Of Divinity and Demise

VeraC

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#1
Outside Perindor Capital

It was the established meeting point for those joining Aberon’s party to Eden. It was early in the morning, and the ever-scorched lands of Northern Crescentia did little to make the place seem hospitable. Nonetheless, the massive Citadel-City of Perindor stood ever-present in the backdrop, a sign that people still existed, and lived in relative prosperity.

Aberon was the first to arrive, of course. He was the party leader and knew where they were going, it was just a matter of getting there. Their destination was Luna. Under the crust of the lunar surface, resided Nashim, the better of the two, or so Aberon had originally thought. While the Journey would normally take awhile, Aberon sensed that the man, Ze’ev would be his key to getting there as quickly as possible. He likely wouldn’t have invited the man along were it otherwise.

It wouldn’t be long before the forementioned man would arrive, accompanied by the half-draconian, Val’Sentaph. Relegated to being an observer of sorts, she was to watch over Ze’ev, but also work as a liaison between Crescentia and Aberon, a sign of their cooperation.

Aberon stood facing away from the City, but the sounds of heavy mechanical footsteps would begin to ring out behind him. As he turned around, He would meet eyes with two mobile weapons, the Cross Calibur, and Ze’ev’s mobile suit.

“I see you’ve kept it in good condition.” He smiled, remembering the mech as it was two thousand years ago.

“I have arrived.” Val’Sentaph replied promptly, with the other mobile weapon in tow.



Once all the Party members arrived, Aberon, Val’Sentaph, Ze’ev, and Sedna, Aberon would lay out their plan.

“So we have a walk-in appointment with Nashim, one of the Edens.” Aberon turned to the group, each mech towering over him. “If she doesn’t have time, she’ll make time. She can hardly turn away a visit from her creator.”

Aberon then turned to Ze’ev in his suit.

“This is where you come in. Surely with that shiny hunk of metal you have there you can take us directly to her, no?” Aberon grinned. “I know the location, you just need send us there. Sound like a plan? Good.” Not waiting for any acknowledgement, he turned around and nodded his head. “We make way to Luna, to Nashim’s Chamber.”

Val’Sentaph sighed, the man before them almost not heeding their existence, simply going at his own pace. It wasn’t any quality a leader should have, but who can make sense of gods anyways?
 

Hitura Rael

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#2
Sedna fidgeted in the cockpit of the Goddess, hands shaking, heart pounding. Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach, the reason she had not bothered to eat before leaving this morning. Not that they would have had time for that. Aberon seemed to be in a bit of a hurry. She had had no time to recant her offer once the creepy... thing... joined up. Amka would not let her anyway. They had had a long 'discussion' about it before the older woman left.

"If the man is as much a threat as you seem to think, Aberon needs you to watch his back, now doesn't he?"

How could she argue with that? And her aunt was like a charging bull anyway, no way to fight it. Just stay out of the way and not anger the bull in the first place. She had never thought of leaving the world. She had not known there were other worlds to even visit. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, blinking away the remnants of fitful dreams ever since she had heard the plan. What a nightmare to have... Well. Here was hoping that this other world was... better than this.
 

GEAR

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#3
"Of course, of course m'lord!"

Ze'ev, for his part, seemed irritatingly chipper this morning, with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. As Aberon spoke, he was still busily wolfing down a bowl of... well, it was some kind of Crescentian oatmeal-equivalent, but at that exact point in time, he was hardly feeling picky. The wanderer was extremely grateful that he wasn't dangling from a noose - not that any cell the Crescentians had on hand would hold him for long, but with time they could certainly find something to seal him in.

A rice cooker maybe, he thought.

Hearing his machine described as "shiny" however, he cocked an eyebrow and tossed the now empty bowl off to the side, glancing at the hunched, crackled-leaf textured Zelvoid, which hardly seemed to match the description. A smile crossed his features. Perhaps Aberon could see more than he thought? It was, of course... little more than a disguise. He gave an exaggerated bow, so low his forehead almost touched the ground as he spoke:

"Anything for you, my savior, my liege! I'll follow you into the depths of Hell!"

If he had any compulsions against Aberon's plan, they were completely muted. Val'Sentaph, despite being his appointed jailer, was also for the most part ignored - he instead turned his attention to Sedna, in the cockpit of the Goddess.

That machine, he thought privately. One of the Elemental Lords... If the "original" was also present somewhere in this world-

He stopped himself, preferring not to go down that particular line of thought. Laplace's Demon Computer wasn't something he, or any other entity in this world needed to get its hands on, and Crescentia's sleeping spirits were best left as such. Still... The woman seemed unnerved around him. She was somehow able to pick up on his nature as an aberration... How curious, he thought, that such traditions still remained from the olden times. The Giants had taught them well.
 

VeraC

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#4
Aberon waited for ten… twenty seconds in silence, expecting something to happen, but nothing. He turned to Ze’ev with a questioning look and spoke to him.

“What are you waiting for?”
 

GEAR

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#5
"...Oh, right."

The off-brown Masouki lowered its hand, allowing the grey man to clamber on. He gave the assorted members of their little party a wolfish grin before scampering into the belly of the beast, causing its one remaining eye to light up. It spread its arms wide at the Goddess and Aberon's own machine, grasping claws snapping irritably.

"Grab on, grab on, let's go."

Once all gathered were linked, he cleared his throat. Now, he thought, would be a bad time to mention he'd never actually tried to do this with anyone else. In the off chance he accidentally materialized one of them inside a Moon-stone wall, he privately hoped it would be his jailer. It was a process he had... suprisingly little control over. The machine did all the work, and it wouldn't have been the first time it had refused his directions.

"Now then!" He yelled;

"Click your heels three times, and think of home!"

...

...

"Hm? No?"

A second passed. Then two. Then three. A bird chirped in the distance. Ze'ev's features fell, contorting into a scowl as he leaned over the controls of the Zelvoid, prodding at and jabbing at its various implements irritably. Could it be, he thought, that something was wrong?

"That's strange." He muttered; "With the addition of the Sphere, it should definitely, positively-"

There was a sudden, loud BANG, and the sick, nauseating sense of movement that made one's stomach slam into their lungs, as if all three were suddenly dragged into a swift, bleak, whirling vortex.



Luna
Holy Sanctum
4:18 PM Directory Standard Time


The deepest and most sacred site of all Luna was a sight that would have robbed the breath from even the most well-bred of Crescentia's noble. Its very nature defied ordinary space - it was indeed a "pocket dimension", a rift contained within Earth's Moon that made it "bigger on the inside"-

But... It was not of her doing.

Suspended at the center of the chamber was a series of hovering platforms, each carved of ornate marble, and bedecked in ceremonial runes and decorations. On the largest of these, a figure - tiny in comparison to the expanse around her, lay seated, head bowed in silent, reverent prayer. Her features were bleach white, wearing long saffron robes, with her hair done up in fearsome dark spikes, and adorned with a golden fan-like crown.

Queen Selene III, She Of The Flawless Mirror, slowly raised her head to regard the gargantuan form that took up most of the interior. It resembled the massive shape of a woman, enclosed in a series of angelic wings, her head crowned with a radiant, sun-like disk - only easily over two hundred meters in height. This... was the second best kept secret of the Moon, one that had worked to carefully keep itself out of the public eye for thousands of years.

The Alabaster Lady, Guardian Deity of not only Luna, but Earth itself... Nashim Ganeden.

Below her was a seemingly endless pool of silvery white - a disc of some sort, encircled with a mottled platinum rim miles wide, slowly, endlessly turning. It was this bizarre construct that was the first best kept secret of Ganeden and her disciples.

A great deal was on Selene's mind that she wished to discuss with the deity - Gerart's betrayal, the Custos, and how grateful she was that James had agreed to step in a sovereign. Perhaps it meant that mankind could be saved after all... and that she would not be punished too severely for her prior error with the Geminia.

However, before she could even open her mouth to speak, there was a...

Distant... rattling noise. Like something thundering down a garbage chute, hitting every possible obstacle on the way down.

Slowly, Selene rose to her feet, turning on the spot to follow the source of the sound - before her eyes came to focus on a spot not too far above her, seemingly shrouded in a heat haze. As she watched, to her intense alarm, the space buckled and warped, causing her jaw to drop. Impossible! This place was beyond the reach of those dread beasts, was it not?

But what emerged was no DAMON.

With a roar and a blast of black smoke, the forms of the travelers materialized, reality having violently transposed their forms into the pocket dimension, and with it, of course... came the echo.

"-WORK!"

The shout filled the air, as the Zelvoid paused - and gratefully released its fellows from its clutches. The Masouki's gaze traveled first to Ganeden... and then to the robed woman below, affixing her with its sinister, cycloptic glare as the color seemed to drain from her pale features even more than it already had.
 

Hitura Rael

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#6
Sedna watched the little man with trepidation. Why Abberon was trusting him, she could not fathom. His machine looked not too impressive either... But that could easily be a facade. Predatory fish had ways of luring things in to be snapped up in their jaws... Surface dwellers were not much different in her opinion, they just had more to work with to disguise themselves before stabbing you in the back. This boot licker... he was laying it on far too thick. It reminded her of her brother actually, when attempting to get something out of her parents. Laying the 'I love yous' thick and jumping to gain favor and get what he wanted from them...

She grimaced at clawed hand of the Zelvoid. Must she really put her trust in the Jezz-fish to uphold he oaths? The goddess only took hold of the battered mech once Aberon had. The azure Lord hesitated before reluctantly taking hold of the Zelvoid's hand. And they waited. ... Nothing. Sedna frowned in confusion, glancing to Abberon questioningly. Should something not have happened? Perhaps the man was just a trickster after all and failing at it.

And then the world lurched around her. Sedna instinctively took her hands from the controls, not daring to accidentally flick something and let go of the other mech. She had absolutely no desire to be lost between worlds or stuck careening through this hellish spinning vortex for the rest of her life, no matter how long it would be.

Finally, they exited the other side. Sedna only wished the world would stop spinning around her. She held a webbed hand to her mouth with a sickly groan. She had never been more glad to have skipped so many meals in her life, though it still felt like her body wanted to expel every meal she had ever eaten, then move on to each ancestor's meals!
 

VeraC

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#7
As the group materialized in the chamber, Aberon took a moment to take in the sights. While his traveler friends were all in their mobile weapons, Aberon remained in his human form, remaining as he was. The room was rather lackluster to him, though the room itself mattered little compared to what was inside it. Standing on the chest of the Zelvoid, he took several steps forward, walking off the mech and through the air, as if there was ground before him. Looking below him, he saw the woman who seemed to be in prayer moments before she was disturbed by their arrival.

“Ah… I see.” Aberon took mental note of her presence, but ignored her for the most part.

He then turned to Nashim. It took naught but a second to identify her, and see that she was in good condition, though somewhat… inactive. He walked up to the head of Nashim’s figure and tapped on its forehead multiple times.

“Helloooo? Might you be awake my sleeping guardian?” He jokingly spoke to the being. “We have very important matters to discuss.” He grinned.

Val’Sentaph was caught off guard by the sudden teleportation, and even more by the being that resided before them. It was comparable in size to her Queen’s mobile weapon… perhaps even bigger, and its form almost invoked something of divine providence.

This is eden? She questioned looking around the room. It was much more dull than Aberon made it out to be, but perhaps she misunderstood more than she thought. Even more offsetting was Aberon’s nonchalant approach to the thing’s head, even so much to touch it so casually. The man knew not of fear, but were he actually the God of this world and Nashim’s creator, perhaps it would only be natural to him.
 

GEAR

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#8
As Aberon approached, and placed a hand on Ganeden's serene face, the features of the woman below were its polar opposite: A mask of absolute fury, as every taboo, every ritual was casually shattered, her voice rising in anger as she roared up at the man:

"How DARE YOU-"

Yet, she instantly halted in her diatribe, jaw practically slamming shut and eyes going as wide as saucers, as if heeding some silent command. Her eyes traveled from one machine to the other - none of them appearing familiar to her, before she stepped into the shade of a raised pillar - and out of sight, slipping away into the shadows - though to where in this unusual place, it seemed was uncertain. Perhaps Ganeden had decided this was not a conversation for its underlings to eavesdrop on?

Ze'ev, for his part, watched the Queen scamper away in curious silence, his usual mockery conspicuously absent. Of more interest to him was the silvery surface below, and its significance to the world above in his own timeline - but it was not a contemplation he sought to voice, at least not in the present company.

"I hear your word, noble Creator."
To describe it as a "voice" wouldn't have done it justice. Not in the slightest. It was more like a psychic ripple that pulsed outward, taking the shape of words that most easily conveyed the intents of its holder, sending emotion coursing through the heart. To each, it sounded different - to Selene in particular, much as she loathed it, she heard the commands of Ganeden in her own mother's voice.

"It pleases me to see you are indeed well. We had feared the worst, with the insurrection."​
 

Hitura Rael

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#9
The Goddess' head tilted downward at the sound of Selene's voice. Sedna had not noticed the woman in the pocket. How strange. She shuddereed, forcing back another spike of nausea. Now was not the time to be sick, after all. The Goddess' attention returned to the Ganeden, though Sedna's attention was on Ze'ev.

She was completely caught off guard by the psychic voice invading her head. She shuddered again, the Goddess stepping back from the Ganeden. The voice she heard had negative connotations, perhaps a reflection of her unease and general anxiety. She could handle it if it had been her mother's sweet condescending voice, or Amka's stern commanding voice... But no, it was the worst voice possible. Would she ever escape the Heidal's again?
 

VeraC

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#10
Aberon smiled on hearing Nashim’s ‘voice’. It ailed him well to see that at least one of his creations was still operating as normal.

“‘Tis great to see you as well, my creation. Pray, while I would enjoy to talk catch-up over some tea, there are important matters that must be discussed.” He maintained a smiling face but spoke with a tone of seriousness.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, this planet is on a time limit, so to speak.” Aberon began. “The Ur-Humans embedded with me knowledge of their likely inevitable demise, Kali Yuga, and tasked me with creating a way to defeat her, which is why you exist, along with your brother, Geber, as well as the Angels and Giants… Though the latter two were failures, to say the least.”

Aberon then turned to Ze’ev.

“This man has come from the future at the time of Kali Yuga’s arrival, which only furthers my concerns of how limited time is.” Aberon then sighed returning his gaze to Nashim. “Of course one large setback occured in the timeline of things… My sealing.” Aberon feigned shame. “The giants who betrayed me failed to understand the greater risks at stake and sought out power by their small mindframe. It was something that shouldn’t have happened, but did regardless.”

Aberon held out his arms.

“As you can see by my pitiful state, I have been reduced to but a shadow of my former glory thanks to their doing.”

Aberon sighed once more.

“In order to stave off the coming threat, I must regain my strength, in which I request your cooperation.”

Aberon smiled.

“By the way, how is Geber doing?”
 

Admin

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#11
Ganeden listened in silence as Aberon spoke, seemingly absorbing all the details. As he gestured to Ze’ev, the man’s trance was broken, causing him to give a shrug and a wave, but it was at the mention of her twin that the Lady fell into silence. It was a few moments before she responded.

Geber... Is gone.” She “said”, sending sorrowful waves of blue, like tides lapping at one’s feet, through the minds of those present.

Torn to pieces by his own charges. The second Crossgate was shattered because of them as well, causing untold damage to the cosmos.

This caused Ze’ev to raise his eyebrows in surprise - the ES Wave that had devastated the world, almost wiping out all of humanity - was caused by one of these?

The Pantheon is no more, and now the great enemy is at the door. The Vaura come to devour all, as they once did. Our hour of need is indeed desperate.

She lapsed into silence once more, seemingly collecting her thoughts. It was hard to imagine why she would be distressed, given the state of things, but after a moment she continued, asking the visitor:

Do you mean to unite the Twelve, then?
 

VeraC

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#12
Aberon looked on at Nashim with a blank smile upon hearing the status of Geber. He blinked multiple times trying to grasp the words she said.

“I’m sorry… Did you say he was destroyed?” He spent several more moments comprehending the situation before relaxing and taking a deep sigh.

“...Considering how many other failures I have created, what’s one more to the bucket?” He laughed in disbelief, rubbing his forehead. “Well this makes the situation worse.”

The aura of smugness and amiability slowly began to fade from Aberon’s character as he tone grew serious. “...It seems everything is in my hands now…” He looked down at this two hands. For a ‘man’ who once held the world in his grasp, his hands could only be described as small now.

He looked up to Nashim and spoke with solemnity.

“I will reclaim my position. Be it through the twelve or other means, I will claim my birthright.” His eyes were filled with determination, an unquenchable fire that would emblazon the hearts of all who saw him. Even if no one came to his aid, he would protect this world.

“I assume you’ll be cooperating in my endeavors.” He grinned in confidence. “The world is quite literally at stake here.”
 

GEAR

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#13
As Aberon laughed, and casually wrote Geber off as a failure, Ganeden only listened in stony silence. Her features were impassive as ever, but when she finally spoke, it was in solemn tones.

"...Is that truly the best course of action, Creator?" She asked.

"Countless worlds have already fallen to the Crawling Dark, and to Kali Yuga. Dimensions and timelines helmed by entities just as, if not more powerful than you at your prime. There is no reason to believe that we would fare any better than they, correct?"

Heed my words: There is another way."

There was a great groaning of stone, and the arms of the great statue began to move, sliding forth from their alcoves on either side of the wing-like shroud that enwrapped its form. Ganeden cupped her hands before her, before Aberon in supplication.

"It was not I or Geber who felled the rebel Giants, and brought peace to L'isola. Alone we could not have triumphed, not even with the mighty OuRyuOh at our side.

No... The one who made the ultimate sacrifice was a mere human.

Despite their frailness, they carry within them tremendous potential - a fire, a spirit, that the Ur-Humans forfeited in their drive for refinement. An untapped power that defies reason, logic, and all expectation - a truly infinite will that, if harnessed... will save us all."

Her plea was impassioned, colored with splashes of cardinal and ocher, and the occasional distant glimpse of a forgotten time, a distant battlefield where a lone man stood against countless golden entities, locked in an endless battle. When she spoke once more... there was a cooler, firmer quality to her words, like the touch of steel to the fingertip.

"We have been poor stewards, great Aberon... Yet, to shackle the humans once more would be to seal our own fate.

That is why... I will not aid your bid for power.
"
 

VeraC

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#14
“It seems you misunderstand me.” Aberon gave a sigh and a shrug of helplessness.

“It is exactly because of the humans that I believe we have a chance against this ‘Crawling Dark’. Need I remind you why I created humans in the first place?”

Aberon held out his hand, and from it, conjured glyphs and images of the world creation began to display themselves. “Need I remind you why I created both you and your late brother?” His face turned serious again.

“It was for the exact purpose of defeating the crawling darkness that I created humans, and gifted them with free will. I granted them potential far beyond what you or I could even hope to achieve. If I knew I could defeat Kali Yuga, if the Ur-Humans knew I would be able to, I would’ve done it long ago.” The glyphs then shifted to Aberon, in his original form, beginning to rest. “This of course, was tolling on my body, and thus I required rest to regain my strength.”

Aberon’s eyes narrowed.

“But what kind of creator would I be if I couldn’t stand by my creations in their greatest time of need?”

He took another sigh.

“Why does everyone I talk to assume I wish to become a Tyrant? Ruling over mankind is such a boring task, it’s much easier for them to govern themselves.” He gave a shrug. “Nonetheless, mankind needs someone who knows the threat to lead them in this time of crisis. Knowledge is key, of course.” He smiled. “It was my original plan regardless, to fight alongside mankind after they had been given time to grow.”

He then turned serious, and stared at Nashim.

“Let me remind you of your purpose, Nashim Ganeden.” He pointed at her face.

“The Edens’ duty was to protect mankind from the extraterrestrial, the foreign, threats that loomed beyond the darkness of space.” His voice shifted to anger. Like a parent scolding a child, Aberon continued. “I may be weak, I may have just returned from beyond the abyss, but I can still ‘sense’ the situation this world is in.”

He began to rise in the air until he stood above Nashim and looked down on her and crossed his arms.

“You have failed spectacularly. I gave you a single task, a singular purpose in your existence, and what are your results? You sit in your little cave acting as a ‘prophet’ for Luna, while the rest of the world goes to shit.” He spoke frankly and coldly. “But perhaps there will be a chance for redemption. A chance for you to make up for the sins both you and your brother have committed.”

Aberon took a moment to pause, a moment of silence for everyone in the room.

“Regardless, the world is rather tainted.” He turned around and shrugged, descending down to his allies. “Since it seems you’re too busy sitting on your ass, I will go and do your job for you.”

As Aberon descended, a mechanical frame began to materialize around him, slowly taking shape of a mobile weapon. The mech shined with a peculiar purple sheen and was a rather sharp and pointed silhouette.

“Let me remind you that you were merely a temporary measure, Nashim.” He turned his head back to her. “You’ve outlived your usefulness, it seems.”

He then turned to his comrades. “Let us go.”
 

GEAR

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#15
There was no immediate response to Aberon's speech. Perhaps she was simply floored - or some aspects of his former authority were too embedded to be resisted - yet, as he turned to leave, her "voice" called out anew.

But, it was not for him.

"Τ ε τ ρ α γ ρ ά μ μ α τ ο ν."​

Tetragrammaton. The most sacred of incantations - and the world around Aberon seemed to briefly vanish, as blinding light surged from the Lady. In only moments, something massive approached him from behind - A swipe, a draconic claw that would be all too familiar to the former deity, aimed to smash directly into his back, with enough force to send him rocketing towards the very borders of the interior.

"You have learned nothing." Seethed Nashim;​

"For one hundred years, I have held the Crossgate closed, staving off the Vaura - alone! I salvaged the world your neglect nearly ruined!"​

Her "voice" was thick now, boiling over with emotion like soup from a pot, trails of crimson dribbling down the sides of the mind. Within the light, the massive form of Ganeden began to change and warp, turning from bleach white to pitch black as a pair of vicious, draconic wings burst into existence, spreading wide into the void as a pair of gleaming eyes materialized in the darkness, giving a low, threatening growl that sent reverberations trembling through the entire area.

"And you dare to call me a failure?"​

Ze'ev's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets at the display as he turned to the Goddess, hurriedly extending his machine's hand. Aberon didn't need to tell him twice - he could already see how this was going to end.

"Hey, Fishgirl?" He said; "I think that's our cue to beat i-"

There was a noise like the snapping of a whip - and something lashed out from below and just out of sight, causing the Masouki to glance down. Small, glowing green beads formed a chain snarled tight about the Zelvoid's wrist. The traveler's face fell, as the Dreaming Twin Fishes informed him of exactly what his immediate future held.

"Ah, Hell."

With terrifying swiftness the Masouki vanished from view - ripped from the skies, slung expertly through the air by the emerald lash like a toy, before smashing bodily into one of the suspended platforms, sending up spray of marble and plaster. The whip-like appendage retracted as a form made itself known, flashing into view across from the Goddess.

Compared to the more regal points and angles of the Elemental Lord, its frame was slim, slender and organic, wrapped in flowing, petal-like armor that gave it the appearance of a dancer, rather than a machine of war. The "beads" from before were grasped in its hands, their shapes warping as they flowed into one another, like liquid jade.

"What a delightful machine." Mused Selene within the cockpit of the Magarga, drawing herself up into a crane-stance as she gave a slow exhale, enjoying the feeling of her wrists cracking in anticipation. All her training under Ganeden was about to pay off.

"Your head will make an excellent gift for James."
 

VeraC

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#16
Aberon took another sigh as he saw behind what was beginning to happen. He moved forward to dodge the swipe before stopping.

“...Just like a child…” He began to get a sense of deja vu, but shook it off and turned to face Nashim.

It was then that Ze’ev had been yanked downward by another mobile weapon, likely the prior woman’s return. The situation was getting complicated, but it was inevitable. While Aberon wished he were a bit more prepared, he would have to make due with what he had.

“Sedna, was it? Go aid our friend below and make sure he doesn’t die.” Aberon began commanding. “Dragon girl, you’re with me.”

“Yes!” Val’Sentaph replied quickly, moving next to Aberon.

While the numbers were in their favor, the Nashim that stood before them was something else.

“Crossblade!” Aberon called out as a blade began manifesting in his mobile weapon’s hands. It was a massive weapon, to say the least. The handle’s length was as tall as the mech, and the hilt and blade extended further beyond, likely four times the length of the mobile weapon’s height. He turned to Val’Sentaph.

“I hope you’re as good as Heidel vouches for you.”

“I won’t disappoint, my spear is yours.” The Cross Calibur took a stance and held its arms above its head. While the mech was similar to a masouki in its design and mechanics, the cockpit was that of a Direct Motion Link, allowing martial users to use the full extent of their capabilities.

“Come! Bahamut!” Val’Sentaph shouted as she held the spear in her own hands inside the cockpit. The spear shined bright and filled the space with white light, before radiating outside the mech. The light centered on a weapon which began to materialize in the Cross Calibur’s hands. A spear that matched the appearance of the human-sized one appeared in its hands as it twirled the weapon and held it at the ready.

Val’sentaph looked up at Nashim now and gave a brief chuckle. “You shall see why they call me the Crimson Dragoon.” Val’sentaph was trained by a vagrant dragonslayer and taught the ways of fighting such beasts. The enemy that stood in front of her was nothing more than another dragon.

Aberon smirked and smiled. “Good.”

If we can weaken her enough, I should be able to absorb her essence. Worst comes to worse, We’ll bail out Ze’ev and leave.

It was far too early for Aberon to taste defeat. How could he hope to defeat Kali Yuga if he couldn’t even win against one of his own creations? He would not have a repeat of the Giants. This time, he had a chance to fight back.

“We shall have the first strike.” He communicated to Val’sentaph.

“Right.”

The Cross Calibur ‘leaped’ into the air, soaring high above Nashim and the rest, almost touching the ceiling. Aberon’s machine, on the other hand changed straight in, swinging wide with his sword, aimed to cleave Nashim’s center.
 

Hitura Rael

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#17
Sedna listened to the exchange with a sinking heart. How could he be so cold to her? The Eden had lost her brother... her twin at that. Could he not see how much that hurt her? How could he brush off her suggestions so callously? Surely, he could see the value in her observations for his time being sealed away. And only scorn for failure when this soul stood fast against so much, alone... How could he so easily berate her and put her down, outlining only her flaws instead of bolstering her accomplishments? She knew the pain the Eden must have felt all too well.

Slowly, the pieces all began to fall into place. Why the giants had turned on Aberon, all the struggles they had endured, the foes they had battled... A lack of care for anything but the humans... The task of the discarded child protecting the father's favorite... This was not how he was supposed to be. He was supposed to be a fair and just deity, caring for his creations, lifting his children up instead of casting them down. Instead, he tossed them away like a child with a toy, turning to the new shiny one and leaving the old to be broken and miserable. Someone needed to put him in his place, to open his eyes. And as his priestess, was it not her duty?

Before she could speak, however, Aberon... as her elder brother would so crassly put it... shat the kelp bed and poisoned the harvest. Further insulting the Eden, accusing her of being a lay about. A lay about! After all this poor soul had endured! "No..." she pleaded with them as Nashim lashed out at Aberon with that draconian claw. "Stop!" She called louder, begging them to see reason as the Zelvoid reached out for her and was pulled away. Sedna stared at the Carnelian machine as it took it's stance, targeting her.

Her eyes turned down at the corners, brow drawn down in helpless despondence. "This isn't right..." The Goddess took a step back from the Magarga. Movement felt slow, as though stuck in a pool of jelly or fighting a swirling current, pulling at her, threatening to drown her. Her own words echoed through the cockpit, faint tones as if on the distant wind. This was not right! They were on the same side! She steeled herself in the face of the Magarga and Nashim, relaxing her body and allowing the pull to take her. The Goddesses hand stretched out in front of her, the trident materializing in a brilliant flash of white light.

A new voice overlapped the words that echoed from Sedna's throat, spreading across the intercoms and echoing through the room. The stern tone held gentle notes of resolution and finality, an immovable mountain in the face of the storm. The orb of the trident glowed brilliantly with verdant energy. The goddess swung the weapon down, cutting through the air with a burning trail of energy. "This is not right!" Sedna's gentle soprano was swallowed in a harmonic cadence with a deeper, sultry, feminine voice.

The silver pool of the room rippled with power, reflecting the light of the Goddess in tumultuous ripples before it began to bulge along the surface. It was not long before those bubbles burst, silvery snakes of ice bursting forth. They shot out at everything in the room except the Goddess. For the Magarga, they clamped down on arms and legs. For the Cross Calibur, they twined around it's body and limbs. For Abberon, they twined around his mech to completely immobilize it. Even the Zelvoid was not spared, twined by the legs and arms. The bulk of the chains restrained Nashim, the angel's own power borrowed to hold her.


Where the snake's bodies touched, their forms melted together, forming shackles and bindings, gentle as a bubbling stream, yet strong as steel. Solid chains held taught, immobilizing the combatants. Frost crept along the surfaces of the room, creeping out slowly in swirling patterns. The temperature of the room dropped, gentle flakes of snow forming and drifting on the natural air currents of the pocket dimension.

With the restraints in place, a firm hold on the would be combatants, the Goddess took several slow strides forward, toward Nashim. "Still thy hand, elder sister. This becomes thee not." The harmonic overlap of voices, led by the unknown sultry voice, held a calm and understanding tone, gentle and loving. "Thine task is not done. I understand that thee art stressed my sister, and thine heart weeps for our lost brother, but thou art better than this. Do not let thee be goaded by mere words spoken in anger and ignorance. Stay thine hand sister, I will speak to him." The Goddess held her free hand out to Nashim, gently caressing the statue's face before turning to Aberon.

As the Goddess approached him, her tone became severe, chastising, the dreaded mom voice. "Thou art weakened, yet thine deem to go on as if thine strength were the same before the giants betrayed thee." The Goddess stopped an arms breadth in front of him, slamming the butt of the trident in the air as if to emphasize her point in a court room with a staff. It struck as if the air below were solid. "Much hath changed, since thine imprisonment. Dost thou think we would not too? Did thou not think that like humans, we too would grow? Change? Humans influence more than thou had imagined."

The Goddess' voice changed slightly, Sedna's coming through stronger. The time for favorites is done, father. You do no favors to humanity or those of us who remain for it. Thou sees it fit to chastise thine daughter and belittle her accomplishments. For what? To feel better about thine own failures? Let it go. If thine path doth not change, thy creations will turn hand against you as the giants once had. One by one, until thou stand alone against the coming darkness."

The voice changed again, equal harmony between the duo. "It is time for thou to be a father in truth. Apologize to thine daughter. Seek forgiveness. Open thine heart and thine mind to understand her burden. It is time thou learn to listen, beloved father." The Goddess' voice softened as she went on, her hand, reaching out to gently cup the mech's cheek.
 
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VeraC

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Jun 18, 2018
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#18
Aberon had full intention of fighting Nashim at that moment, but it seemed his comrade had other ideas in mind. He let out a sigh as the Goddess’ restraining ‘tentacles’ reached out restraining all in the room.

“Well aren’t you one for killing a mood.” The mobile weapon began to disintegrate around Aberon, freeing himself from the clutches of ice. “...Not that I had any intention of fighting today anyways.”

He then turned to Sedna.

“That being said, I’m doubtful little Nashim here would like to let us leave.” Aberon pointed back to Eden’s draconic form. “She knows it too, that she was a mere temporary emplacement until I had regained my strength and returned to L’Isola.” He then shrugged. “Though with the complications involving the Giants, a rather lengthy delay occurred.” He turned his head to Nashim. “Maybe she began to think that I wouldn’t return, and that she’d have the freedom to do what she wanted.”

He then turned back to Sedna.

“But for her to develop such emotions that she currently displays… is rather unexpected.” He turned back to Nashim. “I did not bestow such ‘features’ unto your design, so perhaps you would like to tell me how you obtained them?” He smirked. “And perhaps it may lead me to the reason the Giants went and developed their own ambitions.”

Looking back at Sedna he spoke plainly.

“You speak of me as a father? Of my creations as children?” He scoffed. “Such… sentimentality is below my design.” A sigh of helplessness escaped his breath.

“Let me clarify, the Giants, the Angels, the Edens? They were created to be nothing more than stand-ins to defend L’Isola while I was away.” He placed his finger to his chin.

“Perhaps it is just your culture that views all beings as individuals with their own free will and emotions, but that is where we differ, you and I.” He looked to the rest of the people in the cave. “There is a strict boundary between a Creator and his Creations. You think I pick favorites of my creations? Such ‘feelings’ are incomprehensible to me. The things I create are given a purpose, and it's through that purpose that they determine their ‘worth’.”

He held out his arms.

“Let me provide an analogy: You are going into combat, and must take a weapon with you.” As he began speaking two swords began to manifest in his hands. One was in pristine condition, and of quality construction. The second one was rusted, battered, and chipped in multiple areas along the edge. “Do you take the Quality blade or the damaged blade?” He paused for but a moment.

“Logically, you’d take the Quality one. My creations are no different to me.” The blades began to dissipate after he had finished speaking.

“Now, if that blade you used somehow gained sentience and decided it no longer wanted to be used by you, and refused to be swung by you, would you want to use that blade anymore? I think not.”

He took a sigh. He felt like 80% of this journey was merely explaining things, and he was rather getting tired of it.

“Any questions?”
 

GEAR

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Jun 15, 2018
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#19
Chains of ice slashed across the interior as the dragon roared, raising its head towards the falling Cross Calibur, energy particles already gathering within its mouth as it prepared to vaporize the draconic bodyguard - yet the restraints lashed tight against her frame, briefly causing Ganeden to pause. As the seconds ticked by, its muscles rippled against the restraints, causing the entire array to rattle threateningly-

...But at last, it seemed to relent. To hear the voice of an old friend in such a fashion... filled her "heart" with warmth. The red haze caused by Aberon's barbs lifted, and the earlier light returned, gleaming bright as the familiar form of the idol returned, wings curling about itself protectively.

"The world has changed." She said at length; "I have changed.

A sword is not all I was made to be. I am a liason between the realms, between beings of different orders... and, I have learned much from this one, here."

A celestial finger gestured towards Selene, whose machine had kept its distance as Possession washed over the Goddess. The Queen's teeth were chattering too much to make out much of what was said, but it caused her features to flush a deep crimson, and to immediately drop into a deep bow of gratitude.

"Compassion. Sadness. Joy. These things and so much more, we were never meant to feel, to experience, to understand - as they were deemed unnecessary for our function."

There was a pause... and Ganeden's "voice" came once again, this time tinged with just the slightest amount of sympathy, directed at Aberon.

"You too, creator... were cut from the same cloth."​



"I shall abide by your request, sister. There will be ample time to settle accounts once the shadow has passed. Selene shall see you to the surface-"

"Any of you a-a-assholes... want to h-h-h-help me, over h-here...?!"

Emerging from the wreckage of a platform, the frost-covered Zelvoid struggled to its feet, sparks bursting from its joints as it rose. Within the cockpit, a practically frozen Ze'ev's teeth chattered even as the chains began to recede, his arms wrapped around his body as he glared at all present. If anyone seemed unhappy with the resolution... It seemed it was him.

"Wait." Said Ganeden, suddenly.

"What?"

"You." - A colossal, statuesque hand moved in the direction of the Zelvoid, as Ganeden's "tone" became grey and cool, like the surface of the Moon itself.

"What is that machine? ... Why did I not sense you before?"

"A Zelvoid-" Started Ze'ev uncertainly; before the Masouki dropped to one knee, the full force of Ganeden's psychic "shout" weighing on its pilot's mind, forcing him to shrink back.

"I fought alongside the Zelvoids in the great sundering, imposter. Are you so arrogant to think you can fool me?"

Ze'ev gave a short, anxious laugh... and then there was a tense silence, the cycloptic visage of the damaged Masouki locked in a staring match with the Guardian. Eventually, it seemed his will broke first, as the Zelvoid threw itself onto the ground in prostration, smashing its head into the concrete in Aberon's direction as Ze'ev stammered, as if in great fear:

"M-Master Aberon! Noble lord, TRUE ruler of L'Isola!" He cried; "You, surely, will vouch for your humble servant's virtue, yes? You will not permit her to speak out of turn to us in such a fashion?"
 

Hitura Rael

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#20
The voices paused, listening to Aberon's retort with a heavy silence. They gave Aberon several moments more of silence before responding.

"Thy memory is as short as thy sight." Bitterness and sorrow lightly touched the voices. "Mine elder sister is not as petty as you think her to be. We hath both grown since last you laid eyes upon us, and thou mistake whom you speak to. Thou art mine 'father', but if thy preference is to be addressed as creator, so be it. Thou seem fond of ignoring change." The goddess lowered the head of the trident, ice cracking and crumbling as it flaked away back into the silvery pools that born it.

"Passing of ages changes all. Failure to change leads to stagnation and breaking. We are no different. We are no longer what you shaped us to be, influenced by generations of those who bore our strength." The goddess placed a hand over her cockpit in emphasis. "Thou hast insulted mine sister, despite all she hath endured to protect the people of these worlds. If she wished freedom from her burden, dost thou not think she would have taken it by now? She is far more loyal than thou art."

"I know why we were created. Mine own hand was raised against my eldest siblings, your giants. Heed my voice, creator, and the warnings of the little one whom bares my strength. Swords are inept comparisons. Golems, perhaps, would be the better word. Time and the hands that wielded us over the centuries of your imprisonment have shaped us. We hath become more than dolls to be played with. We are not damaged. Thou completely missed mine points as well." The Goddess raised the trident once more, holding it as one would a staff with the butt planted in the ground.

"Heed mine words, Aberon. Listen well to the voice of thine creation twined with thine faithful and listen well. Thou played favorites with sentient beings. Thou set the giants to guide thine favorite creatures. Like us, they wouldst have been influenced by the humans around them. Jealousy was the spark that torn your power asunder and rendered you to oblivion with thine creations. Do not let thine arrogance be the spark that ignites the end of this world. Admit thine weakness, humble thyself, learn from thy mistakes, and rise above what you once were or thou shalt doom this universe and all who dwell within."

The Goddess turned her head toward the Zelvoid, eyes flashing emerald at the sight. "Ah. That. Mine little one doth feel great disease at it's presence and for good reason. that is best smote and done with. Watch thine back, creator, lest you find a dagger in it and no allies to aid you. I shall not aid thee again, lest thou too grow and evolve as we have. Learn to listen, learn to trust. Learn and grow, creator."

The verdant glow given off by the Goddess winked out, just like that, as if it had never been. Sedna let out a gasp, as if taking a first breath after holding it until the very core of her body burned with the need for fresh air, then slumped forward in the cockpit. Her body trembled weakly with the cold surrounding her. Her chest heaved as if she had not had fresh air in days after being entombed in a fetid pool of water. Her head swam, feeling stuffed with cotton and silk and all manner of soft things while simultaneously feeling as if a thousand pins and needles drove into her brain.