Lord Zee
Hos
Frettzo
DracoLunaris
War finds Family
A collab between @Valor and @AdorableSaucer
It had been approximately an hour since Celvanya had departed the barrier she had made to protect the soldiers she had taken under her wing. Thankfully these minutes had been uneventful as she hadn’t encountered any roaming monsters like before. Depressingly, she hadn’t encountered much else either. Despite her best efforts the barren wasteland was just that, barren. Giving a sigh Celvanya turned to return to the barrier that she had created when she spotted something, or at least what was left of something. It had been thrown beneath the lip of a large rock, and so not noticing it immediately was fairly forgivable. Walking over calmly, Celvanya pulled it free from its small hiding place and took a moment to examine the twisted chunk of wood.
With everything being barren rock finding the crushed remains of a tree was fairly interesting. Unfortunately, Celvanya had no idea what it might’ve belonged to at one point and given its current condition she could confidently say that it wasn’t alive. But perhaps this was not to be its final resting place. Tracing her fingers along the wood, Celvanya shaped it into a fine staff before picking it up. A leather sash appeared across her torso and Celvanya tucked the staff against her back for safe keeping.
With her trinket stored Celvanya made her way back to the barrier. Stepping inside carefully, she found the soldiers haphazardly asleep wherever they could fit. Nodding in silence a few times she debated on healing and restoring them in order to get moving, but decided it would be best to allow them to naturally sleep for a bit longer.
Leaving the barrier once more Celvanya took a minute to climb up a small cliff in order to survey the horizon for a bit. As she scanned around the area she made an interesting discovery: Among the barren rock had emerged a valley of green. This was quite perplexing, and signaled one of two things: Either something had managed to survive in this apocalyptic wasteland, or another god was active in the area. Both were interesting for a variety of reasons. More survivors could theoretically mean more reinforcements for her small band of soldiers, or another god could mean that they could possibly be convinced to assist with the self-assigned goal of stabilizing or closing the magic rift far in the east. It was a deviation from the path that she had in mind to take her group straight to the rift, but the potential gains against the loss of time were quite valuable and it was deemed a worthwhile trip.
Climbing down from the small cliff Celvanya re-entered the barrier and made up her mind on waking the soldiers. Stepping with perfect accuracy she tapped the shoulder of each soldier, and with each tap she eased their weariness and healed their wounds. Shortly thereafter they would find themselves waking and when they saw that Celvanya was present once more they sat up rapidly. Gathering their equipment up the soldiers questioned if Celvanya had found anyone, to which she could only shake her head. Understanding the response, the soldiers made themselves ready to depart, but Celvanya bade them to eat and drink their fill one last time before preparing fully, and explained the valley that she had seen and her motivation for going there. Nodding in understanding, the soldiers ate one last meal before making ready.
When they were finished, Celvanya dismissed the jugs and basket that she had created. It caused some dismay in the soldiers, but they did understand the reasoning why: It was excess to carry and could weigh them down, and then beyond that the smell of food could attract more monsters as they marched. After the soldiers assured her that they were ready to move, Celvanya kicked at the circle she had drawn upon the ground and broke it. This caused the barrier to dissolve, and Celvanya reached for her sword in order to try and provide light for the soldiers to see by.
Then she paused, and instead grabbed the staff from her back. Even if she was going to try and resurrect the tree that it had been later she could make use of it now. Within the twin curves near the top of the staff two orbs of light appeared. It was less intense than the light of her sword, and would thus hopefully attract less attention to the group overall.
Taking the lead, Celvanya began to lead her small band of soldiers towards the valley that she had seen. Hopefully whoever or whatever she found there would make the trip worthwhile. After walking for a short time, though, the unmistakable noise of chatter could be heard on the wind - a relaxed, yet firm tone, too, one so difficult to find these days.
”... Shame about your cousin, huh, Ossy?”
Celvanya’s ears perked up at the sound of a voice, and she stuck an arm out to halt the soldiers behind her. Turning her head a bit to try and better locate where the sound had come from, she eventually narrowed down to coming from behind a nearby group of large rocks. Turning to the soldiers, Celvanya whispered a brief command while indicating the cluster or rocks she had singled out. ”I hear a voice coming from beyond there. Do not attack unless I do so myself.” With a collective nod from the soldiers, Celvanya gave a smile before raising a finger to her lips. With a brief thought she dismissed the orbs of light that floated around her staff and began to quietly move closer.
The soldiers followed her lead as best they could. Their armor couldn’t help but click against itself and the rocks they pressed against but that simply couldn’t be helped in a situation that was as spontaneous as this one. Peering carefully over the top of a rock, Celvanya observed what appeared to be a many-armed entity having a conversation with… A baby?
The entity frowned to the sound of the baby’s coo and said with a four-armed shrug: ”No, I did not -have- to turn her into a newt, but you need to understand, young man - family who won’t take care of family should not exist.” There came a pensive pause. ”In fact, she should be glad to be alive. Now she can see the world as all critters who ignore their house duty should.” The entity stuck its chin to the sky proudly and two of its hands patted the confused baby on its little, black-haired head. The creature seemed to notice it was being watched, and kept its merry gait across the edge green fields towards the nothingness of the Apocalypse.
As she listened in on the conversation Celvanya found herself equal parts confused and intrigued. On the one hand, the ability to hold a distinct conversation was a baby that communicated in little more that babbles and coos was quite perplexing. Even with her ability to divine meaning from any language the baby talk was just that, baby talk. But aside from that, the story that someone had been turned into a newt proved to be fairly interesting. Were there possibly more people to be found?
If there were more people to be found, then there were more people who could possibly join the march towards the magic rift that lay in the east. Or perhaps the soldiers she had under her wing would want to join the other survivors? It would free her to move at a speed that would turn days or weeks of travel into hours, at least. Resolving to know, Celvanya decided that trying to hide was no longer beneficial.
Whispering to follow her lead, Celvanya hoisted herself over the top of the rocks and dropped down onto the grass upon the other side. With another thought she brought back the orbs of light that hovered around her staff before announcing her presence clearly. ”Hail, traveler! I could not help but overhear you mention that you had found survivors? I would ask, if you are willing to share, where you might have found them? And how many do they number?”
As she spoke, Celvanya stepped forward a bit, but still maintained a fair distance away. Behind her, the soldiers hoisted themselves up and over the rocks just as Celvanya had, though their landings were a bit harsher due to the fact that they were actually burdened by the armor and swords that they carried. Though they would all be just fine after a few moments to recuperate.
It was notably clear that the new entity made them a bit nervous, as they remained close to the rocks instead of stepping forward like Celvanya did. Couldn’t really be helped. Mortals would do as mortals did.
The entity stopped and immediately summoned forth six swords, one for each arm, while the last two protectively clutched the human baby to their breast. The arms spun the swords around in a vicious storm of steel before the entity settled into a combat stance. ”Who goes there?! Who are you?! Keep your hands off my baby boy!”
Celvanya raised an eyebrow at the response, but understood it. Perhaps she could’ve handled the greeting better. In any case, she briefly raised a hand in peace before speaking. ”Please, be at ease. I mean neither you nor your child harm. I am Celvanya Gelmore, the soldiers behind me are my personal guard. We are currently on a march towards a magic rift far in the east. You mentioned that you had found people, yes? I would ask again if you could point the way towards where they would be. I would like to bring them under my wing as a part of this march, or I would like to see that they are protected should they choose to stay.”
The soldiers, meanwhile, had reacted properly to the sudden appearance of six swords in the entity’s hands: They crowded together tightly against the rocks they had crossed over and held their shields up defensively, shaking slightly from fear. Their bravery would need a bit of work, it would seem.
The entity’s hostile scowl faded as a brow slowly rose up. Then with a movement as swift and smooth as when the blades had arrived, the entity turned them into smoke and reassumed a straight-backed stance, looking Celvanya up and down. ”Gelmore? A last name? A worthy name, too.” The entity licked the air as though tasting it and its lips curled into a friendly smile. ”Huzzah! A lady of quality!”
Celvanya’s eyebrow twitched slightly. Was her last name important? It had merely been the name that she felt belonged to her at the moment of her inception. Was there some history she did not know? Either way it seemed to intrigue the being in front of her, which Celvanya didn’t quite understand. What value could a name have in a time like this over something that was far more substantial like allies or a safe location?
The sudden praise of her apparent quality was equally confusion inducing. Namely in that Celvanya wasn’t quite sure of what qualities were being praised. Her capabilities as a warrior? They were certainly noteworthy but Celvanya didn’t quite consider them praiseworthy. Was it her appearance? She didn’t quite imagine herself as being particularly beautiful, but perhaps the being before her thought differently?
In an attempt to resolve some of her confusion Celvanya decided to go with the simplest option: Ask. ”What quality of mine do you praise? In addition I would ask again: You mentioned that you had located some survivors? I would like to know where they are and if they are safe or require protection.”
The entity seemed to ignore the question again, spinning closer to her in elegant pirouettes until they were but a meter apart. ”What quality do I praise? Lo, what questions; what humility! Bear you not in mind, my lady, the power of your own name? The origin of your holiness?” It paused and unfolded its six available arms like beams shooting out of a star. ”To be named is to be great, Celvanya Gelmore - it shows belonging, I say, belonging! As a fellow progenitor of a house, first of one’s dynasty, I tip my torso to you.” They bowed low and gracefully.
The continued neglect of the question about survivors was slightly irritating, but Celvanya put that irritation aside for a moment. Concern grew as the being approached closer, and an active battle had to be waged against her natural self defense instincts in order to avoid placing a hand upon the hilt of her sword. She had been genuine when she said that harm was not wished upon them, and didn’t want to betray such a statement mere moments after making it.
The praises and compliments that were heaped upon her for existing brought some confusion to her mind. What sort of belonging did a name with nothing else attached to it give? And when they mentioned being the progenitor of a house her confusion only continued to grow. Did this being know something about Celvanya that she herself did not know? Had there been others who came before?
Resolving to find at least some answers, Celvanya posed more questions to the being before her once they finished bowing. ”I must admit I harbor some confusion. I know little of what you mean by my name showing belonging. It is merely something that I knew about myself the moment I came into being. What value do you find within my name that makes you proclaim so? I had always thought myself defined more by my actions than anything else.”
There was an urge to repeat her earlier question regarding the survivors, but since it had already been ignored twice now it felt pointless to continue to press the issue as it stood. This being clearly wanted some other form of conversation to take place before that one, and Celvanya resolved to entertain it in the hope that she could get the answers she sought.
Two of six hands grabbed each of her shoulders. ”Oh, worthy lady, creation must have clouded your senses, I am sure! A name so clearly separate from your given one as ‘Gelmore’ surely denotes your clan and house, you must understand! When you mother your first offspring, they, too, will share your name of Gelmore and will pass it on for untold generations, creation be good!” The spun again and turned on the side, inspecting a wrist in a feigning thoughtful manner. ”That is… Unless you have no attachment to this name?”
When Celvanya’s shoulders were grabbed there was a moment where her instinct to protect herself flared and she wanted desperately to push the hands aside, but in order to remain polite and courteous she pushed back against it and remained motionless until the hands were removed. As the being before her began to talk about mothering offspring Celvanya’s gaze could not be helped but to be drawn towards the baby they held once more. Could the multitude of arms they possessed be explicitly for carrying as many children as possible?
That felt like a question that would be best left unspoken, and Celvanya’s mind pushed the thought away as a question was posed to her. Did she have any kind of attachment to her name? Well, it was hers and came naturally to mind and with that consideration she did suppose that it held some amount of value to her, at least in the sense of maintaining her own identity. But was that value the same value that the being before her held? It was difficult for her to tell since she had never considered it up until now. This brought a new question to mind, which was promptly asked. ”I can suppose that I have some attachment to it in the sense that it comes naturally to mind whenever I think of myself. As such I could say that it has value in that it defines who I am. However, this talk of names brings a curious thought to my mind: What is yours, by chance? I have given you mine and you have praised it, but you have not expressed your own.”
The entity recoiled slightly and feigned a dramatic swoon. ”Alas!” they said, ”To think I have spoken for this long about names and the value of names and forgotten the most basic courtesy!” Six hands put palm against palm and the torso tipped slightly forward. ”Peace of Creation be upon you, Celvanya Gelmore. I am Chakravarti vur Chakravarti, ruler and master of my house and dynasty, the dynasty of Chakravarti.” One hand sweetly caressed the black-haired scalp of the baby in their arms. ”This is my son, my first, Ossurman the First of the Chakravarti Dynasty. Say hi, Oss.”
“Guh-brrpl,” said the baby.
Giving a bow-like nod in response to the introduction, Celvanya couldn’t help but tease a slight smile as the baby replied in the only way they could. It was still incomprehensible gibberish to her, but perhaps Chakravarti possessed some ability to speak with him? Another curious thought that spun briefly within Celvanya’s mind was the question of who might have joined Chakravarti in order to give them a son? That question felt like it would be a bit touchy seeing as Chakravarti traveled alone. Or perhaps they had been left with the survivors that she had been asking about? Could that perhaps be why they were so hesitant to give an answer?
Taking a moment to ponder what she would like to say, Celvanya wondered just what Chakravarti was getting at when she mentioned not valuing her own name? Did they have some grand design which they were trying to complete, or were they simply curious as to whether or not Celvanya cared about her last name at all? Perhaps it would be wise to ask. ”So, Chakravarti, I must inquire: When you asked me if I valued my name or not, what purpose did your words carry? Do you have some grand design upon my name that you wish to impose or were you merely curious as to how I viewed things?”
Chakravarti smiled. ”I am so glad you asked.” With a masterful elegance, the family god descended onto one knee before the warrior and six arms all produced jewelry, dresses, gilded weapons and flowers and held them out to Celvanya. ”We are each of different dynasties. This world is wicked and cruel. What say you, then, Celvanya Gelmore, that you join my dynasty as my wife and ally?” Its wink was one of gold and silver, lilac and lavender.
To say that Celvanya was caught off guard was a bit of an understatement. Was she being proposed to? So quickly? And what of the child that Chakravarti held? This question seemed like it was important enough to ask given the sudden proposal. ”I… Er. I must question: If you are proposing that I join your… Dynasty? I would ask where your son came from. Are you not already committed to someone or was that child born from a different circumstance?”
”Ossy?” asked the family god and gave the baby a soft nuzzle with their fist. ”Oh, he’s mine, alright, though not born to me. I found him and took him as my own.” They then assumed a straight stance and their smile faded somwhat. ”Besides, I am not committed to anyone. I am but a bachelor and bachelorette, alone in this black, evil world.”
Celvanya gave a nod to the answer and decided to avoid asking for more details on the circumstances of where said son came from explicitly. At least not until she could perhaps eventually get answers about the other survivors that Chakravarti had mentioned. Though something else puzzled her, and she sought some reasoning with her next question. ”I see… Though I must confess I am a bit confused as to what exactly drives you to ask me to join your dynasty? We have only just met and you have asked me to become your wife so quickly? Is this a kind of question you ask all who come before you or did you have some grand design you wished to impose upon my future?”
An insulted hand touched at the family god’s breast. ”What accusations! Do you take me for a harlot?” Another few hands ruffled gently at their hair. ”Alliances between houses through marriage are stronger than steel; words mean naught, but flesh speaks volumes - blood runs thicker than water and air. I have asked none other than you, lady Gelmore, and I ask you for both our sakes: The world is cold and unfeeling; together, we can be warm and safe. We can spread our offspring throughout the land like blades of grass. Truly, there is no downside to a marriage.” They posed triumphantly in profile, down on one knee and six arms all flexing with glistening glory. Above, stars blinked into existence and the family god gasped. ”BEHOLD! The beauty of nature aligns with this destiny! How - how, my lady, can you refuse?” Another pose.
Celvanya paused in her questions for a moment in order to contemplate the offered arrangement. An ally would be useful, though Celvanya did harbor some concerns about the mention of offspring. She additionally pondered what other demands might get made of her in time aside from offspring, though at the same time she questioned what requests she might be able to make of Chakravarti in the future.
As stars winked into existence in the sky Celvanya took a moment to pause and look at them. Was this an effort in order to add weight to their request or the work of someone entirely unrelated? Celvanya didn’t sense any effort being made by Chakravarti and so figured that it was either someone else or they were quite good at hiding their divine efforts.
All other notions aside, Celvanya did want for allies in these trying times. If this was the way that an ally was to be obtained, she supposed it would have to be something she accepted. After a long moment of silence, Celvanya spoke once more. ”Very well. I will accept your proposal.”
The eight-armed god cracked a wide smile, did yet another pirouette and took Celvanya’s hand in two of their own while four others gently touched their own chest. ”Oh, what splendor; what fortune! O wife, o beauty! Behold - my oath to bind me to you and you to me for all eternity!” They cleared their throat and spoke, ”Celvanya, my dear - as your husband, I swear on the honour of my existence and my house that I, Chakravarti, will love you and care for your every need - regardless of what they may be. Provide me offspring, o wife, and I will come to your aid at your mere call. You are mine, Celvanya vur Chakravarti, as I am yours.” An explosion of light and lotus flowers behind their back added a mighty dramatic flare to their silhouette.
Blinking a few times at the display, Celvanya felt her hand be taken and allowed the motion to happen without resistance. Chakravarti would find that Celvanya’s hand was not warm and soft, but cold and tough. More the hand of a warrior than that of a wife. As the binding proclamation was made, Celvanya nodded in response. After a few moments, she spoke again. ”Very well. Chakravarti. Will you be joining me on my march? There are things I have set out to do, and it would be befitting of a husband to accompany their wife on these sort of things, would it not?”
”Alas, wife, I cannot!” the god made clear. ”My quest takes me north, far north. However...” With the flick of a hand, they produced great quantities of gold and silver in their hands, handing them to Celvanya with a bow of the head. ”Take this as my contribution to your glorious project. I will visit you soon, I promise, and do my duty as your husband.”
Celvanya nodded at the statement before nearly raising an eyebrow as she was handed a great deal of gold and silver. In all honesty she could find little use for these at the moment, but perhaps something would come later that would make them useful. Thanking Chakravarti, Celvanya placed the gold and silver within the pouch located upon her belt. Surprisingly, it didn’t seem to have much issue holding the large quantity of gold and silver that Chakravarti provided. Perhaps it was a bit larger on the inside than on the outside?
With that tucked away, Celvanya spoke once more. ”Thank you for the gift, O husband of mine. You will find me in the east, as there is a magic rift that I intend to stabilize.” As she spoke, Celvanya would raise a hand to point precisely at the rift she mentioned. Perhaps Chakravarti would be able to see it as she could?
Lowering her hand, Celvanya gave a brief bow to her new husband. ”I am afraid I must depart. Time is not on my side with this rift, and I would see it stabilized or closed before it becomes uncontrollable. Farewell.”
With that said, Celvanya would wait a few moments for anything to be said. If nothing was, she would gesture for the soldiers that had joined her cause to follow her and begin to march towards the portal once more.
As the goddess left, Chakravarti remained briefly and waved after her with four hands. ”Be safe, o wife! Will be seeing you soon!” They then turned northwards and gave Ossurman a playful tickle on the nose as they begun to walk. ”And that, sweety, is how you form alliances.”
“Guubrlg…”
”Oh, I’ll visit her soon, sure. A husband must make time for his wife, after all. This, you, too, must learn.”
“Uhwee-bwah-buh…”
”Yes, that’s right! You’re learning! Oh, you’re such a little genius.” And so, the Family God made their way north, their joy and their spirit at such mountainous levels that their feet left patches of flowery fields, which grew outwards to cover great lands.
