Chapter 28-9 Behold Your Savior (II)

Chapter 28-9 Behold Your Savior (II)

There is no forever. For all things relative to people and gods, there is a beginning to the play, a middle, a progression, and an ending for all to come to a final, wondrous halt. Death, in other words. A final death. Cessation.

So many fear it. But, to me, it is something to earn. A crescendo to your life to make existence a masterpiece.

Have I ever told you how I obtained the seven? I didn't? Well, I think I won't. I think it will remain a mystery, be it upgraded by a genius Agnos now unfortunately passed, or collected when I was wandering the Sunderwilds beyond New Vultun’s magnificent walls.

But know this. My Heaven is about song. It is about existence itself. And it sings to me. It sings. It tells me things. Things that only existence should know. Things that I don't even understand.

For though I am the Stormsparrow, your most esteemed mistress and elder sister in matters of violence and entertainment, I am but a player and not the stage.

-Ying Yang Wei, the Stormsparrow

28-9

Behold Your Savior (II)

The feeling of apprehension seeped forth from every template within Avo, and for once, he found his core self aligned with them. The Stormsparrow was unnatural, uncanny, and she looked at him with such impossible intensity that even he felt unnerved. And then there was that faint melody playing in the backdrop. A chorus of voices singing together, but composed by various expressions captured across reality — they were the crashing of waves, the whistling of wind, the explosion of thunder and artillery, and the crackling of fire.

As Avo tried to glimpse the Stormsparrow's ontology, he found her at Heavens a complex weave. One tower stood above nine others, but all their Domains and Canons coiled around each other like a living symphony. And then they overheard the lyrics:

Oh, beast turned god of conscious hunger,

before you stands the mother, the daughter.

The world's womb awaits, this age ushering the end,

and what follows will be decided by words, truth, violence, and Rend

An existential chill passed into Avo as he regarded the Stormsparrow. "What are you?" he asked, his fascination exceeding his fear.

A body shifted beside him. Naeko now stared upon Avo, his mouth slightly agape. "Godsdamn, she does that to you too, huh?” The Chief Paladin sneered at the Stormsparrow. “Well. I think congratulations are in order.”

"Not bothered by her," Avo said, slightly offended. “Just want to understand her.”

The Stormsparrow lifted all her hands in a casual shrug. "But that is not a question for me. I am merely a dancer on the stage, just like you. A performer. The spotlight upon us is greater, but the song and the chorus," she looked up, "that is for the totality of existence to speak, and we are not the totality."

At the back of Avo's mind, Kae’s template tried to distinguish each of her patterns from another. [Perhaps... perhaps if an Agnos designed them to be...if there was a signal...] she paused. [We will need to look into her Frame to fully understand this. There is too much at a glimpse.]

+I understand,+ Avo responded. +Keep watching.+

Additional knowledge circulated through his being as he pulled from his gestalt all he knew about the Stormsparrow. Even her history was shrouded in mystery. Some claimed that she walked the expanse of the Sunderwilds, traveling on foot through the most horrible places imaginable, fording even the Shattered Sea to rise on the ruined shores of Noloth.

Others think she encountered Fallen Heavens in the depths of the entropy-stained chaos, and took their ruined husks for her own. Others said she was just another refugee, but one with an impossible skill in combat. So impossible that the smugglers who took her were found dead, and the syndicate that bought her eradicated the day thereafter.

Then there was the theory that she was a plant, that the No-Dragons had seeded her years in advance to ensure that they had a card to play that operated in their interests but wasn't directly connected to them.

This theory likely held little weight as Green River squirmed in her seat, doing her best to remain unnoticed by the Stormsparrow. Indeed, from Green River's memories, the Stormsparrow held their love for her parent Guild nor clade-kin. All No-Dragons remembered the Acts of Woe, three months of brutal slaughter and sacking they reaped as they tried to force the Stormsparrow to accept their demands. It was part of the reason why the No-Dragons were so disrupted in the Third Guild War.

A single Goldclad, no matter how powerful, could not face the might of a guild, but a single Fallwalker in the right places at the right time when the Guilds were at war could be the sole determining factor of balance in power. Such was the lesson the Stormsparrow taught to those who sought to chain her; her loyalty and her agency belonged to herself and herself alone.

“Should prepare yourselves,” Avo said, speaking to Draus and Kae. This part was theater as well. They only were only semi-present. Just like he was. By means of his gestalt, they were and weren’t at the same time. Small blessing that the Stormsparrow seemed ignorant of this fact.

[She’s not the only one who can have a truly esoteric Heaven,] Kae boasted.

+Let’s see how long we can keep our advantage,+ Avo replied. Something told him his Strix Upon the Empty will be needing some updates very soon.

As the “Regular” and “Kae” rose to depart the podium, they triggered holocoats and activated Incogs. A second later, both Vator and Uthred blinked, struggling to recall what just slipped their minds.

"Why?" Vator asked. His eyes glinted with inscrutable curiosity.

“Why what, young one?” the Stormsparrow replied.

"Why do you dance to the world? Why do you dance to the tune of fate?"

“Fate is a word,” the Stormsparrow whispered. “Fate is intention and expression imposed upon a concept. Fate is a Heaven. Fate is a canon. And fate calls to me now. As fate called me elsewhere before. I am a dancer, dead one. I follow the loudness of the music. But you are worse. Were. For all your life, you lived only by the chains of your culture. Your breeding. Do not seek to comprehend me, for I know I cannot comprehend you.”

Vator blinked, and a brightening expression came over him. "And... that is enough? Just spontaneity? No greater meaning?"

“I was also personally invited,” the Stormsparrow said. “My thanks to you, Rabbit. Know that the Dowager you helped me kill found her ending quite glorious.”

She was looking at Avo again, a smirk building, as if she was anticipating a potential reply.

+Yeah,+ White-Rab sighed. +She’s a bit like that. Really. Don’t confuse her insight for prophecy or heightened awareness. She really, really doesn’t know what’s going beyond the present. You’ll see.+

+Hope you’re right,+ Avo answered. +Because I don’t think another Zein-like—+ He paused as another cascade of thoughts passed through him. Quickly, he used his Precognition and ran a set of simulations, setting certain parameters involving himself, Naeko, the Stormsparrow, Veylis, and Zein.

Simulating...

Simulations Completed

Yes. Yes, this might just do.

Rend Capacity - 61%

Eyeing the Stormsparrow briefly, the ghoul matched her grin with barred fangs and chuckled under his breath. “So. Do you know anything about Zein Thousandhand.”

“Quite. She never says long enough for us to complete our duet. A shame. I spent years wondering who the mysterious traveler was, only to discover that she was in Paladin custody. You have earned my grudge, Chief Paladin.” The Stormsparrow wagged a finger at Naeko.

“Would you like to meet her again?” Avo asked.

Several heads suddenly snapped to Avo. A shared look of alarm spread over both Osjon and Naeko.

A guffaw broke free of the Stormsparrow. She smacked her lap as a squealing horn built and built. “Well. I am already here, at your service. What is your request.”

“Will talk about this away from prying minds,” Avo said, his gaze taunting Osjon. No longer did the Speaker look so placid. In fact, his halo was spinning quite a bit faster than before. As both Fallwalker and Overheaven regarded Veylis’ servant, they broke into growing laughter at the same time as Naeko let out a disbelieving breath.

“Aw, fuck. You two did not just become consangs.”Discover new chapters at novelhall.com