The trio fell into a rhythm. Xiaoli spent her day making a wardrobe for herself and Hermes, while the Dreamer kept working on her martial art, even going so far as to bug Xiaoli for paper she had pressed from the local trees so that she could attempt to draw the formations she was practicing. Poppler would buzz in and out at leisure, living his secret life from the prying eyes of the duo. The day came to a close as quickly as it started, and night flew by just as quick.
Hermes was the first to retire to the bedroom, but not before a dip in the brook, which she did with concerned privacy. She happily slipped into the new cloths Xiaoli had made specifically for sleep and disappeared into the room and under the sheets. Xiaoli spent a few more hours by herself, taking in the sensations of Tendlepog and occasionally being accompanied by Poppler. Finally, she too decided to sleep, slipping in next to Hermes. Hours passed, and the insects of Tendlepog buzzed their early morning songs, calling forth a humid day.
Xiaoli’s gentle snore turned into a sudden snort, causing Hermes’ eyes to snap open. She blinked and leaned up on her elbow to look at her partner with tired eyes. Xiaoli smacked her lips and turned to her side, still very much asleep. Hermes rubbed an eye and let herself fall back onto the bed with a whoosh of air puffing from her pillows. The Dreamer groaned for a while, whining to herself before rolling onto her side, face looking down from the bed.
“Better be dreaming,” She muttered as she reached down and snatched her book from her bag (which she had kept much closer to the bed this time). Falling back onto her pillows she shimmied her shoulders down until she was nearly engulfed in the blankets, using the spine of the book to keep the blanket off her face as she stared upwards at the empty pages.
Slowly Hermes eyes widened as she stared at the pages. She froze, her eyes scanning the blank book over and over, pages flipping every now and again. Her eyes began to dry as she stared, until all at once she had fallen completely still, stuck in a trance of some sort. Her eyes remained glued, and a frown stretched across her face.
With a low, drawn-out groan, Xiaoli stirred from her sleep and let out a “hmmph?” at the rocking movements in bed.
“What time is it?” she muttered partially into the pillow.
The book closed, “We never defined times,” Hermes said in a defeated voice, pulling what she remembered from a previous stint through the book, “but it is morning.”
Xiaoli rolled over to face Hermes and furrowed her brow. “Oh, dear, not having defined time is nothing to be upset about. It’ll happen eventually!” She gave a smile and moved her hand over to caress Hermes’ closest cheek.
Hermes leaned her head into the palm of Xiaoli’s hand but didn’t smile, “It’s not that.” Xiaoli’s smile faded and her expression grew grave. “What? What is it? Did something happen?”
“Look,” Hermes opened the book to a nondescript blank page and showed Xiaoli. The Dreamer seemed to shrink as she presented it.
Xiaoli raised an eyebrow and sighed. “Hermes, my love, the page is blank. Did it stop working, is that why you’re upset?”
Hermes flicked the book back to her and scanned the empty page and groaned, slapping the book shut and letting it slip back into her bag, “No.” She sat up, “I was reading about-- well, being a mother.”
“Ooooh… Yeah, children do tend to be a little messy in the beginning, but--” Xiaoli scanned her look again and her face paled. “Oh… You were reading about pregnancy, weren’t you?”
“Uh,” Hermes face strained, “There seems to be a detail that Kalmar had left out.” She sighed, “I need another Dreamer to make… Dreamers, but I’m the only Dreamer.”
Xiaoli’s face lost whatever colour was left and her eyes emptied of joy. “... Oh…” was all she could muster for a moment as her head slowly keeled forward. She clutched her left arm with her right, now staring into her lap. Then, after a long pause, she looked back up, newfound colour entering her eyes and spreading outwards around the face.
“That may not be a problem,” she said with a pensive look. She put a finger on her chin and, almost reluctantly so, said: “We… Could pray to one of the Exalted Creators to make you a…” She rolled the words around in her mouth as if they were poison. “... A reproductive partner…”
“I… uh,” Hermes’ pang of anxiety turned to embarrassment, “Well, a few things.” She protested, putting a hand on Xiaoli’s arm, “I- I saw what that would be like.” She shook her head, “I don’t want that… besides… the Dreamers are my creation, and I want to be able to create them with someone whom I choose.”
“Oh, thank the Crea-! I mean…” Xiaoli cleared her throat and cast her arms around Hermes’ neck and pulled her in for a tight hug. “That’s beautiful, my love, but I can’t… You know…” She cleared her throat yet again and patted Hermes’ stomach.
“I don’t have the… Necessary assets.”
“I know,” Hermes brow slanted, “-Wait.”
She cocked her head and scooted close, eliciting a slight recoil from Xiaoli, “Did you-” Hermes mulled over on her words, “Are you saying you want to help create the dreamers.” She shook her head, “Like, you know, really help -- as in -- be a parent?”
Xiaoli blinked and blushed. “W-w-well, I thought that was obvious! I want to be with you, Hermes, and I want to be there when your children are born, and see them grow to be as beautiful in both body and soul as their mother.” She leaned in and pecked her on the cheek.
Hermes smiled with a glowing contentment before suddenly shouting a little loud, “What about Arae!?”
Xiaoli blinked and recoiled slightly again. “What about Her Holiness Ara--” Her eyes widened along with her smile. “Hermes, you are a genius.”
“Yeah!” Hermes all but hopped out of bed, “We are going to do this!”
Xiaoli hopped after, skipping around next to Hermes like a firecracker. “We’re going to be mothers!” she exclaimed, her arms shooting up into the air.
After a few hops, she calmed down and pointed at Hermes. “Pack your things, Hermes! We are leaving immediately!”
Hermes swung her bag over her woolen shirt and quickly slipped on her sandals, “We shouldn’t be long, after all.”
Xiaoli let out a hum. “... Alternatively, we could try prayer. According to His Lordship, prayer should be the most convenient way for mortals to contact the gods. Maybe, just maybe…”
Xiaoli stormed out the house without hearing Hermes’ opinion on the matter. She began to grab rocks and sticks from the mansion’s building material pile and put them by the forest border at the southeastern edge of the clearing. Clapping her hands together, the stones began to fuse into a single large rock, which she pushed into an upright position. Then, she arranged the sticks in a roughly circular manner before pointing her finger at them. The sticks began to sprout smaller branches as if they were alive. The branches arranged themselves into the symbol of the Dragon Mother - at least as well as she remembered it from the carpet in Arae’s room aboard Jiangzhou. Once the symbol was complete, she stuck it to the stone, shuffled a few paces back and prostrated herself before the stone.
“Oh, most blessed and kind of all the gods, Your Holiness Arae - the Dragon Mother. Please take a minute to hear this humble one’s prayer…” Xiaoli paused to take a deep breath. “My love and I have travelled far and struggled much to achieve fertility for her, only to realise that our plan was flawed from the beginning. We are incapable of creating a family as we are - therefore, we beseech Your Holiest of beings with utmost humility to answer our prayers so that we may bring our children into this world.” She looked up at the shrine. “Thank you,” she said and bowed her head again.
“This raises a lot of questions,” Arae spoke to them telepathically.
Xiaoli nearly jumped to her feet, but quickly realised what was going on. “Y-your Holiness! Forgive this servant’s insolence in contacting You like this, but… Well, the matter is dire. Whatever questions Your Holiness may have, these servants will gladly answer.” Xiaoli blinked over at Hermes who had wandered out as if to see if she, too, was receiving the mental messages. Her wide eyes seemed to verify.
“The first I shall ask is perhaps the most important: How does Hermes intend to get pregnant? How do you wish for all of this to happen? You two already know there are no others of Hermes’ species, and you, Xiaoli, are, well, of the same gender.”
“Arae,” Hermes knelt down by the stone, “My mind is yours for you to peer into, that is where my desire is held.”
A peer into Hermes’ mind, and the truth was clear to Arae. “I see…” Arae said. “Your love for each other is strong. While this is rather unorthodox, I shall grant you your wish.” Xiaoli then began to feel a warm sensation wash over her. This lasted only for a few seconds before fading away. “Now then, do try not to have too much fun,” Arae said mischievously. Soon after she said this, her presence from their minds vanished, leaving the two of them in peace. Xiaoli blinked.
Hermes blinked back and looked at Xiaoli, “Is it done?”
Xiaoli let her hands pat her body a little and she looked at Hermes. She clutched her head. “Well, that was a strange sensation. I don’t even know if anything’s different about me - w-well, I mean, it should be, but...” She looked down at her hands.
Hermes copied Xiaoli's hum and took her hands, squeezing them gently. Xiaoli looked up and smiled weakly at Hermes. “... I guess we can find out?”
Xiaoli wakes Hermes up once again and once again she delves into the knowledge of Abanoc. There she learns a vital piece of the reproductive puzzle and decides she needs another dreamer, but when pressed about getting one, she declines.
Instead the duo pray to Arae for an alternative, which is then granted by the God of Families, like a G.
Also to note, they made the first altar to a god, and it isn’t even to K’nell or Shengshi, talk about ungrateful.
Prestige and might: Hermes jumped from 12 to 15 prestige Arae spent 2mp on making the Dreamer Race
Viyoh sat on a small jut of rock overlooking the sandy beach, his friend Hoshaf beside him. The cool sea air kept their noses turnt up and salty, and their eyes stared forever forwards in contemplation. It had been seemingly forever since Kirron had thrown them into their new lives, and many of their kin had separated and spread across the lands as isolated groups, but here the first and the third sat in silence.
Peeling his eyes away from the horizon long enough to stare at the glimmering clumps of quartz and granite at his feet, Viyoh finally spoke, “They say some of the other groups are putting forth leaders, now that the celebration has ended.”
“Oh?” Hoshaf looked to his friend, “What for?”
“I don’t know,” Viyoh answered, “But it looks like Thumfatem and his supporters is going to get his wish, we will have a chief.”
“Oh.” Hoshaf looked at the ground. There was a pause, and only the crashing waves filled the air. Hoshaf looked back to the horizon, “I bet Antorophu would liken to whoever is chief.”
Viyoh perked up at the name of the second, “Antorophu?”
“Yeah,” Hoshaf seemed to stare with a longing, “I was going to ask her, if she would like to be my… well.” The Selka looked around bashfully.
“I-” Viyoh made a face, “I don’t think you should.”
Hoshaf looked up, “Why?”
“She,” Viyoh began, careful with his words, “She has already taken a liken to me, and I with her.”
“What?” Hoshaf looked defeated, his eyes brimming with hurt, “When, why?”
“Don’t ask such questions,” Viyoh hissed back, “Friends don’t ask such questions.”
“Friends don’t steal the others likings!” Hoshaf rose to his feet in anger.
Viyoh stood up, rising taller than Hoshaf, “And the smart should know when they are not likened and just be happy for their friends.”
Hoshaf huffed hot air, his eyes narrowing, “You are no friend.”
Viyoh snorted loudly, “I have done nothing if not helped you since you found your God given feet!” “And you steal the ground from under me,” Hoshaf gnashed his teeth, “You do not care.”
“Oh!” Viyoh threw his hands in the air, “I do not care, I suppose you’re right, then! Forget my deeds and focus on the time I decide to look out for my own likens.”
He spun and pointed a finger at Hoshaf, “Maybe I shouldn’t stop there, then, if I’m so evil.”
Hoshaff grunted angrily and Viyoh continued, “Yes, you know, I will be chief now that I think of it.”
Hoshaff gritted his teeth but Viyoh kept spouting, “The biggest chief, I am the biggest after all. It makes sense, who else, you? Bah, I am the biggest, the first, and I have the love of-”
Crack!
A large ragged quartz stone smashed into Viyoh’s face. Blood burst from the impact and the larger Selka collapsed to the ground where he laid still. Hoshaf breathed heavily above the body, his face reddened with fury and the white stone stained crimson in his hand. He stood there for seconds and then minutes, until his face paled, “Viyoh?”
There was no response. Hoshaf dropped the rock and fell to his knees, “Viyoh?” He shook the body, getting nothing but a limp corpse in reaction, “Viyoh!” He cried, “Viyoh, please!”
“No, no, no,” He sobbed as he held the dead Selka’s smashed face in his lap, “Oh no, no please.”
“Viyoh!”
“Hoshaf!” A voice called from the thickets, “Hoshaf?”
Horshaf froze, his body trembling and his head light, “Thumfatem?”
A fat bellied Selka emerged from the thickets and into the rubble of the beach, stopping as his eyes soaked in the sight, “What has happened?”
Horhaf broke into a heavy sob, his tears mixing with the blood in the sand. Thumfatem cocked his head, and walked closer to the scene a hand over his own heart, “Hoshaf, what did you do?”
The smaller Selka continued to cry and Thumfatem squatted to examine the quartz stone covered in bits of skin, “Horshaf?”
“He’s dead!” Hoshaf finally called out, his voice turning into a whimper, “I killed him.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“But why did you do it.”
“I don’t know.” Hoshaf rolled over in the sand, curling up into a ball. Thumfatem sat down next to the smaller Selka and tucked a hand under his chin. The calm Selka seemed to not be phased by the gruesome sight before him, not even when a few black flies found a new home on Viyoh’s split snout.
“It was the will of God,” Thumfatem finally said, causing the sobbing to stop. Hoshaf looked up from his spot, eyes stained red,
“What?”
“It could be nothing else,” Thumfatem explained, “Viyoh opposed a leadership, and yet earlier today I heard others murmuring that he become chief. He was not strong enough to be a true leader, he was not what we needed, and so through you God had struck him down before the damage could be done.”
“It’s the only reason,” Thumfatem eased Hoshaf, “You shall be the chieftain, and I will be your advisor.”
“What?” Hoshaf now sat up in disbelief.
“Don’t think too hard,” Thumfatem explained, “Clearly God had sent me to you after he had used you for holy righteousness so that I could be your guide, your prophet. You will be the chief, and I will translate the workings of our God so you may lead in the likeness that God desires.”
Hoshaf tucked his knees close, “Are you sure?”
“I can feel my own blood flow with the blessings of our God as I speak,” Thumfatem answered, “That’s how sure I am.”
“Oh,” Hoshaf said, “So what should I do now?”
“You’re the leader,” Thumfatem urged.
“I guess I can go tell everyone what I did,” Hoshaf wiped his face against his arm.
“No!” Thumfatem stood up suddenly, “I will tell them, you wash your hands and follow behind me, but do not show yourself until you hear your name.”
Hoshaf wiped his nose with a sniffle and nodded, his chest still frozen with guilt. Dipping his fingers into the sea didn’t make him feel any better, especially with Thumfatem staring at him with an almost hungry smile.
Flies began to buzz around Viyoh by time the two had began their walk back to the others. The walk was long and narrow, but soon they came to a bunch of lean-to shelters made out of twigs and leaves at the beach inwards of a cove. Hoshaf waited in the thickets as Thumfatem made his way down. The other Selka barely paid the him any mind as he made his way to the center of the tiny village of lean-tos.
It was only when he suddenly stood atop a large stone and shouted did they turn to him in confusion, “God has spoken to me!”
The others murmured and quickly surrounded Thumfatem. The fat Selka smiled and lifted his hands to the air, “He has seen how we have separated and split, how others elected leaders and made goals. He saw how our tribe had stagnated and grown quiet and so he has decided to choose a servant of his to guide us in our new life!”
“Who?” The crowd all but shouted.
Thumfatem held up a hand, “He had told me that the chosen shall emerge from the beach of Grottu.”
“That is where Viyoh had gone!” Antorophu cried with glee, and the crowd turned into a roar.
Thumfatem wiggled his nose and grunted loudly, “Two had walked the path of Grottu and two shall meet our God, but only one shall emerge, for the other shall be struck down, having shown a fatal flaw for the divine plan.”
The crowd gasped, their gasp only growing as Harshaf emerged from the thickets, an uneasy look on his face. Antorophu suddenly burst into tears as the crowd grew silent. Thumfatem eyed Harshaf.
“I have heard the council of our God,” Harshaf suddenly said, “He took my hand and with it he struck down Viyoh.”
“Our leader has been declared!” Thumfatem roared, a good portion of the tribe roaring back with wonder, the other portion shaking with confusion and some with tears. Those who roared turned on those who cried and began to shove them and goad them.
“Don’t fight! Please!” Hoshaf said with a shake.
“God has declared our leader and his prophet!” Thumfatem roard over the crowd, his supporters arming themselves with branches as the opposers began to shove and strike back.
Soon the beach turned violent and blood began to splatter as faces were kicked in and ribs were crushed by branch and fist. Some unlucky child was trampled by grappling adults, and one Selka whimpered on the ground, a sharp branch stuck in its stomach. Hoshaf hid near the thickets while Thumfatem remained on his pedestal, arms wide as his supporters either killed or beaten the last of the opposers into submission.
”In blood we are reborn!”
Viyoh, the first Selka made by Kirron and Hoshaf, the third get into an argument over Antorophu, the second. In his rage Hoshaf accidentally kills Viyoh.
Hoshaf is struck with guilt and found by Thumfatem, the fifth. Thumfatem, who has been rallying support for the Grottu tribe to elect a chief, convinces Hoshaf that it is the will of Kirron that struck Viyoh down and he is to be chief so long as Thumfatem is his prophet-advisor. The meek Hoshaf agrees.
Thumfatem presents Harshaf to the tribe as the selected chosen of Kirron and a riot ensues. Thumfatem and his supports kill and beat the opposers and in the end Thumfatem’s new heirarchy comes to fruition, with Harshaf serving as chief and chosen of Kirron, and Thumfatem as advisor and prophet of Kirron.
Xiaoli sat outside against the wall of the small room. The fight had drained more of her powers than she would have expected. With what little she had had left upon the trio returning to the mansion site, she had with great effort shaped a single room in what would one day become Hermes’ (and hopefully her own) sleeping quarters - her love needed shelter to rest properly, after all. However, for all her efforts and expenses, the river-girl deflated to the grass like a punctured balloon. She lifted her gaze and it fell upon the odd little birds in the trees on the edge of the clearing. She smiled weakly and hummed softly along to their songs. No one could possibly fault her if she let herself rest for a minute or three, right?
She rolled her head to the side and peered into the small room. There laid Hermes, snoring quietly in that same cute way she always did. Xiaoli found her smile broadening. It was almost too tempting to go and lie down next to her. She could just… Quietly sneak up and get comfo- No! No, no, I should let her rest, Xiaoli thought to herself and turned back to the birds, which now seemed to have flown. She let out a quiet sigh and looked down at her dress.
“I sorely need a new attire,” she mumbled to herself with a pout. She scowled at her hands, black and crimson with soil and blood. “... And new skin.”
A gentle murmuring came from the room as Hermes rolled over followed by an upset crackle. She must’ve rolled over on her cloudling friend. There was another pop and a “Zzt” and then suddenly a grumpy yelp from Hermes. With a gentle groan, the Dreamer came stumbling out of the room, rubbing her messy head and yawning. Without much else, she walked over to Xiaoli and plopped down next to her, fingers straightening her hair idly.
“How long was I out for?” She said through a sleepy voice.
Xiaoli smiled at her and let out a thoughtful, drawn-out hum. “Half a day, I reckon. You were exhausted. Here.”
Xiaoli offered her a stone cup of something sweet-smelling and red. Hermes glanced over the cup with a thirsty look and greedily took the cup with a smile.
“Turns out ground sweetgrass mixed with water yields a rather nice refreshment. It’s probably also my new favorite thing. I think I have had four cups already.” She giggled innocently.
With a monstrous gulp, Hermes drank the sweetgrass juice. She gave a smug, pink stained smile at Xiaoli and nudged her with her elbow, “I told you.” She licked the sugar off the edges of her mouth and closed her eyes.
“Leg’s all better,” Hermes announced, flickering her eyes open, “I think my back has a bit of a scar though, and my head is still pounding.”
“You should rest some more,” Xiaoli cautioned. “Still, I’m surprised your leg healed so fast. His Holiness K’nell must be keeping a close eye on you.” She winked playfully. “Also, don’t worry about the scar. Scars can be…” She hesitated and cleared her throat. “Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Hermes gave Xiaoli a knowing look along with a wry smile. Her face changed as a thought crossed her mind, “Do you think God is going to be mad at us when he finds out we used Limbo?”
“Well… It was an accident, right? A good master shouldn’t punish its servants for mere accidents… Ideally, anyway.” She pulled Hermes’ sack, which was resting comfortably next to the room wall, over and reached inside, grabbing a jelly tart. She then offered one to Hermes.
“Have something to eat, too.”
“You’re probably right,” Hermes nodded, taking the tart from Xiaoli. She took a bite and chewed in thought. After a moment she swallowed, “Xiaoli?”
“Hmm?” Xiaoli replied through a thick wall of dough and jelly in her mouth. She bowed her head to excuse herself, swallowed and repeated herself: “Yes?”
“What do you think it is to be a mortal?” Hermes looked over with curious autumn eyes.
Xiaoli froze for a moment. “W-well…” she began, but seemed unable to continue the sentence for a short period of time. Finally, she nodded and started over. “Well, I think that to be mortal is to live and explore the world the gods created - to be given choice of who one would like to serve or what one would live for; then, to one day be only a memory to the ones who love you.” Her head sank. “I’m sorry, it’s not a good answer,” she confessed somberly.
“I like it,” Hermes reassured her, “It’s close to what K’nell told me. I have another question, too, though.”
Xiaoli, now seemingly sporting a slightly more melancholic look, turned to Hermes and smiled wryly. “Sure, go on.”
Hermes paused for a moment, her eyes softening in an almost apologetic manner as she asked, “Do you think mortals are lesser beings?”
Xiaoli blinked and turned to Hermes, though her eyes refused to meet with hers. “I-... I wouldn’t go as far as to call them… Lesser beings. That’s such a-...” She hesitated, Hermes brow slanting. “Maybe not as-... Oh, do I have to answer?” She pleaded.
“No,” Hermes said quickly, her arms crossing as she turned slightly away, “I guess you don’t.”
“Hermes, I-...” She reached out to grab her arm. “‘Mortals’ is such a broad category! There are who ranks and classes within! You, for example, are not like other mortals!” Her eyes betrayed her forced smile.
Hermes turned back to Xiaoli, her form flickering to its original alabaster, “But I am a mortal.” She pursed her lips, “You’re not, but I thought we were equal.”
“We are! The relationship between lovers is different!” She had perhaps said that a little louder than intended. She pouted quietly. “It’s not the same…”
Hermes’ eyes shimmered with tears briefly before she turned her head away so Xiaoli couldn’t see. Xiaoli felt a nasty clump in her throat and shuffled a little closer.
“I wish I didn’t feel this way, you know,” she started.
“No,” Hermes cut her off and turned to her, “It was an unfair question.” The Dreamer wiped her eyes and scooted against Xiaoli, “I just have all these thoughts swimming in my head, all these questions. I don’t mean to take it out on you-- I shouldn’t.”
Xiaoli leaned back against her, arms slowly wrapping around the colourless woman. “No, I understand. You don’t need to apologise, my love. These questions are, well… Likely questions all mortals would ask of the gods… I’m sorry, I cannot lie to you. I wholeheartedly think of you as my equal, Hermes, but-... We are of two separate worlds. The best we can do is just… Be who we are, I think.”
Hermes nodded and leaned into Xiaoli’s hug, “But there is one thing mortals can create just as strongly as the Gods themselves, and it’s probably why you see me as an equal.”
She looked up at Xiaoli, “Those feelings you feel for me, the ones I feel for you. The reasons the questions come into my head and the reason I ask. We are creators too, just of a different type. Even when we fade away, we leave these things behind forever, you said it yourself.”
Xiaoli smiled. “I sometimes find it hard to believe that you are the same person that showed up on our ship and pointed your club at His Lordship, asking ‘friend or foe’.” She giggled softly. “You’re right, Hermes. Mortals are, without a doubt, the most integral part to the existence of the divine. Even now, without anything to revere us or hate us, we are purposeless, weak. You, however…” She leaned over and pecked Hermes on the cheek. “You are greater than any god or goddess I know.”
“You're going to give me a bigger ego than Poppler,” Hermes smiled bashfully. “Also,” Her brow fell and smile grew, “In my defense, I had just met Narzhak and he scared me with promises of fights and enemies AND THEN Shengshi comes out of nowhere asking me all sorts of things I didn't understand with that little down the nose glare he does.”
“Yeah, he does do that a lot.” Xiaoli chuckled sheepishly. “He really likes you, you know… Your constant glee cheers him up in these uncertain times.” She ran her hand through her hair and gave her a playful wink. “Even if your manners are a bit... Improvised.”
“They got me you,” Hermes stated matter-of-factly, “Should count for something.”
Xiaoli giggled. “Oh, stop it, you.” She planted another wet kiss on her cheek and left her head on her shoulder. “I’m happy I was created.”
“I couldn't imagine a Galbar without you,” Hermes pressed her cheek against her head, “Nor do I want to.”
“Me, neither,” Xiaoli said with a happy sigh. After a prolonged pause, she squeezed Hermes’ hand.
“Hey, Hermes?”
“Mmm?” Hermes said with a content breath, her eyes closed.
“You said your leg’s all better, right?” Xiaoli gently caressed Hermes’ leg in question.
Hermes opened her eyes, “Mhm, why?”
“Could you… Teach me how to dance?”
“Of course,” Hermes said without lifting her cheek from Xiaoli’s head, “But if I could make a suggestion?”
“Of course,” Xiaoli echoed.
“Let’s get you some new sand,” Hermes nose scrunched.
Xiaoli’s face drained at first, but then she chuckled sheepishly. “I suppose I had to be the smelly one some day. Yeah, let’s go do that.”
Hermes lifted her cheek, little bits of sand sticking to her pale face, “Let’s.”
Hermes’ sandals sunk into the white sand below. The duo stood by a calm cliff face just ever so slightly inland, the ocean side bluffs of Tendlepog far too windy and dangerous for such a task as finding new skin for Xiaoli. Lucky for the two, the slashing winds of the coast brought the freshly ground stone with it, depositing the sandy particles at the foot of the cliff they now stood before.
As far as the eye could see, the white powder reigned supreme, with only the inland horizon betraying the red of the grass underneath. Hermes stared expectantly at Xiaoli, her eyes waiting for her reaction to Hermes’ choice of sand.
“It’s really white, just like your original,” Hermes explained, “But- but if you want tan, we can probably find some, I know a sandy river that has darker colors.” As if a catalogue, the woman’s own skinned shifted through different colors of sand.
Xiaoli grinned widely at the vast white shore. Immediately, she shot the dirty muck she was wearing through her right hand, did a neat little twirl and then threw herself into the finely ground sand with a cheerful laughter. She rolled around, letting the warm sand catch her exposed body parts. Then, once she had seemingly had her fun, her body sucked up the sand around her through her hands and feet, covering the rest of her. She let out a happy giggle.
“You have no idea how good this feels,” she teased with a wink. “It’s like taking a bath, but so much more fun!” She tossed a handful of sand into the air and laughed.
“Pbttf” Hermes spat out a few grains that floated by her face and smiled. She squatted, feet flat, and rubbed her hand against the warm sand. With a thud, she let herself fall to the side and rolled over to Xiaoli, stifling a laugh, “it's so warm.”
Xiaoli rolled closer to Hermes and let out a gleeful hum. “Not as warm as you are, my love.” She laced the fingers on her right hand with her left and rubbed her face against hers, the thick, sharp grains from before having been entirely replaced with soft, silky particles.
Hermes’ smile started in her eyes, leaning back to get a good view of Xiaoli's face. She brought her hands over Xiaoli's cheek, her fingertips feeling the new sand, “Do you want to dance?”
Xiaoli smiled shyly. “Sure. Sweep me off my feet, my angel,” she said and bit her lower lip a little.
Slowly standing up, Hermes lightly tugged Xiaoli to her feet. Xiaoli rose obediently and patted her ragged dress a little to get the worst of the sand off. Sparkles of sand clung to Hermes’ hair, but she didn’t seem to mind as she pulled Xiaoli close, wrapping one arm around he and lacing her fingers with her other hand.
Slowly she mimicked the same steps she had shown Xiaoli on Dragon’s Crown, except at a much slower rhythm. “Just step with me,” Hermes said gently, “It’s easier in the palace, the music really helps.”
Xiaoli carefully followed Hermes’ steps, though it was evident that she was unfamiliar with this form of dance, frequently stepping out of rhythm and briefly tripping over her own feet. She did not seem to mind, however; the presence of Hermes kept her grinning from ear to ear despite nearly falling several times. After a few tries, she grasped the basic steps and found herself able to follow Hermes’ lead. “I… I think we can go faster,” she said carefully while looking down at her feet as if to maintain control.
Smiling wide, Hermes slowly began to spin with Xiaoli, their steps slowly quickening, bobbing back and forth with a gentle flow. “I have to bring you to the palace,” Hermes idly said, her eyes watching Xiaoli’s movements as the made circling steps around the sand.
“I’d love to g-woah…” She misstepped, but quickly regained her composure, inciting a warm giggle from Hermes. “To go! When would we have the opportunity to?”
“Hmm,” Hermes hummed as she lead Xiaoli, “What do you usually see when you sleep?” She pulled her close and they spun around, “Do you dream?”
Xiaoli’s smile faded a bit and she looked at Hermes’ face before and after the pirouette. “I haven’t so far. I know His Lordship has dreamt before, but I haven’t slept enough, I think.” She hummed. “Is there a trick to it?”
“Didn’t you sleep after my blessing?” Hermes’ looked over Xiaoli with concern, the dance slowing.
“I-I mean… I did, but I cannot remember dreaming,” Xiaoli furrowed her brow. Then, as she was about to form her next sentence, her foot kicked against a rock and sent the avatar tumbling to the side, almost instinctively, Hermes turned the tumble into smooth dip, making Xiaoli’s face flush with pink.
“Oh,” Hermes held Xiaoli there for a moment before tipping her back up and stopping. She thought for a moment, “They usually just come to me on their own.”
Xiaoli blinked and looked away, squeezing Hermes’ hands. “You know what? I think I know what it’s like to dream, after all.”
“What do you mean?” Hermes squeezed back, her face betraying confusion.
“Every day with you is a dream, after all,” she said with a shy giggle and bit her lower lip again, leaning in to plant a soft peck on Hermes’ lips. Hermes blinked and patted her lips lightly with her fingers, dusting off the sand residue. Xiaoli let out a quiet “oh” and pulled the sand on her lips underneath the water surface below, giving her a simulated brown lip gloss. Hermes’ smile grew and the two fused lips once more, holding the stance for several seconds, and only adjusting to test each others’ preferences and limits. Tongue met petal; their hands caressed and grasped each others’ hair; breaths grew heavy, yet soft.
Finally, Xiaoli pulled away, placing a tired forehead against Hermes’ chest. Hermes’ face was red, and a smile was stuck on her face. Her arms wrapped around the river-girl and they stood in silence.
S: Oh fuck, what. I dunno what even happened. G: Most men don’t S: Fuck, dude.
G: Why the fuck am I eating mac and cheese with a fucking spoon. I feel like a degenerate. shit. S: I’ve been eating sunflower seeds for four hours. G: That’s commitment G: Shiiii this some cute ass shit. S: Shit yeah, fam
[Hr]
Started at 9, now we 12 That’s 1+1+1+9 yo
The scene opens with Xiaoli resting against one of the many future rooms of their mansion. She spent what power she had left after the battle in Limbo to create shelter for the wounded Hermes, but finds that she is rather drained as a result. Hermes eventually wakes up and the two share a meal. During the meal, Hermes drops the “what do you think it is to be mortal”-bomb and Xiaoli is taken aback at first, but then answers that to be mortal is to have a choice. Hermes is satisfied with the answer, but then asks if Xiaoli considers them equal. Xiaoli is unable to answer this satisfactorily, so Hermes is upset. After Xiaoli tries to defend herself, Hermes apologises for asking such a question and the two agree that their love for one another is what matters. They hug it out, and Xiaoli suggests Hermes teaches her how to dance, to which Hermes responds that Xiaoli needs a sand switch first. The two skip over to a nearby beach where Xiaoli switches her skin and the two play around for a bit. They then dance for a bit, sharing a lovable moment. At some point, however, they start discussing dreams, and Xiaoli admits she’s never dreamt. The conversation devolves a bit and Xiaoli loses her balance mid-dance, which Hermes uses to dip her. Xiaoli gets super flirty and the two share a passionate kiss.
Ashalla’s blue ocean faded quickly as the red stretches of Tendlepog came into view. The pair began to slow down as the coast disappeared. The sweet scent of the plains took over the salty brine that clung to the pair. Hermes’ eyes scanned the grasslands below, quickly zipping to a flat stone rock. As they landed, Xiaoli couldn’t help but feel a lingering divinity covering the flat heliopolis soaked rock.
In the distance cloudlings popped around the flowers of the trip vines, and distant herds of trees stampeded, the Tree-Eaters biting at their heels. Hermes put her hands on her hips and sucked in a long breath, “Home.”
Xiaoli dusted herself off and walked over to hug Hermes from behind. “Home,” she echoed softly. She took a moment to cast a glance at the rock they stood on, prodding it sheepishly with her right foot.
“Where did you bring us?”
“The plains,” Hermes announced, “Something doesn’t feel right about building a house right next to Limbo, but then again, maybe that would be a better place? I never did this before.”
Xiaoli hummed pensively. “The biggest threat to our house would likely be the stampeding trees, so we would want to stay out of their migratory routes, I think. Do you know of such a place?”
“Only the forests around Limbo, hills and the mountains,” Hermes bit her finger in thought, “Between the mountains and Limbo, I think we can find a spot. It’ll be close but not too close to either the moving mountains or the stone ring. How does that sound?”
Xiaoli nodded. “Yeah… Yeah, that can work! Oh! How close is it to a source of water? We need a place to drink from…” She sniffed and giggled. “... And for you to bathe again.”
“There are little brookes that cut through the forest and rivers that swivel around the changing mountains,” Hermes nodded, “They have fish, even--”
“Bathe?” Hermes suddenly stopped and sniffed her shirt, “Oh my.”
Xiaoli’s giggle turned to a chuckle. “It’s fine, dear. We’ll see to it when we find the spot. Maybe I’ll teach you to cook the fish, too, hmm?” She released Hermes from her embrace and put her hands on her hips.
“Well, shall we get going?”
“I don’t see why not,” Hermes smiled and wrapped Xiaoli back up in her arms before darting off. Their flight was quick, blasting over the grinding mountains and down into the forested valley that conquered the center of Tendlepog. Carefully zipping through the trees, Hermes finally stopped in a shady glade. A babbling brook maybe a meter thick and a third deep snaked the edge of the clearing, and beds of moss covered everything, even the sides of the gnarled trees. Lengths of thread like moss hung from the branches and the entire setting smelt of wet soil, giving the air sort of melancholic yet electric taste. Here and there, little rounded stones poked from the ground like headstones, smoothed and pocked with patches of cold mud.
“What do you think?” Hermes smiled wide.
Xiaoli admired the glade in awe, her eyes wide and crystalline. She walked over to the sandy-bottom brook and dipped her finger in it. She looked back at Hermes with a grin.
“The water is happy here… And possibly a little inebriated,” she mused. “Hermes, this is perfect! I’ll start measuring the dimensions of our house!” With that, Xiaoli got to her feet and zoomed left and right, using lines of water to draw up lines in the mossy grass. She also sampled the various rocks lying around.
Hermes watched with a curious amusement, eventually trailing behind Xiaoli and watching her process with big eyes. She eventually peaked over and up at Xiaoli, “What should I do?”
Xiaoli, whose arms were now full of pebbles in various sizes and shapes, let out a strained groan, followed by a pensive hum. “How about you, um…” She paused again. “... How about you chop down a tree for us, hmm? We will need wood!”
A wide smile broke across Hermes’ face as she hefted her club from her pack, “Of course!”
She pranced out of Xiaoli’s view, leaving the river-girl to her machinations. Suddenly there was a loud whooshing sound and then an explosive crack followed by the creak of an angry tree. A soft --yet somehow devious-- laugh sounded accompanied by an impressed popping.
Xiaoli looked up from her pile of rocks with a raised brow. “Hermes?” she called out with concern in her voice.
“I got us a tree!” Hermes called back, adrenaline in her voice.
“Is-... Is that really what cutting down a tree sounds like here?” she asked loudly.
“It is when all you have is the God of War’s club,” Hermes teased, “Don’t worry though, only the base of the tree is messy.”
Xiaoli shuffled over with careful steps, taking a look at the brutally murdered arborous creature. “W-well… Uhm…” She cleared her throat. “Well done, dear. Now, we may need some sand… Could, uhm, could you be a dear and fly over to the nearest beach or desert and bring back a backpack full of sand, please?” “Of course,” Hermes nodded with a smile, clearly excited over the whole house building idea, “I won’t be too long.”
Poppler zipped into Hermes’ hair as the woman took off into a blur. Xiaoli let out a sigh.
“She’s like a rainbow when she soars off like that,” she mused dreamily. She then rubbed her hands together and began lining up some stones along the watery outlines in the grass.
Upon Hermes’ return, the outline had been reinforced with stones and sticks to denote material type for specific parts of the house. Next to the early foundations, Xiaoli had set up a wooden board upon which were painted an architectural plan for the finished product: a mansion in the style which she had described to Hermes on Dragon’s Crown. Xiaoli was dabbing the last additions onto the board with an inked brush.
“You’re so quick,” Hermes said in awe, placing a sand filled backpack on the ground, Abanoc’s book safely tucked under her arm, “Productive.”
Xiaoli finished up the plan and took a step back to observe it from a distance. “I am merely doing my job, dear.”
“I guess you could say you’re doing God’s work,” Hermes mused with a curled grin.
Xiaoli suddenly let out a snort and a giggle, covering her face with her sleeve. “Oh, by the Architect, Hermes,” she said under her laughter and punched her shoulder playfully. Hermes’ grin grew and playfully punched back.
“I got you something,” Hermes pulled some of the scarlet red sweet grass from her pocket, “It’s nothing like the pastries we packed, but I figured a little Tendlepog sweetness was in order.”
Xiaoli gasped and plucked a few straws from Hermes’ palm. “Oh, Hermes, you shouldn’t have!” She put the straws in her mouth and chewed happily until her pebble-teeth took on a pinkish hue. “Oh, I love these!” She snatched a few more. Hermes watched happily as Xiaoli devoured the entirety of the sweet grass. Poppler buzzed around the pair, disappointedly before whizzing off to go find a flower or two of his own.
Xiaoli let her eyes run up and down Hermes and she furrowed her brow with a wry smile. “You always get so messy when you fly.” She swallowed the grass in her mouth and began tugging and pulling at Hermes’ wrinkly shirt.
Hermes cocked her head as she watched Xiaoli fuss, “Xiaoli, are you upset with how I look?”
Xiaoli blinked. “Upset? No! No, no, no.” She paused, straightening out the last leftover weariness in the clothing from their recent exposure to blinding speed. “It’s just… You look better when your shirt is all nice and neat - like so!” She took a step back and smiled.
Hermes gave a weak smile, “I know, I just -- well lately I feel like I’m always messy to you and I don’t want to be.”
Xiaoli’s smile waned a little, too, and she reached out to grab Hermes’ hands. “Well, I could teach you to take better care of your clothing and style, if you’d like. It’s not hard!”
“That sounds like something I should know how to do without you telling me,” Hermes smile was gone, but her fingers laced with Xiaoli’s, “I’ll just try to be more mindful.”
“It-... It comes with habit, you know? If you just straighten out your clothing and your hair after you travel, you’ll have worked it into your fingers in no time!” Xiaoli did her best to sound optimistic.
Hermes gave Xiaoli a half-cheek smile, “I know, thank you.”
After some time, Xiaoli had managed to stack and line all the necessary materials for the central courtyard, with three rectangles of wood placed neatly in the damp grass around a central square of pebbles and gravel. She gave the schematics another lookover, measuring the placements of the materials with her thumb. She let out a pensive hum as she begun to draw up the inner wall with sand.
Hermes watched as she shook out the last of the grains of sand from the fabric of her bag. She sat squat on a rock and gave the bag a whipping shake before flinging it over her back, book secured inside. She had been quiet, not wanting to bother Xiaoli too much, but as the minutes went by of doing nothing, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
She squirmed slightly in place, feeling energetic yet useless. Finally she spoke up, “Um, Xiaoli?”
Xiaoli seemed preoccupied with the measuring, but let out an absent-minded “yes?” without turning around.
Hermes leaned to the side, watching Xiaoli’s eyes until it was clear she had memorized her counting, “Is there anything you need me to do?”
For a moment, she made no sound. Then, once she had made a little indentation in the wall-like sand pile, she turned around and brushed her uncharacteristically messy bangs out of her face and gave a wry smile. “Sorry, could you repeat that for me, please?” she asked as she clapped the excess sand off her slightly less sandy hands.
“Is there anything you need me to do?” Hermes sat up from her slouch.
She let out a pensive hum and rubbed her chin. “No, not that I can think of. How about you relax for a bit, hmm?” She flexed her right arm playfully. “I’ve got this.”
“Oh,” Hermes gave a small smile, “I guess I’ll go-- relax then.”
She stood up and stretched her arms up, her back popping from sitting. Letting them fall to her sides she gave the scene another look, “I’m gonna go find Poppler, he’s probably by Limbo soaking in a trip vine or two; be back in a few?”
“Unless-- you need me before then, then just give me a shout?” Hermes leaned forward expectantly.
“Oh yeah, don’t worry about it. This is divine work, after all. Take your time, dear.” She smiled and looked back to the schematic.
“Divine,” Hermes blinked, “Oh, of course.” Xiaoli did not seem to notice the shift in tone, being too busy with stacking pebbles.
The dreamer shoved her hands into her pockets and slowly slouched away, her feet kicking idle stones as she exited the glade. She mumbled to herself, most of her words not really words. The trees began to thicken and she lost her rock. Her eyes searched lazily until she found a particularly rotten branch to kick instead.
“What’s divine if there is nothing mundane to compare it to,” Hermes finally grumbled, “Then again what even is mundane in a divine world.”
She kicked the branch extra hard, the small twig exploding into rotten specks, “Useless.” She huffed and kicked another branch, “Stupid.”
Sucking in a heavy breath, she stopped, having found the clearing where Limbo sat, her eyes downcast. The words of K’nell soaked in her brain, his praise and philosophies battling her own frustration and anxiety; the argument eventually turned into an eloquent debate fighting against a stubborn denial.
A pulse of light caused her thoughts to freeze, and she looked up. Her eyes couldn’t quite describe it to her, but a gentle --yet throbbing-- light hovered over the black platform that comprised Limbo. Hermes’ brow furrowed in curiosity and she stepped past the trip vines with care, her eyes glued to the sight. She approached, her wet sandals leaving tiny marks on the smooth stone platform. Her eyes were thin lines as she squinted at the overwhelming light, the pulsing spectrum mere feet away now. Hesitantly she reached out, her eyes starting to close, and as her fingertips gently brushed the warm light everything changed.
Hermes’ eyes were shut closed, but a million lights pulsed through her eyelids. Her body felt like it was being thrown in every direction possible, and her ears screamed as countless languages yelled at her, and despite this she felt completely alone. She could hear every thought she ever had, see every memory, and ones she never even knew she had were relieved all in an instant.
“Stop,” She finally managed to command, and as if this strange existence she now found herself in understood, it all stopped. She opened her eyes, but she couldn’t see anything. She turned her head, but she couldn’t hear anything. Her voice was gone -- she was gone.
There was a loud ripping sound, and then all at once light returned. Being flung through an impossibly small speck of white light, Hermes suddenly found herself diving headfirst into a pile of yellow leaves.
She stared dizzily as she laid in a sea of leaves, tall elm trees towering above her, sprinkling their foliage atop her head. Birds chirped, insects buzzed, and squirrels foraged. A fall breeze blew between the trees that surrounded her. She went to sit up, but as she did, a great pain formed in her chest.
She retched, her stomach convulsing. She heaved, a loud gurgling coming from her throat, and then finally she threw up. A pearl the width of a thumb flew out of her mouth, covered in slimy bile. Hermes watched, her body weak and mind confused as it arched to the leafy forest floor. She clamored towards it, her legs feeling too much like noodles to use properly.
Before she even got halfway, a strange creature appeared. It was short and stout, maybe two feet in height. It wore crusty rages that covered a slightly human body, but it stood on cloven hooves, had only three fingers, and the face of a pig. Large cone like teeth grinned at her as it scooped up the pearl greedily.
“Hey!” Hermes yelled, her voice hoarse. The Piggut squealed and made a waddling retreat into the forest. Hermes slanted her brow and used all four of her limbs to scramble forward, eventually finding her legs again and standing up, but by then the creature was long gone. She didn’t know why, but she felt devastated, as if a piece of her was missing. She rubbed her forehead in worry, pacing back and forth as anxiety welled in her stomach. Where was she, what was that, what’s going on?
Suddenly the sound of creaking wood caught her attention. She turned to her left and began to wander towards it. The leaves crunched under her sandals and the trees began to disperse, and before long she was staring at a wagon, moving quietly along a dirt road, two men walking alongside it. She squinted at the blonde one, “Kalmar?”
The men stopped and one of them groaned at the other, a curly accent filling the air, “Have you been using fake names again?”
D’Bran opened and shut his mouth, “I-- uh.”
Hondros squinted, “Who is she?”
Hermes backed away a little.
“I don’t know,” D’Bran raised his hands defensively, despite towering over the shorter man, “I don’t remember.”
“Good heavens, man!” Hondros growled.
A dark haired man peaked from the wagon, the entire vehicle coming to a stop with a simply “hut!” from an unseen driver. Renevin slid from the wagon, “What’s going on?” He approached the other two.
“I need help,” Hermes butted in, her eyes wide and scared, her own heart in her throat.
The three men looked at each other with incredulous stares. Hondros tapped his black armor, “‘tis what we do.”
Renevin hummed in thought, his eyes studying Hermes, “What’s the problem?”
“D’Bran!” Hondros hissed, the Sandy cheeked man huffed, giving Hondros a knowing glare. Hermes shook her head.
“No, sorry. A pig person took my jewel,” Hermes explained slowly.
“A piggut stole your gem,” Renevin thought out loud, “I hate to say it, but you may need to count your luck. Once they are out of sight, they are most likely cozy and safe in the foothold they have a few stretches from here.”
“Harmony knows,” D’Bran nodded, “Sorry miss.” Hermes looked down at the news, her mind turning a mile a minute in thought.
“Well now,” Hondros tapped his chin, “Those cannibalistic thieves have been an issue for a while now.”
Renevin looked at Hondros like he had spouted some great wisdom, “We have three bodies, for once, and no other task.”
“Well the dragon,” D’Bran began.
“As optional as this,” Renevin explained, “We can do both.”
“I like it,” Hondros smiled wide.
“Me too,” Hermes was suddenly right next to the three men. The group turned to her.
“It might be safer if you stay back,” Renevin offered, “We can return to you once we get your object.”
“You don’t know what it looks like,” Hermes offered.
“We’ll bring all the objects,” D’Bran countered.
“I want to come,” Hermes explained, “I’m not useless.”
Renevin rubbed the side of his eye and looked at Hondros expectantly, the man pinching his mustache in thought, “Okay.”
Hermes’ face glew, “Great.”
Renevin looked at Hermes’ massive club and then at Hondros, giving an approving nod. Hondros turned to the wagon, “Hold by, we will be back.” A gruff voiced replied and the vehicle began a slow grind to the side of the road. The mustachioed soldier pointed to the forest, “Follow me, I’ll lead point.”
D’Bran shifted behind Hermes and Hondros, “I’ll cover the rear.”
Renevin shoved the sandy cheeked man forward with the flat of his gauntlet, “It’s secure; move on.”
Xiaoli stabbed the final wooden pole into the sand. There! The four corners of the outer wall were set! She took a moment to admire her work, only to find that it hadn’t really changed all that much since the beginning, except that the water lines had been replaced by wooden sticks and piled sand. She let out a quiet huff as she wiped her forehead of some moisture. She smacked her lips together a bit and frowned, so she went over to the brook to have a short break. Xiaoli poked her sandy finger into the water and let out a satisfied sigh as fresh, cool water travelled up her arm and into her form. She then realised she was feeling peckish, or more specifically, in the mood for something sweet.
“Hermes? Would you like a pastry?” she called out into the empty woods. The calling elicited no response, save for a couple of bird chirps, all of which were telling Xiaoli they were dieting, but would be satisfied with the crumbs. The river-girl pouted and bit into a red bean cake.
“Hermes?” she called again. Yet again, no one responded. A frog ribbited something about seeing her walk off in a direction that it spectacularly failed to point towards, losing its balance on the leaf it was resting on with even the slightest movement. Xiaoli sighed and sniffed the air. The familiar scent of her beloved drifted faintly in the deeper reaches of the woods, it would seem. Xiaoli shrugged and began following the trail.
The woods once again oozed that feeling of nostalgia, only this time, she was certain she had been here. She reasoned that Limbo was close. Looking down, she noticed skid marks and dents in the dirt, the wavy pattern of woven grass fibers being a common sight in many of them. Had Hermes been sleep walking? How long have I been working, Xiaoli thought in bewilderment.
A moment later, she came upon the familiar black platform of Limbo. A sudden flush overcame her body and the river-girl fell to her knees and kowtowed before the holy monument. She took in the scents of the grass and the soil - they oozed an almost nauseating divine scent. She felt herself doubt her right to be here, but this -was- were Hermes said she was going.
“H-Hermes?!” she whispered loudly, as if the platform before her was a sleeping beast she under no circumstances wished to wake up.
There was no response.
Xiaoli cursed under her breath and scuttle a little closer to the platform.
“Hermes!” she repeated in the same loud whisper, though a smidge of voice broke out on the first syllable. She grimaced and bowed to the black rock as an apologetic gesture of sorts - only to notice the bright light on top of it.
Xiaoli looked to her left.
Xiaoli looked to her right.
“Deeply sorry, Your Holiness…” she whispered under her breath before she slowly climbed on top of the platform, her dress making the affair rather clumsy-looking. In fact, as she got her left leg on top of the platform, there was a heart-wrenching rip. Xiaoli’s eyes became crystalline saucers with a singular black speck in the centre as she slowly inclined her head forwards to survey the damages. The tear was quite significant, reaching from her left foot all the way up to her knee.
“Noooooo…” she pouted. “That was my favorite!” She let out a somber huff as she rolled onto the platform and sat up. She took a minute to examine her dress again.
“Great, and of course I left my needle and thread on Jiangzhou - great job, o wise advisor, not planning for clothes maintenance!” she grumbled angrily to herself. “I suppose I could just--...” She shook her head. “No, no, I need my power to build our house. Everything must be saved.” She took a deep breath; then, she took another one.
“Hermes, where are you?!” she boomed in frustration. A flicker in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned to face the blinking, alluring orb floating an arm’s length away.
“How did I not…” she mumbled, rising to her feet. The light twinkled warmly and Xiaoli could not help but find it just a little… Entrancing. Guided by curiosity, her arm slowly reached out and dipped a sandy hand into the warm light.
Her vision blurred in the ensuing flash; then, the flash disappeared.
The chaos that followed shook the river-girl to the core. Never since her creation had so much information been blasted at her, striking at her senses like waves against a small rock. She had no bones, but she felt their groans, her simulated muscles’ cries. After what felt both like an eternity and an instant, Xiaoli finally managed to collect her distressed mind adequately enough to produce a pulse of power from her soul. The bright wave washed outwards from her spirit and body, taking with it the numbing nebula of noise and visions. Xiaoli’s feet finally felt solid ground and she collapsed to the ground, landing on her right hip and balancing her torso with her arms. She let out some distressed pants and looked around.
The scenery had morphed from a clearing in a mushroom forest to the deep corner of an elm forest, it would seem, its wildlife oddly familiar, yet frighteningly dissimilar. Xiaoli took a deep breath and got to her feet.
“Alright, so His Holiness K’nell has set up a gateway of sorts to-...” Her eyes widened. No, this was no place on Galbar… Yet it was. She looked around with quick movements. There, in the distance, she heard the familiar trickle of a small beck. She rushed over and put her hand into the water. Her hypothesis was confirmed - this water was not from Fengshui Fuyou. It was very real, yet it was evidently fabricated. It flowed through her fingers like a liquid mist, being incredibly close to reality, yet such a colossal step away from it.
Xiaoli rose back up. Hermes had to be in here. She would definitely have poked that funny orb, that curious little-...
Xiaoli felt her heart bump against her chest and she could not help but smile.
That curious little angel.
A scent tickled her nostrils. It was not Hermes’, no. It smelled similar to those funny, brown clumps of fur that snorted around in the mud in the Nanhe jungle. Boars, she believed they were called. She followed the smell until she came upon a pinkish humanoid with cloven feet, three fingers and a very frightened face centered around a porcine snout. Xiaoli quickly adjusted her messy bangs and put on her best smile.
“Hello there, mister! You wouldn’t happen to have seen a very colourful young lady pass by recently?”
The piggut let out a horrible, rotten smelling, belch followed by a curdled squeal. The small beastie dropped a half eaten rabbit to the forest floor and took off in a surprisingly nimble sprint, arms flailing.
Xiaoli retched at the stink and felt the pastries from before very nearly come back out, but she persevered. Her keeling forward had, however, directed her eyes to a strange pattern in the leaves at her feet - a puddle of a gross, yet oddly familiar goo. Reluctantly, Xiaoli knelt down and, facing away from the act, stuck her finger into the ooze with a whimpering “ew…”
A sensation pulsed through her on contact. In an instant, her nose caught wind of Hermes’ scent, somewhere in the direction that the boar man had headed. She discreetly wiped her finger with her sleeve, let out a sigh, and set off along the trail.
“Where are you from?” Renevin suddenly asked, breaking the silence as the group made their way through the woods. D’Bran looked as if he was suddenly relieved.
“I’ve never met someone so -- colorful,” D’Bran added.
Hermes, who had been wearing the same color as the leaves in her hair and eyes turned her head to the soldiers, “Oh, Tendlepog.”
“Tendlepog,” Hondros mouthed in confusion.
Renevin’s brow slanted, “Befurian?”
“Befurian?” Hermes echoed, ducking under a low branch. Renevin cocked his head to the side at that, before glancing at the others who shrugged. The group fell in silence once again, each one of them hopping over a small beck in turn.
Renevin tucked his scabbard close to him as he squeezed by a few tightly packed trees, only looking behind him to get another look at Hermes, “The north? Charlin?”
“Bit short for a Charlinite,” Hondros muttered, Renevin nodded in agreement.
“I’m from Tendlepog,” Hermes blinked, “That’s all there is to it.”
Renevin raised his brow, “I didn’t mean to offend.”
The group spreaded out as the trees became less dense. Hermes shook her head, “No, I’m not offended. This is all just-- stressful. I don’t really feel myself right now.”
“Robberies can do that to a person,” Renevin offered. Hermes shrugged, a hollow feeling was next to her heart, the sensation only growing with every beck they hopped.
“You know what I do when I’m upset?” D’Bran piped up, causing Hermes to look up at the man.
“What?”
“I think about all the funny adventures I’ve been on, and then try to slowly make them more and more ridiculous in my head,” He put his hands in front of his face as if holding one, “I twist it here, add a little color there,” He started moving his hands as if moulding clay, “and then bam! A comedy to rival the theatre’s” He laughed to himself, as if a grant joke had been told.
Hermes seemed to take the advice more to heart than the others. She stood up straight as she walked, her eyes glazing over as thoughts of Xiaoli popped in her head, along with dancing Shengshi’s and deep voiced Popplers. A tiny smirk appeared on her lips as she slowly twisted the images into crazier and crazier scenarios; Poppler was crowned king of the Cloudlings, only to declare Galbar in a serious state of emergency, needing endless festivals immediately. Kalmar had fallen in love with his own reflection, bringing it along with him to the dances. Suddenly Hondros held up a hand, knocking her from her reverie.
In front of them stood a rooted hill, the dangling roots covering the maw of a hand dug cave. All around them the forest was quiet except for the patter of falling leaves. Tiny rasps sounded as the soldiers’ swords exited their scabbards, all save for D’Bran’s. D’Bran simply hefted a mighty spadone from his back, the long sword looking like more of a chisel with a point in his hands.
Renevin slipped his shield onto his right arm, and Hondros slipped his to his left. The three looked expectantly at Hermes, who produced her mace and nodded. Hondros and Renevin disappeared into the rooted cave first, Hermes and D’Bran following just behind.
Much to Hermes’ surprise, the cave was a lot bigger than she expected. Soil caked the walls and roots held the ceiling in place, but after the initial dip to get in, it was high enough for even D’Bran to stand upright. Hermes opened her mouth, “W-”
“Shh,” Renevin quickly silenced her. Pointing a gloved finger forward, sword. Following his finger, Hermes could make out a mass of silently breathing figures in the deep of the cave, their pot bellies rising and falling, emitting a horrible rotting smell. All around them there were bones of different shapes and sizes, some even looked as if they belonged to unfortunate children. She scrunched her nose in disgust and looked expectantly at Renevin.
The man gave her a look, as if cautioning her to silence. The group crouched slightly as they advanced, hoping not to wake the slumbering masses -- when all of a sudden a screaming piggut came running in, smears of rabbit gore on its face.
The entire cave exploded into violent pig like screams. The small beasts swarmed the group, their evil eyes glittering like the jewels they were sleeping on. Jagged and crude weapons of pain held firm in their hands.
Renevin swung his blade, the edge cutting a piggut down mid flight with a horrible rip. He pivoted, catching a chipped axe on his shield with a resounding bang. Pushing forward, he knocked a tightly packed group of pigguts over. Hondros slipped next to Renevin, his blade striking forward and skewing a babbling Piggut through the throat, turning it into a bloody gurgle.
“Clear!” D’Bran roared, and the two other soldiers split apart methodically. With a mighty overhead swing, D’Bran brought his spadone down in violent arc. The blade cleaved through the skull of a piggut, splitting the beast in half with a explosion of gore. Following example, Hermes quickly did the same, through gritted teeth she swung, her mace caving in the head of a piggut with a wet crunch.
The force vibrated up to her arms, and as she was winding her next swing, a massive piggut bowled forward, splitting the piggut swarm apart like waves. The warlord held a large hunk of metal pounded into a cruel cleaver. With a shaking roar, he charged Hermes.
Hermes felt her sandals flutter and in an instant she had burst away from the warlord, falling backwards into a pile of dead pigguts. A hard thwack smacked the side of her head and her vision blurred. She jerked away, a knotted club just missing her face. Pain tinged her temple and she felt a trickle. Heart pounding with adrenaline, her vision quickly returned.
She rolled to her feet, but the club holding pigguts who were before her quickly scattered as Renevin appeared. The edge of his shield cracked across the back of one of their necks, his sword swinging at another. Hermes felt a cloud of blood spray across her face as D’Bran’s spadone swung broad, ripping through two pigguts at once.
Shaking her head and turning to a fast approach group of pigguts, she held her mace to bear, Hondros covering her flank; his blade dripped with scarlet. The group lunged.
D’Bran pushed to the right of the cave, Renevin slamming into the horde with his shield beside him. Hondros covered their rear, his blade shooting like a piston from behind his shield over and over, collecting gurgled squeals with each wet stab. Hermes turned on her heel, the space between the group growing as she focused her mace on a small group.
She heaved her shoulder, the mace slamming into a pigguts chest with a loud crack, sending the beastie flying through the cave. She slammed into another, the spikes of the mace ripping their chest open. She went to swing again, but then suddenly a warm sensation entered her left leg and then a shot of pain.
The pigguts had surrounded her, cutting her off from the others. She spun, a small jagged knife sticking out of her calf. She brought her mace down on the perpetrator with a loud smack, but then she felt a cut across her back, a shiver growing in her chest as blood streamed out. She spun again, and again.
Her eyes grew with worry as she became overwhelmed, her skin tingling as it paled. Renevin gave out a shout, but he was too far away, the mass of pigguts having moved between them She could see D’Brans sword trying to cut a path to her, but her heart was already in her ears.
A club slammed into her knee, causing her to kneel in pain. She brought her mace up in time to deflect a rusty meat cleaver. Her sandals fluttered, but there wasn’t any room in the cave for flight. Her eyes grew with worry, the warlord towering behind the pigguts that surrounded her.
There was a blood-curdling slice and the pigguts tripped forward, though something was missing - where their heads had been squirted sad fountains of nasty, red ichor. A glinting, flat and thin, straight blade balanced all those heads on its fuller before tilting upwards and allowing them to drop down onto the corpses of their owners. The blade pulled back towards the cave entrance, seemingly pulled by a tendril of water. Finally, it rested in the grip of a clear, transparent, liquid humanoid, and only then did the blade’s sand-like appearance become evident. Xiaoli was steaming, made more visible now from the lack of her sandy skin.
“Keep your disgusting fingers off of my woman,” she seethed. Hermes quickly scrambled through the opening with a slight limp, lifting herself to her feet besides Xiaoli.
The warlord broke through the now thinning group of pigguts, the tusked beast charging the avatar.
Xiaoli let her eyes fall upon the bleeding Hermes for a minute, her face paling in shock. The river-girl’s eyes themselves began to boil and her hair spiked in every direction as she scowled at the stampeding warlord. With a furious scream, she sucked the blade of sand into her wrist, then blast it out through her opposite hand in the form of many, razor-sharp glass arrows.
Renevin and the others could be seen, eyes wide as they dove to the ground, shields up. The crystalline arrows glittered for a fraction of a second, the barrage quickly turning into a explosion of gore. Blood misted and pigguts screamed horribly. Flesh tore from the group and holes peppered the body of the warlord, his frame only being held up by the continuous impact of the arrows.
The arrows stopped, leaving nothing but a cave of mush, three wide eyed soldiers, and a shocked Hermes. Her gaze was struck in awe at Xiaoli, who immediately knelt down by Hermes and began to inspect the damages.
“Hermes, my love, are you alright?!” she said through desperate whimpers. Had she had skin, her cheeks would be awash with tears. Her transparent hands fell on Hermes’ stab wound and she reached one hand to her dress and began to rip off thin and wide strips. She enclosed the stab wound with the knife still in it.
Hermes left eye was closed, the blood from her forehead irritating it, but she managed to look at Xiaoli with a twinkle in her right, “I'll be okay, just-- I'm glad you're here.”
Xiaoli sniffed and leaned in to give her a peck on her bloody cheek. “Yeah, I’m here. Now brace yourself. This will be painful.” She closed her free hand around the hilt of the knife, looking up at Hermes to acknowledge her readiness, though not really waiting long enough.
“Oka-” Hermes’ voice turned into a squeal of pain. Xiaoli ripped the knife out swiftly and closed her free hand around the wound. Then she pulled out a strand of her hair and put it into her water hand. The strand snaked its way to the wound and dug itself into Hermes’ skin in a zig-zagging manner, slowly closing the wound. Finally, Xiaoli wrapped a wide strip of her silk dress tightly around Hermes’ leg. A metal boot landed next to the pair.
“What in Harmony was that!?” D'Bran all but barked, Hondros and Renevin running up to capture their red faced friend. The angry man wiped flesh splatter from his forehead and flicked it on the ground, shards of sand sticking in one of his pauldrons.
Xiaoli ignored him and placed two careful hands on Hermes’ head, patting her skull gently, yet firmly, to survey the damage. She simultaneously used her liquid hands to wash the blood away from Hermes’ face.
“Hey! La-” Renevin shoved D'Bran back, Hondros now kneeling besides Xiaoli and Hermes, watching intently. Hermes gave him little mind, her eyes now both stuck on Xiaoli, happy if not tinged with pain and a mild concussion.
Xiaoli wrapped a longer strip around Hermes’ head to cover up the headwound and finally gently bent her forward to tend to the back wound. This one appeared to be superficial, but was still a wound, so Xiaoli washed it and wrapped it in a silk bandage. The river-girl took a moment to survey Hermes’ one final time before placing her hands on her shoulders.
“Hermes, I-...!” She took a deep breath. “You-! Why were you-?!” She straightened her mouth and looked down. “Okay, I want to start off by saying I am not-...”
Hermes cocked her head, and slowly snaked her arms around Xiaoli, pulling her close into a hug. The slightly delirious Dreamer stayed like that, arms tightening. Hondros looked up at Renevin who shrugged, hands still holding a now curious D'Bran back.
Xiaoli stopped her yappering and wrapped her arms around Hermes’ back. “I’m sorry… I just don’t want you to leave me - not like this. I don’t know what I-...” She squeezed tighter, her form soaking through her and Hermes’ clothes.
Hermes didn't seem to mind as she kept Xiaoli as close as possible, “You're not going to lose me.” She all but whispered, the adrenaline leaving her body. Xiaoli rubbed her wet face against Hermes’, her cheeks a texture similar to the tongue of a little dog.
“So,” Hondros suddenly spoke, his armor painted red, “What exactly -- or rather -- who exactly are you people and what was that?”
“Uh,” Hermes trailed, slowly letting go of Xiaoli, “I'm from Tendlepog, remember?”
“Yeah,” Hondros tucked his lower lip in and nodded, “Yeah except not only do I not know that place, you, or what your jewel was, but your nymph friend just wiped out a cavern of pigguts with as much as a thought.”
“Nymph, you think?” D'Bran furrowed his brow.
“Too pretty for an elemental,” Hondros called back, soliciting an evil glare from Hermes and a head shake from Renevin.
Xiaoli slowly stopped cuddling Hermes. She rose to her feet and dusted off what remained of her dress.
“Maybe,” Renevin walked over, kneeling to join the talking trio, “We find your gem,” he looked at Hermes, “Walk you out of the cave, and split ways.”
D'Bran opened his mouth but then shut it, “curiosity tempts the voiceless I suppose.”
“Wait, what gem?” Xiaoli asked, folding her arms over her bosom. “And also, I suppose you could call me a nymph, in some senses of the word - oh, pardon me a moment.”
Xiaoli strolled over to a corner of the cave and stuck her hands in a bloody pile of sand. The water almost effortlessly pulled the grains over itself until she once again had her familiar exterior, albeit quite a bit redder and dirtier. She grimaced and let out a long groan.
“Ugh, it’s like wearing dirt,” she grumbled as the soldiers looked on with bewilderment. “Hermes, can we find a beach or something on the way home, please? Even a saltwater beach will do at this point.” She licked her lips with her flower petal tongue and her face contorted. Finally, her eyes fell back on the soldiers.
“Oh, pardon all that, please.” She bowed. “An honour to make your acquaintances. I am Xiaoli, first advisor to His Lordship Shengshi. Who do I have the pleasure of addressing, may I ask?” She smiled, revealing all her pebble teeth of various sizes and colours.
Hondros tilted his head, eyes squinting, “We are of the Praxian Storm Guard,” He looked at Hermes, “Contracted to help recover a precious jewel from the pigguts.”
D’Bran mounted the name ‘Shengshi’ at Renevin, who gave him a bewildered head shake. Hermes limped up to Xiaoli, “I found them, can you believe it?” There was a slight excitement in her voice, “Dreamers, hidden away.”
“Dreamers?” Xiaoli voiced with a hint of skepticism as she eyes the soldiers up and down.
“You must have us confused,” Hondros shook his head, “I’m Taranesian, he’s Garthillian,” he pointed to Renevin, “And that guy is-- Void be damned, where are you from again?”
“Somewhere North,” D’Bran nodded, “But I grew up here, so.”
“Two Garthillians and a Taranese,” Hondros counted, “Don’t get me wrong, I love a good dream now and again, but I wouldn’t define myself as a Dreamer.” Hermes face seemed to shadow at this.
Xiaoli noticed Hermes’ face and frowned. “What is your species called, then? You look and act similar enough, so I reckon Taranesian and Garthillian are nationalities, though to my knowledge…” She interrupted herself and motioned for the soldiers to go ahead.
“Human,” Renevin kicked aside one of the piggut corpses in search of something, “We are human.”
“Human, Hinan, Smooth skin, dark eyes, small ear, round nose,” D’Bran listed what could have been slurs. Hondros sighed.
“I just want to say,” The man began, “I’m sorry if any of us seem impolite, but we -- at least I-- am not fond of surprises. If you could tell us now if we are getting involved in something either illegal or way over our heads, I’d appreciate that.”
Xiaoli shook her head. “Oh, that’s quite alright, sir. I’ve learned to be patient around mortals throughout my lifetime.” She winked playfully. “As for the risk your involvement poses, we have no requirements beyond recovering this… Gem, that you’ve mentioned. After that, you will likely never see us again - oh, and I mean that in its literal meaning - no murderous connotations and the likes…” She sighed. “Okay, what I’m trying to say is-...” She let out a ponderous hum. “You will be fine.”
“Mortal?” Renevin seemed to have been caught by the word, looking up at Xiaoli. He pondered something and then walked over, studying the woman with slanted brows, “You know who we are?”
Xiaoli frowned. “Alright, when I said I was patient, I did not mean that as an invitation to oogle, you know.” She pouted. Hermes who had been stuck in thought since the mention of humans suddenly looked up from her reverie, slightly moving between the two.
“I’m sorry,” Renevin said, his eyes flickering away and he returned to kicking over the corpses, “I just don’t often encounter people calling other people ‘mortals’.”
“He’s religious,” D’Bran rolled his eyes, “But don’t worry, I get it. Powerful wizard” He waved his hands, “Misewell be a higher being.”
“Ah,” Hondros suddenly exclaimed, fingers sticky with gore as he held up Hermes’ pearl from a pile of scrap metals stole from local farms, “Is thi-” He gagged slightly as old bile fermented into the air, “This it?”
“Yes!” Hermes went to run over but nearly tripped on her bad leg, opting to limp instead.
“Don’t strain yourself, dear! Just because I stitched it does not mean it won’t be painful to fall.” Xiaoli then turned to Renevin. “I’m sorry to hear that - the sight of a god is truly magnificent to behold… And terrifying.”
“So says the tales,” Renevin agreed as he watched with disgusted face as Hermes took the bile pearl from Hondros.
Hermes excitedly held the crusty gem to her face and then frowned, “I don’t know how it works.”
“Let me take a look,” Xiaoli said as she stepped over the stinking corpses. She reached out to take the pearl from Hermes; then, just as her fingers touched the orb, there was a blinding flash.
The chaos was familiar - colours of every spectrum assaulting her eyes to the rhythm of a billion symphonies - only this time, she felt a constant sensation in her hand. This comfortable warmth brought her a sense of concentration that let her focus on stabilising the absurdity of her surroundings. Like before, she dove into her spirit and released a pulse that stilled the chaos.
The light parted to reveal the familiar mushroom-ringed clearing. They stood upon the black platform, the orb Hermes and Xiaoli had been holding a mere minute ago nowhere to be found. Xiaoli blinked a few times and patted her face and torso with her free hand, just to see if everything was still in place.
Hermes had her eyes shut hard, her face clearly portraying the pulsing pain of her concussion. She all but leaned against Xiaoli, “I don’t think I can bring you to the beach.”
”ZZT”
A really angry Poppler zapped from the tree line and aggressively swirled around the pair, popping with concern and anger. It seemed to focus on Hermes for a while before gently poking her wounded areas with its fluffy body, the dress bandages collecting dew. Content with the rehydration, the cloudling landed on Xiaoli’s head, crackling with relief.
“Oh, Poppler, I’m glad you’re alright, at least,” Xiaoli said with a weak giggle. “As for you, my little adventurer,” she squeezed Hermes and scooped her carefully into her arms with the disproportionate strength of a God. “You can take me some other time.” She gave her a playful wink and a grin.
Hermes seemed too weak to protest, her eyes dazing in and out of consciousness. Eventually the woman shoved her face into Xiaoli and just simply stayed there.
Our trepid adventurer lovers (Really, Pioneers of love) had made their way to Tendlepog to make the love shack. Deciding the plains, while pretty, were too rowdy for their tastes and opted for a glade in the Limbo woods.
At the glade, Xiaoli nerded over a brook and Hermes felt useless. This frustration was taken out on a tree. Then after that, Hermes felt useless again and Xiaoli reminded her that she was a mortal and not divine, like her, so fuck off (except she didn’t mean it like that). Hermes grumbled and left, off to find Poppler at Limbo.
Limbo had other plans, and as Hermes approached she became curious about a glowing sensation atop the platform. Upon touching it she was transported to the dreamscape of Renevin and company.
There her “anchor” in the form of a pearl exited her stomach and was stolen by a piggut. In confusion and desperate need of help, she enlisted passer by soldiers to aid her in reclaiming her pearl from a cave of pigguts; The soldiers were none other than Renevin, D’Bran and Hondros.
By this time Xiaoli had grown curious to where she left, found limbo, found the glowy shit, and was also sent to the dreamscape. Being an Avatar, she had no issues with anchors or any other gateway bullshit, but was worried about Hermes. She found her bile.
Back with Herms and the dudes, they found the cave of the pigguts, got into a deadly scrap and killed some fuckers. Hermes got injured, being unused to mortal kombat, but Xiaoli showed up just in time to save the day and freak everyone out.
Confusion ensued between Xiaoli and the soldiers as they tried to grasp the situation, but before any real closure was made, they found the pearl, and upon touching it Xiaoli and Hermes were shot back to Galbar. On Galbar they sustained all the damages from the dreamscape. Poppler found them and was pissed, Xiaoli flexed on Hermes and picked her up. Let’s go home. Goodnight.
It was cold. All one could see was white. White for the overcast sky, and white for the sheet of snow that stretched beyond the horizon. There in the biting cold of the white lands, a single frozen lake rested for eternity. Covered in a sheet of meters of thick ice, its waters would most likely not manage to taste the warmth of the sun ever again.
A gentle snow fell upon the land. A shadow flew through the whiteness, its eyes melting the peaceful snow. Upon seeing the frozen Lake, it dipped its flight and landed. Soon, a small puddle had formed around the crow, and in that puddle’s reflection, a woman sat regally. On her knees, with her gloved hands placed in an ‘o’ shape just in front of where her bellybutton would be was she not wearing an ornate, white and golden gown. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be taking in deep, slow breaths.
The phantasmal crow cawed loudly and pecked the snow near the image. It paused and cawed again, cocking its head in bird-like wonder. It stiffened and suddenly flew away.
Time seemed to pass slowly in the land of snow and sorrow. The puddle was left to its own devices for what could have been an eternity, an eternity interrupted by the fresh crunch of snow. K’nell placed his feet firmly in the snow by the puddle and leaned forward. His eyes sparkled and he smiled wide, “Hello, my dear.”
The woman’s eyes fluttered open, and slowly focused on K’nell’s face. She showed the gentleman a smile, warm yet not too wild. It was like she’d recognized him.
In time, the woman had released her hands from their odd position, and pressed her palms against the reflection, looking at K’nell expectantly.
Kneeling down, K’nell hovered his hand over the water, careful not to break the reflection. His face twisted in sudden thought. The woman seemed to laugh silently, and uttered a word slowly and clearly. ’Gently’.
Very gently K’nell placed his hand on the water, on top of the woman’s. It felt like normal ice cold water.
“Hello, Mr. K’nell. I have to say, I didn’t expect to see you around these parts,” The woman said, her words clearly enunciated and dripping an intangible air of elegance and class. “There’s not that many things that sleep around here, you see.”
“Puddles aren’t my choice of a sitting room,” K’nell winked, “Would you care for a relocation?”
“I’m quite comfortable here,” She said and looked around her, “and it doesn’t seem to have followed me. Where do you propose we go?”
“Well my dear,” K’nell began, “I’m inclined to regroup you with your other residents in an attempt to make a whole. Call me selfish if you must, but I rather miss our dances already.”
The woman covered her mouth and looked away with a slight blush to her cheeks, but the spaces between her fingers showed a playful smirk. Quickly, she shook her head and nodded. “So be it, I’ll reunite with the others. I rather like slower dances. They’re much more intense, don’t you think, Mr. K’nell? They channel something that usually never… Really sees the light of day.”
“I would agree,” K’nell smiled wide, “Gentle rain gives time for flowers to bloom, after all. Shall we?” He looked down at his hand.
She nodded with a chuckle and looked down at her own hand. A ripple went through the puddle and she disappeared. A moment later, K’nell’s hand gave off a soft glow and a particularly large snowflake fell into his palm, and then the glow traveled to the snowflake and that in turn became a crystal-like shard.
K’nell gave a cheshire smile and rolled the shard around in his hand for a second. Content, he slid it into his pocket, the shard clinking gently against the dream orb. He patted his pocket carefully and with a twist of a boot, returned to his stroll, a thoughtful hum on his smiling lips.
Birbo finds a puddle with a Li’Kalla in it
K’nell finds the puddle the BORB found with the Li’Kalla in it
She is class and elegant. K’nell and her throw a few honey’d words and then in a flash, she turns into a shard, fit for him to return to Li’Kalla with. ⅖ dragon balls secured.
D’Bran slammed his wooden tankard onto the sticky table. His announcement caused a roar of laughter behind him, but Renevin (Who sat opposite of him with a tankard of his own) simply stared. Bringing a hand to his face, he pinched the bridge of his nose, “You’re not-- no.”
D’Bran sulked in his chair, contrasting the grinning, laughing and otherwise elated faces of the other tavern dwellers. The red cheeked man tapped his finger on the metal band of his cup, any sound being drowned out by the now overly intoxicated lute player in the corner and his very round vocalist. Finally the man let out a long sigh, “Nope, I am. I’m gonna cut his balls off.”
“Whose balls are we cutting off?” The bright haired Swedren slid in next to Renevin, two tankards in her hands. She slid one to D’Bran who barely acknowledge the new drink.
“Your step fathers,” D’Bran announced.
“What?” Swedren looked to Renevin.
“No one’s balls are getting cut off” Renevin hid his face in his hands.
“Why are we cutting off my father’s balls?” Swedren turned back to D’Bran.
“No one’s balls are-- the balls are safe!” Renevin unniciated loudly, inciting a snorting laugh from Swedren. The woman took a gulp from her cup, and turned back to Renevin while D’Bran sulked in his new one.
“What’s the problem?” Swedren sipped at her beer, gently swishing the liquid in her cheek before swallowing. D’Bran furrowed his brow.
“What was that? Why’d you do tha-”
Renevin swatted D’Bran’s slurred inquiry away with a waving hand, “Your father said no.”
Swedren pursed her lips, her eyes hardening. She turned her head away from the pair, a habit she was fond of when attempting to hide her anger. Renevin sighed and scooted a little further away to give her space, “He said I have no prospects, and you were better off-”
“Well, what does that fat pig know?” Swedren turned back to Renevin, her face a maddened red, “The man isn’t even my real father. We can go to a different town.”
“They’ll want the permissions too,” Renevin cooly answered, “I thought it all out. With Nopoitis’ reputation, we are out of options unless we want to travel to Hephakia.” “We shouldn’t have to,” Swedren growled.
“I know,” Renevin put his hand on the table, palm up. D’Bran stared drunkenly at it, while Swedren glared with fury. Finally she gently slapped her own hand on his, her face clearing ever so slightly.
“So what now then,” The woman huffed.
Renevin shook his head, “I haven’t gotten that far, but we will think of something.”
“We will,” Swedren was all but calm now, her wave of anger ending as quickly as it started, “It just really irks me that he has a say in it at all.”
“I never understood it myself,” Renevin blunk, raising his cup to his lips. D’Bran shrugged.
“Because you’re orphans,” D’Bran slurred.
“What?” Renevin looked over at the man.
“I don’t agree with the system, but I think I understand it a little more. Hearing about it since I was a boy.” D’Bran let a hand fall to the table, pointing at Swedren, “You were, what, fourteen before Nopoitis married your mother? Rule didn’t apply to you until four -- five years ago, why know it, why care?”
“Still a really stupid rule,” Swedren answered, “Mother was better off.”
Cocking his head, Renevin’s eyes blurred in memory, “I mean,” he looked back at Swedren, “You can’t say it didn’t do us any good.” D’Brans eyes widened as Swedren slanted her brow.
“My life for some bread isn’t exactly my idea of an amazing bargain,” She stared the man down, taking her hand off his.
“You know that’s not what I meant,” Renevin pleaded.
“Say what you mean.”
Renevin looked at D’Bran who gave him a pitiless face. Renevin made a face back and turned to Swedren, “I just mean, things weren’t looking to good before he came along. Remember the winter before?”
“It was hard,” Swedren stood her ground.
“I ate a bug,” Renevin pushed, “A lot of bugs! Until…” He trailed.
“Nopoitis invited my mother over for dinner and I stole away with his desserts for you,” Swedren finished his story, “I get it. I just don’t like it.”
“Well balls, I hate it,” Renevin raised his brows and gulped at his drink.
“I thought you said no balls-”
“D’Bran!”
The sandy haired man sulked once more, “Still unfair.”
“We know,” Swedren and Renevin said at the same time.
“Renevin, D’Bran,” Hondros suddenly slid in next to the drunk, his cheeks a bright reed and his breath in a huff, “Swedren,” he gave a nod to the lady. Renevin jutted his chin, as if gesturing him to continue. “You remember the dragon the king managed to round up for the drake stables last spring?”
The entire table nodded. Hondros continued, “He escaped, just as I said would happen. Guess what?”
“What?” Renevin sipped at his cup.
“Big reward, enough to stock the fort for a long time. Just need proof of it’s death or capture,” The Praxian rattled his sword, “Lyghtur gave us the go ahead.”
“But a dragon,” Renevin put his cup down, “Dragon’s are-- well have you ever seen a dragon?”
“No,” Hondros shook his head, “Have you?”
“No,” The table agreed.
“I can’t force you, it isn’t an official quest, but” Hondros peered around the table.
“Let’s do it,” D’Bran slammed his now empty (again) tankard down onto the table, “For glory and the Brother’s Harmony; let’s bag a dragon. Renevin?”
After a long while Renevin nodded, “A dragon it is.”
Swedren looked over her partner with a raised brow, “With jobs like these you’re gonna turn me into a priest with all the times I visit in prayer for your safety.”
“It’s an honorable profession,” D’Bran nodded, causing Renevin to nod in agreement.
“The moron has a point.”
Swedren punched her fist into the man’s shoulder, “Simpleton.”
Renevin and D'bran are getting hammered when Swedren comes by
The trio discuss the recent events of Nopoitis turning down the marriage
Hondros pops in with a quest to hunt down a dragon and they al agree to go
This embrace felt almost common nowadays, yet it still made her watery heart race just a little faster than usual. There was no heat quite like the one that pressed against Xiaoli’s coarse skin when she flew with Hermes - it was soft, gentle and kind, much like Hermes herself. Her grip around Hermes tightened a little more as they broke through the sound barrier once more, inciting a terrible boom that sent some local birds below into the air, screaming and singing their song of panic. Even as they flew faster than sound, the scents of the jungle below tickled at Xiaoli’s nostrils. She looked down and saw the endless swathes of green than poured outwards from the sea-like Nanhe like jam from a pastry. Then, in the distance, there was a speck of gold that rivaled Heliopolis in its radiance - or at least the background in its reflectivity.
“There!” she called and pointed to the speck that was rapidly growing.
The flight shifted ever so slightly, the great speeds at which they were going causing the turn to bend wide. Slowly Hermes managed to adjust their flight and in a moment, they approached at such a speed it was more like the world rushed towards them. Xiaoli felt Hermes’ grip tighten around her, one she had grown to know the meaning of and then all at once, there was a sudden stop.
Xiaoli raised an eyebrow, finding herself rather dumbfounded. Everything around the ship seemed rather normal: The river drifted lazily underneath and around the hull; the forests danced in the gentle breeze; the clouds snailed their way across the sky.
Everything aboard the ship was anything but normal: Where there was usually an empty deck now stood and knelt and laid close to ten thousand humanoids, all dressed in practical, yet beautiful clothing, all busily repairing what seemed to be a hole in the deck. There was a familiar sheen and shine about their forms and Xiaoli gasped, placing her hand to her mouth.
“A-are those the servants? And is that a hole in His Lordship’s ship?!” she whispered loudly and looked to Hermes. “Please! Take us a little closer!”
A bewildered Hermes quickly did as Xiaoli asked, zipping the trio to the deck itself, her sandals touching down. Poppler emerged from her braid, crackling with recognition. Hermes pursed her lips, almost forgetting to let go of Xiaoli, “They are dressed like you.”
Almost in unison, all the servants turned to the trio. There was a short pause. Then one of them said, “t-the First of the Court has returned…”
“THE FIRST OF THE COURT HAS RETURNED!” they all thundered in unison and cast themselves on the ground before the trio. Xiaoli recoiled, momentarily readjusting to the role of superior again. She had absolutely -not- expected Shengshi to make such a sophisticated staff for his ship - not yet, at least. Regardless, this might make their entrance a little smoother.
“G-good day, everyone,” she said loudly.
“These servants hail the First of the Court!” all of them shouted simultaneously into the deck planks, causing Hermes to flinch and cover an ear. Xiaoli recoiled again.
“Very good, very good,” Xiaoli said. “Please, send a message to His Lordship of my return and tell His Lordship that my companions and I will be arriving at his chambres momentarily.”
“We already sent a messenger when we saw Your Ladyship,” one of the closest servants said softly. “She will no doubt return post-haste with His Lordship’s answe-”
“My Lady! His Lordship summons Your Ladyship and companions to His chambres!” came a voice from the palace gates, where a girl dressed in simple white robes, no doubt one of the bathhouse servants, stood and waved her hand.
Xiaoli blinked and turned to Hermes with a gentle shrug. “Speak of the rain and it will pour.”
Hermes nodded, her voice light on a joke, “I’ll have to remember that one for Li’Kalla.” Xiaoli giggled and nodded back.
“You do that, my dear. Now…” she took a deep breath. “Let us go see Shengshi…” The servants parted like clouds before the sun as the trio walked towards the gates, all of them at a constant forty-five degree angle bow. Xiaoli took a moment to observe the forms she passed. They were all almost frighteningly similar to her - she suspected Shengshi had followed his formula from when she formed her and just removed the divine imprint.
“I prefer the original,” Hermes muttered after a long stare at one of the servants, commanding an agreeing pop from the cloudling.
“Shh! You’re going to hurt their feelings! They’ve been mindless blobs of water for an age, now. They deserve some proper sentience after so long,” Xiaoli whispered a little aggressively.
Hermes looked down, chastised, “Sorry.” Poppler crackled defiantly as he floated alongside them duo.
“Poppler!” Xiaoli snapped. “None of that language, okay?”
A grumpy ”Zzt!” sounded as Hermes plucked the cloudling from the air and cupped her hand by her braid, the cloudling soaking through.
Upon entering the castle, two male servants dressed in white, button-up silk shirts with long, open sleeves and baggy black pants came over to the trio with bowed shaven heads and a plate of fruits and appetisers each.
“Is Her Ladyship or Her Ladyship’s companions a little peckish, perhaps?” one of them asked in a soft voice. Xiaoli giggled a little and took a small pastry and a piece of pineapple.
“Thank you so much, sir,” she said with a smile. The servant dared look up at her, blushed and looked back down.
“Anything for Her beautiful Ladyship,” he said and offered the plate to Hermes.
Hermes seemed to hesitate, but ultimately plucked a piece of the pineapple from the plate, she gave a weak, slightly stressed smile, “Thank you.”
The servant tipped a little deeper. “Anything for Her Ladyship’s friends.” They both walked a distance backwards away from the trio before turning and continuing normally down the hallway. Xiaoli put the pastry in her mouth and giggled.
“See? This is what life could be like in your mansion! Whatever you may want, they serve it to you before you even say it.” She let out a satisfied sigh and skipped down the hallway. “It is paradise!”
Hermes licked the sticky fruit juices from her fingers, the yellow fruit already gone. Her face relaxed, and she gave a wide smile, quickening her pace to match Xiaoli’s, “I have to admit, that was the second to least stressful eating has been, so I’m all for it.”
Xiaoli chuckled enthusiastically and beckoned Hermes over. “Come on! The stairs are this way!” Then she kept skipping down the hallway like a giddy doe. Eventually Hermes seemed to relax even more, breaking into a matching skip.
Soon, the trio arrived at the stairwell. Xiaoli let out a sigh that turned into a groan. “Hermes, would you mind flying us up? I cannot handle these inconvenient steps right now, I feel.”
Wrapping her arms around Xiaoli, Hermes nodded, “Sure.” The group gently lifted off the ground, and then buzzed upwards. The flight up five floors was rather quick compared to other distances Hermes had flown. After merely ten seconds, they had already ascended to the top floor, greeted by the colossal mural in the ceiling of the masses worshiping the snake and the long hallway with the glorious gates of the snake’s chambres, flanked by the two menacing dragons of gold. Xiaoli gently let go of Hermes and strolled down the hallway, leaving Hermes in a state of curiosity and wonder for a moment or two. Xiaoli looked over her shoulder with a raised brow.
“Is something the matter, dear?” she asked curiously.
“-Oh!” Hermes flinched from her thoughts, quickly rejoining Xiaoli “I was just looking.”
Xiaoli giggled and turned back to the door, though after a few steps, she froze and turned, her face suddenly riddled with concern and fear.
“I just thought of something… What if he think you kidnapped me?” she said, nearly biting her nails in a fit of stress. No, no, no! That would be so like him! He would see me, then her, then promptly pop her into nonexistence for a crime she didn’t commit! What if I hide her? No, no, he can sense her presence. Her eyes widened. He can probably sense her already.
“Hermes, stay calm, okay?” Xiaoli said desperately. “Maybe he won’t recognise you because of your new colours!”
Hermes laid a hand on Xiaoli’s shoulder, “I think I’m too close for it to matter which way or that, but maybe if he sees you first?”
Xiaoli calmed down a little. That could work… Have her wait in the hallway and let me explain the whole situation. Yes, yes, that was a plan. She tossed her arms around Hermes and gave her a tight hug. “You’re so smart, Hermes!” she said happily.
Giving Xiaoli a tiny squeeze, Hermes smiled, her eyes warm, “I’ll be right here.”
Xiaoli let go of Hermes and moved over to the door. She looked back at Hermes for reassurance before pushing the gates open and stepping inside.
The room was uncharacteristically empty and light - there were no heaps of broken clay cups in the corners; no mess of ink and paper around the calligraphy desk; Shengshi’s basket was upright. Was she really in her master’s lair?
She walked over to the birdcage with the keas and the cockatoos. They were singing happily as always; one was munching on some seeds from a fancy porcelain bowl. Xiaoli giggled and reached a finger inside the cage to tickle one of the birds. They squeaked and squawked happily at the attention.
There was a roll of harp strings outside, followed by some gentle, hopping notes. Xiaoli swallowed. Her master knew she was near. She dusted off her dress waved goodbye to the little birds and walked outside on the veranda.
Facing the front of the ship, the snake sat plucking at the strings of his guzheng. The melody was joyous, yet sorrowful - conveying a sensation of separation and reunion, with many notes of different octaves that joined together in harmony.
Xiaoli stepped up behind the snake. She looked down, then away. She twiddled her thumbs sheepishly, and just as she was about to open her mouth, the snake spoke:
“How was your journey, my dear?”
Xiaoli froze. No, right, cordial start. The scolding is right around the corner. Steele yourself and be ready for anything. She got in a seiza-position, then into a kowtow.
“Milord, this servant’s acts have been truly unacceptable. Know that she is deeply ashamed of her transgressions and-”
The snake plucked particularly hard at a string, inciting a quieting note that interrupted Xiaoli mid-sentence.
“I did not ask you to apologise, dear,” he said gently. “I asked how your journey has been.”
Xiaoli sat back up. Is he… Not mad? No, that cannot be. He should be absolutely furious with me! Maybe if I humour him, he will get to it.
“It-... It was very enriching, my lord. I have learned and seen much, met so many, both gods and mortals. I have explored the world and improved my ability to advise you, my lord.”
The snake nodded, plucking at a few more strings.
“And what of your companion? Did she leave already?”
Xiaoli froze. Could he really not-..? No, of course, he could sense her! It was just the usual play - nothing to do but humour him.
“Hermes is waiting outside, my lord. She thought it appropriate to allow us a proper reunion before introducing herself again.” The snake hummed in agreement, a shadowy bird flying by.
“Indeed,” the snake said. “Have her come in and have tea with us. I have some, uhm, questions I would like to ask her.” The snake’s voice grew oily towards the end of the sentence, inciting a concerned smile from Xiaoli. He was definitely furious with her, she thought, but he would be considerably more furious if they refused to cooperate. Xiaoli got to her feet, bowed and walked backwards in a bow until she turned the corner.
Xiaoli swung the doors open and ran over to Hermes with many small steps. “Hermes! His Lordship wants to talk to us - together! What do we do?!”
Hermes, who was right where Xiaoli last saw her nearly jumped at the sudden explosion from the doors. Taking a second to recompose herself Hermes furrowed her brow in thought, her hair changing many different colors before landing on a almost purple mahogany, “I think it would be best if we did as he said,” Hermes voice betrayed her own concern, “Running would only make him think I was guilty.”
Xiaoli nodded slowly and took Hermes’ hands in her own. “Alright. Let’s… Let’s just be careful, okay?”
“Of course,” Hermes laced her fingers with Xiaoli’s, her eyes darting upwards as if in an attempt to see the back of her own head, “And you keep quiet!”
”Zzt!”
Xiaoli giggled, her concern vanishing ever so slightly. She then pulled Hermes along inside the chambres.
Out on the veranda, the snake still sat playing his guzheng. Xiaoli dragged Hermes excitedly by the hands and presented her to the snake who slowly turned around and inclined his head.
“Here she is, my lord: The beautiful young Hermes. As you can see, she has had a colour pallet change since you two last met.” Xiaoli placed her sleeve in front of her mouth and let out a quiet giggle. “Come on, Hermes, tell him a little about our adventures.” The snake nodded invitingly, though still faced away from them.
Stealing a confident glance at Xiaoli, Hermes sucked in a breath, “Well,” Hermes began, thoughts rushing to her tongue, “We visited the Lustrous Gardens and met Liana, then we went to Tendlepog.” Hermes held up a finger, “Where K’nell met Xiaoli, and even gave her a gift for her kindness.”
“After that,” Hermes continued, “We both,” there was a fidgeting in her braid, “We all,” she corrected, “met Ashalla, who blessed me with colour after an evening of dancing and tea. After that we went to go see the Goddess Arae, but instead met Abanoc, who gifted me with a special book as well as the information of your own whereabouts. We then decided to come back, knowing where you were.”
“I see,” the snake said curtly. The harp strings quieted down. “Hermes, dear, answer me this: Did you take Xiaoli away with the intent of kidnapping her?”
“My lord, she di-!” Xiaoli yelled, but the snake raised a hand.
“I am asking Hermes, Xiaoli. Do not interrupt.”
“I didn’t,” Hermes answered, “We both left on our own accord.”
“I see,” the snake repeated. “Another question, if you would not mind. Did you try to teach Xiaoli anything that would make her stray from the path of the Flow?”
Xiaoli looked like a boiling kettle, furious steam shooting out from underneath her hair. Hermes on the other hand narrowed her eyes, yet remained calm, at least outwardly, “I don’t know what that is, how can I answer such a question?”
“Understood,” the snake said. “One final question remains: Did you hurt Xiaoli in any way?”
“No! Shut u-!” Xiaoli started, but Shengshi snapped his fingers. A group of servants came out from the snake’s chambres onto the veranda and proceeded to surround Xiaoli before bowing to her.
“Your Ladyship, we ask on His Lordship’s behalf for you to please cease your interruptions. Thank you very much.” Xiaoli looked dumbfounded, inciting the servants to leave, their jobs successfully completed.
“No,” Hermes answered, her voice now betraying her own agitation, coupled by an accidental orange flair in her hair. The snake hummed one final time.
“Very well, then.”
The snake finally turned to face the two. The black rings around his eyes poured down over his cheeks along with several litres of tears; his nose overflowed with wet snot; his lip was curled in a grimace that could release a bawl at any second.
And bawl, he did.
“XIAOLIH, IMISSDYOOOO-HU-HUUUU!” the snake bawled, slithering over to a very confused and concerned Xiaoli, grabbing Hermes on the way and embracing both in a big, wet hug. Xiaoli wiggled like a caught fish, though she felt her eyes, too, were filling with fluids. Confused popping filled the air while Hermes struggled, completely in shock.
“I-... I’ve missed you too, my lord…” she said warmly and hugged the giant snake back.
Hermes continued to struggle for a moment longer, Poppler zipping from her braid in a confused huff. Finally the Dreamer managed to relax -- in a stiff sort of way -- and accepted her fate. Reaching out with her hand she managed to pat Shengshi’s back a couple times, a muffled “There, there” sounding from his armpit. The snake held them for a little while longer, squeezing a tad harder towards the end before letting them go with a loud sniff.
“R-right,” he huffed. “Forget you ever saw that, is that clear?” He snapped his fingers and a servant came over with a damp towel. “That was a momentary breach of etiquette, nothing more.” He cleared his throat sheepishly and wiped his face. Xiaoli giggled happily and flicked away some of her own tears. Hermes wiggled her nose, thankful for Shengshi’s liberal use of perfume.
“Yes, mylord,” Xiaoli said, beaming joyously. The snake wiped the last of his despair off his face and turned back to the trio.
“Well, I am glad your trip has been enriching in terms of both knowledge and experience. Now, however, comes a key part of your return.” He snapped his fingers again and ten servants came out onto the veranda carrying bathrobes, towels, soap bars and wine cups.
“A bath! Trust me, you need one.”
Shengshi’s words caused Hermes to do a not so discrete sniff of her shirt, reeling slightly. Xiaoli raised an eyebrow. “Even me, mylord?”
“Even you,” the snake said “You would be surprised how many impurities you have collected on your journey. You smell a little like, like… How to put this delicately…”
“An old lake, mylord?” Xiaoli said unenthusiastically.
“I was going to suggest a bog, but yes, a really, really old lake could produce a similar smell, I suppose.”
Xiaoli gaped and, like Hermes, sniffed her dress with a little less discretion than what was expected of her. Poppler floated away from the pair, crackling in what could have been agreement, Hermes’ face turned a shade of red.
The snake noticed the cloud and smirked. “There’s that clump of air with the unquenchable thirst. How has the journey been, little, uhm…” The snake plucked at his beard. “Poppy, was it?” Poppler crackled, then began a small series of pops as it floated around the god, before finally resting on a harp string with a ”Zzt!”
“Not very elegantly put, but a rather fun retelling of your adventures.” The snake leaned in a little, his face turning somewhat more menacing. “Though I would use slightly less crass adjectives when describing my beautiful Xiaoli next time, is that clear?”
There was a low crackle as Poppler zipped from the harp and to a nearby flower, as if suddenly disinterested. A shadowy bird flew overhead and Hermes shot the cloudling a look, “He means well, just a little simple.”
The snake hummed understandingly. “Well, I have dealt with a few of his type lately, so I will forgive him. Now, it is about time you girls got yourselves a bath. The servants will show you the way. When you are done, we will have our welcome feast!” The snake grinned from horn to horn and clapped his hands excitedly.
Xiaoli joined in the clapping. “Very good, mylord! Would… Would you mind if we got some extra servings of cold noodles? I have missed those so much!”
The snake nodded. “That should not be an issue, my dear. I will have the cooks make as much as we can eat and more.” Xiaoli grinned and beckoned Hermes to follow before skipping inside.
Hermes gave the cloudling (who was halfway delved into a flower) another look before smiling at Shengshi, “I’ll come back for him.” With little else, she quickly followed Xiaoli, only stopping just as she reached the doorway. Turning she pursed her lips and slowly made her way back to the god, “May I show you something?”
The god raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Please.” He beckoned her over. Hermes walked up to the god, until they were in arms reach. Slowly she reached forward and poked his cheek, her eyes ever serious, “Thank you.”
The snake first raised his other eyebrow in surprise, but then let out a soft chuckle. “You mortals are such odd creatures - especially you.” He gave her a wink.
“We learned it from the gods,” Hermes gave a playful wink of her own.
“I apologise for asking you all those questions, by the way. I know you did not kidnap Xiaoli. It was my own fault she felt the incentive to leave.” His voice turned somber. “I cannot describe how happy I am that she has returned, and I am glad you were the one to do it, too. You have a good heart, Hermes, and a pure soul. Thank you for taking care of my dearest Xiaoli.” The snake bowed deeply before Hermes.
Hermes dipped her head, “so do you, nothing less could have made Xiaoli.” The snake nearly recoiled. His lips quivered somewhat and he placed a palm over his heart. “R-run along now, you… You little rascal…” he said in a voice that sounded like a scream of joy and a wail of happiness.
With a final cheshire grin, Hermes quickly made her way inside.
The bathhouse was full of steam, almost to the point where it became difficult to see. There was one colossal iron pot on each side of the room filled with boiling water. Along the walls were cloudy mirrors and seats where there sat one or two servants who were washing one another while conversing. In the centre of the room was a large pool with steaming, green, fragrant water. Xiaoli was already splashing happily in the pool, or was she the bathwater? It was unclear where the border went. Some of the servants had hopped into the bath, as well, and they were all playing together enthusiastically.
Another thing that was particularly odd about Xiaoli was that something was missing - specifically, her sandy skin. As such, only the watery shape of Xiaoli with her long black hair sat in the bath, complemented with two bright grey orbs in her eye-sockets. She looked out towards the door and water at Hermes.
“Hermes, come in! The water is amazing!”
Her skin fluttering to the color of the steam, Hermes looked around with a sudden, uncharacteristic embarrassment. She slowly let her bag slink off her shoulders, the entire ordeal landing on the floor with a soft clunk of iron. Making her way, albeit very slowly, to the water, Hermes’ color shifted with the steam, keeping her on the verge of camouflage. Giving one strange look at Xiaoli, the Dreamer suddenly hopped into the water, sandals, clothes and all.
Xiaoli returned the strange look and then broke out into a loud cackle. “Hermes! You’re supposed to take off your clothes, silly! You bathe your body naked, then the servants will wash your clothes for you - like they are doing with mine.” The servants joined her with some giggling.
“Can’t I do it all at the same time?” Hermes pleaded her case, shrinking slightly at the giggling.
Xiaoli shook her head. “No, that’s not how it’s done. You bathe nake-...” She stopped mid-sentence and suddenly cracked a wry smile. “Are you embarrassed, dear?”
Fidgeting Hermes shrunk into the water, bubbles escaping from her shirt, “No, I just-- God-- K’nell gave me these clothes, I think I should wear them.”
“Well, His Lordship gave me my clothes, and I let the servants wash them. You certain you wouldn’t like to know what wearing freshly washed and pressed clothing feels like? I’m telling you, bathing with your clothes on will leave them wrinkly and wet for a while.” She poked playfully at the shirt.
Hermes hesitated, “When I was created,” she began ,”One of the few bits of knowledge that was embedded in my mind was that of keeping myself covered in front of other people.”
Her face flushed, “Yes, I’m embarrassed.”
Xiaoli’s face began to steam. “That’s adora-I mean, that’s understandable.” She looked away. “I-... I won’t pressure you anymore, then. You can k-keep your clothes on.” There was a pause. “Could I wash you hair, though?” The servants began to prepare soaps and ointments for hair and left them on the poolside.
Hermes nodded with a small relieved smile, turning her back to Xiaoli. Xiaoli hummed softly as she put some soap in her hands and began to rub it into her hair. Hermes closed her eyes and slowly slipped away at the soothing sensation.
Xiaoli found herself steaming again. How could she have been so rash and stupid! It was clear Hermes hadn’t been comfortable in there, and yet she insisted that-...! The river girl took a deep breath. She stood in front of a mirror in her private chambres, still in her watery form with a basket of steaming hot sand by her side. The servants had been kind to offer to wash her skin completely - she could not believe she had begun to sprout moss in some places. How terrible, she thought.
Xiaoli stuck her hand into the basket and absorbed the sand into her form. Quickly, it coursed through her and laid itself on the very top layer of her body. She dared glance back into the mirror for a second before shaking her head and heading for her wardrobes. She rummaged through her dresses and robes for a while before finding the perfect outfit for the evening: A blue dress with a beautiful, white silk coat, adorned with embroidered blooms. She quickly dressed up and stepped out of the room.
She stood on one of the balconies overlooking the banquet hall below, where the feast was being prepared by a countless number of servants: The tables were stacked to the brim with food; the pitchers were overflowing with drinks of all kind; the servants even had a small band playing gentle background tunes on harps, erhus and flutes. Oh, this would be so great! Now, where was Hermes? She strolled towards the private rooms towards the stern of the ship.
One of the doors creaked open, Hermes’ head popping out. Her long alabaster hair for once was straight, if only with a slight wave to it. Seeing Xiaoli she suddenly sprouted a warm smile and stepped out all the way. Her old clothes were long gone, the Dreamer having come to her senses after the bath and opted for a private change. In their place was a blue silk jacket that covered a white silk shirt on the inside; the shirt reached down to Hermes’ hips, from which sprouted a white, silky skirt. The sandals on her feet had given way (after much debate) to small, white shoes.
Xiaoli stood dumbstruck at the sight. She clapped her hands excitedly, grinning from ear to ear. “Oh, my dear Hermes, you are so beautiful in that outfit!” He even skipped up and down like an energetic rabbit.
Matching her glee, Hermes smiled wide, “I like it.” She paused, “you were right, it feels so much better.”
Xiaoli nodded enthusiastically. “See? I told you! It is always nice to get out of your clothes after a long time. The servants will wash your shirt and sandals so they are ready for when-...” She hesitated. “Well, nevermind that for now. Let us go eat!”
Hermes smiled with approval, her fingers threading through her freshly cleaned hair with continuous wonder. With a bounce in her step, Hermes walked beside Xiaoli, both of their noses content with the fresh scents that lingered from their bath. In little time, they made their way downstairs to the banquet hall.
The banquet hall froze when Hermes and Xiaoli entered. All the servants figuratively dropped what they were doing and lined up in equal lines along the staircase down, all of them bowing inwards towards the new arrivals. Hermes quickly looked to Xiaoli, as if asking what to do.
“These servants all hail Her Ladyship Xiaoli and Her companion Hermes - please be welcome at our table,” the servants all thundered in unison. Xiaoli grinned and bowed back.
“You honour us both, dearest servants. We hope you can allow us to rely on your for amazing service throughout the banquet. We are eternally grateful for your hard work.”
The servants hummed curtly in unison and straightened back up, returning to their duties. However, two servants for Hermes and Xiaoli each accompanied them over to the circular banquet table, where they pulled out their chairs, put down cutlery and plates and poured drinks.
“Isn’t this nice, Hermes? They prepared all of this for us! Oh, I am so hungry right now!” Xiaoli seemed ecstatic, bouncing up and down in her chair. Hermes slowly sat in her chair, as if there were eggshells she was afraid to break. Her eyes were wide and tinted rose, “This is all so-”
“Majestic,” The word came to her with a happy grin, “You have a very beautiful home,” Hermes looked over to Xiaoli, “I like it all, really.”
“I’m happy you do, my dear,” she returned, grinning. Then, the music stopped. Every servant, even the cooks and the musicians, all lined up along the staircase again. At the very top stood Shengshi, his eyes repainted with black lines and his mouth split open in a wide grin. He slowly slithered down the red carpeted steps. As he moved, he opened his mouth and recited a poem.
”Blesséd is the one Who can invite friends from far; Blessed am I today.”
“I have dreamed for a long time of this glorious moment, my friends…” The snake opened his arms invitingly. The red lanterns around began to glow brighter, their warm rays reflecting off the golden edifices of the surrounding ornaments.
”Wealthy is the one Who can celebrate with friends; I have wealth today.”
The snake reached the bottom of the stairwell and the servants kowtowed in unison. The warm rays that danced across the room began to grow even brighter. The snake slithered over to his seat and sat down.
”Fortune blesses one Who gives one’s heart to a friend; I am fortunate.”
There was a pause. The snake first eyed Xiaoli, then winked at Hermes. “Let the feast begin.”
The servants immediately got back to their posts and the food was promptly served. Shengshi, Hermes and Xiaoli were all given a bowl of cold noodles in a sauce of vinegar and soy sauce, as well as a bowl of boiled rice. Then, at the centre of the table, there was placed a large wooden disk that could be spun around in circles - then, the disk was filled with all kinds of dishes. The snake pondered for a bit before snatching a piece of fish off the disk and placing it in his mouth. As soon as the snake had eaten, Xiaoli grabbed her own chopsticks and pinched them around a piece of meat.
With curious eyes, Hermes scanned the smorgasbord before her. Eventually she picked up a single chopstick and stabbed cubes of sauce covered fowl onto her rice, followed by a mish mash of vegetables. Content with the colors in her bowl, she did the best of her ability to eat it all, chopsticks and fingers alike being used. Despite her novice attitude towards the silverware, she tried her hardest to keep her finger usage to a minimum, attempting to mimic Xiaoli and Shengshi’s motions. Much to her surprise, she eventually got the hang of the sticks, pinching them in her fingers properly if not a little close to the bottom of the sticks. Xiaoli observed Hermes’ attempts at using the chopsticks and giggled warmly. The snake looked very appreciative as he studied Hermes slowly picking up the technique, like a parent would watch a child attempting to walk for the first time. He drank some from his cup and a servant came over to refill it.
“The truly is abloom with wonder today,” he said. Xiaoli turned to him and grinned. “Hermes,” the snake continued. “Even with all my words and phrases, I cannot describe my gratitude towards you for being such a good friend to my dearest Xiaoli, and for allowing her to experience the world around - something I, in my weakness, would not.” He raised his cup.
“Request any gift and, with the Architect and the world as my witness, I shall bestow it upon you with great enthusiasm.” Xiaoli clapped her hands excitedly.
Hermes smiled and looked away with a sudden bashfulness, “I don’t think I could take a gift for being Xiaoli’s friend. It’s almost like being rewarded for breathing.”
The snake grinned. “My, I completely misjudged you the first time we met. It is almost as if you have grown since then. I must insist, however - your kindness and friendship cannot go unrewarded. Say your wish, and it shall come true.”
Thinking hard, Hermes’ smile faded. Her hand fell over her abdomen, rubbing against the foreign silks and pressing inward, “There is one thing.” She eventually said, “I’m incomplete.”
Xiaoli’s grin faded as well, her eyes looking down. The snake leaned forward, placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his knuckles. “I see. You are infertile, like a magnificent desert. You wish to mother children of your own, without the need of divine aid to fashion you offspring. Am I correct in my estimate?”
“You are,” Hermes nodded solemnly, “But I want to change that, as you said.”
The snake nodded. “So be it. Your wish shall be granted.”
Hermes face lit up with a certain awe that couldn’t be quite called joy or excitement, “Really?” she all but blurted in wonder. Xiaoli looked about ready to explode with joy.
The snake chuckled. “Indeed. We will finish our meal and head up on deck. There, the waters will grant you the fertility to mother a thousand families.”
Hermes nodded vigorously, “Yes!” she all but shouted at the snake. Turning to Xiaoli she gave her a wide K’nell-like smile, which Xiaoli returned with a smile from fictional horn to fictional horn - Shengshi style. Unable to form any words through her joy, Hermes took to her food in a rushed manner, her appetite quickly closing due to the excitement. The snake let out a happy sigh and ate a few more bites.
“I see the excitement in the air is bubbling. Eat your fills and we will proceed. I will go on ahead and prepare.” The snake bowed his head and rose up from his chair. As he slithered upstairs, the servants all figuratively dropped whatever they were holding and sprinted over to the staircase to bow before their lord.
Xiaoli looked up from her plate at Hermes. She almost looked happier than she had even seen her, her cheshire grin almost mimicking that of her creator. The colours in her hair seemed to blink and dance with excitement, a sight Xiaoli felt herself particularly drawn to. She felt her mind flutter at the heart-warming sight of Hermes finishing her meal in all haste.
Today, she would tell her.
“I am so happy for you, Hermes! You’re finally going to be blessed with fertility! You will finally be complete!”
Hermes swallowed a gulp of her food, letting her chopsticks rest along her bowl, “I know!” She managed as she caught her breath, “I can’t wait. It’s happening, I’ll be finished, completely, done.”
Grinning, Hermes pushed her bowl away, “Thank you for showing me your home, if we hadn’t- I don’t even want to know.”
Xiaoli’s cheeks reddened. “Oh… I-It was nothing. I’m happy you got to see it a little closer than last time. I still have to show you Fengshui Fuyou at some point.” Come to think of it, Xiaoli had actually never seen her lord’s home - she could picture it from the information planted in her head upon her creation, but she could not synthesise the smells or the sounds in her mind; the pictures were just pictures with no memories attached. That would be a fine place to take Hermes one day, she mused internally.
“Anyway, have you finished your meal?” she asked with a bubbly voice.
“I don’t think I could eat anymore even if I wanted to,” Hermes nodded. She paused, a giddy look washing over her face, “To the deck?”
“To the deck,” Xiaoli echoed and stood up. The servants lined up to bid the duo farewell as they skipped happily up the steps.
Out on the deck awaited the snake. He stood in front of the neck of the dragon’s head with a gorgeous red mattress in front of him. The mattress was covered in silk pillows on the far end from the snake and was flanked on each side by two female servants dressed in white robes, who were all bowing to the two girls.
“Ah, you have arrived,” the snake said. “It is recommended that you lie down for the procedure, dear Hermes. There may be some pain in your abdomen both during and afterwards. Do not worry, however - it is only temporary.” He gestured to the mattress and bowed. Xiaoli looked a little suspiciously at the mattress, but squeezed Hermes’ shoulder affectionately.
Hermes turned to give Xiaoli a smile, taking her hand briefly before walking off to the mattress. Crows cawed madly in the distance, but Hermes’ mind was focused as she slid on top of the mattress, her joints popping from the sudden comfort.
One of the servants offered her a glass of clear liquid. “Please, drink this,” she said. “It will ease the pain.”
Meanwhile, the snake slowly lifted his arms as the waters below the ship began to rumble and rock. Two boots suddenly clicked as they stepped on the deck. Phantasmal crows crowded the figure’s shoulders, and a long black jacket snapped in the sudden motion of the boat. K’nell looked upon the scene with silvery eyes. Without a word he walked over to the bewildered Hermes, put a hand on her shoulder and looked over to the snake with a nod, as if beckoning for him to continue. The snake raised an eyebrow, but a simple sniff seemingly made it clear to him who the figure was. Two small snakes of water rose up from the river below - they were glistening in the heliopolis, like diamond. Xiaoli gasped in awe.
“The gift of fertility is a beautiful request - a right of all living things.” The snakes slithered closer to Hermes and began to wrap themselves around her stomach, sliding under her easily as if she was floating in mid-air. Xiaoli walked over and grabbed Hermes’ hand. She knew what was coming next. Hermes’ eyes bounced between all the figures, but rested on Xiaoli. The wordless K’nell’s hand suddenly began to crackle, a soft glow emitting between him and Hermes, the spiral on her forehead spinning across her skin.
“And so, I, Shengshi, lord of the thousand streams, bless you, Hermes the Dreamer, by honouring that request.” The snakes tightened their grip around her abdomen and then, slowly, began to dissolve through her clothes and into her skin and organs. Hermes began to squirm, a strange and painful sensation springing from her abdomen. K’nell watched on, a glowing purple dot appearing center her spiral. Hermes looked up at him, and she felt some of the pain disappear, the God granting her a small grin.
Xiaoli squeezed her hand with both of her own. “You’re doing well, my dear,” she said. The snake raised his hand and first pointed at Hermes, then shaped his hand into a fist. There was a hollowing sensation in Hermes’ abdomen, as if space was being made for an entirely new organ. The snake then pulled the fist to himself. The pain subsided, the part of Hermes’ skirt that covered her hips becoming darker. Hermes breathed heavily, her body shifting uneasily, the new sensations causing her to move. K’nells hand suddenly clamped down harder on her shoulder, causing her to freeze. A clap sounded and in a window of only a second, a great flash pulsed from K’nell and straight into Hermes, the spiral on her forehead finally coming to rest as it was before, except now it held a purple dot at its center.
K’nells hand fell from the exhausted mortal and he looked at Shengshi, then back at Hermes, “Hewn from challenge, you are complete.”
She stared up at him, her mind opening to a realization. K’nell continued, his grainy voice swirling from his new form, “At birth, you were given nothing but a purpose, with very little means to achieve it. You not only filled you purpose, but learned quicker than some gods themselves how to look past purpose and create something that cannot be willed into reality, that of heart and mind. I now believe you are worthy of being complete, but I believe being complete is not worthy of you. Stand, and never stop, Hermes.”
The Dreamer’s eyes began to glisten, and then all at once tears of joy began to stream down. Her hand suddenly squeezed Xiaoli’s back as she cried. Xiaoli cast her free arm around Hermes’ neck and squeezed tightly. The surrounding servants were all clapping and whooping. The snake slithered over to K’nell and bowed.
“I likely do not need to tell you this, dear brother, but you have a good reason to be proud. Hermes has accomplished much and shown herself to be a creation of the purest and most valiant kind.” He looked down at Hermes. “It would honour me if you allowed me to immortalise you in my poetry, my dear.”
“Of course,” Hermes said weakly, her tears gone but the stains remained.
K’nell inclined his head in respect towards Shengshi, then looked to the tired Hermes, “Perhaps sleep is in order?” Hermes nodded slowly before K’nell turned back to Shengshi.
“An excellent idea, dear brother. I shall have her room prepared haste-post-haste.” The snake snapped his fingers and the servants all rushed back into the palace. Xiaoli finally let go of Hermes and eyed her up and down.
“Your Holiness, Your Lordship… This servant wishes to make a humble request,” Xiaoli said. The snake nodded with a hum.
“This-... This servant would like to escort Hermes to her room. Without any servants, please.” The snake raised an eyebrow and looked to K’nell, who turned to Xiaoli, his eyes flickering onto Hermes.
“I’d like that,” Hermes answered and K’nell looked up at Xiaoli. “Me too,” He mused with a tiny smile. With little else K’nell turned to Shengshi and held out a beckoning hand, “Walk with me.” The snake nodded and followed along. Xiaoli looked down at Hermes and put a finger on her cheek.
“I just realised I hadn’t done that yet.” She giggled happily.
With a bit of a stagger, Hermes sat up in the mattress, a glowing smile on her face, “I had totally forgotten, myself,” she sighed happily, placing a finger on Xiaoli’s cheek, who grabbed onto the finger and rubbed her cheek affectionately against it.
“Come on, I’ll help you up.” Xiaoli then carefully placed herself under Hermes’ arm and pushed them both to their feet, who promptly latched on to her as tight as she could manage. Xiaoli then helped her weakened friend down into the palace.
Hermes’ room was perhaps humble compared to the other rooms in the ship, but it still had wealthy itinerary: The bed was king-sized and could probably fit three Hermeses on a mattress stuffed with goose feathers and cotton; the wardrobe reached from the floor to the ceiling, likely filled with enough outfits to dress a person for a year; the walls were covered in beautiful paintings and calligraphic scriptures; the floor, with a large, soft carpet.
Xiaoli helped Hermes over to the bed. She gently put her down on the mattress and tucked her in properly, making sure only to remove her shoes. Wouldn’t want to embarrass her now, Xiaoli thought to herself.
Almost immediately Hermes sunk into the bed, her body groaning. The sensation caused her eyes to close for a few seconds, only fluttering open to look back at Xiaoli, “Thank you.”
“No problem,” Xiaoli said softly. There was a pause. Slowly, she raised her hand and lifted it over to Hermes’ cheek, caressing it as softly as she could with her coarse skin.
“Hey, Hermes? There’s… There’s something that’s been on my mind lately… C-... Can I share it with you?”
Laying her hand over Xiaoli’s, Hermes nodded slowly, her voice the epitome of relaxed, “Of course, Xiaoli.”
Xiaoli hesitated for a moment. “Y-... You remember that time you asked me what my dream was?”
Hermes scooted up in the bed, propping her back up against the mound pillows. She cocked her head for a moment, “Yes.”
“I-...” Her head began to steam. “My dream is-...” She shook her head and took a deep breath. “Mydreamistobewithyou!” she blurted out in a sudden hurry.
There was a long pause, Hermes smile fading. Slowly she reached out to Xiaoli, her arms snaking around the river-girl. Pulling her close -- and nearly toppling her onto the bed -- Hermes grinned, “Then do that.”
Xiaoli’s eyes welled up and for a moment, she did not know how to react. “R-really? You-... You would have me, after all?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Hermes closed her eyes, a content smile stretching across her face. She squeezed Xiaoli gently, prompting Xiaoli to squeeze back.
“It’s just… I didn’t think you liked me in that way… As more than-... You know…” She rubbed her head against Hermes’, squeezing her a little tighter. Hermes sucked in a large breath of air, their proximity showering the atmosphere of the room with the aroma of gentle flowers and oils from earlier. She rested her head tiredly against Xiaoli, her eyes closing as she slowly drifted away.
“I do.”
The trio finds their way to Shengshi, where they are greeted by the new servants of the River God. After a quick exchange, they are brought to Shengshi’s chambers. Xiaoli decides after consulting advice from Hermes, to go in first. Shengshi questions her and eventually has her bring in Hermes who he questions even more. After a rigorous barrage of questions, Shengshi reveals that he was crying the whole time and gives everyone a group hug.
After this, Poppler and Shengshi catch up while Hermes and Xiaoli are sent to the bathhouse. Xiaoli sheds her sand and takes to the water like a fucking champ, while Hermes refrains from taking her clothes off, citing a deep set embarrassment. Despite Hermes reluctance to disrobe, she goes into the bath anyways, where Xiaoli washes her hair.
Later Xiaoli puts on her freshly steamed sand and new clothes and bounces off to meet up with Hermes, who after the bath decided to go to a private room to change into fresh clothes. Hermes pops out of her room to surprise Xiaoli with her new outfit and the two head off to eat.
At the banquet hall, Hermes learns to use chopsticks and Shenshi declares some sick ass poetry that was something between Robert frost and Tupac Shakur. The group eats, Poppler absent. Shengshi eventually askes Hermes what she wants as a wish for being so cool to his Avatar. Hermes declines, thinking it too much to reward her for loving Xiaoli, but Shengshi insists. The Snake god reads Hermes’ mind after she brings up her incompleteness and determines he can help with her infertility.
The group goes to the deck, where a mattress is laid out for Hermes and as Shengshi begins his ritual, K’nell shows up like a stone cold gangster. Without a word, he aids in the ritual, doing his own thing on the side. The two gods slam some divine power on the scene and Hermes is made fertile and a hero in one crack.
Tired, Hermes is lead back to her room by Xiaoli, K’nell and Shengshi walking off to talk God stuff. There Xiaoli finally confronts Hermes and explains her feelings, which to her surprise end up being reciprocated by the Dreamer, who then falls asleep.
Where the fuck did Poppler go? How will this new relationship work? What the hell did K’nell and Shengshi do on their walk? Will Xiaoli ever try sugar in her tea? Find out next season.
1 MP from K’nell and 1 MP from Shengshi to make Hermes a hero, complete with fertility and all the other fun little things Heros get.
Sheng after: 0MP/8FP. K’nell after: 5MP/1FP
1 Prestige point for being in a post, 1 Prestige point for starring in a post and 1 Prestige point for doing it with friends
Hermes total prestige: 3
THWACK
The baton smashed into Poppler’s ribs, the agent spitting out a blotch of crude blood. His chains danged as he fought against the sewer wall, grime running down his back.
“Tell us vhere ze plans zar,” A russian accent goaded. “Fuck,” Poppler groaned in pain, “You.”
THWACK
“Boris, get zee battervee,” The russian glared at the screaming spy. A large man in an adidas track suit appearing with a rusty car battery and sinister cables, “You vill tell us.”
The russian leaned in, spreading chapped lips into a smile, “You vill.”
The land fell quiet once more. K’nell stood atop his stony platform, arms raised in command, bizarre eyes twisting all about. A thought, one of millions, tickled his mind and his grin stretched. The divine energy that crackled in his soul warmed his corporeal body, and slowly he felt the changes. A great many flashes suddenly erupted from his form, blanketing the forest valley in splotches of light. All at once, there was a final bang, and there K’nell stood, newly formed.
What was once a face dominated by an uncomfortable smile was now that of a man. A gentleman’s grin formed on a clean shaven face, well kept alabaster hair flowing down from the top of his head and brushing his shoulders. A regal nose sat center, and instead of eyes of spiraling madness, now stood two wizened eyes of silvery grey, creases of age stretching from their sides. As Heliopolis reflected from them, however, light seemed to gleam and collect into the shape of a cheshire grin.
A hearty laugh bounced from K’nell, his clothes having kept their dark gentlemanly style, but all the same amused him. His silver buttoned jacket stretched down past his knees in a noble sweep, his pants were sturdy but stylish, hemmed by sleek boots. He pinched his cuffs, straightening the arms of his coat and gave a smiling look across Tendlepog with his new eyes.
“Hmm,” His grainy voice hummed, now ripe with the baritone of silvery experience. Suddenly his divine spark cracked and rumbled, his eyes sparking into a godly light, the great power wrapping his body in it’s glow, only to disappear a moment later. He blunk and moved his arms with a new found speed and control, the limitation of his reflexes fading as his perception also grew. The world opened up to his new senses, and he could feel himself in total control of himself like never before.
“Perfect,” He charmed as he cracked his new knuckles before placing in the air as if holding a large string instrumentt, “A duet of the brass and guitar,” he announced to nobody in particular, “with guests.”
Suddenly a phantom guitar appeared in his hands, rippling like the shadow of a flame. His new smile cracked a toothy smirk and suddenly his fingers scattered across the neck of the guitar with beyond divine precision and control, his other fingers moving as deliberate over the cords. His fingers were but a blur as his phantom music began.
Drums joined in, brass bellowed, and every so often, his hand would come down hard on his instrument, a lick of the phantom flame spitting away from the guitar and taking flight as the shadowy form of a crow with eyes of glowing coal. Each avian beast made this way would fly off without question, K’nell’s music filling the valley with intense vibrations, his new face aglow with joy.
Flocks of thousands and then tens of thousands ripped from his instrument, and each one he managed to watch as they made their maiden flight. Minutes passed, and so did miles, and he could still spot them in the distance, his fingers never missing a beat no matter the speed of the tune and then finally, with one last great shredding strum, his guitar exploded into an immense flock of shadowy crows, all taking to the air in different directions.
Silvery eyes followed the new breed as they flew from the god. Slowly, and gradually, images flooded the gods mind as well as distant sounds even beyond his improved reception. A wicked grin covered his face and he knew the shadow crows had done their job. He could see what they saw as they crossed oceans, hear what they heard as they flew over rippling waves, all safely tucked away into his divine mind. With a thought the connection was severed, with another, reopened. K’nell smiled a cheshire smile, one fit to match his eyes.
K’nell decides it’s time for a change and makes himself a dashing new (dreamer) form. He then decides it’s time for an upgrade and gifts himself greatly improved reflexes and perception He THEN decides it’s time to put his new form and abilities to the test with a new song. From his song the Shadow Crows are born, who now fly across Galbar as his eyes and ears. He smiles at the end.
1 MP spent on his new Dreamer form 2 MP spent on Greatly improved reflexes and perception 2 FP spent on the shadow crows, beasts that safely relay information to K’nell telepathically, and punish interlopers by revisiting them in their sleep to sow nightmares. As a safety measure, images or sounds that would otherwise cause harm to a God are prevented from being relayed telepathically, and instead the entirety of the affliction rests on the poor crow.
The drums cracked like thunder, the brass boomed like an earthquake, and the orchestra ripped open the struggle of life and death, only to spread its philosophical body and emotion across an intense melody of notes. K’nell stood from his throne, the weavers parting before him. Looking ahead, the doors out of his ballroom were cleaved open by an unseen force, and all at once, K’nell blasted forward.
The music followed as K’nell cut across the dreamscape at impossible speeds, suddenly shifting from one reality to another, and another, until he flew amidst the wrinkles of what was and what wasn’t. Of course, any mortal eye would not be able to perceive such madness, but K’nell knew the many sensations of such a place well. What may have felt as an eternity passed as K’nell cut through emotion, memory, dreams and reality, until at last, it all came together in a mighty explosion of white light.
Limbo trembled as the God reemerged, crackling with divine will. The skies over Swahhiteh-Tendlepog turned a deep maroon, and Heliopolis seemed to turn into a dark black as the Lord of Dreams returned to Galbar. The clear skies of madness were covered as rolling clouds of thunder blanketed in. K’nell raised his arms, and the continent turned a deadly quiet, awaiting its conductor.
All at once, K’nell dropped his hands and the drums of orchestra blasted across the landscape, the clouds roaring in cheer. A finger twitched and the wind whistled the wail of a melancholy violin, eyes snapped, and the ground shook with the power of the trumpet. Slowly the God brought his hands up, his loyal musicians of sky and earth following his lead. His hands reached the full extent, and with a dip and a woosh to the sides, a great branch of black lightning struck the ground in applause.
The hands moved down, the music boomed, the hands moved up, the world wailed, the hands turned to the sides, and screams without bodies sounded. A twist, and another pillar of lightning slammed into Galbar.
Soon his hands danced with command, and the scene in front of him came to fruition. Music displayed an array of emotions dark and hidden, toned with thoughts best left alone. Great crashes sounded, and amazing bolts of energy descended from the heavens, until the concert had turned into one of blasting columns of lightning and curdling screams from the clouds. A single hand rose to the sky, and as it dashed down, all the instruments sounded in salute in one ear breaking conglomeration, only to then leave the world in silence once more.
Slowly, the natural sounds of Tendlepog returned, and the sky faded back to it’s evening orange. K’nells body shimmered with a dark power that soaked in the light, his body still crackling with godly will. Content eyes stared forward at what was born from his latest song.
An army of strange beasts of shadow stood snarling, their figures not quite physical, but wholly of the land of dreams. Their edges blurred with reality, leaving one to wonder where their shimmering bodies really stood. In front of this awaiting mob was a single rider.
Atop a mare the color of the night was a knight armored in black thorns, deep red eyes staring from an enclosed helmet. K’nell’s smile grew.
“Scatter, offspring of dreams, and ensure the balance and safety of your new home,” A grainy voice commanded, “Challenge the weak minded, and ensure the quality of the inhabitants of this paradise. Show them what they fear most, and see to it they either overcome or withdraw. Push the greedy, the proud, the selfish, and protect those who hold my virtues, as well as this great land.”
A pale finger pointed at the mounted rider, “Warden of this Kingdom,” The voice returned, “See to it that my will is maintained.”
“As you command,” A hollow voice vibrated from the helmet, thorned hands pulling the reins of the mare underneath.
K’nell leaves the Palace and travels through Limbo
Upon his return to Galbar, he begins to orchestrate a new song
From the power of his music, a race of nightmares are born, and tasked with protecting Swahhitteh-Tendlepog. As their leader, a great Warden is also born, tasked with overseeing the will of K’nell be carried out.
The Guardian Nightmares - 3 FP Extraordinary but unintelligent species The Warden - 2 FP Single Beast of Phenomenal power
I'm not really a bird.
[center]-0-
Where did I play,
A land of twisted branches,
A kingdom of clay,
A swamp of memories,
A never-ending day,
Where did I run,
Across the dawn,
Through the sun,
Across the sky,
Through laughs and fun,
Where did I walk,
Pristine grass green,
White cliffs of chalk,
Pools of sky so blue,
Orchard stones that talk,
Where did I sit,
By the gates of silver,
Near endless pit,
By forever horizon,
You may remember it.[/center]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">I'm not really a bird.<br><br><div class="bb-center">-0-<br><br>Where did I play,<br>A land of twisted branches,<br>A kingdom of clay,<br>A swamp of memories,<br>A never-ending day,<br><br>Where did I run,<br>Across the dawn,<br>Through the sun,<br>Across the sky,<br>Through laughs and fun,<br><br>Where did I walk,<br>Pristine grass green,<br>White cliffs of chalk,<br>Pools of sky so blue,<br>Orchard stones that talk,<br><br>Where did I sit,<br>By the gates of silver,<br>Near endless pit,<br>By forever horizon,<br>You may remember it.</div></div>
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