Yupilgo’s tent was filled with trinkets of the past. An iron spear laid across a wicker chest of old Grottu clothes, and the tools of Ippino were strung from the rafters. The smell of the hunt wafted off of a dimpled stone that laid in a subtle fire, a gentle boil overtaking its contents. Outside the tent, the drills of the Hyummin soldiers could be heard, their wicker, bark and leather shields pounding against their spears, javelins and axes. Yupilgo had recently given his final blessing to a conflict, the K’nights of Tyuppa hoisting him into battle upon his bed, only for the impending battle between the structured Hyummin forces (armed even with the beast of Ippino) and a rogue clan of ne'er do wells to fall flat upon his raspy words -- a K’night shouting them for him.
The scene had sapped whatever energy he had left, but saved a few selka lives -- just as his old partner Panganeem would have wanted. Now he laid in the same bed he was carried in, but beside his gentle fire, body frail. His skin was pulled tight across his bones, his blubber limp and his whiskers long. His blind eyes were milky white now, his eye covered discarded in his final years as some romantic attempt to allow them to feel the light of heliopolis despite his handicap, so they may at least enjoy their final moments as he has been.
His chest creaked and he let out a hoarse cough, the force moving his blood into his legs and tingling the soles of his wrinkled feet. Any feeling in his toes had been long gone, and as the blood receded, so too did his feet and calves fall numb. He clapped his old lips shut and licked them moist. With one blind hand he reached off from his bed without moving, in search for a tiny stone cup of water.
"Here." came a gentle voice, the stone cup entering his hands.
A shaky “oh!” came from the elderly selka. He accepted the cup and carefully brought it to his head, tipping it to his lips. With a loud slurp, he took in enough water to cause a dribble down the corner of his mouth. With a shaking hand, he brought the cup back to the bedside table. Clearing his throat, he finally spoke, “I’m sorry young lady, I didn’t see you come in.” He let out a weak chuckle.
"Not many did." she said warmly. A cloth then dabbed the corner of his mouth dry.
“What-” He coughed a little, but a small smile was forming on his old mug regardless, “What can old Yupilgo do for such a nice young selka?” He grunted his throat clear again, “I’m afraid I’m a little too weak for a story.”
"That's quite alright, my dear Yupilgo. Now is the time for rest, for a new journey awaits you. One beyond imagination, or so I'm told." she said, gently taking his arm and placing his hand upon the top of her own.
Yupilgo’s fingers grazed her skin, feeling the bump of her mark. Slowly his milky eyes widened, “You... you bear the mark of my savior.”
"Yes, he gave it to me long go." she said quietly. "I am no Selka, Yupilgo, but I am a friend. My name is Arya, Ward of K'nell."
Yupilgo’s webbed fingers wrapped around Arya’s hand, “Tell me, Ward of K’nell... what does my God have to say?”
Arya squeezed his hand gently. "He says that you are welcome to join him in Heaven, a place of infinite possibilities and freedom from the Pyres. I have come to show you the way there, as his last wish unto me, if it is what you desire."
There was a pregnant pause, “Show me,” Yupilgo finally urged. Arya sucked in a breath and leaned forward, her words washing into his ear. She told him about the way of Moksha, and K’nell’s promises. She spoke to him about K’nell’s heaven, and what it was. Finally, she told Yupilgo to wait for the night, and to find it in the sky -- and that K’nell had assured her that even in his ailment, he would find it.
By the time she was done, a wet stream of tears was trickling down Yupilgo’s face. He croaked a breath and spoke softly, “I wept like this... on the bedrock of a stream, amidst the cries of a young babe. In my tears, K’nell found me, and it was through his visions I found my own. It seems once again he has found me broken and blind.” Yupilgo smiled, “Ward Arya, could this old man ask a favor of your youth?”
"Of course, Yupilgo, of course. Anything." she said, her voice heavy with emotion.
“Stay with me today, and when the night comes -- bring me outside so I may witness our savior,” Yupilgo gulped out the words, “I want to see.”
”I can do that.” Arya said. ”And when the night comes, you will see.”
The chill of the night air wrapped itself around Arya. Despite the bumps the cold air breathed on her, she found her limbs more than capable of pushing Yupilgo’s emaciated frame and his bed out of the tent. The man was wrapped in several blankets, his body hardly producing much heat. His lips trembled blue, but a smile was worn -- he was excited and Arya could hear it in his shuddering breaths.
The two managed to push their way unnoticed through the tents and yurts of the growing Hyummin city. What guards spotted them were easily waved off by the elder K’night, and before the pair knew it, they were by the shores of the ocean. The gentle sounds of the waves of Delphina grew yupilgo’s smile and as if smiling back, the setting Heliiopolis was but a crescent on the purple horizon.
With bated breath the two waited as Helioipolis sunk into the ocean, the purple sky turning to a dark blue and then to an oppressive black. Just as the night sky seemed to settle as an empty beast of darkness, a gentle green nebula began to shimmer past the grey clouds. It seemed to swirl in place, a subtle reminder of who put it there. Yupilgo’s head seemed to jerk towards it, his eyes still milky white and as blind as ever.
A relieved look formed on his face, “The sky is warm tonight,” He said past the cold breeze, “Like a smile.”
”Exactly like a smile.” Arya said, staring at the nebula.
A gentle trickle of tears began to fall onto Yupilgo’s cheeks, “I wish Panganeem could have seen this, or Juttyu... or Ippino (Delphina take care of him).” He shuddered a sight, his eyes closing.
”It’s always those of us who remain that endure, Yupilgo. We remember what others do not, even if the memories are of wanting. But do not despair, for they will never leave us, in the end.” Arya said as she cried silent tears.
Yupilgo’s hand gripped Arya’s “They were the greatest men to ever walk this soil... I only hope some young pup out there proves me wrong about that.” He smiled up at Arya, his eyes swollen with tears. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting his hand fall from Arya’s.
Arya crouched down and kissed the selka on his brow. ”They will, one day.” she said standing back up. A small smile formed on the selka’s lips, his breathing slowing and then suddenly, his chest stopped. ”Be at peace, Yupilgo.” she said, crying. ”The Dreamers will love your stories.”
Arya then sat upon the sand, and held her knees close to her chest. She listened to the waves, before letting out a soft sigh.
We are at the Hyummin village, with Yupilgo on his deathbed. He meets Arya and finds out she is his god’s Ward. They chat and Arya teaches him Moksha. Yupilgo asks Arya to stay with him until the night and she does. The two down to a beach and watch the green Nebula arrive. They talk some more about the past and Yupilgo passes away quietly, with a smile on his face. Arya then sits down on the beach and sighs. Fin.
Arya: The Learner, The Martial Dancer, The Compassionate, The Wanderer, The Teacher, The Sailor, Last of the Zhengwu +47 Prestige Starting +1 For Major Role +1 For Minor Role +1 For Collaboration. = +50 Prestige Ending
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
This post may have information that could be confusing or hard to understand if you haven’t been following this arc. I apologize.
Xiaoli sat on a rotten, moss covered stool. Hermes sat beside her on her own, balanced on uneven legs. Both held their heads low, eyes staring down at a paled wooden table. Their breathing was steady, eyes scanning without leaving their spots. The sound of the forest echoed all around them, from birds to bugs -- buzzing and chirping. Tangled roots burst in and out of the soil around them, almost actively even in their stationary positions. Gnarled trees complimented the entire scene and blocked the ominous night sky above.
A great shadow was covering the pair, a beast of bones and marrow rising behind them. Teeth clattered and old joints creaked. The shadow shifted, as if the great monster was holding something aloft. Two arms raised over Xiaoli, and tension filled the air, and then all at once, the great arms fell--
SLAM!
A metal saucer hit the table, a cute little teacup chattering atop it. A gentle steam escaped the reddish looking brew and the Skeleton quickly placed one in front of Hermes as well.
“S-s-so,” The being contemplated, “You’re telling us-s-s that you are from Tendlepog and are here to s-s-solve a great s-s-sleeping mys-s-stery?” Bones creaked as the being sat upright in its own stool, the orb of light fluttering on one side of it, and the ghostly version standing blanky to the other.
“Y-yes,” Xiaoli mumbled in a quivering voice and took her teacup.
“Yes that’s right,” Hermes sipped her tea, it was tangy. She pursed her lips, and a little tart. The liquid swished in her mouth a little before she swallowed.
“And you jus-s-st experienced a land of great emotion?” The ghastly figure questioned, faceless.
“Well, it got quite emotional, I suppose,” Xiaoli conceded and had a reluctant sip of her tea.
“You s-s-suppose?” The glowing orb pulsed.
“Erm,” Hermes knitted her brows, “Off topic... but.”
“Go ahead,” The skeleton beckoned.
“Who were you three again? I almost don’t even remember how we got to-- well sitting here.” Hermes looked at Xiaoli, as if confirming this to be true.
“They never did introduce themselves, I think. We hugged and then suddenly, well, they were there. Truly, pardon us if you already did introduce yourselves.” To lighten the mood again, or perhaps just to feel a tad less sheepish, Xiaoli took another reluctant sip of tea.
“It was-s-s a nice hug,” The spirit complimented.
“Oh,” The Skeleton didn’t wear any emotion on its boney face, “I am Sk-Sk-Skeleton. This is S-S-Soul,” He gestured at the ghastly mimic of the skeleton, “And this is Sp-Sp-Spirit.” He nudged at the ball of light.
Hermes narrowed her eyes, a bemused smirk hiding behind the lip of her cup, “I coulda swore that spirits were just another word for souls.”
“It has a slight connotation of motivation and purpose, I believe,” Xiaoli added helpfully.
“Either way it’s-- what’s that saying you use from time to time, love?” Hermes made a thoughtful face, “On the nose?”
“Yeah, just a bit.”
The Skeleton held up a boney finger, “Is-s-sn’t your name ‘Xiaoli’?”
Xiaoli blinked. “And may I ask how you know that, master Skeleton?”
“You live long enough, you pick up a few things-s-s,” The Skeleton answered.
“I don’t think that saying can be used here,” Hermes scrunched her nose, taking a bubbling sip.
“What is a long life here in Limbo like, anyway? I reckon it must be quite eventful.” Xiaoli took in the surroundings. “I like the, uhm, natural setting. Quite harmonious.”
“I s-s-suppose it is-s-s quite s-s-similar to the land you’re from,” The soul answered, “A little different for each pers-s-son.”
Hermes blinked, “That was very thoughtful,” She complimented. The Spirit seemed to flutter at the words. Hermes smiled and looked at Xiaoli, clearly amused now. She pressed on, Poppler having taken over her cup,“Where did you come from?”
“Hmm,” The spirit hummed.
“The s-s-same place you and Xiaoli did,” The Spirit answered, “In a way.”
“So you are Tendlepoggan, then?” Xiaoli suggested. “Did Father K’nell make you?”
“Maybe!” The Skeleton offered, “But what I meant was-s-s that we both come from s-s-similar if not the s-s-same circums-s-stance.”
“What do you mean,” Hermes looked down at the brew-stained cloudling and then back at her hosts.
“Cons-s-sider a web,” The soul answered.
“Everyone has-s-s an epicenter, a s-s-start,” The Spirit continued.
“You come from one of thes-s-se branches-s-s, and it would make s-s-sense I came from a branch as-s-s well,” The Skeleton finished the thought, “Let’s-s-s see, the pos-s-sabilities-s-s are endless when you cons-s-sider that this web is no mere two dimens-s-sional craft, with the creator of Galbar funneling in so many cons-s-scious-s-ses-s-s from s-s-so many different-”
“Places-s-s,” The soul finished.
Xiaoli pursed her lips pensively. “So, if I am understanding this correctly, you came to be in this world as the result of some creation in a different universe from before the First Day and the closing of the portal? Or that you came as a result of it?”
The three looked at each other for a moment (or their best imitation of such a thing) before unifying with a, “Yes-s-s, before.”
“How is that pos-s-sible?” Hermes bit her tongue, realizing she accidentally mimicked their speech pattern. Poppler crackled into the tea, as if laughing.
“You’re a dreamer, you s-s-should know the lack of limitations-s-s when it comes to what is-s-s and what is-s-sn’t pos-s-sible -- es-s-specialy in regards-s-s to lands-s-s like thes-s-se.”
“It certain -is- possible,” Xiaoli agreed. “Many different spirits made their way into this world on the First Day. My question is, how on Galbar did you end up in here and not in the Pyres along with everybody else?” She put her empty tea cup on the pale, matte wooden table with a look of relief.
The Skeleton pointed a finger and Xiaoli could of have sworn she saw a smile -- somehow. The skeleton chattered on, “Is-s-sn’t that the ques-s-stion. Now, what if I added that I never have left the land you call Limbo, not before nor after your firs-s-st day.”
Xiaoli recoiled a little much in the same way she would’ve if someone told her a poor joke and she felt a need to scoff. “I would not believe you. Limbo only came to be after Father K’nell created it, so you must’ve snuck in somehow.”
“Cons-s-sider this-s-s,” The soul reasoned, “The creator of Galbar had invited many different kindreds-s-s from many different lands-s-s: do all thes-s-se lands-s-s follow the same laws-s-s as Galbar? Are the requirements-s-s for creation and life the s-s-same in all the lands-s-s tapped?”
“And cons-s-sider this-s-s,” The Spirit added with a pulse, “What if Limbo was-s-s never created by K’nell, but s-s-simply made available to Galbar.”
“And then cons-s-sider this-s-s,” The Skeleton also added, “How could s-s-such a creation live in a land where it is-s-s very s-s-seemingly breaking its-s-s natural laws-s-s?”
Hermes bit the edge of her empty cup, the cloudling tickling her nose as she thought hard. It took her a hard pause before she stopped gnawing on her cup and cleared her throat, “What if it isn’t?”
Xiaoli looked a little stunned at the possibilities of what the three forms suggested, so when she turned to Hermes, she looked a tad more anxious than usual. “Huh? What if what isn’t what?”
“What if it isn’t breaking the rules,” Hermes nodded slowly, “You all came in with K’nell - but like ‘IN’ K’nell... his consciousness powers you all... he is...”
The skeleton craned its head forward, “Go on.”
“He is... it.” Hermes finalized, “He did tell me, once, a very long time ago how his palace came to be -- and I never understood it.” She looked at Xiaoli, “The palace is K’nell’s dream.”
“In a way,” The Spirit added.
“Then why am I here?” Hermes asked, “What is the purpose of the Sleepers, and of you, and of all this?”
“If you are K’nell’s consciousness and the Palace is His dream… Have we been sent here to wake him up?” Xiaoli suggested.
“No,” The Skeleton suggested, “But we are waiting, jus-s-st it’s-s-s for you.”
“What?” Hermes squinted, “Explain, please.” Xiaoli could hear agitation in Hermes confusion, as mellow as it was.
“You need to let go, then you need to wake up,” Spirit answered, “S-s-so when you are all ready, you can ans-s-swer your final ques-s-stion.”
“Always with the snapping riddles,” Xiaoli muttered just loud enough for Hermes to hear. “So what, exactly, is my wife holding on to that she needs to let go of?”
“You s-s-saw,” The Soul answered, “Anger, s-s-sadness.”
“As-s-s a dreamer, she extends-s-s past were the normal mortal dreams-s-s and thinks-s-s.” The Spirit continued.
“S-s-she as a res-s-sult leaves-s-s thes-s-se powerful emotions-s-s behind, where they build and build until s-s-she can no longer escape them in the waking world. S-s-she must confront what s-s-she had unknowingly created here, to prevent this s-s-same event from happening in all dreamers-s-s.” The Skeleton finished, “It is-s-s the first s-s-step to paradis-s-se.”
“Abs-s-solution.”
Hermes frowned and leaned back in her chair, growing increasingly silent. Not even Poppler stirred as the Dreamer thought, “How can I confront these things?”
“Walk into the woods-s-s... find the night s-s-sky,” The Soul answered, “Confront it.”
“Ooooh no - she is not looking at any night sky anytime soon,” Xiaoli protested. “She froze up completely the last time she did, I mean… She didn’t--… How is this supposed to solve her issue?” Xiaoli seemed as though she knew the answer to her own question from the number of sighs and stops in her sentences.
“Xiaoli,” Hermes put a hand on her wife’s arm, “I think it is about time we confront these things, like they said. I’m not--” She put on a resolved face, “I’m not afraid.”
“B-but…” Xiaoli whimpered. “I am…” She took Hermes’ hand in her own and squeezed. “Can you promise me you’ll be alright?”
“Of course,” Hermes pressed a kiss to Xiaoli’s forehead, “I’ll have you.”
Xiaoli blushed a little like she used to and nodded slowly. “... Remember that you promised, then.” She turned to the three forms. “What do I do in the meanwhile? Can I go with her?”
“You can... but firs-s-st,” The soul started.
“A s-s-story,” The Spirit continued.
“Let this-s-s fable aid you in your coming days-s-s, in your confus-s-sions-s-s and may it aid all who hear its-s-s eas-s-sy words-s-s.” The Skeleton started again.
Hermes cocked her head, “Let’s hear it then.”
“There were three,” The Skeleton held up three fingers, “Blind men.”
“They had s-s-stumbled through the fields-s-s of Tendlepog,” The Spirit continued, “Until all at once, they had found a tree-eating beas-s-st.”
“The firs-s-st grabbed its-s-s tail and declared. ‘I have found rope.’” The Soul said, “The s-s-second pricked his-s-s finger on the tooth of the beas-s-st and declared, ‘fool! We have found a knife.’”
“The final man crawled on his-s-s knees-s-s and gripped the beas-s-st’s-s-s leg and yelled out, ‘Morons-s-s! This-s-s is but a tree!’”
“Know it is-s-s easy,” The Skeleton concluded, “To declare the incons-s-stancies-s-s of another, and harder to admit your own ignorance of the larger picture. Pers-s-spective is key, do not find frus-s-stration -- find contemplation.”
Hermes pinched her chin, her cloudling friend wisking into her hair as she thought to herself. “I can see the wisdom of your story,” She smiled, “Will it be as useful as you say?”
The Skeleton nodded and Hermes turned to Xiaoli, “Then, are you ready?”
“I should be asking you that,” Xiaoli giggled rhetorically. “Just… Yeah, come back to me, alright? I’ll be right beside you for when you do.”
Hermes grabbed hand as she stood up, tucking it close to her, “I know.” She gave a cheshire grin of her own, anticipation and anxiety hiding behind her eyes.
The forest parted for the trio as they walked, Poppler hiding in Hermes’ hair, zapping with what could have been its own apprehension of the entire ordeal. Hermes didn’t realize she was holding a breath, and let a shallow exhale escape. The forest was hazy, and as much as she hated the haze, she didn’t want it to fade. It’s sheen kept the distance unclear, and with that ignorance there was a certain comfort. The great viel hid the sky beyond the trees, but it was fading fast, each step bringing Hermes closer to confrontation. The end of her quest was near, she figured, but at the same time she could help but hope that it also wasn’t the end of her, or her children. The warnings of the three strangers floated with her, knowing that she had to do this, to ensure peace for her babies.
With a crunch, the two stepped over a final branch, the trees suddenly all behind them as they stepped out into an endless field of dull orange grass, almost like Tendlepog in the autumn. Hermes couldn’t help it, and in seconds her eyes snapped up. The great open night sky glared back down at her.
It was empty, it was always empty. It wore a dark swirling shade of purple and black, but held no starts, no moons, nothing. Hermes could feel her chest constrict, it was meaningless. A blank canvas whose artist was long dead. It had no reason or rhyme, it was oppressively blank. It seemed to scream in her ears, wailing at its uselessness, its unending death.
The symbolism was not lost on Hermes as her eyes began to water, “Kuranell,” She called out, “Kuranell!”
A great wind buffeted the pair, forcing even the avatar’s eyes to close against the airy onslaught. As the great torrent passed, and eyes peeled back open -- a tall looming figure stood in the distance. It was easily three times as tall as them, with long dark robes entangled with feathers and stringed pebbles. On it’s hooded head, two great white antlers pressed out like a crown of sorts, and a blank mask was worn over whatever face this being had to offer.
“I want to fix this, I want to save my children from this curse,” Hermes forced a sputtering demand. Spindly fingers fell from the long billowing robes and pressed against each other in contemplation. As they separated, a platter formed between them, a completely metallic spear cast in a hue of green and wrapped in a copper skin laid on it.
“Then cast your brush, and paint the sky.” The being answered.
Hermes gave Xiaoli a resolute look before walking up to the towering figure. She went to reach for the spear, but found her hand slipping through it. She furrowed her brow and tried again and again.
“What is this?” She scowled.
“Your hands,” The being answered calmly, almost like a nighttime whisper, “They are full.”
Hermes looked down at her empty palms, an itch at the back of her mind. She turned away from the being, and there stood the figure from the land of anger. Its hands were bound, it’s eyes furious. Next to it stood another feathery silhouette of Hermes, hands chained as well, with a look of sorrow, and then another and another. An army of Hermeses stood before her, each wearing one of her thoughts, one of her insecurities, her worries.
“There has to be a better way,” One of the Hermes said suddenly, looking at Xiaoli, “We can’t send our children to the pyres... we just can’t.”
Xiaoli gave her a frown. “I know it’s hard to let go, Hermes, but… All life must go through that cycle. There’s no other sensible option.”
“But what if there was?” The real Hermes suddenly defended her other, “What if there was, Xiaoli? What if this wasn’t the way it should be --”
“Would you stay with me, with us, if there was?” Another Hermes asked, clearly sobbing.
“Xiaoli would never leave me,” Another Hermes scolded, “She is my wife, my wife.”
“But she is also Shengshi,” Another one said coldly.
Xiaoli pointed accusingly at the last one. “But I’m Hermes’ wife first, so you can shut your tongue!”
The Hermes seemed to suddenly poof into a fading mist. The real Hermes took in a deep, startled breath, “Xiaoli would never leave me, no matter what.” She looked over to her wife.
Xiaoli gave her a loving smile with tearing eyes. “Of course I wouldn’t, Hermes - not for anything in this world or any other. I’m yours, for all eternity.”
“If not for Xiaoli, what am I really?” A tiny voice piped up, and a youthful looking Hermes looked on quizzically at the real one, she wore her original clothes at the time of creation, a spear punched through a hole in the back of her shirt.
“I’m Hermes,” The real Hermes answered easily, and the other Hermes seemed to poof away, “Wife or no wife, I am who I am -- and I will always be that way.”
More questions flew at Hermes, who seemed to have an answer for most, forcing the other to poof away. Slowly, one by one, the army began to whittle away as Hermes resolved her insecurities, her anger, her sorrows all left behind in the realm of dreams, until three remained.
“Why are you alive?” A tear stained Hermes asked, putting the real Hermes on edge all of a sudden. A long pause ensued, and a memory passed through her head. She was running away from Xiaoli, tears on her face and a hole in her heart. She crumbled on the flat rock of the fields, a mess of sobs and choking cries. A figure came rushing to her, K’nell. He had taken on her image and turned himself into a dreamer -- without hesitation, the stoic man broke all character and fell to his knees, wrapping her in a compassionate embrace. She remembers digging her face into his chest, letting her tears fall as he comforted him.
“Because I am loved,” Hermes answered, a tear dripping off the tip of her nose. The figure poofed and two remained.
“What do you want?” The second asked, a rash of frustration on her face. Hermes looked down at her sandals as she pondered the question. She remembered the first time she opened her eyes, seeing the cheshire face of K’nell. She remembers finding Li’Kalla and exploring Galbar, she remembers that empty feeling that haunted her while she did -- until she found Xiaoli. Slowly the chill came back though, and she remembers lashing out at Xiaoli, apologizing and bottling it away. She was an explorer, an adventurer and finder of secrets but in all that she was missing something and she would continue to miss it so long as her life was dictated by the myriad of gods and opinions of the world. She bit her lip.
“Freedom, eternity -- liberation, an exit from the cycle” She finally said and the other Hermes poofed.
“And how, what will you do now?” The final Hermes asked. Hermes didn’t even pay it any mind, walking up to the towering figure holding the spear. Without turning back to her feathery form she said simply:
“I will paint the skies and break the cycle.”
The final sleeper dissipated as Hermes scooped the spear from its platter. Kuranell looked down at her, and she could feel a familiar smile behind the mask. Hermes held the spear in one hand and turned to Xiaoli. Slowly the world began to shimmer around them.
“Come here,” Hermes calmly called out to Xiaoli as Limbo shook and shimmered, the world starting to blur.
Xiaoli stared uncertainly at the world around them. “Hermes, what’s happening? The aura of this world feels… Unstable, very much so.”
“Come here” Hermes held out a hand, shaking her head slowly, “We are leaving.”
“Leaving? Oh, finally!” Xiaoli said with a relieved groan and ran towards Hermes, taking her hand in her own. “Are you feeling alright? Those shades asked some… Odd questions.”
“It’s all off my chest,” Hermes said as she pulled Xiaoli close. The world suddenly grew darker and darker, shimmering into nothingness. Hermes’ heart raced a little but a certain new calm cooled her mind and emotions.
With a bang, light returned. The trio stood on the platform of Limbo, a blank night sky above. Without missing a beat, Hermes broke away from Xiaoli, took a running step, shoulders back and one hand out for aim and suddenly threw her spear.
It shot from her like a comet, glowing a gentle green as it rocketed into the sky. The higher it went, the more light it seemed to shed as it rode into the emptiness above. It soared and soared until suddenly it pierced something unseen. A great rip spread across the night sky, leaving behind a cosmic cloud of swirling green dust. A clap of light pulsed from it briefly, as if stamping it forever into the night sky of Galbar.
Hermes stared up at it, a wide cheshire grin on her face, “There it is, Xiaoli.” She didn’t peel her eyes from the ruptured sky.
Xiaoli recoiled a step and stared in awe. It took a moment for her to truly recover to the point where she relaxed her body and simply took in the sight. “Where… Where does it lead?”
“Peace,” K’nell suddenly said, taking a step from behind them so as to stare at the sight with them, “No more sleepers shall accumulate, no betrayed emotions swelling in the dreamscape, not so long as a dreamer looks up at this moksha, this exit, and meditates upon the liberation of themselves and their mind. No, I wager they would find their peace -- but that is only the beginning.”
“The beginning?” Hermes said, turning to look at her God. The God turned his head and smiled wide.
“I will explain, to all of you, come.” With little more the God stepped into the forest.
Wenbo snapped awake and catapulted himself up until he sat and gasped for air. He occasionally experienced exciting dreams, he confessed, so this was not necessarily uncommon for him to do. However, as he rubbed his face and pondered the decision to lie back down, all five of his family members did exactly the same, sat up in a rush and panted like they had just run a mile. Wenbo looked around in complete surprise, then Ren shouted, “We have to get to the mansion!”
Wenbo was about to say something, but already his family had rushed out of bed and were getting dressed. The old man frowned a little, but quickly shuffled to his feet and reached for his robes.
Before long, all six of them were moving as fast as they could in the direction of the mansion. It was pitch black outside - or, well, it should have been. Instead, the land seemed to light up with an eerie glow, brought on by a sight in the sky that stopped all of their advances momentarily. The colossal rift in the heavens had their eyes entranced for minutes, quelling all attempts to verbally describe the beauty of what they were beholding. At least ten minutes passed before Ai broke out of the trance and let her eyes fixate on the path again.
“You guys, come on! We need to hurry up!”
The others quickly broke out as well, but would occasionally stop again along the way just to marvel at the phenomenal pattern in the sky. Wenbo, in particular, stopped on multiple occasions, mouthing to himself the words, “... And I shall tear open the sky…”
Along the way, he grabbed Ai’s shoulder and slowed down a little. She turned, confused at first, but quickly read his expression and nodded.
“We are out of time,” Wenbo said somberly. Ai put a hand over his and smiled with equal melancholy.
“You did your best in the time you had, my love… We won’t be many, but… Hey, we’ll be some, at least.”
“... Some,” Wenbo agreed.
Luckily, the Wens didn’t live far away from the mansion - merely an hour long stroll, which in their excited tempo took only half that time.
As they approached, they noticed the entire host of the Dreamers accumulating. A confused Chagatai gave his twin a concerned look before looking onward at the two obelisks that stood guard over the mansion, Hermes and Xiaoli standing in between, with K’nell behind them, and easily standing over them.
Upon spying the other twin, K’nell suddenly flashed his eyes towards the man, “Wenbo, step forward.”
Wenbo swallowed, looked to his wife for encouragement and received it in the form of a loving smile. The old dreamer took a deep breath and moved through the crowd as it parted before him. He stopped before his mothers and bowed deeply.
“Mom, Mother.”
Xiaoli smiled and took the opportunity to walk over and embrace her son, who had grown to be much taller than her, even in his old age. “... My boy… My handsome, little boy.” Hermes wrapped her arms around both of them, whispering something akin to “Baby Wen-Wen.”
As the parents receded from their son, K’nell’s voice swirled above all others, “I have cast my music across this land, so that only those invited here my hear my words -- for these words are for you.”
He looked at Wenbo, “I say to you now the final warning, do not leave until I rip open the sky, or you and all who leave will be forever lost. You will know when it is done, as it will be obvious and will usher back your two mothers." He looked up at the sky and then at Hermes and Xiaoli, “Is this warning fulfilled, Wenbo?”
Wenbo looked up and nodded. “It is, Your Holiness.”
“Then I say to you my second warning once more: To leave my kingdom, there is a chance that you nor your descendants may ever be able to return. The world is mysterious, and my garden shall only grow more hidden and safe, until my final promise is met." K’nell folded his hands, “But then I say to you, my second promise: no matter the deed, should you or any descendent of any who leave find their way back to the soil of Tendlepog despite the perils of my second warning, they shall be welcomed back as a once lost son or daughter.” K’nell looked at Wenbo intently, is voice loud enough for all the woken to hear, “I shall bestow upon you the key to these words.” He smiled, “Firstly, I say that there is a chance that you nor your descendants may ever be able to return for a reason out of my control -- that is personal choice. Should you or your descendants either forget my words here today, or refuse them, then I cannot collect you should you wish to come back -- so listen closely to how you may force me to fulfill my second promise.”
“As you sleep, you the Dreamers accumulate vast emotion that swells in the dreaming world, threatening to overtake you waking conscious -- your mothers have vanquished this ailment on this day, so that you may live free from such a burden. But they did not only do that, but they have laid the first brick on the road to heaven for you.” K’nell looked up to the sky, “Know this mark as the gate of Moksha, and think upon as you see fit to do so. Meditate upon it, dream into it, for it will catch you on the way to my palace and it will relieve you of the Sleepers curses and burns on your way in and out. In doing so it shall remember you, as I do, so that even when you have left this world for the pyres, you will exist in my Kingdom... but how does that get you back?” K’nell looked back down at Wenbo and then the Dreamers.
He gave a cheshire grin. “My kingdom is leaving, it is exiting the cycle of pain and unliving to exist as an infinite heaven. It shall find its place in a new world inside my dreamscape, a world of infinite possibility and space, but one without destruction and obliteration, one without a meaningless life and an endless cycle of death and undeath. All who remain here shall join me there as I bring heaven to Tendlepog and Tendlepog to heaven, and to all who leave...” He looked deep into Wenbo’s eyes, “Meditate upon Moksha, remember my name and pray to me -- so that on the final day of your final breath, even if the pyres claim your souls -- they will never claim you, but I will. You will be home, no matter your deeds, and I will grant you eternal life with a new soul that cannot be taken from you, so that you may frolic in infinity to do all you wish.”
Wenbo seemed at the break of tears. He collapsed to his knees and put his forehead to the ground. As he did, Ai, Cai, Ren, Naran and Qi all stepped forward and joined him. About five more from the Wen family stepped forth. A couple from Zhongcheng and Laia’s family stepped forth, as well; as did six from Bayarmaa and Li’s family. Temüjin’s family offered no one, in the end, and from Chagatai and Altansarnai came no one either.
Wenbo whimpered a little as he said, “Thank you, greatest God… Thank you.”
The others in the crowd also whispered words of gratitude between sobs and sniffs.
“The land sleeps,” K’nell said, “Talk among yourselves, and keep my words as I leave you to discuss. I will see you all in my eternal kingdom.”
With little else, the god turned and began to walk into the forest, a viola appearing under his chin as he played his sleepy music, ensuring the privacy of the Dreamers from any would be eavesdroppers.
Hermes was the first to speak, pushing her words quickly at Xiaoli, a beaming smile on her face as if she asked an unvoiced question she already knew the answer to. She bounced her eyebrows twice, “Well!?”
Xiaoli blinked. “W-well, what?”
Hermes rolled her eyes, “We did it, Xiaoli.” She grabbed her hand, “We found the other way -- or well K’nell did, but you get it.”
Xiaoli furrowed her brows and pursed her lips. “W-well, it’s… Unconventional to say the least. To pull the entire continent out of Galbar and serve as a second alternative to the Pyres… Won’t overpopulation be an issue?”
“In an infinite land?” Hermes cocked a playful brow, jittery with an excitement that contrasted Xiaoli’s caution.
“Oh, infinite size-wise, too?” Xiaoli mumbled. “I’m sorry, this whole… Seemingly insane alterations of the natural laws is all a little… Stunning.”
“Remember what the skeleton said about the laws?” Hermes squeezed Xiaoli’s hand, her smile fading, “This is the change we needed, love. K’nell cares about us, he likely spent eons upon eons thinking this over and planning it. Don’t you want an inexhaustible land where we are free from the cycle of the pyres without sacrificing who we are? A place where we can become whatever we wish?” She grinned, attempting to force one out of Xiaoli, “Think of the adventures.”
“Yeah… Yeah, I like the sound of that very much,” she said, a little absent-mindly, perhaps.
“Xiaoli...” Hermes put her arms over her wife’s neck, “I think it is your turn to let go,” She smiled, “The sooner you do, the sooner we can collectively disgust all our descendents at the same time with an overly-emotional hug. You know I’ve been wanting to do that since Ren was born.”
Xiaoli giggled quietly to herself. “His Lordship will be heartbroken… Sure, we haven’t seen each other in a long time, but we still chat at least once a week. Can I even reach him from the other side?”
Hermes sighed, although it wasn’t an upset one, she placed her head on Xiaoli’s shoulder, “Two things, love.” She said into her ear, “First, a going away party -- second, we can ask.”
“A going away party?” She eyed Wenbo and his family, who were all in the middle of discussing the reasons for leaving again. “Yeah… A party is at least warranted, given the circumstances. Laia, Ansong! Come help me in the kitchens, please - we’re making a feast to celebrate!”
“Wait, Xiaoli!” Hermes tugged her wife back to her. Xiaoli veered.
“What, what?”
Hermes squeezed her close, “I didn’t get my hug.”
Xiaoli blinked and smiled so broadly that Hermes could feel her cheek contort. She squeezed back with all the glee and joy she could, nearly picking Hermes up in the process. “Oh, Hermes, you’ll get hugs for all eternity now!”
“And we are going to explore so much, we are really going to test out this ‘infinite’ clause,” Hermes pecked a kiss onto Xiaoli’s cheek, “Now how about I go pray to Shengshi while you break out the good plates.” She winked.
“Sounds great! Just, uhm… Remember to be polite, please?” Meanwhile, Ansong and Laia had brought along their children into the kitchens already. “Please?”
“Of course, love,” Hermes shook her head with an amused grin, “You’d think after all these years, you could trust me with a few simple thingymabobs and words.”
With a cheshire grin that exposed more excitement and cheerfulness than thoughtfulness, Hermes all but bounced away, her sandals suddenly flapping as she quickly rushed to the far side of the estate and out of earshot.
The Shengshese shrine was a beautifully carven stone altar, draped on top with red, materialised silk. In the stone, there was written the poem “Three Forks of the River” from the Classic of Wisdom in calligraphic script. On top of the silk drape laid bowls of now-admittedly old fruit, gold ornaments and a small jade figurine of Shengshi himself.
Hermes walked up to it and cleared her throat. Shaking her arms out and doing maybe an excessive wiggle of one of her legs, she plopped into a messy kowtow. She nudged herself into a better position and inhaled deeply.
“His Lordship Shengshi, Master of the rivers, King of all that is... fruits, hear my prayer.” She hesitated, thinking it sounded a touch too demanding, “...If you feel like it.” She smiled to herself, a job well done.
The aura around the altar quickly thickened, and the air began to smell of cooked fish, steamed rice and tangy wine -- Hermes stomach loudly gurgled, and she stifled a childish giggle. An invisible pair of reptilian eyes fell upon Hermes and there came an ‘oh!’.
“Why, hello there, young Hermes! I must say, of all the people and creatures on this world I had thought would contact me directly, you are not very high on the list. Is, uhm… Is everything alright between you and Xiaoli?”
“Well now that you bring it up,” Hermes took the cue to break her kowtow, sitting up and folding her legs, “She’s been doing this thing lately, where she kicks at me in her sleep. Do you do that? Is it a thing you guys just do, like a tick? Mind you, she’s been dreaming for years now. One night I tried to wrestle her away but she took it as--” Hermes cleared her throat, “Well.”
There came another hum, slightly uncomfortable in nature. “I am not quite certain how I feel about discussing my avatar’s--... My own-... Uhm… Anyway, I believe I am actually incapable of kicking, so that is something she does on her own.”
“Oh right,” Hermes scrunched her nose, unsure if she should continue. She shook her head, “I really prayed to you because I have big news, and Xiaoli is busy preparing a feast in honor of the news so I told her that I would contact you instead -- it’s been long enough, I’d say.” Hermes put her fists on her hips, “You know, Xiaoli was quite upset when you missed her birthday. It took me a very long time to convince her to subscribe to the idea of having one. She wouldn’t tell you that she was upset about it, even though I told her you should know.”
“... Why in the world would she not tell me that? Or rather, why did she get upset with me for not knowing?”
Hermes squinted, eyes flickering as she mumbled to herself, “Could be she was just trying to get out of it... damn!” She made a fist, “Anything to avoid the days when I cook dinner.”
Taking in a deep breath, Hermes calmed herself down, the jitters still clearly assaulting her, “Okay, I’m sorry, we got way off topic. I’m suppose to be inviting you down to Tendlepog for a huge going away party and to talk about some things.”
“A going away party? All the way over on Tendlepog? Wait, who is going away? Is it for Wenbo and his family, perhaps? Because I will be there quite shortly, as soon as I have toured the eastern shore of Atokhekwoi.”
“Well, yes for them,” Hermes had recently learned about that and wasn’t too sure how she felt about it just yet, “But also, well.” She pursed her lips, “K’nell has some things he has to tell you.” She craned her neck uncomfortably, “I’m sure of it -- but but! Don’t worry, everything is fine.”
There was a silence. “Your tone, diction and body language all indicate that whatever it is, it is either very serious, very important, or very well acted. Nevertheless, I am turning my ship as we speak. I will see you on Tendlepog post-haste.”
“Well wait,” Hermes spoke up, “Shengshi, um.” She lost her trail of thought, too nervous to spill the news when he was this far away and without K’nell to back her up. She sighed, “Poppler missed you, see you soon.”
”Crackle?”
There came a sigh. “I am certain he has.” Then the aura disappeared.
A good part of the day went by, with Xiaoli and her children working hard on preparing for the massive feasts, fit for double the amount of Dreamers in existence. While this was bustling about, K’nell had returned, his viola still playing as to keep away any would be trespassers on the event -- his army of nightmares ever present and the Warden almost enjoying himself as he emboldened his own patrols. Luckily, the viola could play itself while K’nell interacted with his creations, going so far as to approach Wenbo once more and hand him a particularly silver amulet bearing the mark of K’nell.
The chain danged from Wenbo’s hand, the pendant laying in his palm. K’nell’s grainy voiced explained simply, “This amulet will always be on a dreamer’s neck, so long as there are dreamers on Galbar. It will find one if it isn’t presented one, and once attached it will repeat the words I have spoken to you, the instructions of the Moksha, whenever prompted -- or if my words are ever forgotten by some horrible circumstance, it will remind whatever dreamer it finds -- so that all may not be lost on Galbar. It will also protect whoever bears it, as it is infused with my great power -- and will put even Gods to sleep should they wish harm upon whoever holds my word, this amulet. This is but a safety mechanism for you and your descendants, but the true defense against falling astray will be heeding my words outright, and ensuring that they are not buried by the ages to come. Know that eternity and higher knowing awaits you on your return, as do I.”
“And I.” Chagatai bowed deeply towards K’nell, hiding a teary face. Keeping it hidden, he quickly embraced his wide eye’d brother, large arms constricting the man. Wenbo blinked, but broke out of the awe-caused trance quickly enough to return the hug, albeit not as mightily as the one he received.
“... The twins won’t ever die,” he vowed.
“No, no they won’t,” Chagatai held Wenbo out and looked him over, “But the wait will be terrible.”
K’nell smirked, as if amused at the notion of the wait -- when in his eyes he had waited eons for this moment. He put a hand on Wenbo, “Good luck.” With a warm cheshire grin, K’nell then slinked away from them, long gentlemanly strides bringing him to face the southern horizon -- a shift in the wind collecting in his ear.
He folded his elbows square behind his back, and Hermes stepped beside him, squinting to find what he was looking at. The two stood in silence for a while before K’nell suddenly spoke, “Why are you alive?” His eyes flicked down to Hermes, a small grin on his face.
Hermes scrunched her nose teasingly, “Because I’m loved.”
A sharp exhale left K’nell’s nose and he looked back up at the horizon, “More than you know.”
Slowly a striking glimmer hit the horizon, like the dust of a diamond in the wind. A grain of gold glittering in the skylight became a nugget, then a bar, then a castle on top of a ship’s hull. It dwarfed even the upgraded mansion in terms of size, and had to carefully maneuver itself to not obliterate the vegetable gardens and the forest. Eventually, it found a compromised solution some distance away from the mansion, and roughly twenty minutes later, the snake ducked under the top of the mansion gates and opened his arms in joyous salutations.
“To have friends come from far and near; to see them all surround you here; it dulls the painful, sore and tart; and brings the best of love to heart,” the snake thundered to the beat of a thousand marching footsteps outside the walls, followed by a multitude of loud thuds.
Xiaoli giggled at the poem, walked over to her creator, bowed as she looked past him towards the gate, which really didn’t tell her much about what was going on outside. “My Lord, it is this servant’s deepest joy to express its welcomes to you; a quick question, if you wouldn’t mind… What did you bring?”
“Some refreshments,” the snake said politely.
“Reeeaaally?” Hermes formed a sly grin, a thirsty cloudling buzzing around her.
“If this servant can ask,” Altansarnai stood next to her mother, the two nearly identical -- especially with a thirsty cloudling named Dumpling buzzing around her as well, “What sort of refreshments?”
The snake eyed the two dreamers with the sort of look one gives twins when trying to remember who’s who. He decided it didn’t matter much and crossed his muscular arms across his broad chest. “The only one suitable for a feast. Bring it in.”
The Dreamers stared in awe at a sudden conveyor belt of sand-skinned creatures quite similar to themselves in dress and form, though radically different in other respects. They came in groups of six, each carrying a sealed pot that sloshed and splashed loudly in spite of its seal. These were stacked along the wall until there were enough to essentially make a second wall. The snake smirked at the cloudlings.
“Let us see if they can drink -this- up. Dreamers, worthy people, come - come and taste the nectar of the gods!”
Poppler crackled heavily, little dew drops forming on it’s fluffy exterior. Dumpling seemed to pop in kind, the two zipping as quickly as they could towards the wall, Hermes walking politely behind and giving Xiaoli a sheepish shrug.
“I can’t really refuse such a drink,” She defended against nothing.
The snake smiled, dug his hand into the ground and scooped up some dirt. The dirt became clay cups in his hands, two of which he handed to Xiaoli and Hermes. “Take as much as you want - Xiaoli, I trust that you can provide cups for the rest?”
The avatar smiled and rolled her eyes. “Naturally. What am I, mortal?”
The two exchanged a smug laughter. A sudden playful smack hit Xiaoli’s arm and Hermes gave her a funny glare before accepting her cup, “You two, I swear.” She flickered between them, leaving to go get herself a drink.
K’nell raised a brow and stepped in her place, looking directly at the snake god, “It is good that you came.”
“Ah, my dearest brother K’nell,” the snake said and shook his hand with a respectful smile. “I was hoping to find you right this moment, actually. It is all well and admirable for you to host a farewell celebration, but Hermes was awfully vague as to whom we are saying farewell to. Would you mind filling me in?”
“I wouldn’t at all,” K’nell smiled and slipped out a silver tin, to which he discreetly presented it to Shengshi, “Shall we take a walk?”
“Oh, why, I would love to.” He snapped his head around to look Xiaoli in the eyes just as she downed a cup of wine. She nearly coughed it back up. “Drink responsibly.”
The avatar, still coughing violently, nodded as best she could. The snake, now satisfied that a responsible adult had been left in his place, accepted the silver tin, extracted a cigarillo and followed K’nell out of the mansion.
“You know,” K’nell said without moving his lips, the cigarillo bouncing in his mouth as he went to light it. With a sudden spark of fire and an opaque puff of smoke, K’nell continued as they walked into the forest, “I don’t think we’ve walked since -- well since we granted Hermes her fertility.” He held out his hand, a lick of flame floating above his finger, the orange licks snapping at the end of Shengshi’s smoke. The snake hummed pensively.
“We had a short stroll right after the death of Vakk, I believe - though there was a much heavier air that day.”
“Ah true,” K’nell nodded, “You know, my Warden still regails the nightmares about that day, as if they weren’t there -- I dare say it was his favorite day. Bloodthirsty, but I have to admit he is efficient and loves his job. Loyal as can be.”
K’nell scrunched his brows down, “Ah but you are here for something else, something much more important.” He plucked his cigarillo from his mouth, “Do you remember our talk about Paradise?”
“How could I forget? Your lessons are quite easy to commit to memory.” The snake winked at the dream god.
K’nell exhaled sharply from his nose, inciting a short ‘Ha!’ before shaking his head. Still smiling, he continued, “Well, Shengshi, I have done it. I have secured heaven.” He then went into detail about his plans, what he had told the dreamers, and how he was soon to depart Galbar with his creations, but right as Shengshi’s brow began to fall, he said something new:
“This new realm will be cut off from the other gods, of course, to ensure the safety of heaven and freedom of its denizens -- all but two,” He sucked in a breath, “Myself, as I will be committing myself to its upkeep and the like -- and you. You are half of the Dreamers, I will never deny that, and you have not only made yourself a friend and family to them, but you made them -- you made Xiaoli a promise, one I will not allow my actions to break.” K’nell looked up at Moksha, the great nebula glistening in the sky.
The snake eyed the rift in the heavens and sat himself down on a nearby rock, taking in a long drag from the cigarillo. “So… You actually did it. You actually broke the cycle?”
“It would seem,” K’nell answered through a cloud of smoke, “And without taking from it, mind you. The Architect will have his, and I will have mine -- I’d invite you along completely, but I have a feeling you have things you need to stay for?”
The snake chuckled to himself. “An overwhelming offer, if I am to be honest. The thought of governing and maintaining a paradise alongside you, my dear, dear friend, is tempting beyond words… However, as you say, my mission here remains incomplete. Still, if the doors of heaven are open to a silly old fool like me, then I will gladly visit from time to time.”
“I figured as much and I don’t envy you,” K’nell winked, “But yes! You must visit, in fact, or I’m afraid Xiaoli-- well. Remember what I said about the mind first finding paradise?” He smiled wide, “Here is how you may visit -- as I’m afraid the dreamscape will be a level removed from Galbar without the gateways, so bear with me: I will be too busy to allow in most people, or even entertain dreams often, but every weaver knows that there is one subconscious that may come to the palace and be granted its autonomy immediately, and allowed into the heavens that abound there. So dream on, my friend, and every dream will be of heaven -- your other family awaiting you.” K’nell finished his cigarillo and flicked the butt into the air, the whole thing disappearing into a spray of blue sparkles before hitting the ground.
“Beautifully poetic, my dear friend,” the snake snickered and flicked his own cigarillo in the same manner. “I certainly hope I still may conjure food and drink for this family of mine even in my deepest dreams.”
“In a turn of phrase often yelled at me by a young mortal I once created: why not?” K’nell’s cheshire grin was unyielding, “Just do me one favor, and look after the Wen family -- I know they will be returning upon their deaths should they choose it, but I think I would prefer their lives on Galbar to be much more than their deaths.”
Shengshi nodded deeply and pounded his chest with a knit fist. “You have my word. The Wen clan will be under my protection, and I believe I have devised a solution to young Wenbo’s wanderlust.” The snake tapped his temple with a pair of fingers.
“I’m sure his parents will appreciate this, go on?” K’nell folded his hands in anticipation.
“I have dabbled quite a bit in city building of late, and Wenbo and Ai’s request for comfortable travel gave me some ideas. It will be well-defended, self-sufficient and, as demanded, quite comfortable. The details, however, I will explain to you in a dream.”
“Ah, I had no idea you took a few steps towards becoming the God of Suspense,” K’nell formed an amused grin, “Very well... shall we brave the drunk mortals? I fear for Xiaoli.”
“She has handled drunk gods. She can easily herd a number of tipsy mortals.”
“It’s not the herd that concerns me,” K’nell raised his brow and turned towards the estate.
A gratuitous amount of cloudlings had seemed to have either descended on the scene or simply popped up from one of the existing ones. Dreamers everywhere were laughing and mingling: a few wrestling matches had broken out, with Bataar as the current champion. In one corner, Zhongcheng was having his own wrestling match, drunkenly kissing all over his wife's face, much to their children’s chagrin. Urangtai had been discussing the trip with Wenbo, only leaving when Song came looking for him. By the spot where Hermes’ workbench used to be, the two mothers of this all sat on a mess of cushions.
Hermes was grinning madly, her high cheekbones causing her eyes to squint with delight as she stared at her wife with a drunken stupor. Lucky for Xiaoli, she had drank past her more annoying style of drunkenness, the kind where she considers herself immortal as well as the greatest at everything and has now slipped into her silent admiration stage. Finally she droned, “Xiaoooliiiiiiiii...?”
While it usually took a lethal amount of wine to even push a god into the tipsy stage, Xiaoli had sipped on the mood of the festivities as well as the wine. She flashed her wife a playful, inebriated grin. “What is it, dear?”
Hermes splayed out and laid in her wife’s lap, “Aresh you happy, loff?” She did a half yawn, half hiccup.
“The happiest, my deares-- hic! Oh my, pardon - I was saying that I am the happiest wossname, woman on this planet as of, of this moment. No wait, I have been for a long time, but… Oh, listen to me wamble, ramble.” She giggled perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
Hermes laughed along, “You shound rearry drunk, loff.” She closed her eyes, “Will you be fhish ha-happy in heaven, loff?”
“Oh, you shilly lil’ Hermy-wormy - I’m happy ashlong as I have yooo.” She emptied another cup into her mouth. “H-hey! Zhongy! Be wossname, civil, you brat!” She then broke into a wild cackle.
Hermes went to speak, but instead let out a long rebellious burp and then broke into a tearful laugh. As if it was a battlecry, several of her children and grandkids let out some of their own, Chagatai topping them with a baritone roar that earned him a nod of respect from his wife. Hermes fell into a fit of giggles, rolling off of Xiaoli and onto the tiles of the courtyard.
“Xiaoli!” Hermes called out. She groggily punched the air a few times, “Let’sh fight, let’sh do it.”
Xiaoli frowned at the very suggestion. “But, but why? I love you! I don’t wanna wossname, smack you.”
“Awh, I loff you too, sandy cheeksh,” Hermes sat up, “But I was jush saying for fun.” She thumbed behind her, “Look at our kidsh.”
Behind Hermes, Bataar had one of Li’s son’s in a perfect headlock, the once cocky younger cousin’s face a beat red. Bataar was roaring with laughter, a few of the unwed Dreamers swooning near him while his wife shot terrible glares at them. Bayarmaa was telling somewhat slurred stories about her late teens, causing a few of the youngsters listening to go on a quest in search of either cold baths or more wine. Ai sat combing the messed up hair of the violently reluctant Cai, but luckily for the grandmother, her granddaughter was much too wasted to actually be able to break out. Wenbo tried to convince Batu, Erden and Nugai to join him and look for dreamshrooms, but was nigh immediately shut down by a stern, scolding Ansong slapping him with a rolled up towel.
“That’s it!” Li suddenly announced, a morin khuur in his hands, his first born, Li Enzan, holding his own. The two, now with the attention of the least drunk dreamers, began to strike the strings with the bow, releasing a droningly beautiful song. Chagatai clapped his mighty hands twice, “Bayarma! Sing!”
He stood up and cupped his hands, “Bayarma!” Soon Bataar dropped Li’s other son and stood up straight, cupping his own hands.
“Sing! Sing! Sing!” Quickly the Dreamers started chanting at the woman to sing, with even Hermes walking up to her daughter and putting a hand on her shoulder.
“Your sho lovely, my baby, why don’t you sing?” Hermes gave a slanted smirk, “I’ll join in, come on.”
Bayarmaa sighed, rolled her eyes playfully and patted her nearest, now mentally scarred grandchild on the head. She rose up, cleared her throat and sang as loudly as she could. Considering her balance and the colour in her face, she sang beautifully, with good tonal control and management of intensity.
Temüjin clapped his hands with a mighty cackle, then decided to join in with some deep, reverberating, two-toned throat singing. His children and grandchildren called out in support and began to clap a rhythm which quickly spread outwards. Chagatai threw a mighty arm around Temüjin, joining in with his own quickly vibrating vocals. A shy Urangtai hooked onto Chagatai but quickly found his courage as he blasted a well trained voice, and soon a chain was formed of the men, while some of the women sang back -- the Li clan playing their instruments with furious skill. Wenbo chipped in with his flute, joined by Ren, Tian and De.
Hermes closed her eyes and began to sing along, what lyrics there were among the throat singing telling of the time Zhongcheng was chased by at least twenty chameleon squirrels, and of the time Chagatai wrestled a tree -- and this one time Wenbo managed to trick all of the other nine original children into doing his chores for half a week so he could set up a special date -- including his own date.
Laughter spread at certain parts and Hermes put an arm around her wife’s waist, urging her to join in with her divine vocals. Xiaoli scoffed amiably and began to sing with such wild enthusiasm that it felt uncanny coming from her. She jumped into Hermes’ arms and swung her arms around her neck. Hermes grinned so widely and so stupidly, her face threatened to melt into two.
A blast of another morin khuur entered the soundscape as K’nell came walking in, his advanced skill allowing him to move while he played, a gentle twinkle in his eyes. The Dreamers cheered as their god brought forth unique and new cords and sounds, adding to the party. Soon the song broke into various activities, some dancing, some singing, others going back to wrestling -- and others still just chatting or holding each other.
K’nell smiled a cheshire grin, Shengshi coming to slither next to him. Hermes looked up from her hug with Xiaoli and began to drunkenly struggle, “Look Xiaoliiii! It’s Sh-Shengshii.” Xiaoli immediately lost all colour in her face and turned to the snake with a look of terror, but the snake merely smiled back.
“Having fun?” he said with a chuckle.
Xiaoli swallowed. The snake approached with a slight frown. “Are you afraid?”
“It’s just,” Xiaoli started, “I’ve not been wossname, inebree… Inebriatuh… Inebriated in, in, in front of His Lordship before.”
“And jush why not, why not can’t she?” Hermes defended Xiaoli unprompted, “Hif Lordship invented it.” She grinned at Shengshi, clearly plastered, “Thank you.”
“Woah, woah, I never said she could not,” the snake protested. “In fact, here is my answer to your fear.” The snake slithered over to a pot, took it by one of the head-sized handles on the side and tilted it to his mouth like it was a fifty litre tankard. While he spilled a good deal over himself, he managed to drink almost all of it in the matter of seconds. He wiped his mouth afterwards and extended his arms outwards like a champion. “Drink, I say! Drink and enjoy life!” He let out a burp. “Also, that was quite uncivilised of me - I apologise.”
Xiaoli couldn’t decide between cackling and thinking back to suppressed traumas of the last time His Lordship consumed wine at such a pace. She decided to cackle instead, exploding into a wild laughter. “Okay, okay, okay - gimme another cup!”
The snake handed her a top-full cup. He then snapped his fingers and some servants brought in dutifully through the door a broad guzheng. The snake slithered over to it and flexed the muscles in his face in the way one does to verify that alcohol is affecting you. He listened to the music intently, then began to pluck on complementary strings, backing up the beautiful Dreamer orchestra with energetic strings.
“Oh dash it all,” K’nell’s cheshire smile creeped past his nose and he took out a cigarillo from his silver tin. With one long pull, the end of the cigarillo turned a bright amber, slowly traveling up the whole length until only crumbling ash remained. With a grainy laugh that seemed to swirl away from the god, he exhaled. A flood of thick purple smoke poured from his nostrils and mouth, engulfing the area in a haze, pupil’s slowly dilating. Jittering feelings of happiness followed, as did amused laughs. Headaches from the alcohol seemed to fade, and the party quickly turned into one wild festival.
“Shengshi,” Hermes gripped the god’s arm tightly, forgetting her manners.
The snake turned a groggy face to Hermes. “Yesh, uh-... Person, wossname, Hermes.”
“Oh, sho thatsh where she gets it,” Hermes narrowed her eyes briefly before squeezing Shenghi’s arm again, “Thank you for making Xiaoli. I really l- hic. I really l- hic. I really like her, you know.”
The snake tugged at the wrong string and cursed in some eldritch tongue before smiling happily at Hermes. “Oh, wash the leastaicouldoo. She really likes youtoo, y’know. Like, I know -all- about, about that.”
In a moment of rarity, Hermes blushed, “Yeah, I know, she told me she likes me.” Hermes cackled, “Well, wait.” She nearly went cross-eyed as she attempted a serious face, “Whash you mean you know aaaaaaallll about it.”
The snake raised an eyebrow. “Well, she’s me, right? And I’m, uh…” He blinked. “Her. Sho, like, I feel what, uh, she feels.”
“Sho you felt last week,” Hermes grinned madly, laughing to herself before gently slapping Shengshi’s arm, “Well shtop it. She’s- She’s my wife.”
The snake’s mouth flattened out. “I meant in her wossname, heart - not her, uh… How do you two--”
“Shhh!” Hermes narrowed her eyes, “Lesh just keep it at you feel her heart. Snappin’ we asking questionsh what the hell is up with her ankles, your Lordship?” The dreamer sat up and threw her hands in the air, “Whash happened with that!?”
“A-ankles?” the snake responded. “What ‘bout ‘em?”
“Where the- how the,” Hermes pointed at Shengshi’s tail, “You ain’t got no legsh. And and, Xiaoli doeshn’t have any bonesh!” Hermes lifted her leg to show off the bump of her ankle, “I have one, itsh a joint, but Xiaoli.” She shook her head, “But you shtill gave her the bump, how did you know?”
“... Huh…” the snake hummed and eyed Xiaoli’s feet narrowly as he tugged at his beard with a little too much concentration. “... Why did I do that?”
A loud crack sounded from the Dreamer host as Temüjin and Chagatai had begun dancing on a table and subsequently ended the table’s wooden life. As cackles and clapping spread outwards, Xiaoli pouted a little. “My table…”
“Oh shush, you can make another in a second,” Shengshi scolded playfully and struck a crescending series of notes.
“I got you, loff!” Hermes stood up too fast, falling forward and planting her face right into the ground. She pointed a finger outward, “Chaggie! No!” She rolled to her side and wiggled her nose, thankfully intact, “You too, Temujin!”
Chagatai bowed his head out of respect, but a smile was on his face, “My fault, mom, my fault.”
“It alwash is,” Hermes shook her head.
Suddenly Bataar came out of nowhere, tackling his father to the ground, “A-ha! Got you now, old man!” The taunt summoned a loud laugh from Chagatai as the two began to roll around in an attempt to get the upper hand.
“Wen-Wen!” Hermes called out, as Poppler took her place by Shengshi, “Help your mother up.”
Wenbo, sensing the urgency, immediately tripped over one of his passed out daughters and slammed into the ground. Ren, Tian and De all scrambled to help him back up, and for once in his life, Wenbo now had two blue-ringed eyes. He rubbed his sore face as he staggered over to Hermes, kept in balance by a helpful pair of his soberer daughters and granddaughters.
“Be right there, mom,” the old dreamer mumbled partially through the nose. One of his daughters, Wen Feng, dutifully dabbed her sleeve on the side of his mouth with a sigh before returning to her duty of keeping her father upright. In the end, it was the two girls that helped Hermes to her feet again while Wenbo sat on a nearby pillow with his head hanging over his lap.
Hermes thanked her granddaughters each with a big drunk hug before stumbling over to sit with her son. She gently took his chin and examined his new wound. She pouted and pecked a motherly kiss on his forehead, right above the bruise. “My little baby.”
Wenbo barely responded, and sort of just fell against Hermes in a limp manner. Hermes cradled her son and hummed softly, thinking to herself -- this is why. She’s alive because she is loved, and because she loves. She smiled down at her adult son and smiled wide, and now they will never be lost -- not the fires, not to the other gods, not swallowed by Galbar, they are saved.
A tear formed in her eye and she looked up to see K’nell smiling at her, to which she returned one, “I’m going to miss him.” She all but mouthed. K’nell gave a tiny shake of his head, his voice appearing beside Hermes’ ear.
“Only for so long, my child. Only for so long.”
Happy tears began to fall down her face and drip off her angled chin. She sobbed gently as she stroked her son’s hair, the inebriation turning her into a slight mess of tears, “I love everyone so much.”
Xiaoli balanced over as best she could and sat down next to Hermes. She softly caressed Hermes’ cheek, then Wenbo’s, their son’s wrinkling face almost not seen by Hermes, her motherly eyes simply seeing the bright young face of her second born.
“I’ll… I’ll miss him too,” Xiaoli whimpered and sniffed. A fourth figure joined the small crowd, Ai. She gave her husband a weak, wry smile and then put her head on Xiaoli’s shoulder, Xiaoli laying her head against hers again. A meaty hand fell over Ai’s shoulder, another on Hermes’ as Chagatai’s face appeared between his mother and sister’s heads. He rested his chin on their shoulders.
“Room for one more?” He looked down at his twin, his own striped face almost identical.
“... And another?” came another voice from above, and Bayarmaa’s soft, beaming face came into view over Xiaoli’s shoulder.
“Fbbt..” Zhongcheng gurgled as he crawled up to the group and placed his face into the cushions between the others, one hand reaching out to grab his mother’s hand, “It’ll--” A drunk yawn, “--It’ll be okay.” Laia shuffled over and sat down next to her husband, clapping him affectionately on his balding head and flashing her mothers a smile.
“Whrs yee…” Wenbo grumbled into Hermes’ arm and instinctively she shushed him, rocking his drunken head slowly.
“So thish’sh whurrth-... Wossname, party went?!” Temüjin shouted before crashing into a pillow as well, a giggling Li following suit. Ansong stuffed a few slices of fruit in her mouth, flushed them down with a wine cup, nearly choked and then finally made her way over.
Blue hair draped over Chagatai’s face and he let out a ‘pfft!” A smiling Altansarnai hovering over, “What a scene.” She said, with bright Hermian eyes. Poppler and Dumpling floating above her.
“Indeed,” K’nell agreed, a certain emotion in his voice, “A scene worth saving.” He smiled.
The snake plucked some final notes on his guzheng and giggled. “Life unveils great goods: honour, glory, wealth ‘n joy; none beats family.”
“None,” Hermes agreed with a wide sobering smile, “And this is the greatest family... I’m so happy to be apart of it. And none of it would have been possible if you two didn’t aid me in my quest -- if you didn’t believe in me. I-” She choked on sentimentality, “I have been alive since the dawn of creation, the world was so empty... but this -- its --” She started to cry silently, still emotional from the alcohol, “It’s as full as anything.” She said without much poetry, “In all history, this is it, right here. This is everything I have ever wanted.”
“And it forever will be, and more,” K’nell comforted, the party starting to quiet as various members began to pass out or stumble home with less drunk individuals, “I promise.”
The snake swung an arm around K’nell’s shoulders and chuckled a satisfied bass. “I offer anyone whose road home to too long a stay aboard my ship. There are rooms there for each and every one, and breakfast in the morning included.”
Ai looked down at Wenbo again and sighed. “We might take you up on that, Your Lordship.”
The snake winked at her and smiled at K’nell. “Well, then - should we call it a night?”
“Mm,” K’nell looked about as he held a hum, “I’d say that’s a good idea -- we have a big day in the morning.” He pursed his lips at the sounds of several groaning Dreamers who had partied far to hard, “Or afternoon.” He winked at the snake.
The snake followed his gaze and smirked, though there was a sober sadness to the smile, as well. He sighed gently and nodded. “Yes… That we do.”
As the party dissipated and the land grew quiet, a gentle breeze roamed in the Dreamer’s stead. Standing on the flat rock of the plains, the very spot where K’nell had begun his journey, the god stared into the distance. In silence he watched the tall sweet grass sway with the wind. Closing his eyes and inhaled and slowly exhaled.
“Yes?” He suddenly asked. The Warden sat atop his horse, head bowed in respect -- having appeared seemingly out of thin air.
“My Lord, I wished to simply express my gratitude.” The Warden’s voice echoed with a hint of sadness, “For life, and for this task that is now ending.”
“Ah yes,” K’nell opened his eyes and looked over at his Warden, “Think nothing of it, my dear Warden -- your performance was exemplary. Truly I could not have created a better being to do the job you had before you -- and now to see how well you perform on your next task.”
“My Lord?” What could have been anticipating glee scratched into the Warden’s voice.
“You have served me well, Warden, I feel it would be... uncouth of me to not offer you two positions of promotion,” K’nell folded his elbows square behind his back. The Warden bowed his helmeted head in respect and K’nell continued, “Heaven will have little need of this army of terror -- but I am willing to offer you a position in it as its protector of course. On the other hand, I offer you a task dangerously similar, but with a clause.”
“You have captured my attention, my Lord.” The Warden raised his head back up.
“Shall I give you position and rank in heaven and call it done, or shall I do the very same but add the clause that you may be summoned back to Galbar by a tool of power wielded by the Clan of Wen -- to protect them should they ever be in dire need.” K’nell smiled softly, the wicked thoughts of the Warden growing wildly inside his helmet.
“I think I would very much prefer the latter, my Lord,” The Warden bowed his head, “Grant me this position, and I swear when called that no foe of the Clan of Wen will stand to harm your creations and their children.”
“Exercise the same caution you exercised here when called, and I will say it is done.”
“My Lord.” The Warden bowed his head, sword hand clenching and unclenching.
Golden rays revealed specks of dust in the air as Wenbo opened his groggy eyes. His blurred vision failed to lock onto anything at first, and it took several blinks to truly chase away the exhaustion clogging up his vision. His head pounded like a drum, and it took a lot of focus for him to realise that the mahogany roof was awfully nicer than the mouldy thatch he was used to seeing.
“Are you awake, my love?” came a sweet voice and as Wenbo turned to its source, his heartbeat increased to the point where it threatened to kill him. There, by a golden door, stood his wife dressed in a white silk shirt and a long, blue silk skirt which was tied right above her bosom. Over the white shirt she wore a translucent coat of sky blue linen. Her alabaster hair was tied in a large bun with an ocean blue ribbon and her face was rouged and adorned with smokey eyeshadow.
“What do you think?” she asked sweetly.
Wenbo had to pick his jaw back up from the floor. For a moment, every ache and pound thundering through his old skull vanished completely and the old dreamer rose slowly out of bed, ogling his wife like a tree-eater looks at trunks. Ai giggled sweetly and hid her smile behind a twenty-one-folded fan.
“Easy there, Thinker - we’ve got a breakfast to get to.”
She elegantly rose, the folds in her dress dropping like dow to the floor without even making a sound. She winked playfully at her husband as she opened the door. “Don’t be late now,” she whispered as she left. The door closed and Wenbo stood on the floor of the beautifully decorated room a bit like a rock in a gold mine. In a fit of speed he charged at the wardrobe and pulled it open. The mountains and waterfalls of different clothes and dresses inside baffled the man. There was no way he could decide - especially not now that the pounding was back. Oh, gods, it just got worse and worse… Now it was audible, even.
“Master Wenbo?” came a voice from outside the door.
Wenbo turned around and blinked. It hadn’t been his head after all, huh. “Oh, uh… C-come in.”
The door swung open extravagantly and ushered in ten servants who all lined up in two rows and kowtowed before Wenbo, causing him to flinch into a defensive position. “Good morning, master Wenbo - this servant is named Fu Shan, and these are its assistants. They have come to aid in your preparation to eat with His Lordship.”
Wenbo swallowed. “I-I don’t think--”
“Please have a seat in this chair,” Fu Shan insisted as a chair was seemingly pulled out of nowhere and tackled Wenbo’s calves, forcing him to take a seat. A mirror popped up in front of the dreamer and he recoiled at the gruesomely rugged face staring back at him before recognising its owner with some shame and disappointment. Three pairs of hands made quick work of it, though, using soap, knives and oils to wash, shave and moisturise his face into a ten year younger version of itself. Wenbo furrowed his brow at the person in the mirror, struggling to recognise it.
The servants clipped and polished his nails on both his hands and feet, switched his undergarments before Wenbo could notice, and styled his black hair into a skinny bun crowned with a red hat with golden horns. Wenbo sat gaping at the stranger in the mirror as the servants dressed him in crimson silk robes patterned with gold and lavender, draped over blue and purple undergarments, armed with powerful shoulder plates adorned with yet more gold. His sleeves were far too long to be practical, and the shoes put on his feet could have served as weights in Bataar’s training pit.
“Is the master satisfied?” Fu Shan asked politely.
Wenbo ran a hand along his clean-shaven chin and nodded slowly. “You are indescribably skilled,” he whispered.
Fu Shan and the others smiled courteously. “The master is most kind. The master may proceed to the deck. Li Yun will take you there.”
“O-oh, thank you,” Wenbo managed before he was nearly pulled along by a very eager robed servant. As they went into the hallway overlooking the feast hall down below, Wenbo noticed the servant had an incredible tempo, and struggled to keep up in the cumbersome dress. The servant turned on numberous occasions to help Wenbo along, smiling wordlessly all along.
“... Is this how mother feels?” Wenbo thought out loud as they neared the top of the palace stairs leading to the gatehouse, the old dreamer already feeling clammy with sweat. Upon reaching the palace gates, Li Yun pushed them open as if they were made of paper and bowed.
“Please, enjoy Your breakfast, Master Wenbo.”
Wenbo bowed back a little clumsily and stood for a moment dreading the stinging heliopolislight. He swallowed and broke into the dawn, wincing at the morning rays.
“Wen-Wen! Over here!” Wenbo’s eyes focused on a colossal, circular table at the centre of the deck, around which, somehow, every Dreamer and two gods managed to sit seemingly comfortably. He rubbed his eyes at the scene and slowly made his way over, receiving whoops and whaaas at his clothing.
“Oh, sheesh, you look like a darn flower,” Temüjin taunted with a cackle. He, himself, wore a silk vest reinforced with brown wool over a patterned shirt of, indeed, more silk. On his head was a thick, short fur hat which, considering the late autumn, seemed to suit him fine.
Ai stood up with additional blush on her face as she eyed her husband up and down. “You, uhm…” She swallowed. “You fit that robe quite well, dear.”
Wenbo snickered and gave her a peck on the cheek before turning to the table. “My apologies, everyone - I was delayed.”
“The wine flu will do that to anyone,” the snake said supportively from the other side of the table, though his voice was as audible as if he had been standing right next to them. “Now come - eat with us.”
Wenbo nodded graciously as sat down between Ai and his twin.
Altansarnai leaned over Chagatai to talk to Wenbo, forcing the man away from his plate. She held a soft whisper, unusual unless she was nursing a hangover, "Wen, you look like me back when Mama Xiaoli had us do that silly play. Just don't go sneaking off after to makeout with Chaggie in the woods, that's my move."
Chagatai sighed, slowly peeling his wife back to her seat and defensively pulling his plate closer, grumbling -- he was not a morning person.
Opposite of them sat Hermes, her usual alabaster hair a sunny chestnut, complimenting her deep red and gold patterned dress. If not for the hungover scowl she wore as she picked at a mess of eggs, she was the misplaced picture of elegance -- with the no worse for wear Xiaoli sitting beside her happily. The river girl poured another glass of blueberry juice for her wife and passed it along.
“Here you go, sweetgrass - drink up.”
Hermes lethargically tipped the glass to her lips, smudging a mineral paint that Xiaoli no doubt worked hard on applying to her lips that morning -- in spite of her natural ability to change colors. With an airy gulp, Hermes nodded, “Thanks, love.” Her voice was quiet and grainy. The morning had never been any of the dreamers’ strong suits, and especially not the original Dreamer’s and especially not after such a night.
Next to Shengshi sat K’nell, quiet and content. His plate was meticulously laid out, with his hand on a warm cup of tea. His attention was suddenly pulled by Bataar, who bowed his head deeply.
“My God, I have a question.”
K’nell perked his brow, “What would that be, Bataar?”
“Well I was just thinking about heaven, and,” He looked up as if trying to find the correct wording, “What about the other creations beyond Tendlepog and the Dreamers, will they learn the secret of Moksha?”
K’nell pursed his lips, “It is my desire that one day, all of creation will be free to make the choice between the cycle of the pyres and the freedom of Moksha... however, I will not force the knowledge upon any creation not my own (save for two individuals who have the right to know) -- for the ire of the other gods can be great when they are confused or impeded upon. No, I believe I have already attracted too much attention as it is.” His eyes went upwards to the sky, where, hidden by the light of day, his nebula swirled waiting for night to come, “So let us say that I hope others may someday feel the love of it all, perhaps the very same day the others understand the meaning of Moksha -- the same as you all do, now.”
Bataar bowed his head in understanding and the God of Sleep turned to Shengshi, “Perhaps it would also be best to give the other gods time to understand before you let them know exactly what happened on this day -- should they ask. Heaven will be very disconnected, yes, and very well protected (increasingly so even) but I would hate to risk it on the temper of the others. As noninvasive as this all is, the other deities are an unpredictable and volatile bunch, I fear.”
"Would you like me to twist the truth of Moksha's purpose a little while they accustom themselves to its existence?" the snake proposed as he nipped on his glass of juice.
“Unfortunately I fear every lie must be remembered, no,” K’nell pinched his chin, “Morals aside, I don’t think that is the safest option... but I trust it to you -- silence is just as well, should anyone even approach you about it, which is a chance on its own.”
"I reckon most would be accustomed to me changing away from certain subjects, anyway," the snake mused. "Your secret is safe, brother, or so have me skinned and sent to the pyres."
“A good way to end the topic,” K’nell gave a one ‘ha’ laugh, before revisiting his tea with a tip of his cup.
The idle chatter rose and fell at various places around the table like ocean waves. Only Wenbo remained largely silent, silent enough for his wife to notice. She squeezed his arm lightly and asked, “Hey, are you alright?”
Then Wenbo gave her a wry smile and rose to his feet, the red and golden folds of the robe about his legs falling to the floor with a hollow thud. He gave a nearby servant a nod, and the servant nodded back and ran inside. Soon, from the palace tower, a massive gong rang out like rumbling thunder. The present dreamers either jumped or ducked for cover, and the snake raised an eyebrow at Wenbo.
“How did you know about that?” Shengshi asked curiously.
Wenbo lowered his hands from above his head. “I-I didn’t! I was only nodding a greeting at a passerby servant!” He then cleared his throat. “W-well, no matter - your attention was what I was ultimately seeking, anyway. I was, hoping that I would be allowed to say some words to you all - my gods, my family, my friends.” He fingered the spiral-symboled amulet about his neck momentarily and smiled. “... It’s… It’s a joy, really, to be a Dreamer. Throughout our whole lives, we have wanted for nothing; we have been given everything. Our creator has loved us since we were born, and our parents have raised us to be proper and righteous and smart and--... Well, there are no words in any language known to me nor any but the gods that can accurately describe the gratitude we feel towards you.”
Xiaoli wiped away a heartfelt tear. Color (Or lack there of) returned to Hermes’ face as she listened, putting a hand flat on Xiaoli’s back and sniffling with a certain pride. K’nell clapped his hands three times.
“I fear then, I have terrible news,” He smiled wide, “But I have not quite exhausted my gifts just yet.”
Wenbo and Ai exchanged looks. “M-my God, we cannot possibly--...” Wenbo insisted.
“Please,” K’nell insisted, “To a god, these are but motes of dust. To a god who cares, this is my joy.” He snapped his fingers and the sky rumbled loudly. He made a small face and snapped his fingers louder and the sky crashed with a sudden flash of lightning. A third snap and a stray bolt landed in K’nells hand -- momentarily blinding the table. As vision returned, the god was standing, a sword as black as night safely tucked in a matching scabbard hung from his hand.
“The world is a dangerous place, with many rivals and many criss-crossing plans. I may be leaving to tend to your futures, but I will not completely forsake you in your present,” K’nell explained, “The Warden now waits, should you the dreamers who remain ever find yourselves violently threatened, simply rip this blade from its scabbard -- and my wrath of yore will see you back to calm waters. I pray you never have the need to touch it after this day.”
K’nell walked over and presented the long blade to Wenbo, the metallic scabbard tight around it. The crowd was quiet, as K’nell locked eyes with Wenbo, “Do you accept my first gift of the morning?”
Wenbo fell to his knees and inclined his head as he raised his quivering hands. “O great God - it would be my most profound honour to accept.”
The cold metal chilled his palms as K’nell placed it gently into Wenbo’s grasp, “Next, I shall finish a task that Chagatai had started -- seeing as I feel his efforts should not go in vain.”
The sleepy Chagatai blinked a few times, “My what?”
Before he could answer K’nell snapped his fingers again and a great flash seemed to halo around the heads of the congregation. With a crack they dissipated, but not before leaving the knowledge of husbandry and domestication in the minds of the dreamers. Before anyone could react, K’nell snapped his fingers twice more, and the halos returned with a fierce brightness. As they faded this time, the secrets of hewing and working stone was revealed alongside a coveted secret of mortality -- the ability to extract and form metals from the earth.
Hermes stood up, “If I may.” K’nell turned to her and nodded. The Original Dreamer looked out over her still reeling children and pursed her lips, “I have a few gifts of my own to give my baby Wen and his clan.”
Wenbo looked between K’nell and Hermes with a look like he could faint at any moment. “M-mom, a-are you certain?” He busied himself with tying the sword to his waistband, his fretful fingers failing to fasten it fixedly. In the end, he shoved it underneath the waistband in a panicked hurry to look presentable before standing to face his mother.
Hermes nodded and looked to Xiaoli, “My book?” She gave a baggy eye’d smile to her wife and held out her hands. Xiaoli shifted for a moment and quickly procured Abanoc’s book of wisdom. Hermes clasped it gently and whispered a thank you. She turned back to Wenbo, “First, my book. If it wasn’t for this book, well I don’t think you’d be alive.” She gave a half smirk, “Don’t try to read it more than once a day, and drink plenty of water before.”
Wenbo slowly closed his fingers around the aged, yet divinely immortal leather. With one palm, he stroked a fine layer of dust off its cover and swallowed. “This… With this, we can learn anything, right? That’s what you always told us.” He grinned with juvenile enthusiasm. “Anything we want!” He nigh tossed the book to Ai, who not only managed not to catch it within the millisecond she had to react, but only took it straight to the chest and expelled a choked ‘oof’. Wenbo, however, busied himself with embracing Hermes with all the childlike joy and filial love he could muster.
Hermes squeezed her son with motherly enthusiasm before pushing him back, almost a little roughly, “Okay! Okay! I’m not done.” A cheshire smile was on her face as she popped under the table for a moment and began to rummage. Slowly she stood back up with a fine looking wooden spear, a bone head as sharp as can be on the end.
“Word of the wise, don’t ever drop this in the water,” Hermes grinned, “It is the spear of fishing.” Her words were almost mouthed by the onlookers, everyone well aware of it. She shrugged a little, “And now it is yours.”
“I’ve always thought the name was a bit--...” He took the spear and cleared his throat. “Thank you so much, mom. It, along with everything we have been given yesterday and today shall maintain and solidify our people’s position as… Well, as those who dare to dream of an eternity in Heaven, and as those who strive to make life in this flawed world similar to it.”
Hermes smiled and dropped a shoulder, hefting something else from under the table. With a might grunt she pulled out the Narzhakian club and hefted it over her shoulder, “And this--- well this I’m keeping.” She snickered mischievously, inciting a collective laugh. She looked around shocked, “What? It’s fun.” She winked.
“It’s probably for the best that you keep it, anyway,” Xiaoli teased. “Our poor son is running out of hands.”
Wenbo did indeed stand quite sheepish-looking with a spear in one hand, a book, which Ai had thrown back at him, under the other and a sword on his hip - all of which contrasted considerably with the fiery flamboyant robe about his person. He pressed his lips together and bowed as best he could to Shengshi.
“Your Lordship - is there a possibility that some of these can be stored here for the time b--woah! Okay.” A group of servants switfly came over, took the book and the spear, tied the sword scabbard properly to his waistband and brushed some dust off his robe - all in the span of an eyeblink. Wenbo hummed in a manner that chose the fence between surprise and habit. “Are they always that efficient?”
“Crackle.” An indifferent Cloudling noted.
“They are,” the snake assured. “Now, sensing the mood, I suppose I should make due on my promises to those that remain - although I imagine your numbers have dwindled ever since the great Moksha was announced.”
Wenbo eyed the various faces of his family - a few looked away, but most looked back with smiles of varying enthusiasm. The snake followed his glances with reptilian orbs. “I propose that those that go with Wenbo line up along his flanks. Let the clan of Wen, as well as any others who choose a mortal life on Galbar, come forth - let your blood run as rich and prosperous as the great Nanhe.”
Wenbo found himself frowning, yet donned soon an earnest expression as he took a step away from his chair to allow for better room. He collected his hands behind his back, then thought better of it and instead opened them in front of him.
“Whoever so wishes to found with me a Dreamer nation upon this mortal soil, come to me.”
Ai was the first to rise. She walked slowly over to her husband and stepped into his arms, embracing him lovingly, a gesture which he returned wholeheartedly.
As they broke, their youngest son rose - De. He slowly made his way over alongside his wife and twin daughters. As one, they embraced the clan father, and he embraced them back. Next came a lone Urangtai, an eager bounce in his step. He, too, was embraced like the others.
Then came Wenbo’s eldest daughter, Bei, taking her family along with her. Her husband took a longer while to say farewell to his parents Bayarmaa and Li, but eventually came up to embrace Wenbo as well.
Seven of Wenbo’s children ended up rising to join their father and mother. Among them was the parents of Song, and as soon as they had been embraced, the lovesick young girl nigh attacked poor Urangtai and clung to his arm like a leech.
And as the final daughter had come to him, Wenbo and Ai looked to their final child - the oldest son, Ren, his wife Naran and their two children, Cai and Qi. Wenbo and Ai beckoned them over, but the snake shook his head.
“Wen Ren, Wen Naran, Wen Cai, Wen Qi - you are granted, in this instance, a free choice to enter Heaven through Moksha or remain with your family in this world of mortality. Is this a life you wish for?”
It was then that Ren, unable to meet his parents’ gaze, shook his head shamefully. Naran laid a supportive hand on his shoulder, but could not muster the strength to look at the remainers herself. Cai sat wordless and looked at the ground and Qi sat kicking in his seat, blissfully ignorant of the affairs happening around him. Wenbo and Ai looked devastated, but the snake nodded somberly.
“So be it. Are there any others who wish to remain mortal until death reunites you with your loved ones?”
“Someone has to keep the words of the great master in this life,” Zhong Wang suddenly piped up and stepped forward, perhaps a little puffed up, “I accept the task.” With his declaration, four other dreamers of various families stepped behind him.
Zhongcheng sniffed and flicked a proud tear from the corner of his eye. Laia patted him supportively. Also Zhong Wang was accepted with an embrace from both Wenbo and Ai. The snake clapped his hands.
“Then it has been settled. Sons and daughters of the Clan of Wen, the last Dreamers of Galbar - I, Shengshi, Lord of the Thousand Streams and Herald of the Harvest, bestow onto you my blessing.”
The air oozed with the nutty scent of grain; as the wind breezed through the canopy of the surrounding forest, the sound of ripe snapfruits jingled in the air; a distant drum of a rumbling river completed the backdrop to the bark brown light trembling between the snake’s hands. He rose from his seat and slithered around the circular table towards Ai and Wenbo.
“Hold out your hands, first of the Wen Clan, and receive the blessings of your bloodline.”
Ai and Wenbo did as they were told and the snake placed equal amounts of light into each of their cupped hands. Upon closer inspection, the light radiated out from small amounts of soil that swiftly absorbed itself into the Dreamers’ skin. Ai and Wenbo inspected their hands thoroughly and gave no sign that they had actually felt anything. The snake spoke, “... As long as a field is sown and worked by Dreamer hands, it shall always bloom with its greatest bounty.”
The snake conjured a new light, this one golden like the rays of Heliopolis. He deposited it in their hands as before. This was molten gold, and with their new knowledge of metalcraft, it felt instinctive of them both to drop it immediately. Yet, as before, it dug itself into their skin without leaving so much as a mark. Ai marveled at her unburnt hands and the snake spoke, “... As long as Galbar is walked by Dreamer feet, wealth and prosperity will uncover itself before them.”
The snake conjured a third light, one of lavender purple, transparent brightness, apple-flesh yellow, deep red, and constantly shifting. He poured the light into the Dreamers’ hands and the scent of wine permeated across the deck. Wenbo felt a sneaking gag and did his best to suppress it. The snake spoke, “... To keep your cups and your guests’ cups from emptying, I bestow upon you the knowledge to brew whatever fruit or grain you find into wine.”
He then slithered back a step and tapped his temple with a wink. “Then your final gift will be waiting for you at the Dragon’s Foot. I think it will suit your requirements for safe, comfortable travel quite nicely.”
Wenbo drew a breath through the nose, took a step back as well, and lowered himself into a kowtow. His family, as well as the new additions to his clan, all followed suit with varying levels of neatness and skill.
“From the bottom of this servant’s heart, Your Lordship - thank You.”
The snake raised his hand for them to rise. “Like my dearest brother said: ‘To a god, these are but motes of dust. To a god who cares, this is my joy.’ Rise, Clan of Wen - rise, people of K’nell, people of Shengshi.”
All the dreamers around the table, plus Xiaoli and K’nell (who had never sat), all rose up. The snake raised his hands into the air. “Let this grand occasion forever be remembered by the mortal and the immortal. To those that remain, I will always be with you; and to those that leave, you are in the best hands ever shapen.” He gave K’nell a respectful smile.
K'nell gave a nod, "With that, I believe our ceremony has concluded." He smiled, "May I suggest finishing your breakfast before the final parting -- wouldn't want to be wasting food, now would we?"
Hermes nudged Xiaoli, "That is how we met," she winked.
Xiaoli blushed a warm pink and giggled. "Want me to find you some mango peels?" she tested.
“Only the finest,” Hermes pressed, “with a side of scraps.”
Xiaoli smirked smugly and gave her a wink. "Alright, everyone. Make certain to leave as little food as possible. I may be the best cook in our family, but not even I can match His Lordship's chefs, so make certain you eat your fill of this banquet now."
"Ain't gotta tell me twice!" Temüjin declared and dove for a plate of beef stir-fried in fermented beans. As if rallied by Temüjin’s battlecry, the other dreamers quickly made themselves busy with their food. Small chatter arose as the plates began to stack up, and before long the breakfast feast turned into a mellow chat room with happy goodbyes and wistful stories. Much to K’nell’s delight -- it wasn’t a very sad occasion. It would seem, in their mortal wisdom, that the dreamers definitely knew how to part ways.
“It’s no coincidence,” Hermes suddenly said, as if knowing what her God was smiling about. She leaned in, pulling Xiaoli along with her (and away from a particularly meaty bite of food), “One of my first rules of the house was to never leave sad or angry. I think it stuck, isn’t that right, love?”
“Yeah, and I cannot tell you how happy I am that it did,” she answered and sighed with relief. Meanwhile, Wenbo and Ai toasted Chagatai and Altansarnai with gusto; Urangtai hid behind a wall of girls wishing Song a most prosperous wedding and farewell, much to her annoyance; Zhong Wang embraced his parents and once more made promises to further the philosophy of his clan.
A long moment passed before Ai and Wenbo finally were visited by Ren, Naran, Cai and Qi. The parents eyed their children and grandchildren in silence, receiving the same treatment in return. Eventually, Wenbo and Ai opened their arms and donned somber smiles.
“... You have no idea how much we will miss you, son,” Wenbo nearly whimpered. Ai sniffed and gave an agreeing nod. The oldest son’s eyes shone in the morning light and he had to look away as he blinked.
“I, uhm… Pardon me,” he cleared his throat, “We will truly miss you, too, mom, dad.” Then they embraced. Ai eyed Naran, who stood silently on the side, and beckoned her over. She drew a quivering breath and joined as quickly as she could. Qi, seeing that the grown-ups were hugging, ran over to copy them. In the end, even Cai succumbed to her emotions and embraced her grandparents.
“We will see you all in Heaven, our children,” Ai reassured. “Make certain the floors are swept when we get there.”
The hug broke apart slowly and Ren wiped his eyes. “Don’t worry, mom, I’ll-... I’ll get it done.”
“Please, come to us soon, mother, father,” Naran pleaded.
“We will - I reckon time will pass for you awfully fast in an infinite world,” Wenbo pointed out. “To you, it will be like we never went our separate ways.”
“Let’s hope so, at least,” Ren agreed.
A distance away, the snake approached K’nell and patted him on the shoulder. “Well, I suppose this will be the last time I see you in the material world.” He held out an open hand. “Thank you, K’nell - thank you for being my closest friend and brother for all this time.”
K’nell shook the other God’s hand with one hand and held up a cup of tea, “There aren’t many I would call my friend, and fewer still if you count the deities of Galbar, but I can say without a doubt that you are such. I hope that one day you too shed the cocoon of Galbar, but until then -- I’ll be seeing you in a better place.”
Shengshi nodded with a grin, and the two shared a mutual shake before turning to their subjects. With nothing left to go over, the two decided it was time to announce the departure. There wasn’t much fuss with bellies so full and hearts so saturated with comfort and compassion, and soon everyone began to shuffle to their appropriate places.
The Dreamers begun their descent down from Jiangzhou on stairs of water. Final farewells were exchanged, and once everyone that chose to remain had made it off, the gong in the tower sounded once more with a mighty, thunderlike bang. The water beneath the ship stirred to life and it slowly began to rise off the ground. Aboard the deck, the Wen Clan stood waving their hands joyously at the Dreamers below, who returned the gesture. A final nod was exchanged between the snake and the dream god before the ship once more became but a golden speck on the horizon.
K’nell cracked a cheshire grin and turned to his first, Hermes. He cocked his head, “My dear, have the remaining go to the platform of Limbo, I will be there shortly.”
“Shortly?” Hermes asked.
“I have one last person to talk to,” K’nell smirked, “Your first daughter.”
Hermes nodded, biting a finger, “Will she be able to visit?”
“Of course.”
The words seemed to drop a weight off of Hermes and she nodded with a melancholic smile, “Good... I don’t think I could stand to wait otherwise, not with my baby Wen and darling Ai already gone.” A small speck of sadness creeped into Hermes’ voice and K’nell put a hand on her shoulder.
“You will all be reunited soon enough, don’t you worry.”
Hermes looked back up at K’nell with a side cheeked smile, “I know... Thank you... I’ll go gather everyone.”
K’nell nodded and turned towards the coast.
The waves of the ocean crashed on the sheer cliffs of Tendlepog. The sulfuric smell of grinding stone mixed with the salty sea air. Closing his eyes, K’nell’s divine ears could hear Shengshi’s massive ship creak in the air over the mountains far inland -- already prepared to leave. Without looking, he pulled something from his pocket -- a tickling wisp of light. Keeping his eyes closed, he let the delicate wisp spiral from his hand and to the crashing ocean below. A slanted smile tucked into his cheek and he let his fingers close over an empty palm. Sucking in a hearty breath, K’nell set his mind back on track and upon opening his eyes, he smiled -- a speck was on the horizon.
And that speck was a figure of white, with Wreanon by her side. As soon as her eyes fell upon Tendlepog a toothy smile crept on her face and her heart beat faster. Home had never looked so good, and she simply couldn't wait to tell everyone what had transpired when she was away. About the Eye, Rowan and her family, her people the Nebulites and what she was teaching them and how Rowan was with child! Which is why she traveled alone. It would be good to see her mothers again and talk to them about such things. But before her was a figure upon the cliffs of the ‘Pog and so Arya drifted closer and closer till she made put who she saw. And that figure was none other then K'nell.
“My dear,” His grainy voice called out to her, almost beckoning her to stand by his side. And land by him she did, giving him a hug before pulling away.
"I didn't expect to find you here K'nell. It's good to see you!" she said happily.
K’nell folded his arms behind his back and smiled, “On my own land?” His smile grew at the corners.
She giggled, "Well I meant here. It was almost like you were waiting for me." she said slower before taking on a concerned look. "Did something happen? Is Hermes and Xiaoli okay?" she asked quickly.
"Mm," K'nell hummed, "If I'm to be honest, Hermes is nursing a headache, but otherwise everyone is unscathed." He leaned in with a smile, "The Dreamers put together quite the celebration last night, you see."
Arya sighed in relief and visibly relaxed. "It seems I'm a day too late! But it's good to hear that they are okay."
"Indeed!" K'nell took an appraising step back, "And you seem healthy, yourself?"
"Yes! Never been better actually. I'm sure you know all about why." she said chuckling. "I must ask, if everyone is okay then why have you waited for me too arrive K'nell? Is this about the dream I shared with Karamir? You did say you wanted to talk." she scrunched her nose in thought.
"Precisely," K'nell held a finger up, "By chance did you see the night sky last night? I will not judge you for having slept through it."
She shook her head. "I flew through a storm yesterday and landed too tired to think." she said.
“Ah, then perhaps you will see it tonight,” K’nell pinched his chin, “No matter, but yes, the words I spoke in that dream have a ring of truth to them. The world is changing, in fact it is just about to!” He paused, “But for the better, fortunately.” K’nell swallowed hard, ready to make his pitch for the third time since he had the sky torn. Slowly he walked Arya through the situation, her demeanor and body language becoming blank as she listened, from the promises, to the process of heaven, to Shengshi -- and finally to her: “So you see,” He said, “All that I had created shall be whisked away to this eternal paradise, and those of mine who remain shall enter my land upon death via their pact with Moksha, the nebula of the night sky. As my ward, it was imperative that you not only know this, but know of a particular task I require of you -- but first...”
K’nell looked into Arya’s eyes, his gaze flickering as if searching for something, “As my family, I have two gifts to present to you -- should you accept them. Firstly, know that I can do to your subconscious what I did with Shengshi’s and allow you to visit the Heaven in the dreamscape... so you mustn’t wait for death to see your home and mothers, and second, I can offer you the secret of Moksha as I did to the dreamers, so that you may choose to join heaven upon your own death.” K’nell pursed his lips, but cut Arya off before she could even open her mouth, “Before you speak upon this, know that I have taken the stance not to force this knowledge of an alternative to the pyres upon anything not of me -- save for you and one other. The other gods may take affront to this breaking of the cycle despite the fact that it does not take away from Galbar, so I must ask that you too follow my caution and do not force the secret of Moksha on others. With my blessing, you may provide the choice to those you love, but do so safely. I await the day all of Galbar can taste heaven, truly I do, but as it stands I ask nothing short of tentative caution and empathetic respect on the subject.”
Silently little black tears fell down her face, as she stared blankly into K'nell's eyes. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess of questions and whys and she had no idea where to start. She felt a pit in her stomach and even though she knew she could see them all still, it wouldn't be the same until she was… dead. Was it all just a dream within a dream? It felt wrong to just… leave Galbar and everyone behind while they burned. She had never realized that an alternative could exist, or had she hoped that death would never claim her?
"I...I…" she began, stammering. "I d-don't know what to say."
K’nell made a slant with his mouth and held out his arms. With what could have been an awkward step, the god moved forward and put his arms around the original Nebulite. With a ginger hug, he nodded slowly, “That’s okay, my dear.”
For once, Arya did not hug him back, but neither did she push him away. She let him hold her for awhile, before saying, ”Why now? Why now after all this time? Why did you wait for them to come and live, before deciding to take them away?” her voice came shakely.
K’nell reposed himself and squinted, “Creating a heaven is no easy task, it takes time.” He flicked a finger off his chin, “The dreamers are a beautiful people who taught a bitter god what to ‘come and live’ truly means. I heard their prayers, and I have fulfilled my promises to them, and to their mother -- whose words have tickled my ear since the dawn of creation. I am not sure if any of this answers what your seeking, but that is that.”
Arya gave a slight frown. Why were God’s so difficult to get straight answers from? ”This Heaven is safe, yes? But you have to die to get there? Then tell me, those that are inside, can they grow? Can they dream there? What do you even mean by infinite possibilities?”
K’nell knitted his brows over a slight smile, “Picture a paradise -- no catches though, no ‘well what about this’ or ‘but then this!’” He leaned forward slightly, “Picture it truly. Whatever it may be to you: it could be a land of feasts and battle. A world ripe with challenge, I don’t know. I will say it like this: whatever paradise you imagine comes from a single idea, perfection. They will live there. So to answer your question, if that is what paradise is, then yes.” K’nell scrunched his nose, “I love them, Arya.”
His heartfelt answer gave her pause. She had never heard K’nell utter such a word but she knew in her own heart that it was genuine. ”I love them too. From the moment I met Hermes and saw those boys for the first time. Ever since my first dream… When I met the Dreamer who gave me answers for questions… They and you, were never meant for Galbar were they?”
“I think we were,” K’nell put a hand on her shoulder, “But in the way the wind is required to blow the pollen of a flower, rather than to be the soil under it. We were here, I was here but this wasn’t our destination.” He paused, “Nor is it yours should you eventually choose Heaven. There will always be a home for you at the next step, and if you couldn’t calculate it from my ever-twisting words and--” he laughed to himself, “Well what must seem like inconsistencies,” He smirked, “I’m proud of you, and you bear a place in my heart right with the others.”
She sniffed back tears and cried softly, ”Thank you, K’nell. You were… You are and always will be, one of my fathers.” she trying to wipe the flow from her face. ”What of the Palace and your sphere?”
In the middle of telling Arya that they would see each other again, he suddenly stopped, “Ah a detail that must have slipped my explanation earlier,” He shook his head, “My palace and sphere, the dreamscape, is combining with my Galbarian creations to make this heaven. Of course there is more to it, but that’s the short of it. Sleep and dreams will grace Galbar indifferent to the change, and my promises to you about the warm drinks before bed will stand in my kingdom.”
”I see.” she said, before sighing. ”What happens when you tell me these gifts, and another god decides to go snooping in my thoughts? You know I would… Only tell those I loved, but there’s always the possibility of others finding out.”
“Hermes thought of things like that,” K’nell looked past Arya, “This heaven to her is the liberation of her children not only from the cycle of pain, but from the more invasive gods.” K’nell pondered a moment, “You bring up a valid point though, and while I cannot offer much comfort on it, perhaps a small persuasion?” K’nell tapped Arya’s spiral, and it glowed for a moment, “Let us hope whoever attempts to breach your mind falls asleep first, yeah?” He smiled in conspiracy.
She shut her eyes and smiled as she nodded, before opening them up. ”That gives me comfort. Oh! If I ever wanted too… Let's say by some… happenstance that I have children, would I be able to teach them how to enter the heavenscape? So they could meet their grandmothers?” she said, curling her feet and looking to the ground.
“Of course,” K’nell smirked incredulously at the question, “You have my blessing to give the secret to all you love. Who knows, maybe eventually it will no longer be a secret that needs to be guarded.”
”Okay… Then I’m ready to learn.” she said looking up.
“When you see the Moksha next,” K’nell started, “It is as simple as meditating upon it. Let your mind wander, explore your subconscious -- question things if you desire. Dream into it, even. Allow your thoughts to be taken by the Moksha, and I will find them on the other side. Do this, make that choice, and heaven will be open to you, Arya. When your mind has come to a rest in the Moksha and is ready for paradise, you will pass through that final door and there you will be: home.”
Arya nodded, a thoughtful look crossing her face. ”Is… Is that all there is to it?”
“Should I add some extra hoops?” K’nell winked with a lighthearted chuckle, “Preparing the mind for Paradise, even after death is no simple task-- but beyond that, it is that easy.”
She giggled, but quickly became somber as she spoke next. ”So then, what happens when one would die here?”
K’nell stared up blankly and reiterated softly, “--Meditate upon Moksha, remember my name and pray to me -- so that on the final day of your final breath, even if the pyres claim your souls -- they will never claim you, but I will.” He slanted a smile, “I will happen.”
She nodded again, then asked a question that had been nagging at her. ”Who… Who is staying upon Galbar?”
“Of the Dreamers?” K’nell blinked, “The Clan of Wen and a few others. I have granted them many boons for their journey through life, and they have not only the secrets of Moksha to guide them home again, but the homage of Shengshi.”
”I should have known it would be Wenbo.” she said with a laugh, ”The others… Hermes and Xiaoli… This is what they really want?”
“Do not underestimate my words when I tell you that Hermes fought for this, she has been fighting for this for a long time,” K’nell answered, “If anything, you should know I value the right of choice. With the creation of Moksha, I offer no penalty for not going to heaven.”
”I just… Wanted to make sure… Maybe I was blind all those years. Maybe I should have talked to her more about what she wanted. I had no idea what she was fighting for, in the end. Perhaps it was better that I did not know. As long as they are happy…” she whispered to herself.
“She is extremely,” K’nell paused, “And I mean extremely excited about the possibility of new adventures in the coming years -- and do not worry about finality, you will speak to her again.”
”I know… But I mean no offense when I say… It won’t be the same without her here, without any of you here. I am happy that you are going to this place, I am, I just wish it wasn’t so soon. I know they’ll have forever together… and eventually I will too… I’m sorry, words are just… Hard right now.” she said choking up again.
“And that’s okay,” K’nell offered, “It is a lot to take in, but I am glad that you understand the joy of it all..” He paused, “There is still that final task I have for you as my ward, if you would care to hear it?”
”Of course. What would it be?” she asked, looking at him with wider eyes.
K’nell’s comforting smile seemed to straighten out, “Arya, there is a man in this world, a man who is on his deathbed. He has held my name close to his heart for a long time, in secret, even. It is one of my final wishes while still standing on Galbar that he too receives his right and is told the secret of Moksha.”
”And where… Where is this man?” she asked nodding.
“He is on the lands of Ohannakeloi,” K’nell nodded, “I can feed his location directly to your memory -- know him as one of the final Hunter’s of the Selka tribe known as the Grottu. His name is revered in his local region, and he is called Yupilgo.”
”A Selka!” she said excitedly. ”I have never met one. Oh… But, what if I can’t speak their language?” she rubbed her chin in thought.
“He knows yours,” K’nell answered, “He has walked with me for quite some time.”
”Well that’s good. Okay, I will do this for you, you have my word as a ward of K’nell. Do you know how long I have to get to him?” she asked.
“I would go as soon as you are able, he is not well,” K’nell said solemnly, “I would reach out to him in a dream, but I fear that he would never wake up after such a dream and furthermore, a man such as he deserves to be told in person.”
”I understand. I should get going…” she said sadly. ”I know I’ll see them all soon enough but can you tell them… Can you tell them I love them?” she asked, her voice small, almost childlike.
“I can,” K’nell’s smile returned, “And they will be expecting their daughter’s visit as soon as possible.” He flicked his chin with a finger, “Shall I say: see you soon?”
Arya began to back up slowly, new tears falling down her cheeks as she nodded. ”Of course, K’nell. See you soon.”
“Then it is sealed,” K’nell winked, “Oh! And simply show Yupilgo your hand, he will know you are my ward... but.” K’nell hesitated, “When I say show, I mean to say let him touch your hand as he is blind, but he will feel the slight raise of your mark, I’m sure of it.”
”I’ll remember that.” she said, lifting up into the air. ”Goodbye… K’nell.” her voice came, full of sadness. Memories of her first time seeing him came back to her in that moment, before they were replaced as he was, now. With a final, teary eyed nod, Arya flew off, leaving Tendlepog to it’s fate.
The glade that surrounded the platform of Limbo was packed with Dreamers. Alabaster painted the area while everyone waited with a mumble of conversations. Poppler seemed to have found particular interest in one of the weavers that floated lazily around the platform, and Hermes sat with her arms over Xiaoli’s shoulders, clasped hands over her collar, whispering small things.
The wait was short, but the anticipation was on the rise and by time K’nell stepped up on the platform of Limbo, the growing anxiety turned into a hushed silence. Determined eyes stared at K’nell and the god stared back, but with a comforting grin.
He exhaled slowly, “Heaven awaits.”
There was the beginnings of a small cheer and K’nell bowed his head. As it quickly died down, K’nell reached his hands out towards the ends of the platform. With a loud boom, a rope of energy erupted from each end, the god’s hands clasping the lightning like blasts of power tightly. The sky began to swirl above and the weavers pulsed madly. An ethereal orchestra could be heard bleeding through reality, and then with one final crack of light -- everything changed...
Pink bled through the eyelids of the dreamers, each too afraid to open their eyes. The taste of the sun fell on their shoulders, and at last K’nell’s voice came to them, calm and happy.
“Welcome home, my children.”
Hermes sucked in a breath and slowly let her eyes flutter open. The grove had changed slightly. While the trees were still gnarled and old, the great platform of Limbo was gone. She spun around, letting go of Xiaoli. The breeze tasted slightly different, it tasted free. She sucked it in through her nostrils and out of her mouth, it was crystal. A warm smile grew on her lips and she looked up to the sky her eyes nearly falling into the open blue and the vast orchard of clouds. Heliopolis was replaced with a different blast of light -- it looked almost the same, but she knew it was different -- it was warmer. She grinned and turned to K’nell.
“What other surprises are there?” She asked while mumbles of awe began to rise among the others.
K’nell bounced an eyebrow and shrugged, “Endless lands to explore, things to meet, things to do, things to eat... to drink... to--”
“Walk with me,” Hermes’ cheshire smile stretched across her face as she held out a hand, “Walk me home.”
K’nell tipped his head like a gentleman and caught her hand on his elbow. The other dreamers looked over at the two and crowded behind them. K’nell held out his other elbow to Xiaoli, “Care to join us?”
The river girl stared distantly at the horizon into which the ship had sailed. She drew some silent breaths and nodded slowly at K’nell, a small pebbled smile forming on her face and accepting his elbow with her own. “I would love to.”
Hermes beamed and blinked her love at Xiaoli as the trio began their walk through the forest. Laughter and giggles erupted behind them as the dreamers followed, each holding their loved ones. Forward was the future, and forward was eternity--
”Zzt!”
-- A startled Poppler quickly caught up to the others and with a burst of energy, swiftly whisked himself into Hermes hair, leaving a small damp spot on her messy alabaster head.
The End.
Everything below this point is crawling with spoilers, peruse at your own risk.
A blast of another morin khuur entered the soundscape as K’nell came walking in, his advanced skill allowing him to move while he played, a gentle twinkle in his eyes. The Dreamers cheered as their god tore the fuckin’ roof down.
“Are you awake, my love?” came a sweet voice and as Wenbo turned to its source, his heartbeat increased to the point where it threatened to kill him. There, by a golden door, stood his wife dressed in a 13th century templar uniform, fit with authentic meteoric iron chainlinks and matching arming sword.
Arya: The Learner, The Martial Dancer, The Compassionate, The Wanderer, The Teacher, The Sailor, Last of the Zhengwu +44 Prestige Starting +1 For Major Role +1 For Minor Role +1 For Collaboration. = +47 Prestige Ending
Tendlepog, K’nell, Diana, Hermes, Xiaoli and all the Dreamers who remained on Tendlepog have left the game. Thank you for the fun.. now here is the post synapsis:
H and X are still in Limbo when the come across a trio of ghastly ghouls: Sk-Sk-Skeleton, S-S-Soul and Sp-Sp-Spirit. Hermes and Xiaoli make fun of their names, but the skeleton quickly reminds Xiaoli that she has a similar situation with her own name.
They all convene for tea and discuss Limbo and life, the cosmic laws, and how to solve the sleeper issues. Things are said, stories are mentioned and then Hermes is sent off to confront the sleepers with her wife at her side.
A really great scene happens where Hermes confronts all her negativities accumulated over her life, ending with three final questions that could melt any stone heart upon hearing the answers. “Why is she alive” “What does she want” “What will she do?”... upon answering all these, she snags the spear of Moksha from Kuranell and then comes back to Galbar and tosses it.
It rips across the sky and creates a nebula called Moksha. This nebula solves the sleeper issue by allowing Dreamers to meditate on it and ease their minds of all the dream build up and preventing what Hermes had to do. Secondly this nebula acts as a copy machine and remembers their subconscious in a similar pattern to that of the Palace throne.
Here is that part:
He looked at Wenbo, “I say to you now the final warning, do not leave until I rip open the sky, or you and all who leave will be forever lost. You will know when it is done, as it will be obvious and will usher back your two mothers." He looked up at the sky and then at Hermes and Xiaoli, “Is this warning fulfilled, Wenbo?”
Wenbo looked up and nodded. “It is, Your Holiness.”
“Then I say to you my second warning once more: To leave my kingdom, there is a chance that you nor your descendants may ever be able to return. The world is mysterious, and my garden shall only grow more hidden and safe, until my final promise is met." K’nell folded his hands, “But then I say to you, my second promise: no matter the deed, should you or any descendent of any who leave find their way back to the soil of Tendlepog despite the perils of my second warning, they shall be welcomed back as a once lost son or daughter.” K’nell looked at Wenbo intently, is voice loud enough for all the woken to hear, “I shall bestow upon you the key to these words.” He smiled, “Firstly, I say that there is a chance that you nor your descendants may ever be able to return for a reason out of my control -- that is personal choice. Should you or your descendants either forget my words here today, or refuse them, then I cannot collect you should you wish to come back -- so listen closely to how you may force me to fulfill my second promise.”
“As you sleep, you the Dreamers accumulate vast emotion that swells in the dreaming world, threatening to overtake you waking conscious -- your mothers have vanquished this ailment on this day, so that you may live free from such a burden. But they did not only do that, but they have laid the first brick on the road to heaven for you.” K’nell looked up to the sky, “Know this mark as the gate of Moksha, and think upon as you see fit to do so. Meditate upon it, dream into it, for it will catch you on the way to my palace and it will relieve you of the Sleepers curses and burns on your way in and out. In doing so it shall remember you, as I do, so that even when you have left this world for the pyres, you will exist in my Kingdom... but how does that get you back?” K’nell looked back down at Wenbo and then the Dreamers.
He gave a cheshire grin. “My kingdom is leaving, it is exiting the cycle of pain and unliving to exist as an infinite heaven. It shall find its place in a new world inside my dreamscape, a world of infinite possibility and space, but one without destruction and obliteration, one without a meaningless life and an endless cycle of death and undeath. All who remain here shall join me there as I bring heaven to Tendlepog and Tendlepog to heaven, and to all who leave...” He looked deep into Wenbo’s eyes, “Meditate upon Moksha, remember my name and pray to me -- so that on the final day of your final breath, even if the pyres claim your souls -- they will never claim you, but I will. You will be home, no matter your deeds, and I will grant you eternal life with a new soul that cannot be taken from you, so that you may frolic in infinity to do all you wish.”
^ Hard to summarize, since it is already a summary.
Anyways, we continue from there and Hermes talks to Xiaoli about it all, the Dreamers are friggin pumped. They decided to throw a going away party and Hermes runs off to contact Shengshi -- whom Xiaoli was worried about. Hermes calls Shengshi, hilarity ensues (No I will not tell you what.) and then Shengshi shows up.
He is invited by K’nell to go to heaven while the two are on a walk and discuss a bunch of stuff that while interesting, is not required for me to put in here, so there. Anyways Shengshi declines, as K’nell expected but is given a special permission to be the only other god able to go to heaven besides K’nell himself for reasons like ‘You made like half of this bruh’ and brotherhood. We see a new side of K’nell. But anyways back to the party--
A shit ton of great stuff happens at this party that while important to the ending of most of these characters is not quite plot relevant and is mostly tying loose ends (and fluff), so you will have to go read it yourself because this is just a summary.
in regards to K’nell’s position on other creations using Moksha or Heaven:
K’nell pursed his lips, “It is my desire that one day, all of creation will be free to make the choice between the cycle of the pyres and the freedom of Moksha... however, I will not force the knowledge upon any creation not my own (save for two individuals who have the right to know) -- for the ire of the other gods can be great when they are confused or impeded upon. No, I believe I have already attracted too much attention as it is.” His eyes went upwards to the sky, where, hidden by the light of day, his nebula swirled waiting for night to come, “So let us say that I hope others may someday feel the love of it all, perhaps the very same day the others understand the meaning of Moksha -- the same as you all do, now.”
Bataar bowed his head in understanding and the God of Sleep turned to Shengshi, “Perhaps it would also be best to give the other gods time to understand before you let them know exactly what happened on this day -- should they ask. Heaven will be very disconnected, yes, and very well protected (increasingly so even) but I would hate to risk it on the temper of the others. As noninvasive as this all is, the other deities are an unpredictable and volatile bunch, I fear.”
...and then finally K’nell teaches the Dreamers how to smelt metals, hew and build with stone, and domesticate. He also gifts Wenbo the amulet described in the might section as well as a tool to summon the Warden should he ever need military protection when in dire need. Shengshi also blesses the Dreamers with (Sauce?)
Wenbo’s clan parts ways, K’nell drops a thing in the ocean and informs Arya of everything and sends her on a quest, and then Tendlepog and all who call it home go to heaven.
The End, K’nell and Co. have left the building.
Hermes solves the sleeper problem. Wenbo gets K’nells blessing to leave after fulfilling his promises and warnings. A massive party is thrown, Shengshi is invited. K’nell leaves a gift in the ocean. Arya is talked to. Wenbo and company leaves, and everyone else left on Tendlepog, including Tendlepog is launched into K’nell’s sphere, it’s cut off from the world, and heaven is created.
The End.
Dreams and sleep are not affected by these events; the only noticeable difference is that K’nell and Diana are absent from dreams, with the weavers taking care of Galbar’s sleep while the two focus on their Heaven and its mysteries.
OOCLY this means I won’t be doing any more dream posts, nor will I be open to interaction with any of these characters/heaven at this time, as they have left the game.
Starting: 7 MP 16 FP
7 MP spent transporting Tendlepog and all of K’nell’s creations (Plus Xiaoli) into the Dreamscape (His Sphere) and combining them into Heaven.
3fp spent on Moksha (monument), a glowing green nebula in the night sky, stamped there by a magical spear.
5fp (infused with the power of sleep, enhanced) spent on the Moksha Amulet, a silver amulet bearing the mark of K’nell. It will always find itself on a dreamer’s neck and will bear the words that K’nell spoke to Wenbo whenever prompted or forgotten. It will protect whoever wears it, even from Gods, putting them to sleep with the music of K’nell in a similar fashion to the Armlet of Sleep.
5fp(Enhanced with the Nightmare port), a blade, that when drawn from its scabbard, summons the Warden and a host of guardian nightmares -- as well as leaks a miasma that forces the foes of the wielder to experience powerful nightmarish hallucinations.
1fp spent on teaching smelting metals 1fp spent on teaching cutting and working stone 1fp spent on teaching domestication and husbandry.
remaining -NULL-
Starting: Shengshi 5MP/10FP
1FP, discounted to 0 with Harvest port: Bless the remaining Dreamers on Galbar with eternally good crops as long as the fields are planted and worked by Dreamers.
1FP: Bless the remaining Dreamers with extra fortune, making them more likely to find wealth and valuables around in the world.
1FP: Teach the Dreamers how to make wine.
After: Shengshi 5MP/8FP
“This place is empty now. There are no people or animals living here. But there will be people in all the towns of Judah. There will be shepherds, and there will be pastures where they will let their flocks rest.
“The Lord made the earth, and he keeps it safe. The Lord is his name. He says, 3 ‘Judah, pray to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you important secrets. You have never heard these things before.’
Fresh plot (or lack thereof) coming right up, monsieur.
By the way, if anyone ever wondered. This was one of my (if not my absolute favorite) early Hermes and Xiaoli post: Pedal Tongue
Tomorrow soon turns into yesterday. Everything we see just fades away. There's sky and sand where mountains used to be. Time drops by a second to eternity. It doesn't matter if we turn to dust; Turn and turn and turn we must! I guess I'll see you dancin' in the ruins tonight! Dancin' in the ruins! Guess I'll see you dancin' in the ruins tonight!
There's laughter where I used to see your tears. It's all done with mirrors, have no fears. There's nothing pure or sacred in our time. The nights we spent together are no crime. It doesn't matter if we turn to dust; Turn and turn and turn we must! I guess I'll see you dancin' in the ruins tonight! Dancin' in the ruins! Guess I'll see you dancin' in the ruins tonight!
Like marble statues always flowing lay, From castles built in silence, let us play. Even though our skulls rot in our flesh. We can build a laser, tear the mesh. It doesn't matter if we turn to dust; Turn and turn and turn we must. I guess I'll see you dancin' in the ruins tonight! Dancin' in the ruins! Guess I'll see you dancin' in the ruins tonight! Dancin' in the ruins! Guess I'll see you dancin' in the ruins tonight! Dancin' in the ruins! Guess I'll see you dancin' in the ruins tonight! Dancin' in the ruins!
Tiben and Orb sat alone in the jungle. Being not far from the fertility tree, Tiben had ushered Orb to one of his secret little hideaways -- a small clearing fitted with a lean-to and a couple of logs to sit on. Eager to improve the meager area, Orb quickly added a large flat stone they had found to the center to act as a table -- impressing Tiben with their (while not superhuman) unusual strength.
Birds cackled above the pair as they talked freely in their little clearing, Orb clearly enjoying themselves immensely. With a soft rock, Orb was scratching small diagrams into the flatstone, eagerly explaining each mark. With his hands propping his chin up, Tiben listened intently, his eyes following each movement.
“And then you see, well, leading a civilization is just like any other problem -- there is no one solution and not every solution works with different contexts.” Orb explained as they finished the diagram hierarchical autocracy that Polyastera seemed to be proposing.
“What do you mean, exactly?” Tiben looked up from the diagram and at Orb. The mask went silent for a moment, a tiny twinkle behind the peepholes.
“I mean,” Orb rasped happily, “Look at your species and culture, you have different needs and requirements to flourish than say, my species!” They paused, “Well if they existed.”
Tiben hesitated, “Does that bother you at all?”
“Hm?” Orb looked up from their next diagram, one that looked rather less authoritarian than Polyastera’s.
“That you’re the only one, of you,” Tiben explained.
“No,” Orb answered with a reassuring nod, “I think one fills this world’s requirements”
Tiben let out a laugh, “You’re a strange one aren’t you?”
Orb’s fingers tightened around their drawing stone and Tiben shifted, “I didn’t -- I didn’t mean it in a bad way.”
“Oh?” Orb rasped, their shoulders falling.
“You’re unique, it is good, this world needs more out of the box thinkers,” Tiben encouraged.
“Is that why you want to become a leader?” Orb suggested, a small dance on their shoulders as they continued their drawing.
Tiben stared for a while before his face turned serious, “To be honest, no. I don’t even want to be a leader.” Orb looked up at him, their shoulder dance stopping. Tiben ran a hand through his hair, “I was in the heat of it and I just snapped.I just don’t want someone like Polyastera to be the leader of these people. I’m not the only one who thinks that way, I mean look at her, she is very openly selfish and clearly only in this for self gain -- it is just no one has the courage to really speak up because of her fanatics. If she leads, there might be- no... there will be a lot of suffering down the line.”
“So you are doing this for selfless reasons?” Orb’s eyes twinkled as they stared at Tiben. Tiben slanted a smile into his cheek and slowly shook his head.
“I wish I was that honest, Orb.” He sighed, “But really, I do have some things to gain. I- Well I really do want to be known for something, to actually do something that leaves a mark. I don’t want to be a screw up, anymore.”
“Screw up?” Orb placed their rock down neatly and sat up, “What is wrong?”
Tiben let in a long inhale, “Orb, I have a son-- I have had a son.” He looked away from the mask, but Orb shifted slightly to stay in his sight. “It was with a woman I ended up hating and sure enough she ended up hating me as well. I just wasn’t for her, but the seed was already planted. I’m sure she feeds him plenty of reasons to hate me, as well.”
“But you said-”
“Yeah I know, during my little rant, I know. I was in the heat of it... I don’t know, Orb. I guess some piece of me thinks that if I did this, and set everything right, that it would magically fix my relationship with my boy as well -- or at least do something,” Tiben tossed a pebble at a tree, “Rather than continuing to just waste away.”
Orb fell silent for a while and stared at their cloaked lap. After a small bout of fidgeting Orb looked back up at Tiben, “I know a story.”
“Oh?” Tiben turned to look at orb.
“From my visions,” Orb nodded, voice full of care, “It’s about two brothers. They found themselves in a terrible place of violence and hate... and so they dared to change it. Everyone hated them for it, of course... except... well.” Orb tapped two index fingers together, “Do you know who didn’t hate them for it?”
Tiben shook his head and Orb gave a hidden grin, “Their children.”
With a slanted smile, Tiben let out a soft chuckle to himself, “Thank you, I think I needed to hear that.”
“You should talk to your offspring,” Orb insisted with a hidden smile. Tiben nodded.
“I will, after this.” He smiled.
“Good!” Orb said enthusiastically before picking up their drawing rock again. The sound of scratching rocks filled the tiny clearing as the two sat in silence. Tiben watching intently, with something clearly on his mind.
“Hey, Orb?”
“Hello.” Orb said without looking up from their drawing.
“Since you were born...” Tiben started, “How many people actually talked with you?”
“Plenty, we are doing it right now, even,” Orb insisted.
“No, I mean... talked with you, as in not at you, not to you, but with you. Like-- yeah, like this.”
Orb looked up, their enthusiasm draining from their voice, a tired rasp replacing it, “Not too many.”
“A shame,” Tiben shook his head, “Because I’ve only known you for so long and I can already tell that you have a lot going on behind that mask.”
“Too much, sometimes!” Orb’s eyes twinkled at Tiben and he could feel their smile, “I’m really glad that you haven’t tried to condescend to me, yet.”
“I don’t think I could,” Tiben looked down at Orb’s drawing, “Not while knowing you have all of this tucked away. I mean, you even learned our language in a matter of days!”
“It was like putting together a puzzle,” Orb happily chuckled, “I enjoyed the process.”
“Well, I’m just glad that we’re friends, then, especially at a time like this,” Tiben said idly.
“Friends?” Orb stared at him for a second too long, a curling smile hidden under their mask.
“Yeah,” Tiben nodded, “Why not.”
Orb goofily laughed to themselves a few times, not really saying anything. After a second more, they cleared their throat, “Maybe when this is all over and the next sequence has begun, everyone can be friends... even Polyastera.”
“I don’t think that will happen,” Tiben conceded, “No, I have a feeling this might get violent if dragged on too long. I’m hoping Lord Shengshi might hear my reasons before Polyastera tries anything stupid.”
“Stupid, like what?” Orb asked with a tinge of worry in their rasp.
“Well, there is a reason I called Polyastera’s group a bunch of fanatics. Sometimes I wonder how much danger I just put myself into,” Tiben shook his hands, noticing Orb’s growing silence, “But we don’t have to talk about this -- no let’s change it to something a little more light.”
“What’s your son’s designation?” Orb asked suddenly.
Tiben flinched, “Not exactly light... truth is I don’t know.” He quickly defended himself, “I didn’t get to see him born and well my ex-lover kept him away from me for so long after, that by time I had the courage to confront her, I didn’t have the courage to confront my child whose name I didn’t even know. How am I supposed to just-- walk right in after that?”
Orb shrugged, “I apologize.”
“No, it’s fine... I’ll.” Tiben gulped, “After this, I swear to Orvus, I will see him.”
Orb nodded, “That’s good.”
Tiben sucked in a breath, “So tell me about the mysterious Orb, then?”
“I like to make things,” Orb said simply, “I find nebulites increasingly complicated, and I enjoy fruit (for my body).”
“That’s a start,” Tiben laughed, before suddenly asking, “So what exactly is behind your mask?
“Oh! Uh!” Orb stuttered, caught off guard by the question, “It’s just a face- just my face.”
Tiben held up his hands, “I’m sorry for asking, it’s just that not every day do I talk to a masked stranger.”
Orb’s voice seemed to drop, “I thought we were friends?”
“We are,” Tiben slapped his forehead, “I’m sorry, forget I mentioned it.”
“I can’t,” Orb said after some straining. Tiben shook his head.
“Want to continue with the diagrams?”
“Yes!” Orb broke into their happy shoulder dance, “This one is modeled after a smaller civilization...”
Orb and Tiben discuss leadership plans and themselves. Tiben reveals he has a child and a bitch of an ex. Orb reveals that they are alright with being the only one of their species, whatever that may be. They become friends and bond.
Orb’s house was three stories tall. Its simple cube shape was formed from large grey stones abrasively hewn into cubes themselves and placed almost seamlessly against each other with interlocking sides, fitting together like a puzzle. The surfaces of each stone was carved into, so as to depict various scenes and landscapes. Once again great desert structures were shown, with shadowy figures lording over impressive canals and world dividing dams. As an eye would follow the scenes, they’d eventually find the starry sky again, and further down was a jungle, the jungle of Nebulan. A lone figure that matched the nondescript ones of before stood atop of a ziggurat and pointed to the sky.
With a gloved hand, Orb placed their palm flat on the grotesque and stood in silence. The wooden gutter that Orb had added to the house was ripped down, and the porch Orvus helped add was removed -- it was all stone, now. Funny little grooves were present in some of the stone blocks, where an impressed slide of wood on the interior could be slid on and off, letting in streams of light or blocking out rain. The door was a similar mechanism, but instead of wood, it was a heavy stone slab that fit into a slider with grooves.
To many this looked like a finished project, but to Orb, it looked like the center room for their ziggurat complex to come. And that was just the beginning...
Orb looked over their shoulder (a knitting of twine holding their cloak closed) and towards Orvus’ house. Orb had decided that they will shadow Rowan as well as Orvus, to both learn the problems and inefficiencies as well as to witness Orvus’ divine powers as much as possible -- something told Orb that perhaps even such an unusual material as divine powers had a groove or two to attach a mechanism onto.
But that wasn’t all. Orb sucked in a breath and flickered their eyes to the sky, they had seen things flying, they had flown, even if against their will. It was about time Orb also tapped into the sky as a possible resource as well. There was so much to do.
Orb let their hand fall from the grotesque and slanted a smile, hidden behind their mask: they were going to need to find helpers. Thinking back to Arya’s concerned words, Orb knew that a lot of the nebulites have been restoring their energy and relaxing by the large tree where they fertilized each other -- perhaps that was a good place to start.
With a hopping run, Orb cut away from the stone cube and headed towards the fertility tree.
As it would turn out, one crucial detail was missing from Orb’s understanding of the tree -- it was on a different island. It took Orb the rest of the day to fix the problem, but eventually they managed to create a sturdy raised raft as well as a hand cranked paddle wheel and rudder -- plus gathered some pouches of fresh water (just in case). After that it was a simple task of following those who flew back and forth between the islands and attempting to keep their cloak dry (which was a failure).
It took quite some time, but eventually the jungle shores of the next island over came into view, and just in time -- a heavy rumble was forming in Orb’s stomach, and salt was in their ears. It was pure joy to Orb when they heard the sound of their wooden vessel scrape against the grains of the beach.
Crawling away from their craft, Orb laughed with relief, their clothes soaked clean through. Plopping onto the sands, they drained their last remaining pouch of water and wiped a salty arm over their lips. Slapping the mask back into place, they stood up and turned inland -- they have arrived.
Pushing through an increasingly dense jungle, Orb couldn't help but want to ditch their cloak now and again. Branches scraped across their mask and snagged at their clothes. Tropical birds called above, almost in a mocking laugh. Orb sneered and just as the thickets were almost too much, they feel forward with a thump.
Landing in a sudden clearing, Orb was struck with a sudden contrast to the lonely wilds -- a nestle of nebulites socializing around a large tree. Many were performing shameful deeds that Orb would have been fine with never seeing, while others were munching on fruits. Orbs stomach twisted with hunger as they scrambled back to their feet and puffed themselves up.
A fiery haired nebulite laughed heartily in mirth, her eyes wandering the glade before they fell upon Orb. She stared for a moment, then whispered something into the ear of her friend. The blue haired nebulite then turned to look at Orb as well before he said something aloud and pointed. Then all eyes were upon Orb in that particular group. Then one of them said something in a hushed whisper and all of them began to laugh. The fiery headed nebulite then beckoned for Orb to come over, while hiding a smile behind her other hand.
Tugging their wet cloak into place, Orb walked forward, a wave of stares accumulating as they approached.
The nebulites were relaxed as Orb approached, in fact most of them looked like they had not a care in the world. The one who had beckoned dropped her hand and eyed the cloaked figure before her with curiosity.
"So you're the one God created. Orb right? We were wondering if you'd find your way here." The flame girl smiled warmly as the others nodded, if a little absentmindedly.
“I am Orb, yes,” Orb said in a thick raspy accent, “What’s your designation?”
"You can call me Cassie. Welcome to the Tree. What brings you here?" She asked.
“Hello, Cassie,” Orb said enthusiastically, “I require help.”
She narrowed her eyes and the others began whispering to each other. "Help? With what?"
“I’ll show you!” Orb pushed a breath behind their mask. Using the heel of their foot, they quickly began to draw in the dry forest soil. After several long drags, and many tedious details all done with the heel of a boot, Orb presented a skyscape of a marvelous city of stone. Ziggurats stood in pattern with moving dams and other great wonders. There even seemed to be things in the sky amid many dimples that one could only assume was the cosmic night sky. With a pant, Orb presented the dirt drawing, “I need help building this. I heard that a good amount of nebulites liked to fornicate under this tree, so I figured I would be able to find an equally good amount of help here.”
All eyes fell upon the drawing and many made a curious expression at the level of intricacies that the dirt expressed. One by one the nebulites looked at Orb with hidden expressions, with one dark haired one keeping his eyes on the design. Cassie in the meantime stood up and with a hand held to her chin, she placed around the design. The nebulite woman then said, "You came to the wrong place to find help I'm afraid, but this picture is something. I think Polyastera would like to meet you. Aster, go and fetch her."
There was a quiet grumbling as the nebulite known as Aster got up and flew off.
“I know it looks small,” Orb defended, “But it’s only the start, trust me.”
Cassie sat back down and wrapped an arm around the nebulite male she sat next too. A smile crossed his lips. "Of course. You seem like you know your stuff."
“Of course I do,” Orb insisted with a rasp, “I even helped design your progenitors.”
Cassie leaned back. "You helped design Arya and Laurien?"
“Not the original models,” Orb surrendered, “But your blueprints went through a flurry of inspirations and detail changes before they were decided upon. It is almost reflected in your reproductive systems.” Orb buzzed a small chuckle, “If only I could have kept my blueprints, I’m sure I had plenty of interesting things stored away.”
"How odd." Cassie said before being prodded in the side by her friend. She looked at him unamused but nodded. She looked back at Orb. "Forgive me for asking but many of us were wondering, what is your gender?"
Orb’s rambling suddenly halted as their mask went silent. Two twinkling eyes blinked at Cassie, clearly caught off guard, they said something in runic before switching into their heavy accent, “Does it matter?”
"I suppose not. You're just so… hidden." She said with a sly smile.
A white haired male then said, "And the mask, so different. Why not let yourself be free?"
“It- it’s better this way,” Orb insisted, “I can freely interact with you all despite the mask or my gender.”
Some mumbling came from around a particularly tall set of roots, and it slowly grew more and more intelligible as its producers approached. As Aster rounded the corner hand in hand with a light pink, shining white-haired lady, the lady spoke, "So this person is a builder of sorts?" Her eyes quickly locked onto Orb before Aster even could make a reply. Her smile broadened and the lady skipped over and curtsied before the masked figure. "Ah, hello! You must be the dear Orb I have heard… Some about! It's a pleasure to meet you - I am Polyastera."
Orb seemed glad to leave the previous topic and jump into the new one. With a gladdened voice, Orb turned from the man and straight at Polyastera, "Hello, Polyastera. Cassie says I may have the wrong place, but I'm hoping I don't."
"Thaaaaaat would depend on your purpose, I suppose! What exactly do you have in mind--oooh! A model!" Polyastera peered in a marveling manner at the small ziggurats. "That is bee-yutiful. Where did you get the inspiration for this?"
“Visions,” Orb answered with a rasp, “It’s just the beginning of a series too. Imagine bigger and better things, feats of ingenuity that would stand immortal and pay testament to its great creators. Structures with function that levy even better structures, easing the act of future creation. Absolute efficiency.” Orb beamed over their intricate dirt drawing, “By the time we are close enough to think we are done,” Orb’s eyes were looking past Polyastera now, “We will have moved oceans, restructured mountains and built in the skies themselves, but then we will keep going beyond that and some day all of that will seem as tedious as me drawing this blueprint.”
“Immortal?” The dark haired nebulite finally spoke, eyes wide.
“Immortal.” Orb nodded enthusiastically, “All I require is sufficient aid.”
Polyastera stared far past Orb as if the two were having a conversation continents apart. A stupidly excited smile spread across her lips and she whispered the words, "Immortal structures… Dedicated to me." She shoved an open hand into the air between her and Orb. "You are coming with us when we leave for our life of luxury! Become my new world's architect and I will let you realise as many of these projects as you want!" She looked livid with joy, nearly to the point where her chest would start to smoke from excessively quick heart beats.
Orb blinked at the hand, “You will let me.” Their thick accent betrayed surprise as well as a certain disappointment, “I no longer exist as an object to be possessed. I have surpassed an inanimate existence and now persist as an independent copy of a living being. Technically speaking, you can’t let me or let me not do anything.” A frustrated huff pushed under the mask, “I am not a tool anymore. I am offering a share in wonders that will claim mastery over this world, not ownership over myself.”
Polyastera blinked back and shook her head. "No, see, I didn't mean it like that, no need for a speech or anything. I meant 'let you' as in 'you do you'. It was a figure of speech or something. See, when I receive my plot of land and blessings from the great Lord Shengshi, you are free to build whatever you wish upon it (preferably those wonders in your model, if you would)." She shook her extended hand eagerly and gave Orb a wink. "Anyone in my queendom who knows me personally will be free to do anything, dear Orb. Especially if it involves claiming mastery of the world. "
"Inefficient." Orb crossed their arms, "I am already free to do whatever I want, I have already built the heart of a ziggurat. I am simply inquiring about partners." Orb paused, enthusiasm leaking back into their voice, "Partners to help sculpt the world!"
"Yes, partners!" Polyastera offered with a quiet groan of relief. "You'll sculpt the land and I will rule it - you build, I use. Seems like a wonderful deal to me. Now would you shake my hand, please? My arm is getting tired."
“Well hold on,” The black haired nebulite suddenly said, “Who made you the absolute? We haven’t even passed Shengshi’s test yet and you’re already doling out commands.” He shook his head, “Don’t listen to her, Orb. She’s just trying to use you.”
“I know,” Orb turned to the other nebulite, “She mentioned that, in fact.”
"Wow, okay - listen, if you're going to backstab me, stick it a little deeper, would you? I might like it in that case." She rolled her eyes and turned back to Orb, mouthing some profanity under her breath. "Listen, Orb - 'use' is such an empty word. It hardly describes the nature of our relationship-to-be. You want to build things, right?"
Before Orb could respond, Tiben (the black-haired Nebulite) raised his voice, “Can do! The way I see it, Orb, and correct me if I’m wrong, But you are a recent creation of Orvus’ imbued with clearly a very advanced intellect and are simply trying to use it to its maximum potential, but all you seem to get is coddling remarks, patronization, and people who are different than you thinking you don’t know any better or are some kind of idiot. How’s that for hitting the head?” Tiben cleared his throat, while Orb stared at him with twinkling eyes, “Now catch this, Orb. I’ve spent the last who the hell knows how long under this tree doing all sorts of things, and you know what? It occurred to me the other day that I’m not getting anywhere. Sure I might manage to cause some idiot spawn to pop out of some beat up cave, but really what the hell is the point. The way I see it, is that I’m willing to scrape my skin and put some good work to really build that immortal monument so I can at least die knowing I wasn’t a failure. Take it from a fool, these happy slaps don’t want to put any work into it -- hence their funny way of telling you to build in their honor while they stick it in every orifice they can find. Me? I’m willing to accept that whatever the hell is under that mask knows something I don’t and that there is more to me than perpetuating my species.”
Orb stared between Polyastera and Tiben for some time before looking at Tiben, “You will help me?”
“Shove my corpse into the bottom of one of those things and tell people I tried, and I’ll cut my hand on some stone,” Tiben nodded before eyeing Polyastera, “I bet we could even get His Lordship Shengshi in on it... properly.”
Polyastera's pink face caught a raging red shade and it took almost a minute before she seemed to calm down sufficiently to formulate a reply. "Okay, alright, I see. Look… Man, dude, babe - your contribution to the Nebulite queendom project is highly appreciated. In fact, how would you like to be leader of the working masses? My court will certainly require their voices from time to time."
Tiben cocked his head, “Really? You’d do that for me?” He laughed, “As I said, who the hell made you the absolute. We are standing on equal ground right now, there is nothing stopping any of us from taking the position you covet -- even myself,” He looked surprised, “Or Orb.”
"Oh, of course!" Polyastera conceded. "You are absolutely free to make your claim, or even discredit mine! Go ahead, go ahead. Really, please do. A little competition never hurt anyone." Her grin could've belonged to a tigress. "Just don't come crying when I strike back, okay?"
“Competition really isn’t very efficient,” Orb rasped, “I just wanted help building.”
“You’ll get it,” Tiben’s eyes never left Polyastera, making everyone unsure to who he was replying to.
"Perfect," she replied and turned to Orb, drastically reducing the menace of her grin to the point where it was almost friendly. "Inefficient, it may be, Orb, but it's also very, very necessary. As the future queen, my position must have mandate, mustn't it?" She turned back to Tiben. "Beating the opposition may very well provide such."
“Beating is a specialty of yours, isn’t it?” Tiben grinned, “Unfortunately as far as that got you under this tree, it won’t serve you past a few sticky nights elsewhere.”
"Oh, I think it just might. Consider this challenge begun," Polyastera replied with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her lips.
Orb squinted and pounded out in runic, “Strange creatures.”
Orb makes the heart of a ziggurat and a tiny paddle raft before finding the nebulites under the fertility tree. In an attempt to recruit some to aid them in building, they approach. The nebulites condescend towards Orb and insist on their gender before Polyastera shows up and attempts to smooth-talk her way into having Orb build for them freely.
Orb is not outwitted, but even so, another Nebulite named Tiben criticizes Polyastera heavily and insists that she has no right to rule and that any donkey could be what she is and so he challenges her to be the leader.
In the end, it looks like Orb is going to talk to Shengshi but never really got their answers or fulfilled why they even came to the tree.
A clear glass bottle bobbed in the oceans, rising and falling with the waves. A cork stoppered the opening of the bottle, and within was a roll of white paper which was tied together with a little string.
It was a most peculiar thing, because paper was rare on Galbar and glass bottles even rarer. And here was this paper in a bottle drifting in the vastness of the ocean, where extraordinary luck would be required for anyone to find it. Anyone, that is, except for one particular goddess.
Water curled up and wrapped around the bottle. The water reached the cork and unstoppered the bottle. A tendril of water slithered into the bottle, wrapped around the roll of paper and pulled it out. A second little tendril of water pulled at the string, unravelling the bow it had been tied into, and the piece of paper unrolled. The water formed into a face, which looked upon the curvy letters written upon the paper in black ink.
Dearest Ashalla,
Your splendid lessons on music have not gone unheard by my own ears. In response to your hard work and in gratitude, I am hereby inviting you to a concerto in your honor, for all your work in the realm of music. The event is to take place at my palace, upon your arrival.
In salutation and respect, K’nell
A burble issued from Ashalla. She deposited the now-slightly-damp letter and the piece of string back into the bottle and replaced the cork. Then she set off for Tendlepog.
A grand storm brewed off the coast of Tendlepog, strong winds carrying it inland. Rain poured from the cloud and was whipped in all directions by turbulent gales. Thunder rumbled across the horizon and lightning flashed within the cloud, those brief moments of illumination outlining what some might have imagined to be a face.
The storm passed over the sheer cliffs which lined the beaches of the rotating continent. The wind whipped the coastal dust into dark clouds which rolled along the ground, before the torrential rain soaked the earth. The hardy plants which lived in this region soaked up the water greedily, making the most of this rare moment of rain. A small flock of shadowy crows took flight as the storm arrived.
The storm soon reached a ring of mountains on the far side of this sandy desert. Below the roar of the storm was the deep rumble of the mountains ever-so-slowly creeping their way across the continent. The storm ascended the mountain slopes and dusted the peaks with a light covering of snow.
Down the other side of the mountains, the storm rolled into plains which were painted ruby red as far as the eye could see. The sugary aroma of the red grass was pulled up into the storm, casting a sweet petrichor across the plains. Rivers meandered in nonsensical paths across the plains. Groves of trees stampeded ahead of the storm, moving to avoid damaging winds while still catching the rain. The lowing of tree-eaters called the members of the herds to hunker together into a single wooly mass in the face of the storm. Bilbies dashed through the grass to their burrows. Little cloudlings fizzed in awe as they beheld the majesty of the storm sweeping across the plains.
A single far off figure with blue hair seemed to either salute the storm, or cover her eyes as she stared at it, a gentle swear hanging on her breath before dashing to find some sort of cover. Soon, however, the storm overtook her, and rain soaked through her clothes despite what shelter she had found. Then an orb of crackling light appeared in the clouds and stared down at the Dreamer.
“Daughter of Hermes,” greeted a voice like pouring rain.
"That..." Altansarnai froze, "...would be me?" A defensive crackle sounded from her hair, a dark cloudling zipping out defiantly between the dreamer and the storm.
“You are the first of your mother’s descendants I have seen. You look very similar to your mother.” A breeze whipped through Altansarnai’s hair. “And I see that my blessing has been inherited. How has Hermes been?”
A long silence over took the conversation, leaving nothing but the sounds of the storm to fill the gap. Dumpling popped between the god and the mortal, a look of intense thought plastered over Altansarnai’s soaked face. Occasionally she would blink the rain from her eyes, her arms defensively raised against the impending drops.
“Ashalla,” Altansarnai finally recalled, cobalt brows knitted, “The God of the Ocean and beauty... inland?”
“Yes. K’nell invited me to a concerto,” Ashalla said.
“Oh.” Altansarnai seemed at a loss for words. She took a step forward, one hand saluting over her eyes to peer through the curtain of rain, “I’m sorry, this is all very strange to me.”
There was a pause and a rumble. “Perhaps you could start with a proper greeting for a goddess,” Ashalla suggested.
Altansarnai seemed to hesitate for a moment, a mixture of emotions flickering past her dark eyes. With a small scrunch of her left eye she slowly knelt into the sopping mud. The reluctant dreamer held their breath and dipped their head in humiliating respect. Before another breath could pass through her lips, a different voice suddenly called through the rain.
“Your Majesty,” A rather hollow voice called from atop a dark horse. The thorn covered rider seemed uninterested in the soaking rain as it called out to Ashalla with a bowed head.
A second orb of lightning manifested in the storm cloud and looked at the rider. “Greetings, creation of K’nell.” The voice of the storm then spoke near the still-bowing dreamer. “You may rise.”
Altansarnai rose back to her feet, wiping clumps of mud from her pants as she did. The rain also washed the mud from Altansarnai’s clothes and skin. Her eyes were cast down and away from the drops of rain, the echoing voice of the Warden filling the spaces in between the conversation, “My Lord is quite eager for your meeting.”
“I shall continue shortly,” Ashalla replied. The rain around Altansarnai then eased to a light shower. “Daughter of Hermes, how is your mother?”
Altansarnai squinted as she looked up to the sky, blinking at tiny droplets. The dreamer seemed to gather her bearings with a large inhale, “She is well, but currently away on a quest of grave importance. She spoke much of you when I was young, thank you for your blessing.” Her voice was formal, the unusual tone causing Dumpling to crackle with confusion before retreating back into her hair.
The dark horse shifted uneasily and the Warden gripped his reins but remained silent.
There was a faint burble, and a voice like splashing raindrops said, “That is good to hear. Does Hermes still dance?”
“Often with Mother Xiaoli,” Altansarnai answered, “And in the palace of the God of Tendlepog.”
“Good.” Ashalla’s other eye seemed to scrutinise the impatient Warden before she said, “I have a concerto to get to. Farewell, daughter of Hermes.”
“Farewell, Ashalla Goddess of the Ocean,” Altansarnai tipped her head again, blue strands sticking to her face.
The wind picked up again, blowing the clouds further inland, with the dark horseman following her dutifully. Soon clusters of houses and tents appeared on the plains, along with gardens and farming patches. More dreamers inhabited these houses, and Ashalla looked at each of them as she passed over, admiring her handiwork in colouring the dreamers and simply inspecting them and their homes.
Eventually, Ashalla passed the region inhabited by the dreamers and came to another ring of mountains. Unlike the first, which was quite barren, these mountains were filled with a unique ecosystem. Many varieties of mushrooms grew here, some as large as trees, and a large portion of them toxic. Chameleon squirrels and honey possums dashed for cover at the storm’s approach, and sphagnum moss flew erratically in the wind.
As Ashalla crossed the mountain range, the ecosystem changed yet again to a forest of oak and cypress. There were very few animals in this place to be startled by the storm’s arrival, for this was holy ground. In a clearing in the very center of this forest in the very center of Tendlepog was a platform of black marble. The clouds which were Ashalla gathered above the platform and spiralled around it.
“This is the way to K’nell’s palace?” Ashalla asked the Warden, who was standing nearby.
The rider dipped a helmeted head, “That is the way.”
The clouds started to spiral faster. A cone of twisting wind and cloud stretched down from the storm and touched the black platform. White light blazed from the platform as the tornado made contact and expanded to cover the whole platform. The wind howled through the sacred grove as the dark clouds above twisted inwards towards the platform. The cloud above retracted inwards, until the last of it disappeared and the tornado imploded towards the ground. When the light of Limbo faded, sunlight fell upon the black stone from the blue sky above, and the air was calm.
Reality folded into wrinkles all around Ashalla as color seemed to fade into non-color. Passing through these wrinkles, Ashalla witnessed an infinite number of little grains, each with an eternity of time. This portrait of what could be painted itself before Ashalla as she flew through the images of Limbo at incredible speeds -- surpassing even her greatest swimming speed.
Ripping her attention from the grains of reality, a pulsing light called out to her -- signalling her. Ashalla flew forwards, willing herself towards the light. When she reached the light, it flared out and whiteness swallowed everything.
As color bled back into Ashalla’s vision, she found herself in an endless expanse of sea complemented with the backdrop of a crystal blue sky. The blue-green waters lapped at hexagonal pillars of ice, each growing out of the waves at different heights. Standing atop the center most pillar that stood merely three meters above the waves was K’nell. He wore his gentleman’s garb and a polite smile. With arms folded square behind his back, he tipped his head to Ashalla, “I see you have made it! Welcome.”
Ashalla’s form stretched up, a woman of water looking down at K’nell and around at the scene around them. She seemed hesitant. “Yes, hello,” she said absently, a voice like a submarine echo. A pseudopod reached up and licked K’nell. “It’s not real,” she stated, clearly unsettled.
“And yet here we are,” K’nell smiled, “As real as can be.”
“We are real. I can taste that. This place, though…” she gestured expansively with an arm. “This must be the stuff dreams are made of.”
K’nell charmed a laugh and folded his hands over his lap, “Well, that is one way to put it for sure.” He held out a hand to the towering figure, “Would you like to join me on the ice?”
Ashalla reached out an arm which tapered into a narrow pseudopod which wrapped around K’nell’s hand. The rest of Ashalla flowed towards the pillar, and the sea rose to lap at K’nell’s shoes. Then the water bunched up in front of K’nell, and there stood Ashalla, now only a head taller than K’nell. Her torso had the shape of a woman as before, while the rest of her form flowed down and outwards like a dress which trailed off the edges of the pillar.
“Marvelous,” K’nell simply stated with a genuine smile. The gentleman turned his head out towards the horizon, where the crystal blue sky kissed the water, “Shall we begin?”
“Yes, let us begin,” Ashalla said with a voice like a falling snowflake.
K’nell flicked his sight back to Ashalla briefly before looking back out at the horizon. Gradually the world began to dim, the sky of blue turning into a dark clearness. The water of the sea seemed to contrast the deepening sky, and the ice pillars glistened from some unseen light source. In total the orchard of pillars gently turned into an ambient glow -- but with the dim sky still overpowering.
Letting Ashalla’s pseudopod slip from his hand, K’nell slipped a trumpet from out of thin air and tapped it to his lips. With a low, sweet tone, K’nell let out a reverberating tune, a saturating spot of deep red growing in the sky in tune with his sound. The light radiated the pillars pink, and as he switched notes, the color swapped to a soft green. Soon another trumpet joined from a different pillar, a glittering yellow appearing on the opposite side of the horizon. A ripple passed over Ashalla at the sound. She stretched out a hand and watched the colours dance through the water.
The other trumpet blasted an energetic challenge, the yellow pushing against the green. A curl formed on the edge of K’nells lips as a frollicking set of notes returned the challenge, the green swirling into the yellow. The yellow pushed back with a trotting tune, and then as the green clashed with it again -- a ripple of blue took over the center -- a sudden blast of strings erupting from the other pillars.
The storm of strings washed over the trumpets, and a look overtook K’nell’s face. Tossing his trumpet to the ground, he tucked a violin under his chin -- a somber wave of sound turning his green a vibrant red once more. He racked his bow against the strings in a squirming call, the red battling with the loud blue of the sky as the yellow trumpet faded away. Ashalla twirled around as she stared up into the sky, watching and feeling the dance of colour and music.
With three loud racks, the red broke through the blue, shattering the concert into a sea of fluttering colors and turning the challenging string into a burst of different instruments. The blinking colors in the sky showered down as K’nell played -- the other sounds now working with their captor. A brief awed burble escaped from Ashalla.
The harmony stayed, slowly conquering the sky and turning the fluttering field into a swirl of organized color. The music dipped and rose, slowing to a nigh mystical rhythm, only to gradually quicken again. K’nell’s eyes closed in concentration and his mouth straightened, his violin leading the music on its rise -- the sound growing in volume. The strikes of the violin quickened, and the sounds of the brass loudened. K’nell let one eye slip back open, intent on Ashalla.
He sucked in a breath, and thrusted his bow dangerously across the strings of his violin with a shriek -- one of the pillars exploded into a wash of glittering orange, the music briefly dipping in surprise. Ashalla suddenly turned to look at the flare of orange but the violin was struck hard again, a different pillar bursting into a halo of purple, and then another in a burst of silver. One by one, each pillar surrounding the pair burst with the music, the sky aflame with dancing colors, with Ashalla turning to look at each one.
K’nell brought his bow against the side of one of his strings, the vibration of the music and explosions catching in his chest as he lead the music in one final conclusion of pulsing light. The sky grew dim again as the music began to fade with each pulse of light, until the pair stood over the dim sea, with fractures of remaining color still glittering down from the explosions. Echoes of light sparkled within Ashalla’s form. As the final shard of light kissed the sea below, a soft flute edged in the distance.
With the flute rose a gentle harp, a pink hue rising in the distance. K’nell slowly smoothed his bow across his violin, bird like shapes with streaming blue tails appeared in the sky -- dancing towards the horizon. The soft harmony kept them in their playful dance, until the pink sky overtook the scene and K’nell suddenly dropped his violin.
A bench of ice grew from the pillar he stood at, and sitting upon it, an organ rose to meet his fingertips. Happy tones slipped from the pipes above, letting loose doves of bright light. The doves quickly mingled with the dancing birds of blue, creating a song of tranquility and joy. K’nell looked over at Ashalla as he played and slowly shifted to one side of his bench, one hand playing while the other offered a seat.
“Shall we be blessed with your own music?” He offered over a smile.
A surprised bubble rose through Ashalla, but she was swift to regain her composure and flowed into the spot beside K’nell. A few watery tendrils brushed over the keys of the organ, getting familiar with their feel. She glanced sideways at K’nell with a sweet smile on her aqueous lips. Then she engulfed her half of the keyboard with a pseudopod and the keys started to dance.
Ashalla’s tune found the harmonies to resonate with K’nell’s song, and the dancing birds above spun into pairs which danced along with their duet. As this rhythm set into place, a new motif slipped in beneath the other, and a ripple of yellow danced across the sky. This lively motif then surged to the fore, and the birds broke from their pairs to wheel across the sky.
The tune spun and evolved, Ashalla waving side to side in front of the organ in time with the music. As the tempo quickened, horizon was illuminated in shifting colours of orange, red, green, purple and blue. The waves in the sea picked themselves up and danced along with the music, all moving in perfect synchronicity.
A diminuendo washed through the music and the lights faded to a mellow lavender. The melody dropped from the organ, leaving the harmony to carry the music for a few beats. Then a voice like a trickling brook hummed from one direction. It was joined by a note from a voice like a light shower from another direction. A voice like rolling snow lilted over the top of the other two, light blue shading the sea. A chorus of watery voices rose from the sea to the accompaniment of the organ, colours dancing with the song in glorious synesthesia.
K’nell smiled warmly, eyes closed as he felt the music in the air and under his fingers. His mouth parted slightly, mouthing notes as he pressed them into existence. His fingers glided across the keys, the music suggesting a conclusion to Ashalla. Ashalla glanced over to K’nell, then she slipped away from the organ. The choir of her voices continued their resonant song as Ashalla glided from the pillar and twirled under the sparkling illumination of the sky.
Following her movements with accompanying notes, K’nell shifted to the center of the organ. Yellow light blossomed out from the sky above Ashalla and her voices lifted to a waltz. Her movements danced around the pillar, each arc of her dance flowing from each phrase of the music. Glittering crystals of ice spun into existence around her and split the light into a rainbow of colours. Then a voice like the rising tide joined with a counter-melody, green light pushing in from over the horizon, and another lady of water rose up on the opposite side of the pillar to Ashalla, mirroring her waltz.
Tension built in the notes as the first Ashalla danced with graceful flowing moves, only to be matched and bettered by the second Ashalla. Melody and counter-melody was passed between the two in their accelerating dance. The ocean heaved at their movement, and snow sparkled in their wakes. A red glow grew from the pillar of ice as the two Ashallas circled closer and closer, faster and faster. The ocean rose, the Ashallas stretched, and the voices became like thunder and waves. The spiralling women of water closed in around the pillar and blurred into a twisting wall of water, the world cast in a dark red as the music grew to a tumultuous fortissimo.
Then the wall of water shattered into billions of ice crystals, letting light flood back into the world and revealing a sapphire blue sky. The two Ashallas danced out from the snow together, holding each other close. They spun and moved, pausing and flowing along with the music. The strings urged them to move and spin, to stretch out and come back again. They paused when the trumpet called out. They flowed with K’nell’s notes across the organ. The two dancers traced out mesmerising patterns across the waves, with the orchestra of the Palace of Dreams following their every move.
The music ebbed and flowed, pink, yellow and green shining around the dancers. The song grew with a crescendo, and lustrous choir of Ashalla’s voices returned for the finale. A golden spotlight fell on the two Ashallas as their movements became bigger and bolder. Then one dancer flung out the other, and she spun in a great pirouette. The instruments trilled as she spun, and a spray of water flew out from her and surrounded her in a rainbow halo.
Finally she came to a stop, and the music ended with her, leaving the resonance of the sound hanging in the air.
The two Ashallas turned to look at K’nell with grins rivalling K’nell’s own. As the lighting returned to normal, Ashalla could contain her burbling no longer, and the sound of her mirth echoed across the entire seascape.
K'nell clapped his hands, a chuckle following each resounding applause, "Marvelous, simply marvelous!"
The two Ashallas moved side by side and took a deep bow as K’nell applauded. Then the two Ashallas merged into each other and became one woman of water of a height closer to Ashalla’s original size. Her burbling grew as she said, “You were marvellous too, K’nell!”
"Well thank you," K'nell feigned a bashful grin, "Really there isn't enough of such events as these to go around, and fewer to invite to. Your company has been a diamond."
“Indeed. This has been the most beautiful concert I have ever witnessed, orchestrated by your own incredible artistry. Oh how I wish to give Galbar even a slither of the wonder which happened here today.” Ashalla’s burbling continued unabated. “Perhaps we could do this again some time.”
"I certainly hope you do," K'nell waved a hand as he dismissed the organ back into the ice. Turning his full attention to Ashalla he smiled, "And who knows, perhaps some day we might."
Ashalla smiled back, and eventually the burbling subsided. “I should return to Galbar soon - dreams don’t last forever.”
"Who says?" K'nell suggested.
Ashalla smirked. “Perhaps for you they can. Yet how can I bring this beauty back to Galbar if I do not go?”
"My lady, you have persuaded me," K'nell stood up from his bench, "But at least grant me the single honor of teaching you something before you depart."
“Of course, K’nell.”
K'nell took a step forward and held out his hand. He spoke a simple word that held no real meaning and as he did, a gentle wisp of light curled in his palm. He looked up from it and at Ashalla, "Sleep." He said, "If you wish to know how, just take it from my hand."
Ashalla looked at the wisp, a frown forming on her face. “Sleep, the regular period of unconsciousness required by fleshy beings to reverse the weakness of their tiredness. Why would I wish for that?”
"Color me selfish," K'nell's fingers curled slightly over the wisp, his voice toned with a drop of sorrow, "I guess I just don't want some dreams to end."
A pseudopod reached out and brushed K’nell’s cheek. A rumble purred through Ashalla’s form. “Yet if I live my existence in a dream, then I won’t ever do anything real,” she said as softly as a snowflake.
Ashalla then drew back. “I will always cherish the memories, though.”
"So will I," K'nell agreed softly, his fingers coming together.
Ashalla finds a message in a bottle. It’s an invitation from K’nell, inviting her to a concerto.
Ashalla flies through Tendlepog. On the way, she meets Altansarnai. Ashalla asks how Hermes has been.
Ashalla dives through Limbo into the Palace of Dreams. She arrives into a dreamscape of water and ice, with K’nell there.
K’nell presents a concert of music, colour and synesthesia.
At the end of their time together, K'nell offers Ashalla the ability to sleep, but she refuses.
The early morning light filtered through the kitchen window as Orvus reluctantly ventured in. The night had been mostly quiet but he had heard a lot of scrapings sounds after he left Orb and now he could only imagine what they had gotten up to. The answer, was very clear. Orb was passed out on the floor (sharp stone in hand) amidst many shavings of wood, which had fallen from the table. Once a finely crafted thing, now looked like it belonged in one of Silver's stories. The table was smoothly carved and gouged to depict many interesting scenes and landscapes -- mostly that of an expansive desert filled with great works of engineering and architecture. Where the desert ended, a magnificent depiction of a starry night sky took over, showcasing a very detailed cosmos. The god inspected the display with a fine eye and found himself impressed. He could only imagine what Orb was going to do for their own house.
He crouched down next to Orb and then said, "Goodmorning."
Being completely covered in their cloak, mask and a sea of shavings, it was hard to tell if Orb was stirring awake. Two twinkling eyes flickered behind the mask and Orb’s raspy voice coughed out, clearly still shaking away sleep, “Are you ready to build, now?”
Orvus merely smiled.
So the two builders worked, for many days, learning from one another as they went. And much was done during this time and many events transpired. Rowan and the twins grew accustomed to Orb, and with Orvus to translate, were beginning to learn it's speech just ask Orb was learning their own. As for Arya, the girl was busy teaching the Nebulites what she knew and answering any questions she could, but her heart was growing restless and she longed to return to Tendlepog. Try as she might to convince her sister to join her, Laurien was becoming distant from her family. She spent more and more of her time at the tree, and when she came back on occasion, she never spoke of what happened there. Only that a change was coming that she needed to talk to Orvus about. She wouldn't say when however and she had stopped calling him father. All this happened, all this thickened the air of the island, and most of it went unnoticed by Orb.
The cloaked figure found themselves sitting on a thick roof formed out of slates of carefully cut wood. Nearly leaning off the sheer drop of the three story building of large rock cubes, Orb was carefully adding a wooden gutter that led to a stone basin that sat by the building, a happy dance on their shoulders. With a rasp they called down to Orvus on the ground, “And- and then! We can decorate it and start planning additions, or make an even bigger one. Or! A device to use the captured water from the rains for some purpose or another-- did you like the disposal chute I added on the third floor? I think it will...” Orb droned on and on about several different features, clearly excited, “Then we can fix the other houses, turn it all into one big organized cluster. A monument to time and efficiency, yes!” A happy laugh sounded from behind the mask, runic pounding with energy, “Fix the fields too!”
Orvus looked up at Orb from where he worked on the patio railing. "I'm fine with the houses but what's wrong with the fields?" he called up.
Orb leaned over the roof, faceless mask peering down at Orvus with what he could only assume was a hidden incredulous look, “Very funny.” Orb snickered, “But they are hardly efficient.”
Orvus opened his mouth to retort but a blur of white suddenly hovered before him, blocking Orvus’ view of Orb. He squinted up to see that it was Arya, and she looked very concerned.
"Have you talked to Laurien lately?"
Orvus stood up and dusted his clothes off before crossing his arms. He frowned. "No. She hasn't spoken to me since Li'Kalla came. Every time I try she says she's needed at the Tree. Did something happen?"
Arya landed before Orvus and sighed (Orb peeking out from the roof). "Well no… She just won't talk to me anymore. She's always going on and on about luxury and love but she seems so… Distant? I was hoping she'd come with me to Tendlepog… But she said she's too busy here."
“She doesn’t sound very busy if she is focusing on trivialities such as luxury and love,” Orb cut in, their translation forming a thick, raspy accent, “She can come help construct the future, we need a brick cutter.” Orb held out a finger, “She can even cut how she feels into each brick, so there -- two activities in one!”
Arya looked up at the masked Orb with a faint smile. "Oh Orb." she said before looking around at the house. "The house is looking really good guys."
"Yes it is!" came Rowan's voice. Orvus and Arya spun around to see Rowan in her human form walking towards them with a plate of fruit and a pitcher with cups. "Now come and get some lunch, you've been working all morning. Arya, you too dear."
“Hup!” Orb deftly dropped from the roof and kicked off the wall, landing in a bush with a loud snap. Popping from the bush, the twig covered Orb wobbled over, holding their head with two hands. Blinking behind the mask, they reoriented themselves and came to a stop in front of Rowan. “Thank you for your consumables,” Orb pounded in runic before snatching one of the fruits from the platter. Strategically walking past Rowan, so their back was to everyone, Orb took a quick bite before turning around, mouth full behind the mask. “Would you like to help, we are getting to the really fun parts.”
Orvus and Arya both took a bit of fruit and ate as Rowan filled their cups with water. She turned to Orb and then to Orvus. "What did Orb say?"
Orvus spoke with his mouth full, "Wants to know if you'll help." Rowan gave Orvus a look before turning to Orb with a smile. "I'm afraid not dear, there's too much housework to do today."
Orb swallowed hard and switched to the language of the nebulites, their swooping accent returning, “What kind of housework?”
"Cleaning, washing clothes, cooking, sweeping, making sure the twins don't kill each other" she said with a laugh.
Pinching the bottom of their mask, Orb very quickly asked, “Can I watch you do these activities?”
"Careful Orb, she'll put you to work while you watch." Orvus said taking a drink.
“Efficient,” Orb blinked.
Rowan gave Orvus another look before turning to Orb, "Of course dear, but what about your house?"
“Right,” Orb scratched at their cloak, “Don’t finish your tasks, I can watch you in a few sky cycles.”
"Don't you worry, there's always plenty of work to do. But…" Rowan turned to Arya. "I will steal Arya. There's an important matter I need to discuss with her."
Arya swallowed her food and looked perplexed. She turned to Orvus who nodded in approval, a sly smile on his lips. "Well okay." she said. Rowan then reached out her hand and Arya took it. They began to walk away but Orvus quickly said, "We'll talk later, Arya." They then said goodbye to each other. Orvus then flung the rest of his fruit scraps on the grass and went back to work on the railing, his back to Orb.
Orb turned to Orvus, about to reach for another fruit with a word starting to form when a high-pitched screech was heard. Suddenly, sharp talons had pierced Orb’s cloak, tightened into a powerful grip, and began lifting Orb from the ground.
Orb spasmed, dropping their fruit as they looked down at the slowly receding ground. Letting out a shrill shriek, Orb looked up at their captor, hands ready. It was a strange beast, not native to this island: the golden-furred lower half of a mammal, and the brown-feathered upper half of a bird; it was twice Orb’s size.
It carried Orb higher and higher, away from the house. Orb’s hands wrapped around the beast’s wrists, eager to keep from falling, their effeminate shriek not having yet died down. With a sudden flash, Orvus in his starry form was suddenly flying next to Orb, wherein he grabbed the creature by the nape of its neck and commanded it to let go of Orb.
The griffin’s response was to shriek in Orvus’s face and tighten its grip. The strange moss-cloaked creature was its prey; what right did this one have to interfere?
Orvus let go of the creature and flew underneath it, where a kicking Orb was struggling. "So be it." The god then outstretched his hand and from his fingertips came scarlet lightning. The flash of red avoided Orb.and struck the Griffin in its head, instantly disintegrating the flesh, as the rest of its body began to turn to dust. Orvus then yanked Orb free from the claws. Orb wrapped their entire body around Orvus as they clung on for dear life, heavy panicked breathing puffing from their mask.
"You alright, Orb?"
“I-” Orb stammered in a panting runic, “I- I- I WANT TO BE ON THE GROUND!”
Meanwhile, ash and bone plummeted to the ground below. Yet amidst the cloud of dust and ash, there were at least a dozen glowing white particles, falling significantly slower than the creature’s remains. They continued their gentle descent, even as the griffin’s bones smashed through the trees and cracked against the ground, only to be buried under the thin pile of ash that followed.
Orvus immediately began his descent, but paused as he went past the white particles. The God squinted further at them before landing on the ground.
The particles followed shortly after. It seemed clear that they were attempting to veer toward the north, yet the wind was against them, and whatever their destination might have been, it would have been impossible to get there before reaching the ground regardless. Then they landed, at last, and amongst the ashes and bone, they began to change.
The first particle grew in size and was shaped into a curvasceous female, while the next one became a somewhat lean and muscular male. Others adopted humanoids shapes as well, and then, the white light faded, revealing light skin, pointed ears, and a variety of hair colours. All in all, there were thirteen in total: seven females, and six males.
The one who had taken shape first rose to her feet on shaky legs. She was a little over six feet tall, with a white running through the left half of her blue hair. She saw Orvus, and Orb, and immediately attempted to cover herself up. A few others did the same, while others gazed at their surroundings with curiosity.
Orb flailed and detached themselves from Orvus, landing onto the ground with a muffled thud. Sitting up, Orb let out a long exhale, their runic language cursing out as one hand secretly slid behind their mask to steal a tear off their still trembling chin. Orb’s eyes suddenly widened and they let out a small yelp -- mind prioritizing past the naked newcomers, there was a tear in their cloak, revealing creamy soft skin where their shoulder was. Slapping a hand over the exposed area, Orb turned their attention to the nude comers.
“Coincidental configuration,” Orb remarked in a staggered runic language.
“What?” questioned one of the elves in a language of his own, not understanding.
“I don’t understand your language,” Orb said slowly or as slowly as they could in their own language.
“What is it saying?” a different elf asked.
“I don’t understand you even a little bit,” Orb continued, almost in a patronizing tone, jutting a thumb at themselves, “I. Am. Orb.”
Orvus walked forward, towering over the newcomers. If at all he cared about their nudity, he did not show it, instead he walked over to the blue streaked one and gazed upon her. ”Who made you?” he asked in a soft voice.
“I would like to see the blueprints used to make these beings,” Orb idly mentioned as they stood up behind Orvus.
Over a dozen pairs of eyebrows shot up at the question, the blue-haired woman among them. It was she who answered. “Kalmar… Li’Kalla… Roog… Arae…” she answered slowly. “We are the Vallamir.”
”I see. That beast must have brought what made you… you here when it died. Intriguing all the same.” He began to walk around the Vallamir girl, inspecting her form. ”Vallamir. Different than humans, much different than Nebulites, but the same characteristics are apparent. I take it you don’t actually know where your origin is?”
A few of the Vallamir shook their heads. “No,” the blue-haired woman answered. “Why don’t I know?”
“What are they saying?” Orb asked loudly, “Do they have the plans for their creation?”
“What is it saying?” repeated the same elf who asked that before.
“I still don’t understand you,” Orb called over with a raspy sigh.
Orvus also sighed. ”Orb, they are confused and new to this world. Babies, even.”
“Well, what world did they come from, then?” Orb huffed and turned to Orvus.
”What world…? Ours of course, I assume that my fellow siblings created them upon Kalgrun, the continent to the North. I would take them there, but I do not have the means. So for now, this will be their home.”
“Orvus!?” Excitement suddenly seeped into Orb’s voice, causing it to squeak.
Orvus finally turned to look at Orb. ”Yes?”
“They... they can help us build!” Orb clapped their hands twice.
”They will not be helping us. In fact, I am done helping today. I am sorry, but I must help the-” Orvus as cut off by his name being shouted loudly.
”FATHER! Oh why didn’t you tell me!” came an excited voice from the trees. Then a blur of white exploded into view, coming to a stop directly before Orvus. Arya began to say something, but then looked over at the naked people and jumped.
”What are those!” she exclaimed.
“I don’t know, but I can’t understand them and Orvus won’t let them help me,” Orb went to cross their arms but remembered the tear in their cloak and continued to cover it with a hand, “Very inefficient.” Arya turned to Orb with confusion, then she turned back to Orvus.
”They are called the Vallamir, and if you had arrived not ten minutes earlier, you would have seen how they arrived. It was quite the sight.” Orvus said.
”Well, why are they all naked?” she asked, staring at them. ”They do look familiar for some reason.”
“Clearly they have no shame,” Orb tilted a chin up.
Arya frowned and walked over to the blue haired one and tilted her head as she looked her up and down. ”You poor thing, come on, let’s go get you some clothes.” she said kindly, speaking their language.
During the conversation, the elves had inched together, and now stood nearly shoulder to shoulder. “Who and what are you?” the blue-haired woman asked. “Any of you?” she waved a hand to indicate Orb and Orvus.
”I am Arya. That is my father, Orvus and our friend Orb.” she said pointing at them one by one. As a finger went over Orb, the cloaked figure gave a quick wave. ”Obviously these two have no idea what to do when newcomers show up. You need some clothes. Are you hungry? Oh, oh! What are your names?” she asked enthusiastically.
“Names?” the blue-haired woman seemed surprised. “I don’t have one…” the rest of the Vallamir shook their heads, confirming that they too had the same problem.
“What are you all talking about,” Orb asked, as they inspected the hole in their clothes.
”Names Orb.” Arya said, ”What would you like to call yourself?” she asked the Vallamir with a smile.
Understanding only ‘Names, Orb,’ the cloaked figure hummed, “I suggest we name them something quick and id-”
“Myra?” the blue-haired woman suddenly suggested, ignoring the hooded one.
“I hope that is a word I do not understand that means ‘blue’,” Orb blinked.
Following “Myra’s” example of ignoring the hooded figure, the rest of the elves began to come up with their own names. “Agis,” one suggested. “Emon,” another one voiced. “Jakri,” a third one offered. And on and on they went, until all thirteen of them had pitched at least one name for themselves.
”Excellent! It’s nice to meet you all. Welcome to Nebulan, home of the Nebulites and of Orvus. Come, come. Let’s find you some clothes.” Arya said, beckoning to them.
The elves exchanged glances, as if uncertain of whether or not they should trust the offer.
Then, Myra stepped forward, and the rest followed.
Orvus simply watched Arya lead the procession away, the God nodding in approval. He then turned to Orb, ”On second thought, I think Arya has that covered. Shall we get back to work?”
Orb huffed, “I need to fix my cloak, first.” The cloaked figure started to plod away before turning back, “You coming?”
In a flash Orvus turned back into his mortal form. ”Course.” he mused, before following after.
A tiny silence fell over the two before Orb cleared their throat, “Why didn’t you back me up, back there?” They asked, mask peering at Orvus and narrowly avoiding walking into some shrubs.
”What do you mean?” Orvus asked.
“Well!” Orb extended their arms as if offering a reason, “I don’t know. We could have had more helpers, or at least gotten their blueprints to make some of our own. But all we got was attacked by a monster, a ripped cloak, and berated by a language barrier.” Orb let a hot exhale escape the mask, their voice lowering, “Or I guess maybe that was just me.”
”Orb…” Orvus began, ”When you came into this world, you were curious about everything. Sure you probably could have gotten to work right away, but you didn’t. They’re just like that, new to life. They need to figure themselves out before they can even think about working. Making more is out of the question for now, I have a feeling their blueprint is a mix mash of many different things. I apologize about the language barrier, we’ll have to fix that, and about the monster and the cloak.”
“Well I,” Orb fidgeted, “I only didn’t go to work because you wouldn’t let me, I knew what to do right away. I knew what my name was and everything!” They clapped their sides, “Their blueprints must really be as inefficient as you say.” Orb seemed to fall into a deep thought, barely finding the time to walk around a tree (number sixteen) that was in their way.
”The others are not like you and I. They need time to adapt, to learn and to grow. Mortals are like that. Now come on, enough of this talk, we have a house to finish.” Orvus said.
“You’re right,” Orb let out a defeated breath, “They aren’t like me.” Their eyes flickered away from Orvus, “I need twine and something to push it through fabric.”
Orb and Orvus build a house, but then stop to have snacks. An Urhu-blessed griffin snags Orb, but Orvus slays it. The dead bird shits out elves and they are naked and confused. Arya comes by to help them out. Orvus and Orb have a chat and then go back to building a house.
Arya: The Learner, The Martial Dancer, The Compassionate, The Wanderer, The Teacher, The Sailor, Last of the Zhengwu +38 Prestige Starting +1 For Minor Role +1 For Major Role +1 For Jolly Collaboration +2 For the Li’Kalla/Orvus/Laurien Collab. (Minor role, Collab) = +43 Prestige Ending
The interior of the cottage was dim, collecting the darkness of night. What little light Orb could find was used to their full advantage, rapidly patting the surfaces around them with their hands in the hopes of finding a container of some sort. A sniff sucked against the back of their mask in an attempt to scout with a different sense. A tiny hidden frown formed, all Orb had managed to do was make plenty of unnecessary noise. They slinked their hands back into their cloak and sighed, anxiously waiting for their eyes to adjust instead.
There suddenly was a loud, scraping noise coming from somewhere further in, followed by hushed whispers. Orb blinked twice, their eyes about halfways adjusted. With careful, strategically placed steps, they made their way closer to the noise.
THUD
Orb winced, their shin smashing off of a chair’s ridiculously thick leg. They closed their eyes as the shock of pain ran up their own leg. Orb’s raspy effeminate voice turned into a squeak, “Why do they have to be so tall?” they pleaded.
The whispers stopped at the noise before continuing on again, this time louder.
“I told you this was a bad idea!”
“Relax, it was probably just… Something falling.”
“No!” the small voice hissed, “That was someone! What if it’s mom! If she catches us, we’re dead, Lily!”
“Relax Ava! It was nothing, nothing! Now, hurry up and get the fruit!”
This was followed by grumbling that was hard to make out.
Orb squinted at the foriegn tongue, not quite understanding the words. Suddenly sinking into a crouch, their long cloak sliding behind them as they snuck forward. Going clean under the very tall table, Orb reached the boundary of the room they were in, eyes now fully adjusted and staring at the two perpetrators themselves.
A chair was propped up against the counter, one of the girls was standing on it, while the other one was reaching for something up in a shelf. Both of the small humans looked identical, and they were still bickering in their foreign language.
With sudden recognition, Orb let out a resounding runic, “Hello!” Eyes twinkling -- Orb didn’t remember much about their time as an orb, but they remembered which blueprints Orvus had put so much time and emotion into. The ‘hello’ had a tone of pride in it, which Orb couldn’t help, feeling a bit responsible for their very existence. Following their greeting, Orb quickly approached the chair, nearly wobbling it as one of their gloved hands grabbed it with excitement.
At the sudden noise, both of the girls snapped their heads to look at what made it, going wide eyed. They looked at each other, then back at the faceless mask of Orb, and then they screamed. The one the chair, quickly clambered up on the counter, getting in between Orb and the other sister, holding her hands out as if to protect her.
The scream caused Orb to throw their hands to either side of their cloaked head and shut their eyes, stamping the sound into a muffle. Peeling one eye back open, Orb peeped out from behind the mask, flicking an eye up at the sisters before opening the other. Orb slowly let their hands fall back to their sides, slipping back into the cloak. A silence hung between the two groups and then with a cough, Orb spoke first in their funny runic language, “Do you know where food to eat is? I require it.”
Upon closer inspection, both girls were identical except for one key difference. The one shielding her sister had freckles all over her face, and the one who looked sheepishly through her protector’s hair, did not have freckles. She whispered something to her sister and then the one in the front spoke, “W-Who are you?”
A mash of gurgles was all Orb heard and then it finally hit them. In their staggered runic, Orb tried to explain the situation, “I can’t understand you. Can you understand me?” As if to mime the words, Orb pointed one gloved hand at them when they pounded out the rune for ‘you’ and at themselves for ‘me’.
Both of the girls looked confused by this and then the one in the back hissed, “Lily, I don’t think it can understand us! We should get dad!”
“I-I don’t know what to do, Ava. Why is it pointing?”
“Maybe… Maybe it’s trying to communicate?” Ava whispered loudly.
“Well what should we do?” Lily said.
“I don’t know, communicate back? Point at you and say your name.”
“Why do I have to?” Lily complained.
“Because you’re in front!” Lily sighed in annoyance then slowly pointed a finger at herself before saying, “Lily.” Then she pointed at Orb.
“Me,” Orb pounded the runic word out, then pointed at Lily and then Ava, “You,” the runic was dropped, “Lily.” Orb swallowed, this was actually working, at least they think. Tucking their hand back into the cloak Orb cleared their throat, “Food.”
Ava began to say “me” in runic, very badly, while Lily scratched her head.
“I certainly hope not,” Orb laughed to themselves, content with their joke. The laughter was cut short when Orb found themselves to be the only one who was. Frowning slightly behind the mask, Orb flicked a hand out of their cloak and patted the mossy fabric that covered their belly. Orb loudly mimicked the rumbling sounds of their stomach while patting it.
“I think it’s hungry.” Ava murmured.
“I think you’re right. Should we feed it though? You know what mom said about feeding strays.”
“Lily, does that look like a stray to you?”
“Well no… but you never know.”
“Just… Let me grab it a mango.” Ava said, turning her back to them as she searched the shelf again, finally grabbing a hand sized object, orange yellow. She turned back to them and held out her hand from behind Lily, towards orb.
“Oo!” Orb appraised the fruit before snatching it heartily, “Larger fruit, more efficient when replenishing the body.” One hand pinched the bottom of their mask while the other held the mango close -- Orb suddenly hesitated, twinkling eyes flickering over the huddled twins. A secret uneasy smile was flashed and Orb quickly turned away from the twins, hunched and hiding as they swiftly pushed the mask away to take a rine filled bite. Spinning back like it never happened, Orb chewed mirthfully behind their mask, letting out a tiny ‘bleh,’ the chewed rine falling out from behind the mask. Orb continued to chew the more edible bits from their bite. They held the fruit up in their palm, one hulking bite missing, “Other than the exterior, this fruit is full of good tasting energy. My body is likely to continue after its consumption.”
“Do you think it liked it?” Lily asked.
“Well… It ate it?” Ava questioned.
It was then that the sounding of the front door opened and both girls shared a look of horror with one another, saying “Dad” at the same time. Quickly they began to scramble down the chair, moving it back to the table but it as too late. ”Girls…” Orvus said rounding the corner, but stopped when he saw Orb and the twins.
”Oh, hello Orb.”
“Hello,” Orb said, holding out the fruit proudly, “I have pilfered your cleverly stored, ready to eat food from your dream children -- it’s for my body.”
”Well yes, food is for the body, Orb.” he mused.
The twins, in the meantime, were beginning to back away and out the other side of the kitchen when Orvus looked at them. ”And you young Ladies, what are you doing up?”
They both froze, before turning around to face Orvus, standing with their arms behind their backs and faces down.
“Well we… Got hungry again…” Lily started.
“So we went to get a snack and…” Ava continued.
“And then ‘Orb’ scared us.” Lily whimpered.
“So we gave him food, because he looked hungry.” Ava said, nodding.
“And now we’re going to bed.” Lily said looking up with a pleading smile.
Orvus crossed his arms before sighing. ”Alright, go to bed, we’ll talk in the morning about this little adventure.” The girls at once looked relieved before realizing that tomorrow would bring the punishment. Defeated, the two began walking away, Ava leaning on Lily in comfort.
Orvus chuckled then looked back at Orb. ”Hungry are you? Yeah I suppose that would happen. Should have mentioned it earlier. Are you still hungry?” he asked.
The cloaked figure pinched their mask with their free hand, “My blueprint was lacking a full stomach upon creation, it is paining me until I requisition the appropriate solution.” Holding the bitten fruit up, Orb nodded, “This should do.”
"Being mortal means you'll become hungry again you know. Just one of the many perks of life." Orvus replied.
“I know,” Orb insisted, “The instincts of this body have briefed my mind on my desires and needs as a being of flesh. I also require hydration, unconscious meditations, adequate and regular use of my muscles, appropriate (and timely) disposal of excrement, and a continuous intake and outtake of air.” The runic language twisted with enthusiasm, “It will be exciting to explore my limitations and requirements. The mind is equally wanting, requiring social health, emotional balance, and ease in processing stimuli.” A funny little laugh exited the faceless mask, “To think it does all of this at once, how efficient!”
Orvus nodded slowly. "That's one way to put it. Glad you're doing okay. Anything else you need tonight?"
"In addition to my survival requirements?” Orb wondered, a gloved finger scratching at their mask in thought.
"Well yeah, there's more to life than simply surviving." Orvus said, crossing the room and then sitting down.
“Of course,” Orb agreed quickly, “Improvements can always be made.” There was a nigh silent rumble and the cloaked figure spun to face away from Orvus briefly, punctuated by a juicy munch. Spinning back around, the mango was missing a second bite, but this time the inedible rine was already disposed of and on the floor.
“Do you have a collecting area for inedibles?” Orb asked almost meekly, their raspy voice a whisper.
"Outside in the back." Orvus said looking at the rine.
"But- but what about in here?" Orb asked, growing concerned, "A vessel for transporting the accumulating inedible bits from stored ready to eat foods to a proper disposing area?" They placed the mango on the chin high table and laced their fingers together almost pleadingly.
Orvus looked around, then shrugged. "Usually there's a pan we use but I don't see it. The girls must have left it outside again."
“Oh no!” Orb’s voice cracked (or squeaked?),” That won’t work at all.” The blank mask stared at Orvus a moment before Orb suddenly sprung into action. Clambering a hand over all the countertops and flipping through clutter, Orb hummed in thought. Eventually finding some drying flowers and reeds, Orb cut off the pretty ends and appraised the stalks. There was a tentative hum as Orb continued to scan the contents of the room, collecting more rigid sticks, some twine, and thin peels of wood. Orvus said nothing but watched with interest.
Finally, after gathering armfuls of material (at the expense of some of the furniture) Orb found a corner to plop down by. Turning away so Orvus couldn’t see, they set to work. The cloak moved quickly, hiding swift and precise movements. There was a tiny runic swear here and a proud runic praise there, until finally Orb turned back around holding a woven basket.
At almost a scurry, Orb kicked over to the rine they left on the ground. With a pinch and flick, Orb disposed of it into the basket and then looked over at Orvus, dark twinkling eyes peeping from the blank mask.
"Ingenious Orb. I hadn't thought of a basket, it seems so simple in practice now that I think about it." Orvus said, getting up from where he sat to get a closer look at it.
With a single rap of happy claps, Orb nodded, “It is rudimentary but will work while we devise a proper system.” Content with their invention, Orb snagged the mango from the table and began to peel it over the basket. Doing their shoulder dance, Orb wondered out loud, “Maybe a vessel that can take itself to the disposal area.”
"Perhaps." the god said as he stroked his beard. "You should look into this if you are planning to stay."
“Oo!” Orb looked up from their fruit, “Maybe I will.” Orb happily went back to peeling their mango until it was a completely smooth orange lump save for two bites. Turning away from Orvus again, Orb began to loudly chew on the fruit-flesh, humming a gargled thought.
"Good to hear Orb. You will always be welcomed here on Nebulan." he said, crossing his arms.
“Always?” Orb swallowed and set their mask correctly before turning to look at Orvus.
"Of course. After all, your one of the ones whose lived here longest. This is more of your home then even the Nebulites." Orvus said with pride.
“Oh! I understand,” Orb flicked some of the mango’s sticky residue into the basket and patted their gloves together -- fruit gone, “So I’m always welcome, no parameters?”
"Yep, free to come and go whenever you like. We can even get you a home if you want." he said.
Orb shifted to their feet, cloak draping to the floor, “Yes, I want one.” Their eyes scanned Orvus, “What tools do you have?”
Orvus lifted up his hands. "These are my tools, but if you need something, we can make it."
“I need a cutting, a chopping, a chipping, a pounding, a smoothing, and a grabbing tool,” Orb pinched the end of their mask, an excited breath sneaking out the sides, “Maybe more, I don’t know yet!” They tossed a hand in the air and laughed, “Oh this will be fun, let’s go!”
"The world is dark yet. Shall we wait for the light of day?" Orvus asked.
“But- but- but!” Orb protested. The cloaked figure seemed to fidget, attempting to find a clever reasoning, “It’ll go quicker if we start right now!”
"Patience Orb. Normally I would be fine working at night, but now we must be considerate of others who are sleeping. Tomorrow we can start." Orvus said sternly.
Orb’s cloak shifted as if their arms were folding under its mossy curtain, “What if they were all awake, could we do it then?”
"Well yes but we aren't going to wake up the entire area just so we can work. That wouldn't be kind." he mused.
“I’m not saying we don’t invite them to help,” Orb defended with a puff of air behind the mask, “What a better way to wake up than with a big project?”
"No Orb. No." Orvus smiled.
“How do things even get done around here,” Orb huffed incredulously, the cloak shifting, “When two variables including the lack of light and the presence of sleeping beings can delay an important project.” Orb stabbed a finger into their palm as they talked, “What do you suppose we do, then?”
"You could try sleeping?"
“I still have plenty of my daily quota of energy to use,” Orb stood up straight and proud.
"Suit yourself then, I'm going to go make sure the girls made it to bed." Orvus began before saying to Orb, "Behave yourself."
“As opposed to behaving someone else?” Orb’s deadpan delivery made it difficult to tell if they were joking or not.
Orvus sighed before leaving the room. Out of sight, Orb lifted their mask slightly and stuck out a mocking blue tongue.
Letting the mask fall back into place, Orb sighed with frustration before clambering atop one of the oversized chairs. With another sigh they laid their hidden head on the surface, eyes flickering over the wall on the farside of the room.
Orb kicked their feet and hummed as they thought, fun new ideas painting themselves over the walls surface in their imagination. Orb rubbed their mask against the wood as they turned to look elsewhere, suddenly freezing at the scraping sound. Turning to look at the mark left by the movement, a curling smile grew on Orb's lips...
Orb attempts to find food but is intercepted by Ava and Lily. They share nonsense and eventually give Orb a mango.
Orvus shows up and chats with Orb. Orb shows off some ingenuity but is then told that the next step (building a house) will have to wait till morning. Orb has a bit of a fit and is upset with Orvus, who tells them to behave before leaving.
In their boredom, Orb notices how easily the table is gouged...
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>
Helios
Unlucky0013
Lord Zee
DracoLunaris
Frettzo
Vec
Eviledd1984
Kalmar
ButtsnBalls
