Lord Zee
yoshua171Aquibeophates
She passed through the portal flippantly, entering the misty realm of the dead with all the famous circumspection of the incorrigibly curious. That is to say, none whatsoever. Her head swung this way and that as she surveyed the limitless towers that played final resting place to the uncountable throng of departed souls that Aquibeophate’s warden had claimed. A warden who, ultimately, she made little effort to summon.
It was a predictable outcome when the Patron Goddess of Explorers set off towards the nearest pillar without even trying to realize her goal in coming here. She strode across the stoney field, light bending at her whim so it seemed she’d donned a long dress made from the very world around her, and soon found herself standing directly before the portal she’d come from.
She grinned hugely at the development. Without much of a plan, beyond the vague notion of fun, she closed her eyes and started to step sideways. As she moved she felt the changes, even moving blind as she was. Every step a mile. Every mile a league. She moved faster, then slower. Even as she kept the length of her awkward sideways gait the same. It went on like that for a while, and by the time she finally opened her eyes, she was looking at nothing at all.
Staring into the mist was like trying to see through a rock. The ethereal fog had become so thick it may as well have been total darkness, for all the difference in the way it impacted her ability to see her surroundings. Luckily, the Goddess had senses other than sight. It was what those were telling her that made her almost giddy. Somehow, in the process of moving ‘sideways’ she’d found herself no longer standing on an infinite stone field, but the curve of what felt like a tiny moon. Or an enormous ball. It held her its surface just as the world below clung to its inhabitants.
”Oh, She remarked, “Now that’s a fun trick. I should use that.”
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sense of vibration, even as she could not see even a bare spec in front of her, she could feel on the ground beneath her. Getting closer a thousand quick taps, so soft that most mortals would never be able to tell of the approach. Suddenly the taps stopped just as they seemed to draw ever so near, one could not see any such thing even there was something close by. But then a voice came from the mists in front of her.
"Forgive this one for asking, but could you step quieter? You are disturbing the curvature."
The Goddess affected a puzzled look and scratched her head before answering ambivalently, “I could.”
"I would then request further that you step quieter in any further movement in the third deep mist."
“Will do. Well, if I remember. You know I can’t quite recall if I’m the forgetful sort or not. You might have to keep me company if you want me to quiet down. As a reminder, you know?”
There was a brief moment of silence before the reply came, "This one will accompany you."
The Goddess grinned and started walking backwards without bothering to turn around. Her feet felt out behind her and met the ground in cautious and delicate motions that didn’t so much as make a sound. Even as she moved faster doing it than anyone had a right to. She spoke up, her voice carrying just to her new traveling partner and no further, “So how many deep mists are there? I haven’t stopped by, before.”
"It changes as needed," this voice came from behind her as she felt the taps of her companion receding further away from her as best she could tell from the vibrations. "As of now there are five, a sixth one will form and then we will go back to three beyond then."
”You know that’s probably the better solution. Back home it’s all pines and creeks and then, poof, you’re stranded in the desert no matter where you are or where you’re going. I thought it’d be fun, but I’m thinking this feels more polished. It keeps you guessing. That make sense?” The Goddess mused aloud as she looked up at nothing and strode backwards like it was the natural way people walked.
"I know not, this is how it has been here in the realm of the Master. There are places which change all the quicker than the curvatures, they are far from here."
The mists subtly shifted, the pattern of their coiling and roiling swirls changed with each quickened step.
"We approach an archway. You will be able to see better there if you have such opportunities."
She didn't bother turning her head to look back. Nor did her pace falter as she asked, “Do you?”
"No."
With that she was out of the mists, or more precisely it had suddenly thinned to be mostly visible again. Stone curved around her, quite literally as suddenly gravity seemed absent. As any of her body moved the stone flowed differently to avoid her, the air shifted and her course changed. It was only a few brief moments before the stone flowed fully away and she drifted free. Looking forward was the slow formation of two distant arches of stone.
“Want to?” The Goddess asked as her head lolled back and her body followed. She kept floating back until her conversation partner and her were both liable to think the other was upside down.
"I am content as the Master made me, I am like my siblings among the servants of the Master."
Her partner became apparently visible standing on a curving arch. Of their legs, there were many, it was hard to tell as they were so spindly and of such great number that they almost seemed to form a solid mass beneath of the hard looking carapace of their body. Five tendrils floated out freely in the air, occasionally pulsing in a different direction.
Their body was turned to where she was when she last spoke, there were no apparent eyes upon them and it became rather clear that sight in regards to as most understood it was not among their abilities.
"Are such opportunities truly great? I like myself as I am, the other servants may see things I do not, but they cannot hear as well as I do, among other abilities."
“They can be,” She gave her new friend a little smile and answered honestly, “Sometimes things can be so beautiful you have to stop and stare. Sometimes so horrible you can’t help it. But the same could be said of any other sense. Me? I can’t imagine missing out on any of it. The offer stands.”
"Thank you, the offer is held in appreciation," They had turned to 'face' the Goddess as she floated along to where she had last spoken. "I will stick to what I have for now nonetheless, I am used to this."
They turned to another topic, "This is an archway, we can reach many places from here. You can even travel to the corporealists, although most I find altogether too fond of such means."
“It does feel like cheating,” She agreed, “Why go to the effort of making this place so much fun to explore, and then put a shortcut in it? A waste.”
"It is admittedly true that not all regions would be accessible without it. Less a shortcut, more an anchor allowing all to be traversed. I believe only some of the corporealists have not tried to explore all there is here, it shifts too often to truly know all I must admit."
The Goddess gave the arch in question a disapproving glance before concluding, “Well, room for improvement. Better to have a path from anywhere to everywhere. But if it’s the only way it’s the only way. Anywhere worth taking a look?”
"This one and You could always visit the corporealists, there are many interesting characters, even the New Servant is among them, or the Ones Without Purpose. There is the Locked Room, or the Void, or if You would wish to see the work of the Servants of the Master we could arrive at the New Compendium, it has been a place of great excitement as it is New Work To Be Done."
They lightly pushed themselves off the arch, only barely reaching off the ground where they began to float, gently twisting around as their legs folded on one another.
"There is much more to see, but these I think are the most interesting sites that you have not traveled to yet."
“I’m always interested in interesting people. Why don’t we go visit these Corporealists of yours?” She decided happily, “We might even find ourselves a third!”
"Such is the way of things. I know the way there."
With that they extended a few dozen legs to press against the Archway setting them spinning off to the right weightlessly.
Grinning and laughing aloud the Goddess set off to join her newly met pal, spinning off to the right in the weightless atmosphere of the Archway. It did soon grow apparent however as both twirled through the air that the room was spinning, not as a matter of perspective, but rather it seemed that the archway and the walls of stone had joined them, spinning up faster and faster the further they went along twirling off to the right of the Arch.
To her divine sense she could tell that more than just spinning the stone was beginning to meld and melt together almost, as though they were surrounded by a ball of stone around them, the mists grew ever so slightly thicker moment by moment.
And then they were on the ground, as though they had just landed perfectly. The mists were thicker and in the distance towers leaned over the horizon. Their friend spoke. "We have landed near the New Servant, look up."
And then they were gone from sight.
Upon seeing her companion vanish the Goddess gave an appreciative ‘Oo’ before turning her eyes skyward. As she looked skyward it seemed all the ground and towers of far on the horizon were pulled up with her view, as though keeping in sight. However after a brief moment it became apparent that it had only seemed as such, as she had looked up, she had traveled. The ground and far off towers only seemed to be moving when it was in fact that she was.
Further complicating this was that she wasn't physically looking skyward anymore, rather her head position as it had before she turned it. As well it appeared her friend was back again as well, their voice came from behind speaking to another.
"-uld-Exterminate-Life, my friend is merely exploring, and we would wish to speak and converse with the New Servant."
She did a quick spin on her heel so that she faced them and added, “And anyone else you think might be worth a conversation, really!”
Two things first stood out, a great form standing and that it was next to one of the great towering structures she had frequently seen on the horizon in this realm.
The great one stood, not straight but hunched over, his great head towered over them so many times over. His body was of muscular form, bipedal in all manners and degrees. Each arm came to hands with four digits ending in sharpened claws. His flesh was pale and greyed, a startling distinct among the great colors and forms of life that spread across all the lands. Veins bulge along the contours of his limbs, each colored in a sickly bluish hue as they distended from his body. All across his flesh flames flared out of whole in his body, any divinity could tell they were not of hot fire but pure energy of death, mortals would just see the abnormal green coloration if that. The holes concentrated most in his upper torso, near where the flesh gave way at the neck. Flames spewed upwards towards a skeletal skull, horns and fangs jutted out from the flesh-less surface.
The Goddess's friend spoke, "This one is Kaalaxinasbasonat, They-Who-Would-Exterminate-Life. They are a friend of the New Servant and one of the Servant Corporealists."
The giant Death Demon merely nodded to the Goddess, a voice came from inside the tower, there were Three doors to this one oddly enough, each marked with a sign. 'Guests' 'Dead' 'Re-Dead'.
"Kaala? How many Guests do we have now?"
Before the giant creature could reply to their unseen fellow, the Goddess cupped her hands around her mouth and, loudly, shouted back, “Just me, I think!”
A horned head poked out of the door marked 'Guests', "Hi there!"
"Would you like to come in or would you prefer outside? I baked some sweet bread if you would like any."
“I’ll come in!” With those words the 'Guest' door swung open as the figure retreated inside, swinging open a stall gate to get past a booth. There were three booths and a desk behind them. Beyond that was a staircase that seemed mostly ordinary, the Hostess disappeared up those stairs.
Calling back to the Goddess, "I'll be right back, just need to grab a plate or two!"
“Well come on, lets not keep her waiting!” The Goddess gestured to the door with her head and reached out to one of her companions' legs to tug them along after her. Gently, more or less.
The Goddess's friend promptly reached down with one of their tendrils and snapped off the held leg, which promptly regrew. They then proceeded towards the door leaving the Goddess holding their detached leg. She regarded it for only a moment before mouthing ‘ow’ and tossing it to the side. She followed with a shrug.
Soon enough their hostess bounded back, carrying four golden plates stacked on top of each other, the highest had several bread rolls as well. She spoke with a smile and much enthusiasm, "Sorry for not mentioning it earlier, I'm Zeraphsis by the way, but you can call me Zera!"
It was much easier to see the full form of the Hostess now. Appearing much like a mix of several mortal races, long horns jutted from her head that seemed human like, wings sprouted from her back, and her skin was extremely pale. Eyes were blue, not like that of a human but blue in their entirety, although they had started to shift in color as well. She wore a crown and a long dress, the crown itself was a bit of an odd thing, Twenty triangular spokes all leading into a central circlet that sat on her head.
Zeraphsis distributed the plates on the leftmost booth as they entered, two plates on their side, one on hers and the plate with the rolls in the middle. The Goddess grabbed a roll and spoke while she chewed, “G- Good to meet chu Zera! You can call me the Patron of Explorers, or just the Patron. Or anything you like, really.”
"May I call you Patty? Anyhow, it's really nice to meet you! You're actually my first visitor from beyond the realm as it were and well, that's very exciting!" She gave the goddess a full smile before continuing, "I've always wanted to go beyond the realm but well, haven't been able to as it stand. What is it like? What is Galbar like? Are the Divine realms as varied as Master Thaa says?"
As Zeraphsis talked and asked excitedly the Patron's friend had taken a roll and started carefully peeling the outer layer on their plate. The Goddess gave the meticulous activity a look, shrugged, and took another bite of her roll as she spoke, “If ya like! And Galbar is... Mmm. A lot of things, but interesting on the whole. I mostly pay attention to the people though. I haven’t gotten around to caring for the bigger picture, and y’know? I don’t think I will any time soon. The little stories are more interesting anyway.”
She finished off her pastry and snatched another with a wink before going on, “Can’t say much about the divine realms, though. I’ve been to a whole two now, and this is the most interesting one so far.”
"Oh that's fine anyway! Do you know many stories from Galbar that you've seen Patty?"
Zeraphsis took one of her rolls now too, the Patron's friend continued peeling his roll, Zeraphsis spoke to him as well. "Do you have a name too gentle servant?"
They continued peeling as they replied, "This one is the Caretaker-of-the-Curvature."
“The place with the really thick fog,” The Goddess said, nodding at her clarification. She went on, answering Zera’s question between bites with a food speckled grin, “And a few. I haven’t been around long enough to follow any of the really good ones from beginning to end, but the best part is always the middle when you get down to it.”
She paused as she finished off another roll, and added in a silly half hushed voice, “Actually, I’m here because I’m thinking of starting a few stories of my own. I came to speak to your Thaa, but might have gotten a little bit distracted. Not my fault this place is so fun to run around in. Anywho, I’m sure they’ll be around eventually, and I’m in no rush!”
Zeraphsis adjusted her wings as she spoke, leaning into a half whisper like the Patron, "Master Thaa is usually listening, I wouldn't be surprised if he was aware of all that you've done so far. I usually only have to ask for something and things will shift around as needed."
She leaned back, "I hope you get a good chance to start your stories then!"
Zeraphsis looked down picking up a roll, briefly pausing as if catching something in her sight. The mists in the room suddenly dissipated somewhat, and as she looked up her eyes were human-like, with a grey-green coloration.
As the Patron's friend was still peeling their roll, they spoke. "Zeraphsis has been to the third deep mist before, although her steps were too loud and my brother-servant They-Who-Watch-The-Curvature offered to take her to some less delicate places to explore."
Without commenting on her travelling partners thorough deconstruction of the pastry, the Patron gave a nod. “They do like it quiet there. Not the only place like that, though. At least in the mists nothing is waiting until you step on a stick to eat you.”
"May I ask, what did you want to speak to Master Thaa about?" Zeraphsis broke off a piece of a roll to eat it after asking, not too large so as to be chewing for long.
“Oh this and that,” The Patron prevaricated with a coy little smile, “I’ll be kicking off a competition soon, and I’m thinking everyone who gives it a go should get something for their effort, win or lose.”
"It sounds nice at least. May I also ask what where you're from is like?"
“You could,” The Goddess answered with a hint of well meaning sarcasm, “But it’s a bit of a work in progress. I’m afraid your Thaa and the rest got a bit of a head start, but only by about... Oh, two thousand years? I’ll be caught up in no time, really.”
"Oooh, you are a new Goddess? Master Thaa had told me of all those that he knew well enough when I asked but you being about is most interesting! Who have you met so far? I've wanted to meet Neiya and Celestine when Master Thaa told me about them but well, none have come to visit and I have my tasks for now. Master Thaa still says I'm not ready to leave."
[color=7070db]“You could just go anyway,”[color] The Patron cajoled with a smirk, “It’s what I’d do. This place is fun enough, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just one place. Hm. Well, as for the others I can’t say I know too much about them. Gibbou is good fun, but the rest I met didn’t bother with their names now that I think of it. Ah, it’s more fun that way.”
She paused and, for the briefest moment, her look turned bittersweet. She met Zera’s eyes and stressed her next words, “You could even go down to Galbar, you know. If you got one of us to send you. Any one of us could do it.”
Zera nodded but turned her gaze downward as she spoke, "I did try that once, when I was nervous and afraid first at my job. Then Master Thaa explained why I was not yet ready. I need the mists, death energies to well, exist and act, if I left before he could make me a 'generator' he called it I might not exist very long in this form, going 'catatonic', I wouldn't be able to do much he explained."
She looked up, giving an awkward little smile.
“Pah,” The Patron waved it off with a deepening frown, “Sounds like an excuse to me. Or a way for your Thaa to keep a hold on you. Boring either way.”
"It is true, she was not made like the rest of the Servants." They had advanced from peeling their roll to shaping the underlying bread exposed from the removed crust.
“Then she could have been made better,” The noticeably irritated Goddess complained, “What’s the point in being able to go down there if you can’t do it whenever you want? Some of us will never have the chance. You’d think letting the ones who can actually go, go, would be the least we could do.”
A voice came, echoing from the walls themselves, it was of a thousand whispers and the rustling of a million trees, forming into a singular sound, "She is young yet, experience can be gained before going out into the realms or the world of Galbar fully."
Without missing a beat the Patron answered the voice confidently, “And maybe going out is how that experience should be gained in the first place. What’s the point if you’re prepared for everything before you even start? Why even bother if nothing you do takes any real effort?”
"I do not have the power to do everything that is needed, some need wait for moral action."
“Then we’ll call it a difference of opinion,” The Goddess countered, “I don’t see the need to wait for what’s ‘necessary’, or dictate morality”
"Then a difference of opinion it shall be."
She took a deep breath, and exhaled what was all but a gust of wind blowing a swathe of errant hair out of her eyes. The Goddess tamed her annoyed expression and seemed to brighten up before speaking, “Anywho, as you’ve decided to drop by, I have to compliment your realm. Wandering around has been a pleasure.”
"I am glad you have found much enjoyment in it, few who have visited had more than a degree of annoyance given its difference to the standard state of what you'd find on Galbar."
The Patron's friend finally finished what they had been doing with the roll, flipping it over it became clear that they made a small bread model of themselves, the peeled crust like their own tentacles and the mass of bread made as if it were a mass of legs beneath them. Zera did a soft rapid clap upon its completion, the other servant raised their many tentacles at half of their reach before lowering, doing this several times apparently in place of bowing.
“Oh wow,” The patron remarked with a genuine grin, “It’s a little you! Cute.”
She regarded the little bread statue fondly for a moment before, somewhat reluctantly, shooting her friend a thumbs up and switching back to her conversation with Thaa. “Well, maybe it’s different for the ones who had a part in making things how they are, down there. I can’t say I’m too attached. Up and down, forward and back, as long as it’s taking me somewhere I can’t complain can I?”
Thaa only dry remarked, "You could in fact complain all you wished about it."
His divine counterpart suppressed her snort of amusement at the comment as he moved on, "I do not like how it is down there, but up here I have mostly free reign within my realm to make things less undesirable."
“You know,” The Patron drummed her fingers against the table and spoke thoughtfully, “On the note of things being undesirable, might I ask what your realm is like for the dead, more or less?”
"Paradise." Clearly to get him to elaborate more might take some prodding. In any case, Zeraphsis excused herself from the room briefly, going up the stairs at the back once more.
“So, different for everyone then?” The Petron remarked with a knowing smile.
"In some sense yes. I am running an experiment with a small number of souls giving them a personalized afterlife, the majority have been under a system of blissful rest for the time being."
“But only a small number, and for the others... Rest.” The Patron pursed her lips and repressed a shiver, “And that’s why I’m here. I exist, Thaa. A Patron of Explorers. Of people who can’t stand rest, and who aren’t willing to stop. I’m going to announce a competition, soon, and I have a feeling it will attract a lot more of them. That, and put them in danger. Of course, neither I or they would have it without the danger.”
She took a deep breath, unnecessary as that might be, before making the request, “I’d like you to offer the ones I exist for, the ones who die in my competition or in my name, the chance to come to my realm instead of yours. I have no doubt rest is paradise, for some. I only want the ones that find your peace a punishment.”
"I propose an alternative then, given your concern, I will enroll such explorers in a personal paradise for each, one that fits their particular proclivities. You would be more than welcome to visit them, and I would allow such a connection between our realms at such a point to facilitate that."
She bit her lip for a time, seeming to consider the offer. When she spoke, it was utterly without her usual levity. There was deep caution in The Patron’s voice, “I would accept that, but there’s something you didn’t say. Even if I might visit them, what about the reverse? They must have the freedom. A cage is a cage, even if it’s a perfect one.”
"I am loathe to give up control over the souls I wish to protect. However, I shall let them travel to your realm through an appropriate connection if they should so choose, and to return as they see fit as well."
"I do expect that you will remember this however, I do not agree fully with your ideas, and I shall be most disappointed with appropriate results should such trust be ill-founded."
Almost immediately the Patron’s easygoing smile returned to her face. She clapped and declared, “Then it’s a deal! They’ll be as protected with me as they are with you.”
"Welcome news. In the case of our new found cooperation, and your evident approval of hands on experience. Would you aid me in the final preparations for Zeraphsis and her travels as she wishes?"
“Gladly,” The Patron agreed enthusiastically. At least, until she took a moment to look around and faltered, “...Assuming she’s coming back. She didn’t just run away, right? Even if I...”
"She will be back soon enough, however there is an artifact of great import for her to ensure usage of all of her abilities and maintain a good status. For that I would need your help in making it lock to her, I can handle the rest. And I'm sure you'd be fine preparing herself the rest of the way as needed before sending her out to get experience and explore among such things."
A golden locket appeared on the booth, radiating mists out from it before subsiding.
“Whew,” The Goddess exhaled a sigh of relief before turning her attention to the locket. She eyed it for a moment before reaching out and giving it a single, sharp, tap with her index finger. With a little smile he announced, “And done. The next person who touches that won’t find themselves losing it.”
A soft vibration went through the whole structure, shortly after that Zeraphsis came down the stairs, she spoke. "What is needed of me?"
Only after asking did she spot the golden locket on the booth, she looked to the Patron.
Thaa's voice replied from the walls and floor instead, "It shall allow you leave and explore safely at your whim. Giving you both energy for your ownself as well as keeping your form intact despite any harm that may come of it."
Zera jumped with joy before he had even stopped speaking, profusely thanking Thaa, and the Patron, and Thaa, and instead of the Patron again she effectively leapt over the booth in an effort to tackle the Patron into a hug. It was not, necessarily, a success.
Nor a total failure. The Goddess had grabbed Zera by the shoulders as she ran to hug her, and perhaps that qualified as a half hearted embrace. Once it was clear that the winged woman wouldn’t charge her again the Patron let go and lectured, “The dress is light Zera. Just bendy light. No touching!”
Zeraphsis immediately flushed in embarrassment, mumbling "sorry Patty..."
She kept her distance and awkwardly shifted her arms around before resolutely putting them by her side. "It won't happen again."
The Patron eyed her cautiously for a moment before giving an easygoing shrug and speaking, “Ok. Well, I’ve got what I wanted. Things are about to start happening and since I wouldn’t want to be late for my own shindig, I’ll be heading out. Hey Zera, you want to follow me out or get a portal down to Galbar? Up to you.”
She immediately perked up, "I would like to follow you out!" Beaming she readjusted her wings, stretching briefly before folding them behind her, she reached over and picked up the locket, turning back to the Patron.
“In that case,” The Patron grinned, “If we’re heading back to where we started, I’d guess we go sideways.”
Without checking to see if she was being followed the Goddess immediately shuffled out of the booth and, inevitably, off the tower itself. As she plummeted into the mists below her voice could be heard shouting, “Oh and by the way I fixed your wiinnngggggssssss.”
The fading shout was all there was for Zera to follow, and follow she did, leaping off after the Goddess, into the Mists wings extended.