling and shifting, ready to get up and leave if she willed it. She'd been here first, after all. "I won't disturb you, if you'd like to be alone still... I am Tian Yue, the Dragon King Tien Lung."
He paused, then nodded to himself. Surely, she had to be. "Are you, perhaps, Underworld's daughter?" She bore more resemblance to Nergal as he'd been in the past. Thabara "Mh,“ she said, "I didn't come here to be alone. Only to sleep.“ There was something slightly odd about her, a certain absence of body language, gesture. Another would have shaken their head, to emphasize their words, or waved off. She, not so. It all became clear, however, the moment his name was mentioned. Crys' eyelids snapped open, revealing nothing but black holes, and she leaned forward eagerly. "Tian Yue?“ she repeated. Well, wasn't that convenient? It certainly saved her from having to 'look' for his door, especially as it was rather bothersome for her. While it was all nice (and very thoughtful of Harmodius!) that most of the doors had a carved relief upon them, she simply wasn't tall enough yet to grasp them in their entirety. "Am I …?“ Her voice trailed off. She was still unaccustomed to be referred to by anything other than the name given to her by her parents, and the same went for everyone else. But she knew her father had gone to make a place for all the dead, somewhere, deep down. So she guessed he was Underworld. But to her, for now, her father was simply that – her father. "I guess I am,“ she said, seeming a little uncertain. "Papa is Nergal? And mommy is Echo.“She paused for a moment, before she added: "She sings beautifully.“She'd never heard anyone sing better than her mom, so from her perspective, it made it quite clear just who her mother was. "You're my godfather,“ she spilled, barely able to contain her excitement now. Her sleepiness seemed all but gone. "Mommy said. And that Lucius was your friend?“ She 'peered' at him expectantly. Usually, as long as her opposite was humanoid, hearing his or her voice was enough to get the angle right. She was hoping that, perhaps, the enigma of just who, and what he'd been, could finally be solved. Sosiqui Tian Yue smiled, relieved - so this was one of Echo's little ones. One of his godchildren... as the young goddess herself confirmed a moment later. And as Echo had only one daughter, this must be...
Grief, he thought, just as she asked about Lucius.
"I... yes, of a kind," he said, with a sigh... but, as with Akakios, he knew her questions would be inevitable. And why should he hide things from her? Even without eyes, he knew she would be capable of seeing anything regarding her own domain. And even as young Lament had soothed with his song...
"Yes," he repeated, more quietly, moving to sit closer to her, well within reach. "Universe was... I believe, a friend to me in this age. And dearest lover in the time before the Fading." Would she know of the Fading? She was born, not reborn. Still, if Gianfar had taught them... Thabara Lovers. She knew not what it meant, though she did know her mom and her dad loved each other dearly. Something akin to friendship, but different. A grown-up thing, she figured. It was Kios who was taught by Gianfar, she herself had little interest in books – despite the rhymes some of them contained – as she had no means to read them on her own. So she latched onto the latter, the 'Fading'. It had been mentioned before, and she had inquired, but her father had been tight-lipped about it, quick to change the topic to something of greater interest to her. She tilted her head, fingertips idly tracing the rim of her jar (there seemed to be things wiggling inside), fluttering almost like a butterfly's wings, as she tried to make up her mind. "The Fading,“ she finally asked, "what's that?“ She knew, instinctively, that it had to do something with the stone buried in her father's chest – she'd always thought that to be peculiar – but no more. Sosiqui "Ah..." The smile on Tian Yue's face deepened a little; someone to teach! He was somewhat kin to Knowledge in this - and unlike that worthy deity, it was an impulse he got to indulge very little. "Something very important for you to know, young Grief. You are a born-goddess, not a reborn one."
He pondered how best to explain this, then shrugged and decided to plunge on - she was divine, after all, and possessed of quicker wit than any mortal child her age. "I will explain, but do ask if you have questions, all right? Let me see... the Fading. This was long, long ago, Ages and Ages past... your parents, they have followers, those who believe in them? Mortals who serve." He did not know if the young goddess herself had such. "That belief is how we live, how we sustain our being and powers. Ages and Ages ago, that belief was lost, and the gods began to die. Truly die, not merely travel to your father's realm. We all died, all but Lord Harmodius, the Twin Crown."
Surely she knew of the Crown. Surely. "It was he who brought us back. Myself, your mother, your father. All of us save those born anew, like yourself and your brothers, came back to Be this way. Our essences were collected into gemstones, and those stones placed in mortal hosts that we might come back into our divine Selves again." Thabara "He must have been so lonely ...“ she whispered sympathetically, and then remained quiet for quite a while. It was a lot to digest for her, after all. So they all, all of the gods had died once, and now come back? It made her wonder, for a moment, if Harmodius couldn't possibly make another stone for Lucius then. But a feeling deep down in her guts told her that this wasn't the case. That he'd called for her and her brother's services, his own quiet, soft spoken lament. Lucius was gone forever.
„What happens to the mortals?“ she shot her next question, one of way too many still buzzing about in her head. Why was it that, every time someone tried to explain something to her, she ended up with more questions afterwards than she'd had before?! "After they're done ...“ she hesitated, having no idea what those mortals actually did with those stones. "... breeding?“ she guessed. Sosiqui Breeding?
Tian Yue blinked at that, then laughed quietly, though not derisively. "They do not breed with the gods, but take the gods into themselves - and the gods make themselves anew with their hosts. Some devour their hosts. Some take them into themselves in return. Some... do different things altogether."
Two timelines, two memories, god and mortal, one long and rambling, one short and sharp - irrevocably entwined.
"In the end, there remains only the god in full glory." Thabara "Huh,“ Crys said. One of her slender hands delved into the earthen jar she carried, and picked a caterpillar from its contents. "That's so … complicated.“ No small wonder then everyone seemed to make such a big fuss about herself and her siblings. They were special.
"But ...“ The wiggling caterpillar disappeared into Crys' mouth, and she munched thoughtfully. "If I was born, and my brothers, and everyone else was brought back … Does that mean, there's a Grief who can't come back now? Who's gone forever?“ Sosiqui Tian Yue did not so much as blink at the young goddess' odd choice of snacks... but he was slightly taken aback by her question. This child... is perceptive. Almost too much so.
"That... I do not know, young Grief. It may be that such god or goddess did exist in the past, but was too far taken to allow for rebirth. Not all the divine were capable of being kept safe during the hard times. I know several of my own brothers had to fight for their rebirths. There was so little left..." Thabara "Inevitable,“ she whispered. She wasn't sure where she'd picked up that complicated word, but she liked the sound it had to it. "Dad told me, that even of the souls of the dead, many were … gone. Forever. He seemed sad about it.“ She shrugged. "But if everything could just be brought back … Mh, that would be nice, but just wrong.“ She shook her head. Pointless, might have been the term she would have chosen if she was any older.
"But,“ she said, raising her index finger unaware of the gesture, "if there's an old Grief gone forever, and I was born instead, that might mean there's going to be a new Universe child some time?“ She smiled hesitantly. "It wont be the same, though.“
She knew. She knew from all the mortals she'd talked to, who'd born children recently but still mourned the ones they'd lost in the Age Of Destruction. A new child for the one they'd lost, but not the same, not ever. There was no way to truly replace what had been lost, to truly fill the hole left in one's heart. Sosiqui Tian Yue paused, considering this - the idea had occurred to him before, but actually mentioning it was simultaneously exciting and deeply painful. It would be the same, never the same- I dare not fool myself into such thoughts. Even if it were possible....
... but to say 'no' as if my desires were all that mattered, hah! What of those who followed the Stars? Surely their need must be answered more even than mine. The gods cannot believe themselves to life, after all.
He started, then refocused on the child in front of him. Yes, she was definitely too perceptive. "Perhaps so, in time - yet now I fear the wound is too raw. I heard the Mournsong's lament for the fallen. He told me of Lord Harmodius' desire for such closure. It eased my heart as well... I have known your power lately, Grief." Thabara She inclined her head then, seeming almost regal about it, content with the answers she'd been given. "Many people say that to me. I'm not sure yet what it means,“ she admitted, seeming a little puzzled about it. She wasn't quite aware yet of having any special powers, or even being one. She only knew that people sometimes met her with anger, sometimes with fear. Others seemed grateful for her presence, and comforted by it. While others again were so full of raw pain and anguish that it made her shriek like the little banshee she was, clawing at her face and tearing her hair and her clothes until her mother rushed to her side to calm her. But no matter the reactions, these were the times she felt most alive, most … vibrant. It almost gave her an idea of what colors must be like. "But I'm glad you feel better now?“ she offered, and reached to pat his hand. Or leg. Or whichever limb was closest. Curious, though, that felt like scales. Was that still a part of him, or had a snake made it in here somehow? She pursed her lips thoughtfully. If it was a snake, it must be a huge one, and they normally weren't warm like that. Sosiqui "I am sure you will in time," Tian Yue said, with a quiet smile. His smile increased as she patted his tail, the look of faint bemusement and pondering plain on her face.
"My tail," he explained, twitching it a little under her hand. "I am a Dragon King, after all; while I am not in my dragon shape right now, I still have horns and a tail. Like pouring too much water into too little glass, I suppose - some doesn't quite fit inside," he said, his tone jovial. Thabara "My brother has a tail too!“ Crys exclaimed cheerily. "My older brother,“ she added for clarification. After all she had two brothers, but only one of them sported a tail. "But it's different from yours, shorter, and hairy.“ She wondered if that stuff about not fitting into a glass meant that Soto had a different form too? "Maybe that's why I have no eyes,“ she mused, wiggling a finger in one of her empty sockets, "my glass was too big for me.“ She didn't really mind, except that no one had been able yet to properly explain colors to her, or whatever 'light' was like. Not even that Harmodius guy. Sosiqui Part of Tian Yue wanted to be creeped out by how casually she played with her empty sockets - but, then again, Grief was hardly meant to be relaxing and soothing. At least not at first. "Perhaps so - though, more likely it is an aspect of your nature, even as my tail is. You are Grief - mortals have an expression. Crying your eyes out. Perhaps that aspect of their belief shaped your form."
That was an interesting thought, actually - if they were dependent upon belief for their existences, how much did that belief influence the gods at a subconscious level? Their shapes, thoughts, abilities... Gianfar would approve of the topic, I think. Thabara Ohhhh, now there was something new! She hadn't heard of that expression before. She wondered if it was actually possible, to really cry ones eyes out. Maybe tears would dissolve the eyeballs if one cried only long enough, or carried away by the current of tears … It was a good thing, probably, Tian Yue had no idea of her current train of thoughts, though it was obvious that the little goddess was quite mesmerized by what he'd said. "Like … How papa is all cold because dead people are, and mom's wings always make music?“ She tilted her head slightly. "And what do dragons look like? Mom told me about your door, and on it is something like a … big, big lizard?“ Sosiqui Tian Yue made a face; lizard, indeed! But she had no way of knowing. "To say dragons are like lizards is to say that mortals are like gods," he said, with a faint chuckle. "Were I to transform here, I would end up wearing this tea-house like a necklace. Not all dragons are so large, of course - there are mortal dragons too. But even they are far greater than lizards, and the Dragon Kings greater still." Thabara Crys couldn't help but giggle at the thought of wearing the teahouse like a necklace. She knew its dimensions well, so Tian Yue really had to be huge in his dragon shape. Not even her daddy was this big … No small wonder then, that uncle Tian's tail and horns wouldn't fit into his human shape! "That really is big,“ she remarked. How convenient for her uncle then, that he could change his shape! Or else he'd have to be careful to not accidentally trample or break things all the time. Sosiqui "Indeed," Tian Yue confirmed, amused at her reaction. "And I am not the largest of all the Kings, either - that honor belongs to my brother, Great Chien-Tang. I am second-largest, however," he added. "I am the Worldshield, the protector; I must be large to perform my duties... should it come to that."
A vivid memory of his own bones lying before the gate of the Ancient Pantheon came to mind. Thabara Protector. That certainly seemed perk the little girl's interest, evident by her intrigued expression and the way she drew in her breath with surprise. So Tian Yue and Soto had even more in common than just tails! "I wonder if Soto's going to be big like that,“ she wondered then. "Because, he's the Guardian. When he was annoyed a while ago, at one of the aoide pestering him, he made his doors go shut, like, BANG!“ She threw her hands up in the air, but then quickly settled them on her little jar once more before the vessel could topple over and spill its crawly contents. "And no one could open them. For a little while.“ Sosiqui "Your mother mentioned him to me, I think." Soto would be Sotiris, then, the only remaining child of Music he'd yet to meet. And the one most aligned to his own sphere of influence. "Holding doors closed, hmm? A useful skill for defense. He probably won't be as large as a Dragon, though," he added, with a chuckle.
"And do you ever get annoyed at your family's aoidei?" He grinned, even though she couldn't see it - his amusement would come through in his voice as well. Thabara She considered the question for a little while, before she quietly shook her head. "Only sometimes. Like, when they wont let me pick the clothes I like, or keep messing with my hair. I don't like that, and I don't like itchy dresses.“
"Or, when they wont let me go to places or do things because I might get hurt. Then I have to scream real loud, or Soto and Kios distract them so that I can sneak out.“ She smiled, proudly. She had, for obvious reasons, no real concept of 'hiding', so it had taken her some time to get the hang of it. Her brothers were a great help, giving her secret sound-signals to let her know she could slip out now. "But most times,“ she said, tilting her head, "they're very nice. They lift me up when things are out of reach, so I can touch them. And they describe everything to me that's too far away. And they always try to explain what I don't understand. And they read to me.“Sosiqui "You should always be grateful to your servants - and to your followers, when you get them. They sustain us. Without that - the Fading would happen again. And this time, you would be caught up in it. No danger of that now, of course, but we must maintain close ties." The Dragon King smiled. A child's world was simple, even that of a child-god.
He had to admit he was a little jealous. The Invisible Couch "I'll try to.“ Crys nodded solemnly. Much of what Tian Yue had said went a little over her head, but she was genuinely serious about her promise. It was a good thing, perhaps, that she knew so well how important it was to be able to rely on others.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:30 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:32 pm
Finding Plans
He had a mission.
He had a traveling companion.
He had transport.
What he didn't have... was a good plan.
Tian Yue rubbed at his temples. He had a headache, one that started at the base of his skull and seemed to ripple all the way up to the tips of his horns. Pondering how to chart the potentially infinite had a way of doing that, even for the divine. For all everyone's thoughts on the matter, the only way he could see of confirming what worlds remained was to visit them all and find out...
... and who knew how long that would take?
Time, perhaps, were that deity reborn.
But surely there had to be a simpler way; his Lord would hardly send away a Dragon King for a task that would take an Age. Not in these times, not with the shadow of the Grigori uncertain on the horizon. Any day Samyaza and her ilk could return; the thought made the fur along his tail bristle like an angry cat's.
There must be something I am missing... but what? Knowledge might know, but in all his travels through the library he had seen nothing of the gray god. Think, dragon...
Yggdrasil. Vast, unknowable Tree, heart and body of Gaia, a foundation of All - the only connection holding the worlds together, now. To travel so haphazardly seemed unthinkable. Even one world left unconnected would be a terrible loss. He could leave no place skyless, abandoned. The risk was simply too great.
Think. Yggdrasil. Foundation... connections. He was a scholar, damn it - he should know these things! What else about it? It connects the worlds... generates them, perhaps, like fruit on its branches or tubers from the roots. Both, perhaps. Connections...
What I saw at the Ancient Pantheon was still alive but brittle... alive. Yggdrasil is alive. There was something there, the vaguest seed of relevancy in that most obvious statement, something he couldn't quite catch. Tian Yue closed his eyes and set his teeth against the pounding in his skull.
Alive... yes. It carries mana, life-stuff and power, that worlds may live, connects them that they might not fall prey to Void... mana, precious...
... And there it was. Tian Yue opened his eyes again, staring down at the pages before him without really seeing them at all. So simple.
Yggdrasil bears mana to the worlds. What is Eaten is not merely a shell or a dead husk - it is gone, entirely. As he knew only too well. The mana flow.
Mana will not flow where it is not needed.
He pushed the book away, knocking it onto the floor, uncaring if its pages crumpled, seeking the blank paper below. Long claws scrabbled for a writing utensil, and a moment later he began to draw, sweeping lines on the page indicating trunks, branches, roots.
Mana is lifeblood. It will not flow where it is not needed... ergo, dead branches of Yggdrasil bear no viable worlds! Whole paths can be eliminated! He scribbled frantically in the margins.
It could work, perhaps. If a world was dead, there would be no opening to find, no entrance; the Tree would have sealed itself or lost limbs entirely. It could save them so much time... moreso if they could find help. It might still take a very long time indeed, and yet...
And yet...
This could work.
Without a second thought, Tian Yue gathered up the papers and headed for the door.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:33 pm
Seeking and FindingSosiqui Tian Yue couldn't keep the layout of the Pantheon straight anymore - the building looked far too small from the outside to contain the rooms and hallways that seemed to coil endlessly in the dome, and the layout of the upper floor utterly defied the soft curves of the building's exterior. Still, he remembered vaguely where the Spirit Guide had made his home, and the sigils on the doors were a sort of guide.
Despite all this, it seemed far too long before he arrived in front of the door, marked with flowers, birds, and candles. It took him a moment to assess the symbols there, to match them up in his mind to the god, but once he had he nodded firmly and raised one hand to knock, shifting from foot to foot in eagerness.
Oh, how he hoped the logic in his finding, scribbled on the paper he now held curled in one hand, would make sense to someone that wasn't him! Otherwise, perhaps they really were doomed to an Age's searching to fulfill his Lord's request. Zero Dream There were steps beyond the door, which at least meant that someone was there... The door opened soon afterward, revealing a demoness similar to Xing Yue, but black furred and wearing a short purple dress. "Ah... Lord Worldshield." Anima bowed. "Please, come inside - my lord should be here in a moment..."
She then turned, hooves clicking against the hard wood floor as she knocked at the door of one of the side rooms.
And, from the opposite side, another opened, with a small, blonde-haired and brown eyed figure peering out curiously. Sosiqui "Thank you," Tian Yue, said, a bit absently - he was so wholly focused on keeping his thoughts straight that dealing with anyone besides his 'target' seemed almost dangerous, as if the logic and sense of his Grand Idea would crash and burn if he lost focus for a second.
Which was stupid, of course, but he so wanted this to work. Zero Dream It was not long before said target slid out of the room Anima had knocked onto, which, from the look that could be seen before the door was closed again, looked almost to be a library of sorts. But what use would the Spirit Guide have of a library... ?
But at any rate, he was carrying what looked to be a book and a map in his arms. "It is a good thing you've come," He said with a grin, obviously pleased with something. "It saves me the trouble of having to find you..." Sosiqui Tian Yue raised one eyebrow. "You look like the cat that ate the canary," he said, well aware that this was... well... the pot calling the kettle black. He grinned at the other god. "Have you figured something out? I certainly have. Or, at least, I hope so."
He paused, then, rather at an impasse - it would be rude to just steamroll over the Spirit Guide's own discovery, if indeed he had made one, but he had to tell somebody this idea to make sure it made sense outside his own head! "You first...?" Zero Dream "Is that some sort of mortal expression ?" The Guide asked, clearly a little amused. "But indeed... I have."
He came forward to rest his items on the nearby table, noticing Lenneth from the corner of his vision, but overall pretending he had not. This was no state secret, after all.
"You see... Echo went though the World Tree herself." He pushed things aside in order to unroll his map - with many notations on it. "Quite a long time ago... I have noticed an influx of new faces around here, and with some asking around and listening... I figured out that she was the one to send them here." He pointed at the point on the map where the pantheon was. "According to where they came from... I can see the path she followed... roughly." It wasn't completely accurate, of course. But since the goddess had not returned yet... It was not so far fetched to think that she probably had found the entrance.
"I think the entrance to the World Tree would be roughly around here." He pointed again, to another dot quite far away from their current location. Sosiqui "Echo..." She must have been traveling in search of Underworld, surely... A host of worries sprang to his mind, like did she go alone, but he forced them away. Echo was no fool, and surely Ankou would have accompanied her if the goddess had wished it. "That was bravely done. I hope she is well," he murmured, leaning to look at the map.
"That is quite far, but with my brother's help... the Fangbridle can travel astonishing distances in a day. It's entirely unfair, really," he added, with an amused look. "But with his aid, we at least should be able to make that journey in far less time than would otherwise be needed."
"As for me," he continued, "I have... a theory. A way we could divine the status of worlds from within Yggdrasil itself. We are, after all, not measuring the health of each world... only if it exists or not. Yggdrasil carries mana and sustains all worlds... therefore, by tracking the movements of mana, the health of the Tree itself, we should be able to determine the existence of the connected worlds. By this theory..." He unfolded his own paper and presented it to Ankou. "Dead branches of the Tree would carry no fruit. That is, no living worlds." Zero Dream "Brothers tend to be rather unfair things." The Guide added, knowingly and teasing both. Though, he did miss his own... But there were other matters to tend to. Unlike the goddess, Ankou had no doubt howsoever that Underworld was allright. In what state, per-se, was what he was not sure of.
But there had been activity. A realm ghosting over the others. And growing. Those things would not be possible without the god.
He paused, then, thinking on what was presented to him for a moment. "That... makes sense. Resources are precious at this time, the same goes for mana... Why spend resources on something that had no chance of recovery ?" Sosiqui "Indeed!" Tian Yue nodded vigorously, pleased. "We could assess the health of branches and track them that way - the task will still be difficult as we will need to walk many lengths to feel out where branches split, and I believe some sort of map might be the best way to indicate to our Lord where the mana paths now travel, and thus which worlds yet live." Zero Dream "Indeed... a visual reference might very well be best." The idea of having to put everything into words, an essay of it's own, and still have it make sense... Seemed far-fetched. But then, he always had an easier time reading maps than books, as his attempt at research had showed.
The Guide seemed to ponder for a moment, lost in his thoughts before continuing. "...If there is a world on the other side of a path... There very well also might be ghosts wandering along it. I can also use this as a guide." No souls would come out of the void, after all. They were eaten, just like the worlds.
The thought still bothered him a little. It should not have been this way.... but it was too late to do anything about that now. Sosiqui "Yes... that's true." Tian Yue gave Ankou an almost startled look - but of course the other god would be able to sense the departed in some fashion. It would be awfully hard to do his job, otherwise! Then he sobered. "Not even a soul left, all eaten. Those who set Gehenna into motion... have much to answer for."
He shook his head, then, and smiled wryly at Ankou. "Having a back-up plan, another means of confirmation, would be perfect. Let us pray that such things work once we actually get there... otherwise, the road ahead of us will stretch far longer..." Zero Dream "Is it so surprising ?" Thankfully, the god seemed more amused than possibly annoyed by the look the dragon gave him. Just as if he had dropped the bombshell of a century on him. He had to admit that had been very amusing indeed. "Though... I figure not many actually think about things like this." After all, to most, the dead were just that. Dead. Gone. Unable to be felt even if they were right beside their surviving family and friends, save for a few exceptions there and there, those powerful enough to project themselves without aid. Such occurrences often resulted in hauntings. Or even fewer, the living with such a perception...
But he said none of that, and instead shook his head, sadly. "Indeed." Even if it did lessen his task considerably... he found no joy in it."Lords." Anima had made her way back, holding a tray with a kettle and two mugs - tea, it seemed, and slid it on the table. The demoness bowed once, and then, made her way toward the side rooms, leaving the two once more to their discussion. Sosiqui "Your servants are attentive," Tian Yue remarked, then leaned forward slightly and inhaled the steam wafting from the kettle, an appreciative look on his face. "The return of Creation has meant a return of such niceties. Little luxuries made all the better for want of having them."
He settled back, then, to let the tea steep and to allow Ankou first pour, if he wanted it. "It seems to be the easiest method of transport within Yggdrasil would be... dragon-back, in the largest corridors, and errais-back or on foot in the smaller. I will ask my Aoidei to fashion a harness for my use, capable of providing a comfortable space for yourself and any Aoidei you choose to bring with you. Perhaps something with slings to bear the errais also... have you such a creature looking to you? If not, my brother can doubtlessly call one to serve." Zero Dream "Anima is a lady of few words... But she catches everything. And is rather efficient." Not to say with Jinx was sub-par - they simply each excelled in different areas.
"I do agree... going by foot is not going to be very efficient, now wouldn't it ?" The god reached for the kettle, pouring the contents into each mug. He was not exactly one for tea... or most warm drinks, come to think of it, but he figured he could make an exception this time. Little luxuries made all the better, as the dragon had said.
"I do know of them..." Ankou answered with a nod. "It seems indeed that there are already some that decided to offer their services to gods, perhaps indeed with the Fangbridle's influence... Though I do not seem to have attracted any to myself. If it is to be of any trouble, though.. I can walk." Then, something seemed to occur to him. "Will he be coming with us ?" Sosiqui Tian Yue took the kettle and poured his own cup, taking another moment to savor the scent of the brew before speaking again. "He will not accompany us within the Tree, but he can take us there - as I mentioned earlier, he can travel quite far in a day's time. I believe we could make it to the place you indicated within a day..." Zero Dream "A day ?" It was Ankou's turn to be somewhat startled. "That is indeed... impressive. And handy. I am glad he is willing to lend assistance." Indeed. On errais, and maybe even dragon back... this would have likely taken weeks to accomplish.
Perhaps, if they somehow managed to catch up with Echo... He would be at least able to return with news. That might soften the blow of his leaving for Cosine... Whom he had yet to warn that he was, indeed, departing soon.
He still had much to think about... Sosiqui "He is, yes. We are quite close. Well, we all are... the five of us that remain..." Tian Yue looked pensive for a moment. Where were the other four; where did Shen Lung, Ti Lung, Qian Lung and Mang rest their coils now? Surely if they had been Eaten, he would know...
He took a sip of his tea; the flavor was excellent. "My compliments to your Aoidei," he murmured, a bit distracted, then swallowed and re-focused himself. "When do you think you will be able to leave? I do not wish to tear you away from your own pursuits without warning, but I feel it best that we depart as soon as we are able. The sooner the task is done, the sooner we can both move on to our continued duties." Zero Dream "Brothers tend to be close-knit... even if they are very different." The Guide mused out loud. To be able to come up with something so quickly, Anima had likely chosen though one of the many blends Cosine kept on hand to brew at a moment's notice - which she thankfully did not seem to mind sharing, though he should likely think about replacing the used up leaves... That made him curious, however, and he took a sip of his own. It was rather hot on the tongue, but it was not so bad. Better than most teas he had tasted. Which was, granted, very little.
At Tian Yue's last statement, however, he took a moment to think it over. Something reasonable for the both of them... "..Two days, at the most. I have not warned anyone that I would be leaving yet, since I did not know exactly when we would."
He had been rather absent lately, and now he would be even more so. If nothing else, he owed his love one day at the very least, to spend as they wished, if she wanted to take it. It was the very least he could do. Sosiqui "Of course - I shall need as much time, myself. The harness of which I spoke still needs to be constructed." He made a face at that, as he knew his own idea was dooming himself to time spent outside, holding still very carefully while Toki measured and pinned and hemmed and hawed. At least in dragon-shape the Aoide's pins couldn't p***k his flesh.
Another sip of tea. "Will the children be well? I could pick one among my followers to help attend them in their absence... I feel badly about taking more of their family from them." Zero Dream "I am certain that they will be well." Indeed, the words had come without any hesitation, and the god stopped to take another sip of his cup before continuing. Perhaps he just needed to let it cool down a tad more...
"Echo did not take any of her own with her. Neither did Nergal." A slight frown made it's way on the Guide's face, betraying that he would likely have preferred it otherwise. "And... Cosine will likely be watching over them as well. They will not lack proper supervision and care... And I do believe that she would not have left if she did not at the very least trust that they could handle their own somewhat." Music, from what he had seen, was a rather odd mother hen, watching over her little brood yet not too keen of robbing them of the experience they needed to learn by overprotecting them.
He did not always understand this odd contradiction, but he knew at least that much. Music would have not left if her sons and daughters were still fully dependent on her. And, after all, he had seen some of that budding independence with his own eyes. Sosiqui "That is good. I will let myself be more at ease, then." Tian Yue smiled, then tilted his head to one side. "Cosine? I believe she's been mentioned to be before... ah, yes. Little Lament. She... makes you 'all weird', I believe was the phrase?" He raised one eyebrow at Ankou. Zero Dream "As you should. Their care is not something we need to worry ourselves about." They were very well accompanied, and would be well-watched over indeed. That, more than perhaps anything else in this journey, he was certain of.
"Ah, and for that, well..." Ankou gave a light chuckle. "There are many things the boy find 'wierd' indeed... Ah. She is the lady of Numbers, half of a pair of literal twins, though I have yet to meet her other, though I figure we will likely meet when time will be right." Sosiqui "Numbers, is it?" Tian Yue looked thoughtful. "I think... perhaps I have met her, once, some time ago. Or her host. A young woman in red with black hair...? What was her name? Lien, I believe."
He smiled, though, a little soft, a little sad. "Cherish her, then. Loves I have had, and lost, twice over. I pray you do a better job than I." Zero Dream "That would be indeed right." Lien... Lien. Truth to be told, her host he had never met, and he had never given it a second thought. Neither her or his own. He had never asked what happened to Lien... as she had never asked what had happened to Adrian. These things, apparently, were their own secrets to keep.
And that was fine. That did not help but remind him of darker times, where things had still been completely uncertain.
"...I can only hope so." He sighed in turn. "....I am... inexperienced, in these matters." It was an hard admission - perhaps even somewhat embarrassing, as he took another sip of tea. The temperature was more bearable now that he had given it time to cool. "I do not think I have ever loved anyone before her... and I fear that I will only end up hurting her."
Why was he even talking about it ? Certainly the dragon had better things to do than to hear him ramble. "I apologize, I..." Whatever the rest of his sentence had been seemed to die in his throat before it could even come out. A rather awkward moment. "...I do not think I had many... friends, either." Sosiqui "It is said that it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all," Tian Yue said, quietly. He took a long sip of tea before speaking again. "As one who has done both... twice... I believe that anonymous sage is correct. At least if you have worries, you can speak with Love himself," he added, lifting his voice a little, trying to lighten the mood slightly. Perhaps he should have done so, sought counsel.
Too late now. Zero Dream "You would know better than I, being the scholar that you are. So I shall listen to your advice." Likewise, Ankou was trying to do just the same, the hints of a smile playing on his lips. Things... are different now, he reminded himself. The past did not matter, at least now it this way.
It was the now that did.
Perhaps he had stopped being afraid of consequences the night where everything was reborn... the night he had completely accepted her into his life.
"I can only hope it will not come to that. But... I think she knows me well enough by now to know I am a skittish little creature who rarely stays put." Sosiqui Tian Yue laughed, then. "As am I, though the little is debatable in my case. But my duties to the Crown will call me to many places and to many tasks. I did well to love Universe, for He was - in a sense - everywhere..."
He sighed, but the wistful smile did not depart. "And now such things must be restored. If only in effigy. The mortals will be comforted... and so, I admit, will I." Zero Dream "Well, in comparison..." He gave a light-hearted chuckle on his own. "I am definitively tiny. And that isn't even including dragon selves yet. Clearly I am at disadvantage." But being small and lean also had advantage - being able to slide where not many others would have been able to, for example. He was not dissatisfied with the body he had inherited, though there was something off that he still could not quite explain.
But it was all rather meaningless for now. Existing at all was a boon of it's own.
"You will not be alone in such thought, I believe." He would certainly feel comforted... There were visions of blank skies, deep into the broken shards of memory - such a thing... did not belong on the planes of the living. Sosiqui "We will see - I believe we will have need of agile hands in Yggdrasil." Tian Yue grinned, then looked thoughtful. "Have you given thought to our retinue? I hardly think we should bring many with us - the more we bring, the more we must carry to care for them - but going alone would not be wise. I had thought to bring one of my Aoidei... what about yourself?" Zero Dream "I have, in fact." The god turned more serious once more, nodding. "I do agree on both points... I thought to bring Jinx - I believe you have already seen her ?" The Guide could not remember for sure if he had, or not. "She is a hair clumsy on day to day tasks, but she is efficient. And a formidable fighter, should we run into trouble." Such a possibility should not be discarded, though he would prefer it to not happen at all. Who knew just who - or what - had possibly taken refuge in the tree, if they could have found an entrance... Sosiqui "Yes... yes, I have." The one who is like Nebula... and yet unlike, thankfully. "She sounds like an excellent ally for this journey. As for myself... I have two Aoidei in my keeping, one of whom is... not well-suited for this. The other is Xing Yun, whom you have met. Which would mean two gods, two Aoidei, two errais... that should be doable," he mused. Zero Dream "It should." He could only hope, at the very least. Though, if it came though it, he could probably push the limits of his still-mortal body further than the aoidei might be able to. They were immortal, yes... but only except from the effects of time. This... he remembered innately.
Very few of those souls he carried, and their destination... had been different ? Though, as soon as the flicker of memory came, it was gone as quickly. No matter.
"Is there anything you would like for me to try and find ?" Sosiqui "Hmm... some supplies for the journey... actually, there is one thing. I believe Yggdrasil will be dark, devoid of what light was granted it in Ages past." Tian Yue put his mug down thoughtfully. "Might you be able to find some source requiring no flame or excess heat? I would hate to set the Tree ablaze." Zero Dream "I will do my best. Though, I have a found a few lanterns in my scavenging. They will require candles, but... they look to be quite safe. I will bring them if I find nothing else." The Guide nodded. Light, indeed, was a very important thing - why was it that he never seemed to really think about the little things ?
"I will do my best, though it is very likely that we will have to settle and take the risk. But... it would seem likely to me that Yggdrasil would be more resistant to such mundane things." Sosiqui "Perhaps, but I would hate to cause any undue damage. Especially if my theory proves true and we draw near to decayed or rotting places... but I trust your judgment, my friend."
The phrase slipped out unexpectedly, and Tian Yue paused after saying it, then inclined his head in a nod, smiling. He would not take it back. Zero Dream Ankou, likewise, grinned in turn - and said nothing in attempt to disprove it.
"Perhaps I should go on and search, then. After all, finding things is apparently one of the things I am rather good at." Hopefully... Hopefully his judgement will hold true, if he was not lucky in his search.
"We both have much to do, unless you would like to talk some more ?" He was not in a hurry, not really. He did indeed appreciate the dragon's presence. Friend.... He could do that. And hopefully show himself worthy of such title. Sosiqui "I would - but I fear we'll have time enough to talk on our journey that we may grow sick of each other." The dragon grinned, giving the lie to his statement, then rose to his feet. "Thank you - be well, Ankou. Send word when you are ready, and I will speak with my brother and we will travel."
He paused in the doorway and glanced back over his shoulder, his expression just barely visible between the formidable shoulder-spikes. "Thank you. I look forward to our travels together."
With that, he turned and was gone.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:34 pm
Golden Claws, Wooden PathsSosiqui Tian Yue wheeled through the sky in dragon-shape, his eyes slitted as he sought lights in the darkness. He was quite safe; he had never seen anything in this life as large as he was in the air, and few mortals would dare challenge a god in these days even if they weren't hundreds of feet long. But Jin Huang had not been in the Pantheon, and while Greed might well know of his location...
Well, Tian Yue wasn't that hard-up yet.
He breathed deeply as he flew, seeking light and scent; it would seem foolish to look for someone this way, but they were Dragon Kings, and that bond they shared made for better prospects. Besides, no Dragon would move far from his Lord. Especially after the trying times they had all shared.
A faint whiff, a faint thrum caught the dragon's attention; he perked up his ears and turned his flight downwards, his movements against the air more eager. "Jin Huang? Brother?" he called out, letting his roar echo against the empty sky. Ithiltari It was just as well that Jin Huang was outside, although it would indeed have been hard to miss the Worldshield's call. A quick glance upwards confirmed the guess, brief but sincere smile quickly overshadowed by a frown of thought. Where was his brother to land? The houses to either side of Futs Lung's had not yet fallen fully, leaving their skeletal remains to obstruct a clean landing. While he certainly could alight in the spacious backyard attached, the garden had only just been completed, and Jin Haung would prefer to leave such work undamaged. That would clearly have to be remedied, and soon. But..."Bother," the Treasurer said sourly. How to direct Tian Yue to the correct house?
With a shrug and a sigh, Jin Huang cupped his hands around his mouth. "Tian Yue!" he called in reply, half hoping and half knowing that his brother could hear him. He would land where he would land, and that was all there was to it. Sosiqui Tian Yue's ears stood straight up, and he wheeled in the sky swifter than it seemed something his size should be able to move - but he was a Dragon King, no mere scaled beast or flying machine. "Brother," he called again, moving carefully downward through the air until he spotted it - a home in good condition surrounded by the remains others not so blessed.
"Ah, there you are!" he called in delight, waggling the tip of his tail slightly; the wind from the movement made the ruined houses creak alarmingly. "I should- ah." He frowned, then. "Is there anything you care about in those wrecks, any beings living there?" Ithiltari It was with wistful amusement that Jin Huang watched his brother orient himself correctly. Jumbled memory told him that Tien Lung's coils stretched far longer than his own ever would, an assumption that certainly seemed to be true. "No," he replied, dropping his hands down after the answer had gone out. It was easy enough for Tian Yue to speak thusly, but it was rather harder for him to hold a conversation by shouting. Much easier to speak once his brother had landed.
A quick, thoughtful glance caused Jin Huang to snap his fingers and summon a demon, issuing a few sharply whispered orders while he waited. He made a mental note to thank his brother for destroying whichever house he chose; it would save time and effort that could be better spent remodeling his own dwelling. Sosiqui "One moment, then..." Tian Yue circled over the ruins once more, judging their construction. At last he settled for a former house that seemed to have been constructed of wood - a mere plank or beam would blunt itself against his scales and do no damage. Carefully, the Dragon King descended, stretching out to press against the debris with his claws, shoving it downward to earth with a great creaking and snapping sound. Once it was compacted sufficiently to hold his weight, he landed entirely, one errant sweep of his tail knocking the entire back of the former house down.
"Oh. I didn't mean to do that," he muttered, turning carefully and gathering the rubble into a pile. Then he glanced over his shoulder and gave Jin Huang a half-contrite, half-amused look. "Well, brother? Since I seem to be moving earth today, is there anything else I should clear away?" His ears canted forward. Ithiltari Jin Huang watched his brother descend impassively, not moving even when small pieces of debris scattered nearby. "Most impressive," he said when Tian Yue had finished. "You could do quite well in the construction industry," the dragon continued teasingly. "But I doubt you came here to assist with the building of my home." A slight flicker in his eyes betrayed an inner nervousness, a not-quite fear of what exactly Tian Yue's business with him was.
A demon had returned with a simple robe folder over an arm in the event it was needed, recalling Jin Huang to the matters at hand. "Ah, would you care to come inside?" he asked after a moment. It would be easier, perhaps, to talk about whatever had brought his brother out here. Sosiqui Tian Yue snorted, only just remembering to turn his head aside so that his breath sent leaves fluttering into the air, rather than (possibly) his brother and servants. "Only for the Kings, the Crown, or the Empress would I offer such a thing," he said, almost primly, then refocused on the servant's burden and nodded. "But no, that's not why I'm here."
The dragon hunched forward, looming overhead for a moment before transforming, massive scaled shape flowing down into something much smaller with only a moment's disorientation. Then Tian Yue stepped forward, holding out one hand to accept the offered robe; while he might be embarrassed were anyone else here, this was his brother. They all knew each other far too well - or had, once - to be embarrassed by such simple matters.
"Your hospitality is, as always, excellent. My thanks," he said, with a nod and a grin. "How have you fared? I'm surprised to find you so far from the Treasury." There was only honest curiosity in the question, no hint of accusation. Ithiltari "And well do I appreciate the honor," Jin Huang replied, half serious and half teasing. He waited while his brother transformed into his smaller shape, smiling lopsidedly. "I'm sure your tailor loves those," he said with a wave of his hand to indicate the large spikes decorating Tian Yue's shoulders. One hand reached up, almost without thought, to rub at his own shoulder. As impressive as they were, Jin Huang privately hoped he would not be so adorned. "I enjoy my comforts, and the trappings of civilization, so my hospitality is merely an extension of what I expect for myself." A broad grin accompanied the words, to take any sting out of them.
The demon bowed and re-entered the house as soon as Tian Yue had taken the robe, and with a wave of his hand, Jin Huang indicated they should follow. "Well enough, now that things have returned to a semblance of normality," he responded, managing to keep his wince at the second comment under control. There was no trace of censure in his brother's voice, but Jin Huang had spent enough time worrying over it to feel defensive. "I...have not been to the Treasury," he admitted, something he would only tell his fellow Dragon Kings. "A complicated situation with an easy solution," he continued by way of explanation. It was easy enough for him to rationalize his decisions, but he knew it would not stand up to another's questions. As they entered the house, signs of repair and work were evident, giving an air of half-finished splendor. There were a few furnishings available in the spacious living room, mostly chairs and tables. It was towards one of the more sturdy chairs that Jin Huang waved his brother, settling in to one that was clearly his.
"So what does bring you to me?" he asked, any quaver of nervousness firmly quashed as Jin Huang attempted to redirect the conversation. Sosiqui Tian Yue ended up tying the robe's sash around his waist, using the robe as more of an impromptu kilt than anything else - not entirely regal, but he didn't want to punch holes through anyone's things. "Oh, Toki - my Aoide - doesn't mind. In fact, I think he might like it better this way. Rends and tears and re-doing my wardrobe provides him with hours of entertainment," he said, dryly. He wasn't kidding, either.
"Demon-work?" Tian Yue asked as they entered the house, peering with curiosity at the interior. Then again, after they'd stopped the end of the world, they had no end of grateful mortals practically falling all over themselves to do even the smallest tasks. Sometimes it seemed as if the least of deities couldn't so much as sneeze without multitudes rising up with handkerchiefs. "It looks well, indeed."
For now, he didn't bother asking why his brother was here, instead of closer to the Pantheon - after all, Tien Lung had slumbered through months, and while some of that time had been required for restoration... some of it had also been sheer waste as well. No matter that he hadn't consciously been aware of it. He was the least entitled to call anyone to task right now. "Yes... I know that you and Greed retrieved the Manacles from within Yggdrasil," he said, sitting in the indicated seat, his tail curling down the side and coiling idly around one leg of the chair. "I have been given a task by the Crown - to number the worlds left un-Eaten. Yggdrasil is now the sole connector of worlds, now that Universe is gone." He bowed his head for a moment. "It has been long since I walked such paths - it was never my office to do so, and only rarely did I venture there. What is it like now, brother? Can you tell me anything that might aid me in my journey?" Ithiltari Jin Huang made no comment about Aoide-tailors, but he could well understand the usefullness of having such a type around. Neither of his Aoide enjoyed that sort of work, but there were those among the demons who delighted in such things.
"Of a sort," he replied to the question. "Mostly physical labor, of course. Restoring and remodeling is as easily accomplished with that as with magic." They had few enough mages to spare for tasks that could be done by hand. A passing demon overheard the comment and blushed, pleased at the compliment. Jin Huang tended to be much more sparing with his praise.
Once Tian Yu started speaking - of the Manacles, and the Tree - Jin Huang settled back in his chair, gathering his thoughts. "I am not sure how useful my memories will be," he said slowly, tenting his fingers. "Phaedra and I...when we returned, time had passed for everyone but us. So while we travelled back, the Influences were at work upon Yggdrasil. I cannot say what effect this had." He flickered a quick look over at his brother's briefly bowed head. "I am sorry," he said quietly. If they had not encountered that time skip, if they had returned the Manacles earlier...Would Universe have been saved? Sosiqui "It is not your fault," Tian Yue said, quickly, though he gave his brother a grateful smile for the consideration in that apology. "We saved much." And lost much, but the fact that anything had been saved was a miracle.
Yet we are gods. Miracles are our stock-in-trade, aren't they?
"What is the Tree like, now? I saw it only from the outside, and that briefly, while in the Ancient Pantheon. I assume it still retains enough stability to support travel? Do any yet live within the coils that you encountered, or is all you saw dust and ruin? Anything at all would be helpful... and you know Phaedra would tax me dearly for such knowledge." He scowled. Ithiltari Jin Huang nodded acceptance of the remark and cast his thoughts back to the Tree, and his journey there. "When we were there, it was largely intact. There were markers within the trunk, carved there by someone or thing that I have long since forgotten. Our path was marked in other ways. The gouges made by dragon claws are hard to mistake," he said with a quick grin. "I would assume that it has not all fallen to decay, yet I would be wary, even in the main trunk itself."
A demon came then, setting a tray with two glasses of water on a nearby table before bowing itself away. Jin Huang took one, and a drink, before continuing. "There were signs that some still dwelt within the Tree, yet if they were newcomer or lived there of old, I could not say. The taproot we travelled through and to certainly seemed deserted, though that may have been a side effect of my last journey there." His lips twitched as the dragon suppressed another grin. Tax him dearly indeed. Sosiqui "Your last journey? So the keeper of the manacles was...?" Tian Yue looked surprised, then chuckled and shook his head. "It seems this is becoming a tradition among the Kings - seeking out our own corpses. Zhijian and I have both done so as well, though for me it was happenstance, not deliberate."
He took the offered glass as well, though he held it between his hands, blinking for a moment as he studied the size of his own digits in comparison to the glass of water. He certainly was imposing even in human shape, wasn't he...? "I have a theory, you see - that we can track the survival or death of worlds by observing Yggdrasil itself. Dead limbs would bear no fruit, as it were. The Spirit Guide will accompany me, and provide another failsafe - observing the paths of the dead. Void leaves no souls behind to wander downward. If there is a marked difference between living and dead, then that might prove a valid hypothesis." Ithiltari "In retrospect, it appears obvious," Jin Huang commented with a wry half shrug of his shoulders. "I had intended to return, once everything was settled. There were other treasures there, besides the Manacles." But that, like so many other plans, had stalled. Of course, the only entrance to the World Tree he knew about was one in a place he could no longer reach.
"That seems to be a sound theory," he said after a moment of thinking it through. "I know little enough of Yggdrasil these days." Perhaps in the past he had known more; certainly, he had known enough to travel through the Tree at the last.
"The Spirit Guide?" Jin Huang asked curiously, the title ringing a faint bell deep in the recesses of his memory. And if the Dead were moving...where were they moving to? Sosiqui "The Spirit Guide, yes... brother to Underworld, I believe. His name in this age is Ankou." Tian Yue nodded. "Should the plan of following mana prove viable, it should save us some time, at least. Checking each world individually would be... prohibitively difficult, and I cannot fathom our Lord sending away a Dragon King for such a long period of time. Not when the world remains so fragile." He frowned slightly and tapped his glass with one claw, making it chime in his grasp. "The Grigori are ancient and fearsome opponents, and we are so, so very vulnerable. We need strength, and we need time." Ithiltari Sitting up somewhat straighter at the mention of Underworld, only the very tip of Jin Huang's tail quivered to indicate his interest. There was something there, an association that hovered at the very reaches of his memory. But now was not the time to pursue it further. "The worlds will heal through the efforts of others as well," the dragon remarked. "It is not only we who can do the work." Glyph, for one, came to mind. The God of Forests would find much work to be done, as would those whose natures followed in the same vein.
"Always, we need more time," he commented, somewhat sourly. "And this time, there are no Manacles to slow the process." Sosiqui "All are valuable, indeed - but to lose any deity for an extended time to a far-away trip from which they could not easily be recalled in time of need would be a risky move." Tian Yue sighed. "I am no great strategist, no Great Chien-Tang to serve as general and warlord. And Zhijian brings news that the Crown wishes us all to hone ourselves. The ancient War... is all but faded from my memory. I hope He bears more knowledge."
Yet he remembered - the woman, the Pearl. Ithiltari "Hone ourselves?" Jin Huang questioned with a puzzled look. He had never been, in all his memories, a great fighter. Even Yu the Five-Clawed had been better at the martial than he. But he had found a weapon, one that felt familiar to his human hands. Resuming practice with it was something that must be done, however, especially since He wished it so. Though which would be more useful: a dragon, or a man? "So much lost, through our Fading. And if your hope is that He remembers it?" He snorted lightly.
"I hope you like riddles, then." Sosiqui Tian Yue made a face. "Indeed. Before He returned, though, I had the privilege of reading an ancient chronicle written in His hand. I imagine such knowledge would be contained there... and if not, surely Gianfar would know, Knowledge himself. But I cannot concern myself with it now, not with the false sky's forging at hand. What can we do but prepare ourselves and prepare those we care for? We are so weakened, yet those that remain are strong, devoted."
In general, at any rate. Ithiltari "Such would prove useful if it were easier to obtain the information we need from them." Jin Huang lightly drummed his fingers against his leg in thought. "False sky? Is such meant to replace what was lost?" That did not sound promising, not at all. Would such a creation truly bridge the worlds once more?
"Perhaps you do not need to do everything yourself, hm?" he said, teasing. "Zhijian would not be my first choice for reading a book, but I might be able to make myself useful in that matter." That, and have the demons prepare themselves once more. And if this false sky did restore the connections between the worlds...There were others he could finally retrieve. Sosiqui Tian Yue laughed, and shook his head ruefully. "Too true. It is a holdover, I suppose, from when we were so few. Only myself and Zhijian, it seemed, for such a long time. It is good to have you back," he added, a genuine smile on his face.
Then he sobered again. "I do not know precisely what our Lord intends to do, but the worlds must be connected anew, and dawn brought again. All I know is that what is put in place will not be Universe." Never again. Ithiltari Oh, Jin Huang could relate to that feeling. From what he could remember of being Yu Huang, it had seemed as though he had been one of an even fewer number than he should have. "Believe me, it is good to be back," he replied dryly, though quickly echoing his brother's smile. This time, there was much he would do differently.
"If it is not Universe...Then what shall it be? Forgive me, brother, but as you are unfamiliar with the Tree, so too am I with the wide expanses of space." And that tickled another memory, one of a past association, perhaps. But he could not bring it to mind, so he regretfully let it slip away. Sosiqui "I wonder myself," Tian Yue said, with a sigh. "I cannot... I cannot conceive of a the heavens not... living and breathing. When Universe faded, I was left alone.. but the heavens remained. The stars did not go out..."
He shook his head. "A facade, perhaps, a false sky to spread colors and stars across, to hold the celestial bodies, but with no voice, no self. I do not know for certain." Ithiltari Jin Huang shivered slightly. "I do not know if I like the sound of that," he admitted. "Is there no hope, then, for another Universe?" He had died twice, gathered and regathered into the gem, but perhaps that been a special circumstance, something to do with the Kings...
"Or was it a true death?" Sosiqui "Yes," Tian Yue said, very quietly indeed. "It was... true. What is Eaten cannot be restored." Ithiltari "I..." Jin Huang opened and closed his mouth a few times, feeling entirely awkward. Looking down at the glass in his hands, he twisted it about a few times.
"Was there anything else you might need to know?" he asked finally, utterly unable to offer any further condolences without sounding trite. Sosiqui Tian Yue gave his brother a sad smile. "It's alright, Brother - I have come to terms with it. Inasmuch as one can. And my task to join the worlds... is penance, of a sort. A responsibility of the Celestial to place a facade over the Nothing. Do not worry about me." Ithiltari Jin Huang refrained from commenting; he would, of course, continue to be concerned about his brother. How could he not? One simply had to be quieter about it, that was all. So he sat in his chair, mind attempting to come up with some sort of conversational change, although nothing seemed quite right. It was with some relief that a rather young demon came into the room and whispered in his ear.
"Ah. Apparently, this room is to be painted," he said after a moment. "It can certainly wait, they wouldn't dream of interrupting, and so on and so forth," Jin Huang continued with an amused smile as the demon fidgeted rather anxiously behind him. "I wouldn't dream of throwing off their schedule, however." Sosiqui Tian Yue nodded, understanding what his brother had not said aloud; he grinned at the demon's fidgeting. "Nor would I - while I would linger here, Brother, I must go set my own feet to those wooded paths, as you have. The sooner I go, the sooner I can return... and the sooner the sky can be set to rights, as best it can be." Ithiltari "Then I wish you safe travel and a swift return, once you have completed your task," Jin Huang said, standing up and absent mindedly handing his glass of water to the still fidgeting demon before offering his brother a firm handclasp. "While I'm sure the results will be largely self-evident," he continued, rather dryly, "Perhaps you could visit again afterwards, and tell me of your search." Sosiqui "Of course," Tian Yue said, firmly, returning his brother's gesture. "I know you will tend to our Lord's needs. I have no worries, Brother." There were many things that bound the Dragon Kings together, unwavering trust not the least of them.
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