The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into A Return To Undermountain P4

  Iriisii goes from the doorway, along with the band of writing, tracing some phrases with her fingers, speaking words in an unknown language to others, and sometimes both at the same time to still others, each time the letters remain visible as she makes her way around. Then as she finishes with the last group."

     "What now...eerp." As a mandala-like pattern of light begins forming on the floor. At once eerie and beautiful, it traces a path, sometimes crossing over, sometimes running alongside until it reaches the center where it forms a pool of light.

     "I take it we are meant to traverse this path?"

     "Yes, we are. It will not be simple. It will try and resist us, but we can make it to the center. Let me break the trail first, it will be a little easier for the rest of you following. Telasine follow me, Reaper behind her, then Ciri, Nodens bring up the rear."

     They start walking the path fairly easily, even as Iriisii feels the resistance growing and the light rising around her as she moves forward. About a third of the way through she approaches a crossing node and the resistance causes her to slow down.

     "Keep moving, even if you have to slow, do not stop."

     "What happens if one of us does?"

     "You will be teleported out of here, where I do not know. Each point along the path corresponds to a place within the Realms of Creation, it could be any of the Realms. So best if you do not stop."

     "Did you know when you started?"

     "No, not until I reached this crossing node. It is supposed to trick you into stopping and so trigger the teleport. If you keep moving, no matter how slowly, you will do just fine, oh, and do not step off of the pattern. You really do not want to do that."

     "What happens when we reach the center?"

     "We will be transported inside the true 'Keep', all of this out here was carved out of the rock after the 'Keep' landed here. We are now at the 'front door' to the 'Keep' itself." 

     They one by one reach the center, the resistance high enough that even Nodens was barely able to shuffle along.

     "What is next?" As the light spears upward, everyone disappears into its intensity, then it dies down and fades. Everyone marvels at the sight of where they now find themselves. A massive cathedral-like room, with columns of carved stone reaching up and touching a crystal roof. The carvings look like they represent events from the past, but no one can tell what events they tell of.

     Ciri tries to port a short distance but her power does not work inside here. Iriisii looks around slowly, taking in where they are in relation to any other possible landmarks they can use to navigate around. Then a soft ball of light is seen in the distance coming toward them, Iriisii hears a musical hum coming from the direction of the approaching light.

     "Everyone remember do not take action unless threatened. If in doubt, look to me and react as I do. Probably best to do that in any case."

     The ball of light comes up and approaches Iriisii. As it grows closely enough she can see a small winged figure within the light. She gently raises a hand for the figure to alight upon. As it does so, she can hear words within the musical tones everyone else is hearing.

     "Welcome, Daughter of the Mother, be at your ease here. None will threaten you while you are here. You are expected at long last and any of your needs will be met."

     "Thank you, kind 'Fae', do you have a name that I may call you?"

     "We are age-old servants from the time this place came here. We are a hive mind, with no individuals, what one knows all know."

     "I understand, will you show us to where we can rest until our presence is requested?"

     "Of course, your politeness is much appreciated, it has been long since anyone has visited."

     "Then if you have questions, I would be honored to answer."

     "The 'First' will want to speak with you before anyone else does."

     "How many others are here?"

     "For now, only the 'First' and ourselves. Others will come as word of your arrival reaches them. Now if you and yours would follow me."

     They follow the 'ball of light', wondering how can this place be so large.

     "Relative dimensions in time and space."

     "What?"

     "How this place can appear to be so large. It crosses the boundaries of realities, touching them but remaining separate from them. This place can be as large or as small as it needs to be or its owner wants it to be."

     "Where are we being guided to?"

     "A place where we can rest."

     "Why not just transport us there or whatever process they use."

     "We are being granted a tour of the 'Keep'. I, for one, am appreciative of the thought. Besides why live in a place like this if you cannot show it off when visitors come."

     A light scent of roses seems to float in the air. As Iriisii notices, she turns to what she feels is the main part of the 'keep' and bows. The 'Fae' lands on her shoulder, "the 'Keep' thanks you for your compliment and wishes your stay to be comfortable and enjoyable."

     "What was that about?"

     "Something I wondered about, seems I was right."

     "?"

     "The 'keep' is alive in and of itself."

     "Like myself and the Krang?"

     "Possible, I am not certain how close that analogy is, maybe we will be graced with an answer before we take our leave. Come, our guide awaits."

     It is not too much longer before they are led to an area enclosed by thick curtains. They enter in and see soft couches large enough to be beds, braziers with warm coals, tables with food and drink waiting. 

     "All right, if any are hungry or thirsty, have at it. I am for a nap."

     "Everything is ok?"

     "If they did not want us here, there is no way we would have been allowed entrance. Nothing is going to harm us here. Those who reside here keep to the ancient guesting rites. I will see you later after I get some sleep."

     While Iriisii sleeps and dreams, she feels Rigmor reaching out to her through her dreams. So she lends a helping hand and draws her into her dream place where they can talk.

     "There you are! I tried reaching you in the training ground but you were not there."

     "I was called away by a literal 'scream' for help."

     "Anything I can do?"

     "Not right now, someone wanted to either open or acquire 'his' prison."

     "Who's prison?"

     "Someone I would rather not name."

     "You mean..."

     "Yes, 'him'."

     "Who would want to do such a thing?"

     "The 'Black Emperor' himself."

     "So he had finally shown his hand?"

     "Indeed, I interrupted the party he sent, a bunch of low-level demons, little better than common rabble really. It makes me think there is much going on with 'Good' and 'Evil' that I will need to send scouts to find out about."

     "Let me do that, take one less worry from your mind."

     "Thank you, that helps more than you know."

     "Where are you now?"

     "Would you believe actually inside the 'Keep of the First Ones'?"

     "You mean all of that area..."

     "Was built after the 'Keep' made its way there, and is really not a part of it at all."

     "What is it like?"

     "Strange is the word that comes to mind. Not in how it looks, but it makes use of things I never expected."

     "Like what?"

     "I do not know how big it is on the outside, but it is very much bigger inside. And it may be like the 'Krang' in that the 'Keep' is somehow 'alive'. Anyway, I am here to look for what the 'Mother' calls, 'the Wisdom of the First Ones'. What exactly that is, I have no idea right now. We have however been treated most graciously since getting inside. And the doors do not open to just anyone."

     "How so?"

     "First I had to solve a written puzzle on the walls, in the same style as in the Fortress on the Edge of Time, down in the corridors that are built within the walls."

     "You mean the writing, the different kinds of runes and such."

     "Exactly, but these were more difficult, like the ones in the Fortress were copied from these. And the language is layered like Tsaesci but again more difficult. Without the ancestral memories, I would not have been able to understand them."

     "What happened after you figured it out?"

     "It caused a magical pattern to form on the floor, that we had to walk to the center. If we stopped after the beginning, the one stopping would have been teleported somewhere, where I have no idea. The resistance kept increasing as we went along, but we made it to the center where we were ported inside. Currently, we are in a curtained area with beds/couches, braziers, and food and drink. I am sleeping as you can see."

     "Anything else I need to know about?"

     "Ran into Ciri, while I was in the outer area."

     "Ciri? Oh, Geralt's daughter. Why was she there?"

     "For some reason, she was with Telasine, the Naiad who I persuaded to become a Witcher. They might have met that way if Ciri came looking for Geralt and found Telasine instead. She did not seem to know where he and Triss were until I told her. Anyway, I just about had the demons convinced to give up and let me port them somewhere they could live and avoid the 'Black Emperor's reach when an assassin struck and killed the lead demon I was negotiating with."

     "Why would an assassin have been down there?"

     "I do not know yet, but I will. I did not want to question her until I had some rest, then I am going to put 'Darkstar' on her and see what shakes out. That was also when that "Fly-The-Light" we heard the last time, the one that chased the higher vampire."

     "The same higher vampire you met not so long ago, who got stranded and came back to you, looking for a 'ride' out?"

     "Yes, that one. Anyway, that particular beastie will not be bothering anyone else."

     "You took care of it? Good, they still give me the 'willies' when I think of them."

     "Me to, but I did wonder how it got there, they are native only to 'Yuggoth'. Later we found a 'hall' with a pit beside a sacrificial altar. That I figure is how it got there, someone activated the portal built into the edge of the pit, and either lured or summoned one. I think it was there as a guard."

     "You do not think the 'First Ones' did it?"

     "No, I think it was someone else wanting to keep anyone else from getting close to the 'Keep'. Who I do not know as yet, but I will be keeping my wits about me. I also intend to find out if I can destroy that altar and pit/portal before I leave. It is too dangerous to leave here."

     "Someone might come back and try again to summon another?"

     "Or something worse. That portal can open to places other than 'Yuggoth'."

     "Wait, you don't mean"

     "Yes, that place is one that it can open to."

     "Say the word and I will do whatever I can to help destroy it."

     "First I need to know how to do it without collapsing everything here. There are more than just the things brought here as guards that are making it their home."

     "Vampires?"

     "Yes, among others as well. I have spoken to an Elder Katakan here, who has promised their aid in battle should I ask it."

     "How in the world? Dettlaff!"

     "Yes, one of the benefits of his being my Vyrkolos. The vampires now recognize me as one allied to them if not one of them. They see him as their future 'Godking' and myself being his mate, they will follow us both."

     "How is that going to work out?"

     "Right now I do not know, but I want to find a way to transport them back to their homeworld, where they can live without being trouble for everyone else here, and being hunted. As I understand it, they hunt humans for the blood they need, because the animals on their homeworld they use for that, did not come across when they did during the 'Conjunction of Spheres'. That is something else I want to investigate sometime, why is that happening, and is there a way to stop it."

     "One thing at a time."

     "Indeed, one thing at a time."

     "Anything else?"

     "Oh yes, Telasine."

     "What about her?"

     "She took a poisoned star blade in the gut from the assassin."

     "She is alright now, isn't she?!"

     "Yes, but it was close. Rigmor, the poison was the same that almost killed Yennefer."

     "WHAT! The same one that Aretuza was using as a fatal trap for the sorceresses?"

     "Yes. The same, I had t.."

     "You do not have to say anything else, you did what you had to do to save her, that is what is important. Does she know what this could mean for her?"

     "Yes, I told her. There was no way I would not tell her. I said that when the time came if she chose to accept the 'Calling', I would be the one to accept her as 'First of my Line'."

     "How do you feel about that, not saving her, but having her as a 'Goddess of Eld' the 'First' you personally enabled to become one?"

     "It truly has not sunk in yet, she seemed surprised that I would do such a thing for her."

     "Damned bigots everywhere, looking down on anyone that is not the same as they are. And I have to admit, I have had my moments as well, some not without cause. The others I still have to work on."

     "I know, I am learning myself as I go. Vampires are just the beginning of a long list I have to work on."

     "What else do you have, bet my list is longer than yours."

     "Falmer"

     "Oh no, those, why?"

     "I have remembered things from my trip to the Forgotten Vale with Serana. The history of what happened, the choices the Snow Elves had to make, and the ways the Dwemer took advantage of them. I truly do dislike saying this, but the truth sometimes hurts, but I am glad the Dwemer disappeared like they did. With the things I have learned of them, the further atrocities they likely would have committed. Not to mention some things I learned of them at Sky's Divide, things that only reinforce my opinion.

     If they somehow did not derail my appearance as a 'Dovah'. I am not so certain I would have stopped or even helped Alduin end the Kalpa, in order to cleanse Nirn of them."

     "That is a hard admission to make, even likely justified it is still a hard admission. I am glad then of whatever Kagrenac did to cause their disappearance. If it saved the future, but then do you not think that Akatosh might not have used you to intervene with both Alduin and the Dwemer?"

     "That is entirely possible. But it is in the category of 'what if', something we do not have to deal with as things stand now. Too many other things to deal with right now anyway."

     "Well, then I will let you get on with it, babies getting hungry. They are doing well, but Kalle misses you."

     "And I miss her, have to talk to Dettlaff about a common name for her."

     "Kalle is just fine as a common name, no need to look any further than that. I am the one that needs help with a common name."

     "You know, now that I think on it, you are right, it would do just fine. Thank you."

     "You are welcome. Oops, got to run, baby, crying."

     "Hope to see you all, soon, give my love to all."

     "Will do."

     Iriisii sits to calm herself, reflect on recent events, contemplate what going forward might entail, and most of all, wanting all of this to end, so she may go back to her mates and children.

     "May I speak with you for a bit, 'Daughter of the Mother'?"

     As she looks to see just who is taking this moment to intrude upon her privacy. She sees a woman, with striking features, but not identifiable to a specific race. She is wearing an ocean green gown, hanging from her frame, covering her from shoulders to feet, yet somehow not hiding any of her curves. She thinks Elihal would be drooling with envy over this gown. A moment later she regains her calmness from the interruption.

     "Please sit with me, what do you wish to talk with me about?"

     "You are most courteous to me in spite of such an unannounced visitation and I thank you for that. Most would not be as pleasant in their reaction."

     "I would think that being here, one should expect near anything to occur. Not to mention when someone makes the effort to approach me under these circumstances, there is likely things of import to be discussed."

     "I can see why she chose you, now that I have met you for myself. She indeed chose wisely, and I also give my agreement to her choice. I can tell that the reaction to my words has raised questions about who I am, yet you exercise patience to allow me to disclose that."

     Iriisii just smiles and nods her head to the compliment.

     "Although you do not know the 'Mother's' true name, I am Meyrlyniq and I am sister to she who is the 'Mother'. I can see by your expression that you do believe me, more so because it answers some questions that have been nagging your mind. The main one is if the current holder of the 'Mantle' is in fact the first holder, and it was taken not long after Creation was born and life seeded throughout. Then where did the holder come from to take up the 'Mantle' when she did?" 

     "Because she was one of the 'First Ones' herself, and you came here from 'outside' Creation."

     Meyrlyniq bows toward Iriisii to acknowledge the rightness of her answer.

     "You are correct, we did indeed come here from 'Outside'. As to why, we were explorers, gathers of knowledge. To watch while this Creation was being born, how it's very early times progressed, was a dream come to fruition for us. We, for the most part, do not interfere in the places we visit. 

     Sometimes we must defend ourselves, but we try to use only what force is needed to do that and no more. We watched, we recorded, we analyzed everything. Not with the intent to utilize the information ourselves and create for our own edification, but simply to understand how it came about and may learn of our own beginnings."

     "But something unexpected happened."

     "Yes, it did. We do not know how long a time passed between when those 'Outside' were formed and these Creations were begun. And we had no idea there was and still is an entity that encompasses the very 'void' upon which these 'Creations' were formed within."

     Iriisii whispers, "Sithis".

     "Indeed that is the name he is commonly known by in many Realms. He could not undo the act of the 'Creations' beginning. But he could keep the information of how it came into being trapped."

     "He somehow found a way to 'ground' your 'Keeps'. Forbid them from leaving and taking their information with them."

     "You are quick, indeed. Yes, he did. And so we have been here for so very long. My sister saw the influence he was having in the entities coming into being, that would become 'Gods'. She felt if there was no guiding influence, no balancing factor, then all of it would be doomed, and he would reclaim the 'void' that these Creations now occupy."

     "And these Creation's themselves, what some among my people call 'Aurbis', formed the 'Mantles' by which some of the inhabitants of the Creations could reach forth and 'Ascend', and thus attempt to balance the influence Sithis was having, correct?"

     "Yes, you have a good grasp on these events. But there was no coordination among the Immortals and the Ascended, they fought among themselves as much as they fought those Sithis influenced. And Sithis still moved forward, closer to his goal of reclaiming the 'void'."

     "Your sister, either took it upon herself to assume the 'Mantle of the Mother' if it even existed at that time, or she was offered the position by someone."

     "Something is perhaps more the operative word. Your Realm has the 'Kel', entities formed when your Realm of Mundus was formed, yet not completely a part of it. They share their existence with both Mundus and the Creations."

     "So there is something like them, wholly of the Creations, that felt a 'Mantle' was needed to work toward becoming the 'Balance', to actively guide existence between the two extremes."

     "Yes, you have one in your possession, or is it that it has you in its possession."

     "The 'Scroll of Prophecy' that was written by those glowing 'hands' as 'Reaper' was speaking the words that were being written."

     "Again, yes. Your Reaper was being given the 'Words of Prophecy' by the Aurbis. The 'Hands' wrote it within the 'Scroll' and now that 'Scroll' is to be your 'Chronicle'. Not just a record of all that you have done, do now and will do. But a guide, a mentor, to help show you the path you have chosen as you move forward from here.

     But to answer your question, the 'Mantle' was created by the Aurbis, and they through the 'Scrolls of Prophecy' offered it to my sister. They showed her what the future would be without her intervention as the 'Mother'. I watched as well since she would not decide without my advice. I think you can know what the outcome was without going further."

     "Yes, there is no need, I understand the cost of holding some kinds of knowledge. I will not ask that you replay it. So she took the 'Mantle', became the 'Mother', and stood up into the breach, to stand against Sithis' desires of taking the 'Void' back. But I do not understand what happened to the rest of those who came with you. Surely you had more than the one 'Keep'...ah, I see, you did, but this one was the one that held the information Sithis wanted to be kept here. You would not abandon your sister, and so you stayed behind."

     Meyrlyniq nods her head.

     "And your sister asked me to find what she called, the 'Wisdom of the First Ones". The information that Sithis wants. Why now? What is going on that it needs to be safeguarded, moved, more to the point what is it that I need to do?"

     "What we have is more than just the information we collected about the birth of the Creations, it is everything we collected about every place we visited since we started our journey."

     Iriisii stands and goes to the lit candle in the window, watching the flame reflected in the frost-rimmed glass. Her ancestral memories are silent, the soul of the Dragon of Destiny she is hosting is silent. She feels Shivista, Darkstar, and 'Beast' come forward and wrap themselves around her, trying as they can to give her comfort and support. She turns back to Meyrlyniq.

     "He wants it all gone, he wants to destroy not just the Creations, but the 'Outside' and whatever else is out there. He wants to return it 'all' to the 'void', doesn't he, where he is supreme and there are no reminders that he is not all-powerful. I remember what happened to start me on this road, I was coming back from Pandemonium to Nirn and my trace got hijacked.

     I could sense I was being drawn somewhere, to where 'he' was waiting for me. And then something happened with an experiment that Triss and Yennefer were conducting with Megascope crystals. It went out of control and created a wormhole that was drawn to my hijacked trace, it latched on and I was diverted again. Only to arrive in Novigrad, dropped as energy into Dandelion's Cabaret. I reformed into my mortal form in his basement as Geralt came to investigate and found me, and so it began."