Helios
Lord Zee
DX3214
Vec
&
Shengshi
0MP/8FP
The Buajaoi rested atop a mountain in the northeast of Atokhekwoi, with Ohannakeloi considered carefully. The God-Crab had seen his daughter off previously, she was heading westward first and from there she knew that a great body of water that had to be crossed to reach the other continents. She could make her own decisions, and maybe even interact with others, it would be a good opportunity for her. But that was not Ohannakeloi’s concern for now, he had a far greater concern that was not so easily met with divine powers or the supreme ability of his form.
Two great questions dominated his mind, both that had vital matters of importance to the same core issue. Firstly, how does one respectfully ask if they can come visit? And Secondly, what kind of gift would show that he himself, the great Ohannakeloi, appreciated being able to visit? Clearly any gift should have some meaning to its recipient, but what could one do when they knew little of the style and manner one was making the gift for? This question seemed unanswerable for now, or at least not acceptably answerable. The first question, that one may be possible to answer. Ohannakeloi send out his message across Galbar to the mind of Shengshi.
“Shengshi, I wish to visit you, if you have the time and the patience for the company of one of your Divine fellows.”
There was a short pause. Then, in a gentle, deep voice came the reply: "Why, of course! I always have time at the request of a dear brother. You will find me aboard my ship sailing down Nanhe on the Foot. Please, come, come!"
“I’ll be there shortly.”
And with that the Buajaoi shot off from the mountain and streaked across the skies of northern Atokhekwoi, heading north to that continent. The journey was fairly short, nothing to impede a journey over open ocean for a divinely made craft. Ohannakeloi did run into some trouble over the fact that he had no idea what the Nanhe was but sorted it out well enough by following the biggest, and first, river he came across into the interior of the continent. He had to circle the craft around slowing down and lazily settling down to the river craft, he could have gone faster but seeing the artistry of the craft was something Ohannakeloi wanted to enjoy.
Most importantly for Ohannakeloi, it gave him an idea for the gift he felt was appropriate as the Buajaoi pulled up to the Jiangzhou and Ohannakeloi folded the stone of his craft so he could exit. As he approached, the river itself rose up like a mighty staircase that carried the crab aboard. Once there, a sea of servants filled the deck and cast themselves on the ground before him. “TEN THOUSAND YEARS AND MORE TO HIS HOLINESS OHANNAKELOI, THE KING OF STONE!” swiftly followed by a cheerful chuckle from the palace doors after a rhythmic pause.
“Welcome, dearest brother Ohannakeloi, welcome!” The snake slithered over with his arms spread wide apart in warm greeting, his tall form flanked by a servant on each side, one carrying a tray with two cups and a small pitcher and the other carrying a small bamboo steam basket oozing wonderful smells. The snake bowed and the servants kowtowed. “Welcome aboard my humble vessel. It has been far too long since we last saw one another - the Cradle of Creation must have been the last time, if I recall?”
“You do recall correctly, you are in fact only the second of our fellows I have spoken with or seen since that time but that makes it only the more welcome to see you now.” His happiness clear in his voice, Ohannakeloi had his claws raised attempting to make some gesture of similar nature. However, most notable was a blanketing feeling of awe sweeping the servants, his aura powerful and generally effective over mortals. “I have to thank you for this welcome, as I do for far more I do not doubt to come. Let me present you with a gift.” The servants seemed to refuse to look up from the deckfloor, seemingly deeming themselves unworthy to look upon such a perfect specimen of godhood. Divine hearing could pick up pops and plops as tears of awe dropped against the deck among the crowds.
The Divine Crab marshalled his divine effort to summon forth a block of stone and imbue it with specific power. On the outside it was covered in granite, inlaid with various gemstones, carved in much the same designs as found on the Jiangzhou, notably similar to ornaments on the towers. An open top of the granite covering revealed inside was a large form of jade, twice and long and wide and only a third so deep as its creator, while at first unclear as it formed it soon became apparent, it was the Jiangzhou itself along the Nanhe, at the present moment. The Buajaoi rested there by the Jiangzhou and if one looked carefully they could even see all those along the deck. The large jade landscape showed the changes, as it soon became apparent when the jade river seemed to flow and the landscape changed as the Jiangzhou continued its voyage. The detail was quite fine, but hard to make out all of it if one did not have the benefits of divine vision.
Ohannakeloi held it above himself, admittedly making him quite hard to see under it, and spoke. “My gift to you brother, so that you may survey that which you are surrounded without leaving the comfort of wherever you may be.” As an apparent after thought he added. “It is lighter than it looks.”
The snake was momentarily speechless. As the gift was delivered to him, he could not help but throw himself to the floor for a second, nearly counting as a push-up to save face. A sheen like the heliopolis’ twinkle in the river filled the snake’s eyes as he marvelled at the details and colours. He turned it around in his hands to oogle it some more, almost forgetting what he was supposed to do. A partial return to reality let him formulate the words: “My dearest, precious brother, in all my years of literature and poetry, I am completely without sufficient, adequate words that can describe this vibrant sensation of gratitude.” He ran his eyes over it one last time before offering it to a group of servants, who walked with their torsos inclined at a forty-five degree angle next to Ohannakeloi, that wrapped it in sheets of expensive silks and brought it inside the palace. “Please, allow me to express my deepest, most profound thanks with actions instead.” He snapped his fingers.
The crowds dissipated momentarily before they came back up with tables, pillows, a small stage, several pots of wine, instruments, wicker chests of gold and silk and, naturally, several towers of dishes. The snake turned to the servant on his right, the one carrying the wine, who poured two cups full, walked over to Ohannakeloi in a constant state of bowing, and knelt down as she offered a cup. “It is not nearly the same variety of beauty and generosity as your gift, brother, but please, join me for a few drinks and a meal while we reminisce about the past.”
Ohannakeloi took the cup as he responded, “I would be ever so delighted, of course I will join you.”
“Then, a toast before we sit down,” the snake smiled and lowered his cup so it was below Ohannakeloi’s. “To brotherhood!” he exclaimed and drank the cup in one go.
“To brotherhood!” Ohannakeloi mimicked the toast and motion, downing the cup.
Pillows were arranged neatly in a small nest on the side of the table furthest from the palace doors, perfect for Ohannakeloi to sit in. On the opposite side, the busiest side with all the incoming servants, the snake took his seat. Food was stacked high on the tables and the snake held out a generous hand. “Please, please! Eat your fill, and while you do, please do tell how you have been of late, my dear brother. It truly has been much, much too long.”
Taking his seat Ohannakeloi began to reply as he examined the dishes, “I have been truly well, as you may know I’ve made a continent to the south and even a race of mortals, the Ihokhetlani. As well numerous guardians and such of mortal kind, indeed another is off traveling as we speak, perhaps you will meet her sometime, her scales glimmer quite majestically in the light from Heliopolis.”
Ohannakeloi paused to actually try some of the dishes he was presented with before continuing, “I did mention that you were the second of our fellows, Azura came to meet me before all this soul trouble, she had made the Alma at that time and tried to convince the Ihokhetlani to accept their business. I am fairly proud to say they stood quite admirably in their interactions from there, call me proud perhaps but I am quite confident in them, as you have no doubt in your own creations. I could tell you of minutiae, but enough of me no? What of yourself? I heard some worrying business with other the other gods?”
“Oh, such a glorious tale, worthy brother - indeed, I have been to your lands and, in all honesty, they are absolutely stunning, particularly the mountains. In fact, so stunning were they that I simply had to fill them with life - it would be a waste not to share such a sight with animals and, maybe in time, mortals.” He smiled warmly, though it faded slightly thereafter. “And yes, it is no lie, what you have heard. While I have spent the majority of my days furthering this world towards prosperity, it is no secret that I have encountered obstacles and, I am ashamed to say, sown rivalry between myself and a select few of our other siblings.” He clicked his forked tongue disapprovingly. “I will not speak ill of them in their absence - such acts are uncouth - yet I cannot lie, either: As time has passed, I have found little love for Kalmar and Azura, both simultaneously so wonderful, yet at the same time so utterly different in certain areas that truly, deeply matter to me. I take it you have not had the opportunity yet to meet our hunter brother?”
“No I have not yet had the opportunity, and I do have to compliment you on the food, your servants have truly outdone themselves.”
The closest servants fell to the ground. “Great, blessed King of Stone - these servants are infinitely grateful for Your warming compliments.” They could barely look up at Ohannakeloi’s form as they spoke, his aura too mighty for such insignificant beings. The snake nodded. “Your compliments mean the world to them, brother. Thank you. As for Kalmar, well… We have had our differences, philosophical and otherwise. I will not soil his image, though - he is a righteous god with an amiable sense of justice. The two of us just are not of the same mind, if you will. You may draw your own conclusions if you encounter him, of course.” He pinched some fish between his chopsticks and popped it in his mouth. “Then there is… Azura… If I may ask, what are your thoughts regarding her… Project?”
“If I am to be honest with you brother, I don’t care all too much. She has some concerns about the treatment of the dead in the Pyres and her own ‘solution’ has its own issues, but should they ever become too great a trouble I’m sure a reasonable solution could be found, especially with so many of our fellows who will be interested in the matter. I feel no need to take action on the facts of that, nor does her Alma worry me, they require consent and I have trained and informed my followers well, I have no doubt they are fully capable of making appropriate decisions.” Ohannakeloi paused finishing off a piece of food he had stopped eating to speak, then continued. “In short, I see no reason to take any action at this time, I want to verify a few things myself but if there is ever an issue I have no doubt a multitude of our fellows would assist to fix it given the threat such a thing could potentially pose. I do not know when or if we shall see that realized in due time, but I will be ready if it does. Do you have strong feelings on the matter?”
The snake hummed. “‘Strong’ is an adequate adjective, yes… Even if it requires consent, it may have catastrophic consequences for all life if enough mortals and beasts pledge themselves. As life shares from the same soul pool, as you no doubt are aware of, and as prosperity is rather dependent on a free, unrestricted flow of souls, any change to this system as radical as hers pokes more than a few sticks in our wheels. I can harness soul ash like a reflex, but how would I harness a soul stone? It is unnatural, I say - much too reckless and rash; as is the moral high ground stance that backs it up, too - how are aeons of dreamless sleep preferable to a quick bath in fire? Sounds like a coma to me. Who wants to be in a coma? I--” He stopped himself and cleared his throat. “Pardon, I let my mouth run much too fast.”
“It is understandable when one is invested, none would deny you a moment of vigor in your speech dear brother. While what you foresee is a grave concern, and you are wise to be concerned, I am not sure it is a concern of the moment. I admit that I do know for sure. What I do know is that simply opposing Azura is not enough, Azura is determined and is a divine being like ourselves, we would get nothing done if we spent all our time going back and forth doing and undoing. The only true solution is one that can satisfy the radical elements like Azura, while preventing or greatly reducing the harm of such a crisis of souls.”
Ohannakeloi paused again to finish off a dish before continuing, “At least such is as I see it, I have no claim to absolute truth, nor am I an expert in souls, death or our fellow Divines but it is what I have thought and considered. Have you seen much of Asceal? I had heard she is of similar mind to Azura but I have never spoken with her.”
“Hm… You have given me something to consider, brother. I will meditate on this… As for Asceal, yes, I have met her on several occasions. She carried many of the same opinions and thoughts as Azura at the time we last saw one another, though that was nearly fifty years ago now…” He scratched his chin. “Asceal is a cherished sister to me and I owe her much after she aided my servant and I in the defense of this very ship against an onslaught by Sartravian dragons. While we again have certain unfortunate splits in motivations and goals, I cannot say anything less than that she is determined to make a world of safety and joy for mortality. Truly, she is also a champion of prosperity.” The snake nodded approvingly as he sipped some wine.
“I shall have to converse with her sometime, I believe she has an island off the western coast of Atokhekwoi although I haven’t visited it. I must say, an onslaught by Sartravian dragons? I had not been informed of such a thing, I would be most pleased if you were to tell me more about how this came to pass.”
“Oh, that whole ordeal is ages old by now. Really, I am awful at telling my beloved brothers and sisters about the chaos that passes for ‘just another day’ here on the Foot - terribly sorry. Now, where to begin with that whole mess…” The snake took another sip of wine and let out a gruff groan. “Our brother Sartravius, for all his necessary work down below - with all the heating of the crust and such - I am certain you have quite an extensive knowledge of his portfolio… Anyway, for all his goods, the god is…” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “... What is a good word… Spiteful? Yes, I think I will go with spiteful. I confess, my brother, I have only hate for him at this point, and this god escapes my restriction on ruining others’ face. He has intentionally been burning my jungle at regular intervals for the longest time now, and his dragon assault was no mere hunt of hungry beasts - it was a coordinated attack with the intention of sabotaging my vessel and exterminating my people.” He blasted some hot air out his nose. “Again, I pardon my excessive episodes of rage… This Sartr and his minions are quite sensitive subjects to me. Poor Chuanwang still has not recovered completely, even after all these years.”
“There is nothing to pardon, you are most composed under the circumstances, the apology should be mine for not having considered the sensitivity of such a subject before bringing it up. I thank you for telling me despite the trouble you no doubt have in remembering his assaults against you. Let us speak of other things, your home sphere, what is it like? I cannot imagine it is any less impressive than all of your other creations.”
“Oh, you are much too generous with your words, dearest brother - they are not that impressive.” He chuckled softly. “Now, as for my home, I have not been there in a while now. Fengshui Fuyou is actually rather more empty than it ought to be, though it is still quite fine, if I may say so myself. Endless, mysterious fog surrounding a beautiful land of constantly shifting rivers, all sprouting outwards in ever-changing webs from the central spring, Shiquan. Oh, I simply must bring you along one day.” He ate another small piece of fish. “May I ask how yours turned out? There was one point many years ago when I felt the earth grow a little steadier - that would not have happened to be you, would it?” The snake winked playfully.
“You are as humble as you are wise, Shengshi.” Ohannakeloi replied with happiness clear in his voice, “Indeed it was I. I had seen that the general support of Galbar was insufficient for the great works being done upon it, so I improved upon it. As well repaired what damage was being done by the rather consumptive leakage from Anzillu, I’ll have to ask him one day about that.”
He picked suspiciously at some marine meat, “Ehomakwoi is quite nice, although I have to admit is perhaps somewhat barren. Tunnels reach throughout the earth with the most wonderful stones and gems abundant in every corner of the complex, in the lower levels light is not scarce like above but almost antithesis to the darkness there. I wonder somewhat if there is something more going on there but I have not investigated it strongly. It is truly beautiful but there is much more to be done there in the future, I have no concrete plans but I will see as I may.”
“Mind you, my dear Ohannakeloi, the river is quite thankful to the earth that holds it - without the good stone and earth you provide, my rivers would be siltless, lacking in that wealth of nutrients that comes from loess and clay. Indeed, Kangjiang in the east of your magnificent land is a haven for all surrounding plants thanks to the wonders in the mountain stone. As such, I would be more than happy to give back, not only for that, but also for your beautiful gift. If you ever want an extra hand in any structure or project of yours, my good friend, I will be there posthaste - I swear it here and now, before yours and every Servant’s face. Oh, and if there are no concrete plans, well, I would love to offer suggestions, if I may - both for your own sphere and the Middle World.”
“I appreciate your offer of future assistance, it is most deeply felt. You must know how happy it makes me to hear the generous praise you have given. As well, I would love to hear your suggestions, particularly for the Middle World, none should refuse the wise and generous counsel of Shengshi.”
“O-ho, stop it, you,” the snake said with a giggle and grinned. “Very well, suggestions… Well, one that I have in particular for your own land would be some oases in that dry central region. I have flown over it once and it seemed rather hostile to living beings - a rainless region without sufficient moisture in the soil to sustain much greater growths than the occasional shrubbery. An oasis network, perhaps? Oh, but how would water be refilled, hmm? A river would dry up before long, most likely, but what if it was covered? An oasis network fueled by underground rivers, perhaps? With great biomes in the dark as well as on the surface,” the snake suggested.
“A grand idea Shengshi! Such a proposal could support multitudes of kinds of life, above and below. An excellent way to vitalize that region, and good planning. I had not thought to do so but I realize that it is true that region does not have as great a capacity as it probably should if we want to make the best use of it. I’ll have to work out the details of such an operation at sometime, if nothing else comes perhaps this would be a good endeavor to call in your assistance, you are the supreme expert on rivers after all.”
Ohannakeloi paused to sip wine, “I do have to ask, do you have any plans for future projects?”
The snake chuckled. “Oh, numerous projects, indeed! First one all, perhaps a little surprisingly, I have left my jungle in a rather sorry state - its biodiversity is quite finite, you see, and I have been too occupied with other projects and obstacles to see it truly blossom into the pinnacle of life that I one day wish to make it. Then I must found a more permanent solution to holding off Sartravius’ pests. Finally, there are always the final goals: Prosperity and harmony. Anything I can achieve to bring this world closer to those goals is a project of its own. To start off, I had planned a visit to my son, Anu - his civilisation is only just starting to form, and I think I can perhaps give it an additional little push.” He shrugged. “Otherwise, I do like to occasionally be spontaneous. Oh, and by the way, please do feel free to take any inspiration or specimens from the Foot back to your own home, as well as to make whatever you wish here. There are no restrictions on creativity in these lands.”
“Once again I must thank you for your generosity, I have not seen this continent very closely so I am not sure what I could add or take away but I will take a survey as soon as I am able. I do have to say that your final goals are quite a deal of work but worthwhile goals they are. Additionally, you have not told me hardly at all about this son, Anu, of yours, starting a civilization is he? Is he of a divine nature?”
The snake nodded. “Anu came to this world as a result of Narzhak’s and my wily experiments… Under influence. It is a bit of a shame to admit that is how he came to be, but rarely does one spawn children of such honour and convictions as we did that afternoon. Both Narzhak’s and my blood flow in his veins, making him quite a mighty and charismatic character. He has this… Presence, much like your very own aura - beasts, mortals, even some plants all bow before him as he passes by. He told me he has founded his very own empire, the Ondo empire, built on the backs of his very own species. It is quite something. By the way, you mentioned you had some daughters of your own. May I inquire further into who they are?”
“I have one which lays claim to the relationship, others consider me their god and creator but only one considers me their father, and I am inclined to agree. Azukuao is her name, she does not have divine blood but our bond is close regardless of such things. From head to tail she is about twice as long, maybe more, than your ship here, her scales are infused with metal from the deep earth and so she shines with reflected light from Heliopolis and the Lustrous Garden. She has good sense, I fear for her a little, she is not as strong as our fellows and I hope none take a disliking to her.”
"If she is similar in character to yourself, dear brother, I see no way that others could dislike her," said the snake and smiled.
“I hope so, I sincerely do hope that is the case.”
The snake patted his lips with a small napkin and let out a satisfied sigh. "Now, if I may ask, since it seems that you are out to explore this grand world, would you like to spend some time hear while you plan for your next destination? I will have the servants ready your personal room."
“With such excellent hospitality how could I say no? I would be delighted to spend some time here, it will give me plenty of opportunity to consider my destinations carefully.”
"Any in particular you are interested in?"
“I had considered the land to the far north of the world, practically on the other side of Galbar from here. Do you know much about it?”
The snake made a short-lived sneer. "You speak of Kalgrun, I take it?" There was a pause. "I have not been there in a long time… However…" Another pause. "It was quite beautiful the last time I went. I can recommend it, certainly. Flat plains, occasional hills and mountains. It is satisfactory."
“I have only ever seen it from afar, but I believe it may be satisfactory for my purposes. I wish to see some more of Galbar, and perhaps take some useful pieces and ideas back to Atokhekwoi to ensure its development and prosperity. I truly thank you for your offer and I must say Dragon’s Foot does have the most promise I feel for the more exotic and divine creatures. Kalgrun may have some useful diversity that could benefit some of the more southern regions of Atokhekwoi. As well it would be nice to see some of our fellow gods.”
“Well, you are welcome to stay for however long it may please you, my dearest brother. Whatever you may need shall be provided and whatever you may ask shall be answered - to the best of our ability.” He winked playfully at Ohannakeloi. “Oh, but I must sadly say that I may run a few errands over the next few days, so I am most broken to admit that I may not be around all the time. Most unmannered of me, I know - I pray it may be forgiven.”
Ohannakeloi waved a claw to dismiss such concerns, “You have done far well above the duties of hospitality on such rather short notice. I think I shall go see this room of mine now.”
The snake bowed his head deeply. “I thank you deeply for your words, my brother - the kindest and warmest there are. Your room is in the Delta Spire, I believe, towards the stern. Among the first rooms ever furnished in this ship, I hope you will enjoy the detail and the view. My servants will escort you and provide for you in every way you may wish.” The snake stood up, circled the table over and offered a hand. “Once more, I must thank you for this joyous, brotherly dinner - it has been a long, long time since I last spoke to someone of such impeccable and worthy character as yourself, Ohannakeloi.”
“You flatter me, but I am not above accepting such esteem, as you deserve such in kind.” Ohannakeloi took the offered hand.
The two said their goodbyes for the day and Ohannakeloi was escorted inside the palace by some very awed servants.
