The force of the hammer swing struck L head on. A flare of light that would have blinded anyone else burst in his face.
The eyes of a jaguar were not so easily deterred. However, the power of this creature, She Who Stood for Order, in his mind, was not to be discounted. The light ate away at the boundaries of his form, the edges that could be equated as a barrier, between true harm and true form. His form was maintained via keeping it within the barrier. It Who Lurked In Shadows had moved past it, struck the true form, but had not pierced the barrier. His true form was durable. But it was a delicate balance. He was unsure he could change his form in the same way he’d had, centuries ago. Or perhaps it had been longer. He was unsure.
The world looked much different, through his eyes. Metal rose above the cities, there wasn’t a spear or club in sight. Instead, weapons like he had seen in his dreams of doom, tubes which shot with the force of thunder.
And yet, the jungles were the same. The people, in the end, were the same. They needed him. And thus he would fulfill what he came to do.
The silver sword, lit alight in gold fire, was swung next, but this time, he held up his arms, blocking it with a forearm gauntlet, and launching a hefty kick towards She Who Stood for Order. She stopped it dead. So she had grown stronger. Much stronger, at that.
Had it something to do with the shade of He Who Saves, whom he sent to deal with her? Perhaps, with him finally defeated, the power passed on. A curious thing, for her to have.
Distantly, circling, was another flying creature, under the command of the arcanite, He Who Forged Chains. She, and the swarm, had escaped him previously. In truth, he had little care to strike these creatures down for good. He would do it if it was the best path. But perhaps, deep down, a bit of sympathy stirred for those bound to the whims of another. Just like his followers, those of his blood, his people, were. Even if the chains were not dragging them, they were just as real as the bodies in graves, and the gold in hands.
So he allowed this creature to fire it’s bow at him, over and over, fire light which never seemed to find purchase. He allowed this creature to lead She Who Stood for Order closer and closer to the arcanite, as another blow landed purchase on him, and sent him backwards.
He had seen portents, omens of the future, before being entombed. He had conferred with many of his kind, who saw over the same people. They had agreed that to best protect the people who brought them life, they would need to be saved in the future as well. A savior would go. One would give up the present, for the future. L had volunteered. Several others did as well. They had merged into one, their energies of belief, thought, and power battling for dominance. L had come out on top, in the merging, but they were still within. Weak, but present all the same. He and his kind were creatures of belief and thought, after all. Little else but that, and the power of the earth their creators walked to give them such power over the world. But this world, ultimately, belonged to them. He and his kind were simply there to ensure it remained that way.
Sure enough, when he had awoken, it was in an hour of most dire need. Though it had been much later then expected. Perhaps his purpose was yet to come.
L slammed into the side of a building, crunching apart of it’s side in the process. He pushed himself forward again, face to face with She Who Stood for Order, her eyes wells of radiant flame. She dove, and struck with both weapons. He blocked with gauntlets, once more, but the sheer force knocked him up into the air, poised for a follow up strike from the hammer that was strong enough to actually threaten his shield of self. A rippling effect passing through, in the midst of the flash of light, and force of arm. An attempt to banish him, which died at the shield of self. But it did weaken it. If it was destroyed, he would spill forth. The energy, even in his weakened state, would spell calamity. He could not allow that. Which means he could not purely act defensively any further.
He dove down, tackling the woman, and trying to push her to the ground. She pushed back, of course, with not insignificant strength, but not enough to contest him. They fell rapidly and quickly, and it was L’s intent to plant her in the earth, then return to his previous task. He needed to find those responsible for his followers suffering. Truly responsible. And ensure they were claimed by the underworld. He was meant to be it’s steward, after all. Among many other roles. The shades were him opening the gates of the small parts which still remained. But he most certainly would not be granting these men and women the same curtesy.
However, the chained one had other plans. She Who Stood for Order vanished from his grasp, reappearing right next to her. Slipping away into nothing more then light. They both began falling back, as the chained chattered off in a language he did not care to know or learn.
He would move around them. But…his Champion, He Who Burned the World was approaching. If he sprung this trap alone, he would surely be killed. He also sensed…someone else. As the world stopped spinning above. It felt like a thousand eyes had been placed on him, already, as the magic of silence of nothingness was lifted. But that wasn’t what he was feeling. Someone else, with his Champion…
The other of his blood. The sister. She Who Tended to the Embers. She was with him. If they were both killed, things would turn poor quickly. So instead of completing his mission, he flew after them, into the quite obvious trap. He was a war god too, after all. He knew an ambush when he saw one. She Who Stood for Order was falling for it with ease.
And He Who Forged Chains would happily oblige. He laid in wait atop the tallest building in the city, lurking within a shadow. The chained one fired another three arrows at him as he closed, but none held any purchase. He pretended to not see He Who Forged Chains, and instead charged towards She Who Stood for Order. Casting a spell, he did note the oddity that was it seeming to spring to life from his hands. His magic was hardly taking any effort, as a bolt of death slammed into She Who Stood for Order, and a spark soon ignited into a firestorm which hurled towards the chained one.
She Who Stood for Order was hardly fazed, so he held out a hand, conjuring forth his own sort of chains, composed of light, and flecks of dust forged together, somehow tough as steel. Springing from the rooftop, they ensnared her, and began dragging her towards it with a snap of momentum.
The chained dodged his bolt, which just caused him to fire another, and another. None of them would kill the poor creatures, but his goal was to nudge the arcanite into action. And yet, he did nothing. Why?
She Who Stood for Order twisted mid air, with an almost pivot, shattering the chains, and hurling her hammer towards him with renewed force. It struck him, and detonated in his face, an array of dazzling light and burning radiance passing over him. That was new. He dove down, towards her, as she held out the silver blade in defense.
A gauntlet launched forward, with an almost palm strike, but it wouldn’t connect. She raised her hand high, and sprung her own trap-her hammer reappeared in her grasp, and slammed into him. Despite his best efforts, he went sailing down to the rooftop. Denting into the surface, he sprung forward as she sprung down, using another spell. The shadows all around the rooftop, abundant given the environment, animated into a field of haphazard figures, capable of grabbing and bogging her down. Forcing her to slow, and begin cutting through, as he cast his next spell, intending to finish her off once and for all.
He held no hatred for order, much less She Who Stood for it. Order was a natural part of the world, as chaos was. As what spawned him was. But this woman had invaded the land of his followers. Those of his blood. Just as those he had seen in his portents had. She may not be an army of men on ships, but she had the strength to be. And she had caused plenty of harm, to them.
He would kill her in the same way he did her companion. He would then strike down the arcanite, and present himself to the Champion.
He had entombed himself to save his people, and that would most certainly be what he would do. It may cost him energy, his name fading away, and all of those he knew. But he would complete what he had set out to do. What those who had fallen entrusted him to do. And if that meant helping his Champion burn the world down? Then he would do that. The world wasn’t anything he cared for, anyways.
The world had allowed his name to fade away, not manifested by anyone else’s thoughts. The world had allowed the other gods to fade away, or die.
So maybe it deserved to be reduced to ash?
This was his ponderous thought, as the magic easily spung forward, the storm of destruction settling around She Who Stood for Order. The confluence of wind, blades, lightning, death, and what could only be described as pure magic, manifested with even greater power then normal. He could feel it for certainty now, an almost whisper in his ear. Giving him the power he would need. Telling him it was his by birthright. That what had spawned him visiting him once more. He occasionally felt such inklings when using magics before being entombed, but never this strong. Never did it feel like it was guiding his hand.
It didn’t matter, however, as the storm consumed her body. Whatever had spawned him, whatever crawling chaos which saw it fit to exist within the earth, bent to the whims of man, it could whisper and writhe all it wished.
It didn’t matter. He began to spring forth from the roof, to search for the arcanite when the storm dispersed. He expected a body flung forth, just like the creatures from yesterday.
Instead, She Who Stood for Order-well, she was still standing. Casting a long shadow as her body visibly smoldered with deathly necrotic energy, her eyes still flickered with still burning radiance. Her weapons hung at her side, along with her arms, as she staggered forward a step. Not the movement of a particular defiant corpse, but of someone who was still alive, despite holes blown through her, and burns dotting her skin like tattoos.
He poised himself to defend, as she took off in a run with a surge of energy, letting out a battle cry that sounded half human, half something else, as she took flight into the air, raising up both of her weapons in a surge of strength. He cast a pair of spells-shadows writhing towards her, and a funnel of smoke settling over him, which would sting and bite at her eyes, and more importantly her wounds.
A flare of light knocked both aside and both weapons struck him. He was sent flying backwards through the air, forcing himself into a landing at the edge of the rooftop. She Who Stood for Order didn’t seem particularly slowed by her wounds, as she dove to strike again.
That was when He Who Forged Chains made his move. Stepping from the shadows he’d wreathed himself in, he released something out from himself. It wasn’t visible. But it was everywhere. It felt like an embrace of someone he hadn’t seen in a very long time. He shouted something out.
“Zeitgeist-” And then the language he didn’t understand.
The embrace felt as it if tightened. A circle of monoliths emerged from the ground, forced of obsidian, pure emerald, and congealed blood. The trio of them appeared on all sides of him, loomed, and-
He froze. He could barely move. He felt he could, but he didn’t see it. He could still see and hear…but…
He’d been trapped. What manner of power was this, that allowed someone to trap a creature like him.
The arcanite looked exhausted, and a twinge of horror lingered to his face. He was constantly looking at the sky, which contained circle metal beasts, and the glittering stars. He hadn’t noticed before, but there were less stars in the sky then there were when he was entombed.
He was not all that impressive, now that he was closer. He looked as if stress had consumed him, worry lining his face. His hair was far from pristine, and exhaustion lingered to him. He stepped forward, tattoos on his arm glowing brightly, as the chained one settled in behind him. He said something to her. And she nodded. Gave a deep bow to She Who Stood for Order. And flew off.
She Who Stood for Order stopped, when she saw the god freeze. The two began to converse, though things were terse, and quickly cut off, by a lance of black lightning which would have struck the Arcanite, had he not cast a spell of his own. A gunshot rang out, though it seemed to have been aimed to miss on purpose.
He did not need to see him. His Champion had arrived. As had his kin. They landed just behind him, attempted to approach…but they didn’t get past the monoliths. They couldn’t.
But still, they stepped forward. spoke in the foreign tongue, to the pair of them, when His Champion shouted, angrily.
“I don’t care what you’re doing. Get out of my way!”
The two invaders looked at each other. She Who Tended the Embers moving between His Champion and the She Who Stood for Order, as she tenses and prepared to strike. He Who Forged Chains made a brief gesture. Speaking some words aloud, with magical intent. Both He Who Burned the World and She Who Tended the Embers stood on guard, beside him.
L could do nothing but watch. A failure of a god he was. The spell concluded, with simple phrase.
“Invicta Audi!”
“…What did you just do?” She Who Stood for Order said, now perfectly comprehensible to L, and seemingly to both the Champion and his kin as well.
“Made this whole process easier. You can thank me later.” Said the arcanite. He looked towards the other two on the rooftop, expectingly. His Champion stepped forward, hesitant a moment, before speaking.
“This is your last chance.” He said, leveling the bladed club forward in the general direction of the other two. “Leave our lands, or die.”
His threat met deaf ears, it seemed. She Who Stood for Order shook her head.
“It’s not that simple, anymore. You’ve made it pretty clear you can’t have this kind of power, kid. Besides. Even if we leave, you won’t just get left alone. Not as long as he-” She nodded towards L. “Is still here.”
“We can handle ourselves.” Said the Champion, sharply.
“…Maisy, listen. We need to be able to talk to him.” She nodded to the god within the monoliths. “We can convince him to stay out. He’s not…”
“He’s not what? A murderer?” She Who Stood for Order said, her voice raising sharply, anger infecting it within moments.
“I-“
“This isn’t a matter of what he has and hasn’t done. If he doesn’t leave this place, it’s entirely possible this entire city, eventually this entire country, is going to fall to chaos. And if that happens, a lot more people are going to die.” He Who Forged Chains said, cutting off She Who Tended the Embers.
“Chaos?” She Who Stood for Order said. Looking over to him. “I assume you mean that more then just conceptually?”
“I do. To save you a decade of magical theory. Chaos is where magic comes from. Where all things that don’t fall under traditional science come from. When magic is used, it starts to bleed through, like blood from a wound. It’s small at first. But it can get bigger. And if it gets big enough, the entire area gets effectively consumed. And it starts to spread. You” He pointed at the Champion. “And your god friend have been running knives along the skin of the world for days now. And if you aren’t careful, pretty soon, you’ll drag this entire place down.”
“…Were you not responsible for the magical army, the shifting of the sky, and so much more. It seems you are just as culpable.” She Who Tended the Embers said, speaking up. The Champion nodded, following up.
“I’m not going to get a lecture from you, arcanite. Anything I’ve done, you’ve easily matched tenfold.”
“I’ve been being careful. The most risky thing I’ve done is use the Zeitgeist twice, which has provided me with an enormous boon towards ensuring chaos stays where it belongs. I’m on the precipice, here, of saving the entire damn world. I’ve made sure to plot out everything, tried keep people who didn’t need to be involved out of it-” A glare over to She Who Stood for Order. “And be careful with my magic. What have you done? Galivanted around, invaded an entire city with an army of shapeshifters and dead men. I can feel the wall straining. If you keep this up, the wound is going to form. And this entire city will die for the sake of nothing.”
“Not nothing.” The Champion stopped him. “For our freedom.”
“What good is your freedom if so many die to achieve it?” He Who Forged Chains countered. “If you allow me to bind the god, I can actually help. I’m a member of one of the most powerful bodies in the world. And not just people who pretend to be in charge, like the Americans, and their western alliance. I can get them to use their influence, fix things here. Or, you can keep fighting, doom so many people, and probably just get taken over by the next power hungry American backed man.”
She Who Stood for Order…laughed. “If you think your bosses in the wizards are going to help because you ask nicely, you’re dead wrong. Besides, you’ve turned off the Hearth. None of this matters, if Atlas shows up in a few hours anyways.”
He Who Forged Chains seemed to freeze.
“…It’s too big of a city for them to do that, isn’t it?” He turned to her. Slowly.
“Maybe we’ll get Panacea death gas dropped on us instead. If it’s as bad as you say, then it’s entirely possible the entire population of this city are acceptable margins, for them.” She Who Stood for Order said, musing with a grave expression.
“…And you claim we’re unreasonable? When that is who you serve?” The Champion said, taking another step forward.
“Not by choice.” Said She.
“There has to be another way to do this. Besides blind trust or total destruction?” She Who Tended the Embers said, taking a step to be in line with the Champion.
“But if those are our choices, I will choose destruction. I’ll burn it all before I let another invader have it.” Said the Champion, warning.
L wanted to protest. Time was not the concern. He had advocated for haste, yes, but that was because of what the Champion had wanted. Not out of necessity. There was no need to destroy their people so. He would happily give up whatever was needed for their prosperity. That was what he set out to do, all those years ago, wasn’t it?
That was they had all wanted. To avert the next calamity. This was a calamity. He could avert it. But he couldn’t move. All but his mind was still frozen, by the uncannily familiar embrace of what laid below. Of the belief made manifest. Zeitgeist, he’d called it.
“You’re mad, boy.” Said He Who Forged Chains. “You don’t know what you’re damning yourself to.”
The Champion, He Who Would Burn the World, took another step closer.
“I have a feeling we’re all damned that way. I hold the power here. You can either leave, and allow things to play out, or you can die the horrible death the arcanite speaks of. Take your choice.” He said, stern.
“Kinil, in his brutish way, is right. We’re in control here. You need to give us something better then give you everything, and maybe get table scraps.” She Who Tended the Embers said, in a similar tone and expression to her brother.
“If it comes to that, I’ll kill you both. I’m sorry, but I can’t let you make that choice.” She Who Stood for Order said, now visibly on guard.
“You’ll try.” Said the Champion.
“Kid, I just got done boxing with your god, and I was doing damn well too. Don’t get smart.” She retorted.
“Ruby told us to come here, Maisy. She believed in our ability to do this. To resolve this without any risk.” Continued She Who Tended to the Embers. “She’s currently talking to the people you work for. There’s no one coming, not yet, if we can solve this.”
She Who Stood for Order narrowed her eyes. “I don’t care what my Aunt thinks. My Aunt has made too many mistakes for me to go off of her word alone. Besides, the UN doesn’t answer to her. We’re only a bit better then animals, to them.”
“Then it sounds as if you and I should be working together.” Spoke the Champion.
“No, you shouldn’t, because one of you hasn’t killed dozens of people tonight.” Chimed in the arcanite again. “Even if the UN isn’t coming, none of the governments that are involved in this countries motley of interests are going to let this go. It’ll just get worse. No one will recognize rulership by god king, for Christ’s sake.”
“If they come, they will meet the same fate. We can raise them from the dead, turn them against their comrades. Their aircraft will fall from the sky, their ships will sink. Let them come. Let them try. But if they aren’t careful, our lands won’t be the only ones which burn.”
He didn’t know what he was talking about. L had explained nothing of these powers, and even he was unsure if he could face all of the metal birds in the sky. The Champion had to be bluffing. Or he was acting foolish. It could truthfully be either.
“You’re delusional, boy. The only lands that will burn are your own, if you go down this path.” He Who Forged Chains shook his head. “Let me bind the thing. Last chance for you to get out of this with a prayer of freedom.”
“I would rather burn in the underworld, then spend another day bending the knee, watching people be slaughtered. Having a single other person tossed in a pit to rot. Having another single person be hung from a tree for nothing.”
He was right in the arcanites face now. He seemed unphased.
She Who Tended the Embers, meanwhile was looking to She Who Stood for Order.
“Maisy, we can still solve this. Surely you can’t consign us to death because we won’t suffer this any further?”
She Who Stood for Order looked at the ground, diminishing the glow of her eyes for a moment.
“Then I think we’ll be taking up the Seraphim on her offer. Maisy, if you would care for it-” He made a striking motion with his hand. “I don’t want to risk things any longer then we have to.”
She Who Stood for Order didn’t move, as She Who Tended the Embers kept speaking.
“…You aren’t a killer, Maisy. You don’t want to be. You wanted to make the world a better place. That’s what Ruby told me. You, and Nico, and her, you just wanted to help. You made some mistakes. You may have invaded, you may have transgressed, but you have to be above working with him-” A glare towards He Who Forged Chains. “To kill more people?”
“I don’t want to kill people either-” Protested He Who Forged Chains. “I just want to make sure thousands, maybe millions of people don’t die! Do you know how long I’ve just been trying to keep the world afloat? How many times I have to make the hard call? More times then you could possibly comprehend! I’ve trained for decades, this is what I, and so many others like me do. If two people have to die, to save an entire country, then that’s what must be done. Call me a monster if you like, I’m ultimately working for everyone’s benefit.” His gaze darkened, as he finished speaking.
He Who Forged Chains was not so different from L. He realized that the longer he listened. L would accept death, if it meant even more life could spring forth from what remained. It was the way of his kind, once. The way of divinity. Some called it wrong, amongst their numbers. But many times, it was the only way. If what he was feeling was truly this chaos, if it was it’s embrace which surrounded him? Perhaps he could be right. Perhaps L was not suited for this time after all. His role as a savior could simply end here.
“How long until it’s a country, to save the world?” She Who Stood for Order said to him, looking over with her glowing eyes.
“I don’t know. Perhaps years. Decades. Centuries. We use magic to fight magic. Someday that will fail. Someday we will fail. But until then, it’s our obligation, our duty, to ensure the many survive. If we allow ourselves to die out, then what were we here for at all?” He said, meeting her gaze, looking away from the Champion.
“It is like my sister told me earlier. At least I am visibly a monster.” The Champion said, looking at He Who Forged Chains.
A scowl given in reply.
“Maisy, please, let’s find another way. We can do that. Just like Ruby always tried. She always tried that for you. She told me.” She Who Tended the Embers said, nearly pleading. As Maisy slowly turned.
“No. He’s right. We have to keep going, contain this chaos. Gloria, I don’t want to hurt you, or your brother, but this has to end. Now.”
“…Then don’t be a coward. Kill me first.”
She Who Tended the Embers walked over, and with her bare hands, grasped the blade of her silvered sword. The flames scorched her palm, cutting into it with equal ferocity, as she lifted it with a pained grimace and shout. And put the point but a few inches from her chest.
“I-“
“I’m not backing down. Do it.” She commanded She Who Stood for Order.
The Champion pointed his club at her.
“Do it, and you’re dead. I’ll cast as much magic as I can, sink this entire place. I’ll make sure you’re damned just as much as I am.” Was his snarled response.
“I’ll stop you. I’ve trained for years to do just that. I’ll dismiss your spells, and freeze you just like I did your god. I doubt you’d survive nearly as well.” Was the arcanites response. The shortblade was pointed at him, a silent rebuttal.
“Maisy.” She Who Tended the Embers said, through gritted teeth. “Choose.”
In L’s frozen state, sometimes, it felt like each moment of this rooftop discussion lasted an eternity. And this one most especially. One woman held the fate of millions in her hands.
She Who Stood for Order lifted the hammer in her other hand, high into the heavens. Tears of silver fell from her face.
The Hammer vanished in a burst of light. The free hand placed itself on the head of She Who Tended the Embers. The sword was extinguished, and she released her grip on it. With the magic of order, the wound began to mend.
“…You’re a lot better at talking when you aren’t speaking English…” Mumbled She Who Stood for Order. She Who Tended the Embers just smiled.
The Champion turned both his weapons the arcanite.
“Can you face both of us and win, arcanite?” Was his simple statement.
“Easily.” Was his response.
Another moment, that lasted quite a long time. As the silver sword of She Who Stood for Order pointed towards He Who Forged Chains.
“Not all three.” She said, wiping away her tears.
“…Not all three.” He conceded, with a sigh. “…What now, then. We’re at an impasse. I still have the zeitgeist. Which is enough to at least deal with the two who serve the god. If I must die to ensure chaos isn’t released? So be it.”
“No one on this rooftop is dying.” She Who Tended the Embers said, with sharpness. “We don’t want to doom our people. But we don’t want yours to have more power over us. Surely there is a compromise that we can come to, in this?”
“…Even I accept it, the rest of the council wouldn’t.”
“Not without leverage, they wouldn’t.” Corrected She Who Stood for Order.
“And what leverage do you have, besides the lives of those here?” Questioned He Who Forged Chains.
The Champion pointed, with his weapon. Straight at L. If the god could have smiled, he would have.
“My god is powerful, no? None of you have come close to defeating him.”
She Who Stood for Order began to raise her hand. The Champion shot her a look.
“You weren’t. You can stall him. But you couldn’t kill him. And he had plenty of more force to throw. Your strongest slaves couldn’t defeat him.” A gesture to He Who Forged Chains. “I highly doubt anyone on this earth could. He’s a god, and that term is very literal. He is our leverage. If you all leave, and do not return, he remains here. He remains out of the cities, even. Leave, don’t return, and ensure that those you work for do their best to keep the invaders out, for good this time? And I think I can give up on burning the world down. We will be the masters of our destinies, and no others. We leave our revenge, for now. That is my offer. It’s final. If you wish to die for your ideals, so be it. Because I am willing to die for mine.”
A long silence, passed over. She Who Stood for Order did first.
“I agree. I can speak to my contact in the UN. She might not listen, but I can try. She’s…somewhat reasonable.”
After that, a long silence. All eyes were on He Who Forged Chains.
It felt like an eternity, to L and all of the others.
He Who Forged Chains, the arcanite, hung his head.
“…I want to hear it from him.” He gestured towards the god. “If he agrees, I agree. If he attacks when I release him, I want your vow you will defend my escape. Do we have an accord?”
Each person on the rooftop nodded.
“Zeitgeist. Release him. Then you are dismissed. Take your price when you see fit.”
The monoliths sunk back into the ground. L was finally able to move again. Landing on the ground, planting his feet, and stepping forward. He looked to She Who Stood for Order, She Who Tended the Embers, He Who Forged the Chains, and finally, He Who Stepped Free.
“I accept.” Was his voice in reply. Simple.
And so it was.
He floated far above the highlands. Staying about as far as he would manage, from the city. It’s lights glittered in a way he couldn’t have imagined being made by humans. He had spoken with many people, in the time since that night. It had been quite a long time since his being entombed. He had learned much of the history he had missed. Most of it saddened him. Why was he not called when invaders besieged their shores? Why not when others would stifle it’s liberation? Why now? He questioned the judgement of the other gods, in whatever capacity they still remained. They must have guided the hand of fate somehow, and yet…silence. It seemed as if he was the only god which remained in this world.
The sun had risen ninety times, since that night on the rooftop. Much had changed.
She Who Stood for Order had remained a few days. Helped with the wounded, those who did not want L’s help. It was at She Who Tended the Ember’s request that she had, which seemed to stifle He Who Stepped Free’s complaints.
It was only after she learned of the child she was to bear, that she elected to return to her home. Not via her movements of light, but by one of the strange metal craft which flew like birds. She had given a warm goodbye to She Who Tended the Embers. They had exchanged an embrace, something like family, now. The body of her compatriot was sent home already.
L was glad to see her go. But in the end, she had been an invader which had been dealt with. In the end, sufferable. Not like He Who Forged the Chains. He had left right away, and it hadn’t been soon enough. He’d called compatriots to his lands for a brief period, and the group of them returned home. Wherever home was, for an arcanite like him.
Great change had come to his lands, in the aftermath of it all. The shades had returned to the underworld, the same place he was spawned. They said final goodbyes, first, though. The dead were buried, many of his chosen among them. His Champion insisted He Who Forged the Chains had been responsible, and the killer was still free. Yet, nothing to be done now. He Who Stepped Free, She Who Tended the Embers, and She Who Spoke First traveled back to their destroyed home, with the body of He Who Was First to Change. They intended to ensure all those who died there got as proper a burial as possible. A painful final pilgrimage, only possible with otherwise great change. And great change had come.
They had worked in tandem with many other groups like their own. Distributing the urn, and with it, extending L’s reach, and ultimatum. The empowered forces, the chosen, were able to seize much of their home back. L hadn’t needed to lift a finger even if they felt they were a poor savior for not doing so.
No more of those birds, no more of those fish, with their crates and boxes of weapons. No more fresh troops. No more rains of death. The overseers of the farms vanished, the farmland ceded back to those who were born upon it. Many of the armed forces simply gave up once the rest of the world ceased to help them. Once they ceased to be invaded. Those who didn’t, were forced into the same position as the victors had been, but a few months ago.
Without a god, of course.
She Who Tended the Embers had raised mention of establishing something known as elections. He was unfamiliar with the concept, but if it was their will, he would not worry about what it was. He clearly did not understand the sort of time he was now in. Perhaps in time, he could learn. Or perhaps he would not need to.
Now, as L looked out over his lands, he could not help but feel…complete. This is what he had wanted in the end. Safety. For him. For his people.
Perhaps this was the future his kind had wanted. Perhaps it had been mere chance. But he found himself satisfied with this outcome.
The sun was starting set. He spent many days in a row in silent contemplation at different points in the land. Like a silent warden, away from civilization. He attracted pilgrims, of course. As he should. And his Champion and She Who Spoke First would come as well, from time to time. They existed to assist the new leaders, should issues arise. She Who Tended the Embers declined the role, as did He Who Warded, who sought to never transform again, if he could help it.
It seemed, however, this night would have a disturbance. The sound of flight, towards him,. fast, faster then him. But stopping, slightly behind him. He turned, ready to spring forth with magic, presuming it to be an attacker. And perhaps it was.
Floating in front of him was a woman. A bit smaller then him, but none the less muscular. She had a pale white face, only slightly less dark then snow. Straight black hair flowed down to her back. She wore a purple garment which covered her entire body from the neck down, on it’s chest, and emblazoned symbol of a crescent moon.
He got to see fragments of memory when he bonded with a follower via blood. And he had seen this woman in both He Who Walked Free, She Who Spoke First, He Who Was First to Change and She Who Tended the Embers. A distant shape, on a screen. A world away. A woman who saved the world, but did not save them. She had been one of their biggest disappointments, and realizations in their lives, that no one cared for them. He had thought her a god, of some distant land. But it seemed now, now that they were face to face. They did not share a source. That much he could feel, simply being before her.
He did not attack. He understood the lack of obligation. He could not fault it. Even if others harbored resentment for it. Even if morality perhaps said differently. He would have acted the same.
She spoke first. Her voice carried no accent. It was in the English which he had heard so much of. To the point where he had tuned his mind to understand it, as much as he disliked that fact.
“Greetings. This meetings been a bit of a long time coming. Lunarialaia.”
She stuck out a hand.
He just stared at it, until she lowered it.
“I carry no name. It was sacrificed to the future” Was his response.
“Something I can call you, then?” She said, tilting her head.
“L.”
“Right, well, L. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you, from a lot of people. You’ve got a lot of people asking what you’re about. And while most people won’t go ask a Mayan god flat out some questions…I’d like to.”
“And what else do you want from me?” L said, plainly.
“…Let’s just talk. Come with me.”
She began to fly upwards. The last god followed, until the clouds were but a distant memory, the land visible in broad strokes. Their conversation lost to the echoes of the stars, to all but them. Eventually, he returned to earth, with more thoughts to himself, as She Who Flew the World moved to her next destination.
Perhaps the world was not ready for him now. Perhaps the world feared him, and the people he served.
But, three days had shaped the future this time. Perhaps next time, it could be even shorter. And perhaps he could be a savior of more yet.
Or perhaps, divinity would prove more costly.
He had nothing but time to find out, in a silent vigil. Able to for now, rest. And see the land he had sacrificed to, as he wanted it to be.
Kindling And Miscellany 