The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into A New Institution

 The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into A New Institution

     Iriisii walks out of the square, letting the tug she feels guide her steps forward, either to Geralt or to Cyprian Wiley, she knows not which will be the one she is led to but assumes the one most in need at this moment. As she moves on, she begins to acquire a following of people. They too, feel led to follow her, as if they need to stand witness to what is to come.

     She walks through the various areas, seeing and listening to the sounds of the city, the merchants hawking their wares, the whores trying to attract customers, the dockworkers loading and unloading ships, the sounds of sailors in the dockside taverns. They pass by the upper crust homes and villas in the better parts of town. A few places seem to point themselves out to her for various reasons, some to buy as they formerly belonged to the 'Church of the Eternal Flame', others just burnt out ruins in need of being repurposed, and a few residences of people she will have the need to visit, primarily of Nilfgard, and other areas.

     Then she approaches the seedier part of town, one of her followers tries to warn her from going in, but she simply says there is one there who has need of her, and she must see to him and his needs. The follower then accepts her word and drops back into the crowd following.

     They go deeper into the area, the gutters rampant with filth, stinking garbage, both animal and human. Rats everywhere scampering to get away from the scent of a predator beyond dangerous. Eyes behind closed shutters watching the crowd move through, wondering just what business do they have here, most really not wanting to know. Staying behind closed doors and windows, not seeing the goings-on outside, taking on the 'better part of valor' and staying safe behind those closed doors, windows, and minds.

     The sun is starting to creep downward as she finds what or who she has been led to. She gestures the crowd to stay still, while she approaches a particular pile of rotting rags, lying in shit and piss, stinking of both as well as vomit from those passing too close and being overwhelmed by the stench, adding their own contribution to the mess. She squats close by and speaks to the barely human hiding within the rags.

     "Are you, Cyprian Wiley, once known as 'Whoreson Junior'?"

     A voice answers slowly, raw, wheezy, coughing, trying to speak coherent words. 

     "Who wants to know? If you come to mock me, then do so and leave me to my misery. If you wish to heap more abuse onto me, then strike me, kick me, whatever, maybe you will finally kill me and my misery will end. Not likely but maybe. The Gods seem intent on my life continuing in this 'hell'."

     "There are no Gods here, at least none that have an interest in prolonging your misery. Rather I have been sent by one who stands above all others, who sees what you once were, knows the 'fall' you took by crossing the wrong one, but further, sees what you can yet be, and wishes to offer you that one last chance."

     "The question now is 'why? why me? why me of all the others?"

     "Because the best and greatest works of the Greater Gods is done by the most broken, the worst flawed mortals in existence."

     "I guess then that maybe I do qualify in that regard."

     "I am known as Iriisii Dovahkiin, and no, we have never met before, although I do know of the story of your life."

     "Well then Iriisii Dovahkiin, you know far more of me than I know of you. I have no reason to believe anything you say, although you do seem to at least know who I once was."

     "If it is your wish, I can show you who I am. Although it would entail you accepting a proposal that I wish to put to you. I can assure you it would not be easy nor painless, but the rewards would far more than makeup for the trouble."

     "Would it get me out of this stinking gutter, this place likely to be the last thing I see and know when I at last pass into 'Death's Realm'?"

     Iriisii looks around, but does not either see or sense the 'Aspect of Death', then she sees over on a near half-rotted wood porch, an old woman trying to sell flowers for a few coppers. As she looks, she sees a flash of recognition, for this old woman is the 'Aspect of Life',  sister to 'Death'. As she sees Iriisii looking at her true form, she nods to her, and as Iriisii nods back, some among the crowd take that to be a sign and go to buy some of the old woman's flowers.

     Iriisii turns back to Wiley, "I am afraid I must disappoint you in that the 'Aspect of Death' is nowhere nearby, yet, his sister the 'Aspect of Life' is, and watches you most intently."

     "You are able to see them then, 'Life', and 'Death'?"

     "Indeed, they have traveled by my side for quite a few years now. They do not always show themselves, but I know if they are near."

     "What are you that you can see 'Life' and 'Death', that you can speak of what Gods are here and where their interest lies."

     "If you accept my offer, I will reveal this to you. For you will have need of the knowledge going forward."

     "What is it that you would have of me?"

     "I have need of one to stand as a High Priest, a Prophet, and a Herald, to proclaim the coming of my Daughter, Dovah Sot Yolos, the 'Dragon of the White Phoenix'."

     "Surely you could have come up with a name that rolls off of the tongue better than that?"

     "Probably, I have not found a common name for her yet, the name I gave you is her name in Dovahzul, the speech of the Dragons."

     "I do not know any Dragons, to know if they can speak or not, so I cannot say yea or nay to that, but go on if you please."

     "War is coming, and I do not mean such as Nilfgard seeking to bring Novigrad into its influence. I mean War on a scale to dwarf all previous wars. The 'Jihad of Truth' will start from here, and spread outward, across all of the Realms of this Creation, and then cross over into all of the other Creations and into their Realms, their worlds."

     "And what is this 'Truth' that this war will be about?"

     "That the 'Powers of Good' and the 'Powers of Evil' have abrogated their responsibilities. That they ignore the slide into the destruction that the Creations are falling into. That only the 'Balance' serves as a way to stop the slide and restore the Creations back into their proper path, between 'Good' and 'Evil'. For if either one achieves complete control, 'life' is doomed, whether it be through chaos and destruction, or stagnation and apathy."

     "And you serve this 'Balance'?"

     "Yes, I do."

     "Well, I cannot fault that it does appear as if this place anyway is falling into destruction. And if this is but a mirrored reflection of the rest, things must be very bad out there."

     "It is still some time away, there is still much to be done, but the battle is beginning. The lines between adversaries are being drawn, armies are being formed, powers are moving, becoming aware of the stakes at risk. There have already been desertions of those following 'Good' and 'Evil' to the 'Balance' as they see the truth of the situation."

     "And where exactly do you put yourself, you say you serve the 'Balance' but what side is the 'Balance'?"

     "At last, someone asks the most important question. The 'Balance' exists in both 'Light' and 'Dark', between but not a part of 'Good' and 'Evil'. If it sways too far to one side, it must be nudged in the other, until it returns to the center course. I am of both 'Light' and 'Dark', balanced equally between the two. I seek to correct the course of the Creations, back to where it was first intended."

     "And a 'War' will be needed to do this?"

     "Unfortunately, yes, the forces of both 'Good' and 'Evil' stand against me. They have their reasons for certain. Yet it is the end result I look at and see, that drives me in this. I seek not to destroy 'Good' and 'Evil' for they are needed parts of the whole, they just do not need to be in control, they need to be content to uphold their positions and allow the Creations to move forward.

     I seek only to defeat them, not destroy them, for when they are defeated, the 'Balance' can be corrected and 'life' goes on."

     "If I accept your offer, what will I have to do?"

     "You must undergo penance for your past actions."

     "In other words, I should just go ahead and die."

     "As I said earlier, 'Death' is not standing around waiting to collect your soul, but his sister, 'Life' is still here watching and waiting for your decision."

     "What does she have to do with any of this?

     "All that involves 'Life' is under her purview, 'Redemption' is from the "Mother', as her 'Daughter', I stand as her agent, 'Rebirth' is from 'Life', although the power required comes also from the 'Mother', it is overseen by 'Life'."

     "So I am to live through this 'Penance'?"

     "Honestly, it would mean nothing if you did not."

     "If I were to refuse, what would then happen to me?"

     "When the appointed time came, 'Death' would come for you and deliver you into the 'Abyssal Hells' for your punishment."

     "And if I accept what you offer, when my time came, what then?"

     "First, your lifespan would be extended for as long as you held the 'office' of 'High Priest' and what goes with it. When you decide to step down, 'Death' will escort you to the 'Final Gate' and through to the 'Great Beyond'. As to what happens then,"

     "The 'Daughter' is the only mortal or immortal, save for my brother, to pass into the 'Great Beyond' and return. Her name is known throughout the 'Great Beyond' for this, and those who stand with her are also known. Many are those who choose to wait and greet those of hers who come through. Once you do so, you will have a new life and destiny to follow. And it will be nothing like what you have experienced here."

     "You are the one she called, 'Life'?"

     "I am, Cyprian Wiley. Know that even your life is precious to me, and I am thankful to the 'Mother' that she sent her 'Daughter' to you, to offer a renewed life to you, a new destiny, a new and great purpose. For what greater purpose can be had but to help see to the continuance of life throughout the Creations."

     "'She' would do this for me? After all that I have done with my life to end up here, in this stinking, rat-infested gutter. Now to come and offer me a new life? Why? Why me?"

     "The Greater Gods and Goddesses do their greatest works with the most broken and flawed of mortals. For it is then that others see what has been done with them and know where true power resides. Your 'fall' has been deeper than almost every other one that has up until now survived. And so your 'rise' would be greater and higher than any other but for a very few."

     He looks to Iriisii and for a moment sees just what those words mean as he sees she is also one who once, was like him, and how far she has risen from what she once was.

     "Very well, I will do this, after all, things cannot very much get any worse for me."

     "Dig down within yourself and find the strength to stand up."

     "What, stand up? I have only been able to crawl where ever I went and then not very far."

     "Show me how badly you want this. Prove to me you want this over your current pathetic existence. Show me you are worth the trouble to redeem and be reborn! Stand up!"

     Wiley finds the determination within himself to do as she demands. Now he must find the strength.

     "If you have the 'will', you can find the 'way'. Fight for it, with everything inside you, and the rewards will be worth the pain and effort. This I will promise you."

     She speaks to him in Dovahzul, no one else anywhere with hearing knows what she is saying to him. But the effect on him is electrifying. He moves parts of his body that have been previously too weak to move before. He finally gathers his legs under him, using arms like sticks to keep himself from falling back to the muddy ground, stinking of his own piss and shit.

     There comes from the gathering crowd, encouragement from some, from the locals who remember him well, calls to fail and so prove himself unworthy. Both seem to add to his strength. He looks for a prop to help him rise up first to his knees, his breath coming hard and fast, his body screaming at him to stop, unused to any effort at all since his 'fall'. But his eyes are now seeing beyond his current state. He is seeing what Iriisii and the 'Mother' want him for, and so he begins to believe that he can do this.

     He plants one leg under him in the first move to rise up. It quivers with both strength and weakness, both working to see which will control his destiny. He girds himself for the effort and rises up placing the other leg on the ground. His whole body is shaking with the effort he is asking of it. His hands still grasping the frame of a wagon to keep himself from falling.

     "Now take my hands." 

     As she reaches out to him, with her hands. Now he is afraid to let go, afraid to fail one last time, because this is it, this is his one last chance, a chance for redemption and rebirth. To become someone completely different from who he once was. Then he knows it is now or never, one last roll of the dice, for everything, his soul, his future, everything. He lets go of his fear first, then lets go of the wagon frame. He takes a step toward Iriisii and feels his legs give way under him, 'NO!' echoes through his mind. 

     Iriisii grabs his hands and power seems to flow through him, he straightens up, standing taller than he ever did before. As he feels her wrap him in her arms.

     "Now your redemption begins."

     His mind and soul were being whisked away into a vast darkness. He feels Iriisii still has him in her arms, the strength of those arms is beyond his comprehension. Then a light begins to shine forth around them, and a motherly figure forms in front of him.

     "Well done, my son. I suspect you now realize who I am. Why you are here is to undergo your penance. The souls of your victims, are coming to share with you the pain, suffering, torment, that you inflicted upon them. Once this is done, they and you will be at rest, for the old Wiley Junior must pass for that Willem the Herald, Prophet, and High Priest of the Church of the Dragon of the White Phoenix, can come forward.

     The Church that will be the means by which my granddaughter will make her presence known to all of the Creations, through the Church you will help build and guide as it grows."

     She looks toward Iriisii, "hold him and do not let him go. He cannot survive the Void without your support, my Daughter. Now, Wiley Junior, let your penance begin."

     As the first victim's soul comes forth and merges with him, he feels everything she felt at his hands, the slices of the blade, the strikes of his hands, slapping her, punching her. He feels her fear, the loss of breath as his hands encircled her neck, squeezing, cutting of her breath, time and time again until she could take no more, and died. And he felt her death. Then another came forth, and another. Each time the pain and suffering piling on top of the last.

     He never stopped to wonder what he was putting them through, once he was done, he had no more use for them until the next time, the next victim. Each of the strikes cut deeper into him, bringing out all of the demons inside, the demons that drove him to do what he did, some of his own creation, some not. But all had to be exorcised, and Redemption was the only path for that to happen now.

     As they were torn from him, the pain and suffering grew even greater, for his demons were insulating him from it, in order to feed and grow stronger, to keep him tormenting, killing the whores. For if he ever truly felt what was happening, he would stop, and they would be forced to find another. For they loathed that happening, as much as they had groomed Wiley Junior, they wanted him to go on until he died and then they would consume his soul. And they would feed off of him as they forced him to relive everything again and again.

     "Release those demons into the greater void, they will never find their way back from here."

     Soul Hounds grab them, screaming in rage at being unhoused, as they are swiftly taken off into the greater void and released. Finally, the last victim leaves Wiley and returns to the afterlife where she found herself after her death, but this time, she is free of the memories of pain and torment, at peace at last. Wiley floating in Iriisii's arms, himself at peace for perhaps the first time in his life.

     "His 'Redemption' is complete, now to begin his rebirth. There is no need to intone the 'Call', especially here in the void, and as I am here with you, I give my acceptance to giving him 'Rebirth', I believe he will be more than we first thought, much more. What do you feel from him, my Daughter?"

     "I too see and feel the difference in him, now that the demons have been removed from him and he has been cleansed of his past. I wondered who had been chosen for the 'Fourth Dragon of Destiny', now I hear the 'call' clearly. He is the one, he will be Prophet, Herald, High Priest, and with his consent, host to the 'Fourth Dragon of Destiny'. Such a combination, I perhaps should have seen would be needed in one to be the Herald for the 'Dragon of the White Phoenix."

     'Life' begins the process of rebuilding Willem, a new body for a new person. His bones stretch a little adding some to his height. His muscles grow and add mass, his hair, once long and stringy, comes back in thick and golden. What was done inside him to heal him through redemption, comes out to change his outside. He is garbed in golden robes, cinched at his waist with a wide leather belt. The sleeves drop to just above his hands, opening wide at that point. His feet are covered by soled slippers, with all of his new clothes sturdy but soft, without ostentatious ornamentation, unlike many of the nobles and royals.

     When they return to the squalid street, they are consumed by a golden glow obscuring what was going on inside from the people watching fervently. The glow fades and amazement comes over all of the observers. What happened to 'Whoreson', no way is this golden garbed man the same one that fell into Iriisii's arms, and the glow erupted around them. Iriisii turns to the people, "Whoreson Junior is no more, he has been through 'Redemption' and then 'Rebirth'. By the grace of the 'Mother of the Cosmos' and the 'Aspect of Life', here before you stands Willem, High Priest, Prophet, and Herald to my daughter, Dovah Sot Yolos, the Dragon of the White Phoenix.

     There are events building everywhere, in all of the Realms, across all of the Creations. Events that must be addressed, and they will be, not tomorrow, not next week, or even next year. It may very very well be that many of you will be passed on before these events become known. But they will become known, because the Jihad of Truth will begin here, and spread out to all the places where mortals and immortals live.

     But that is for the future, in the here and now let me proclaim unto you, that Nilfgard will no longer be a problem to the people of the Northern Kingdoms. As you have seen that stinking pile of rags in that gutter, become a new man, a man who will rise high above near all others. As I have to power to do this that you have witnessed, I say trust me, that Nilgard will no longer be a problem to you. And to seal this promise to you, I will give you a new Church, not a lie like the old Church of the Eternal Flame, who sought only power over your lives, the hard-earned gold from your pockets, I ask for neither from you. The power I have from the 'Mother of the Cosmos', from the 'Celestial Army of the Balance', from the unnumbered multitudes that have heard my voice, seen my deeds, who believe in me.

     What I want from you is that you learn of Faith and Hope, carry them with you each day, depend on them for aid with your troubles. If you wish to worship in the new 'Church', then come and worship, if you wish not to, then go where you will, do what you will, but do not impede those who wish to gather in the name of my daughter. And for those who doubt", Iriisii beckons to a robed figure carrying a baby, "Phillipa, please bring her to me.

     Phillipa, watching her step, brings the baby to Iriisii, who reaches out her hands for her daughter. As she brings her up for everyone to see, the closest exclaim about her eyes being of a white gold color. Then Iriisii gently pulls back the blanket from her back, as it is pulled away her wings freed of confinement spread out and catch the rays of the afternoon sun, sparkling with feathers of white gold. The silence of the crowd as they are awestruck, Iriisii picks one at random, asking a middle-aged woman to approach.

     "Come and place your hand on her wings, see for yourself if I speak truth or lies."

     The woman walks forward and places a hand on her wings, as her hand trails down the length, Dovah Sot Yolos breaks out into a giggling laugh.

     "They are real, soft as a summer breeze they are, this is no lie, she is the truth!"

     Another deep voice speaks, "Blessed art thou, that the Dragon of the White Phoenix accepts your touch. Know this day, that a new dawn will appear from this city. A new dawn of peace, unity, compassion, for the Dragon of the White Phoenix, holds the power of Rebirth. You see here with this man, her Prophet, the power of Rebirth and what it can mean. She comes to all who live here, human, elf, dwarf, no matter the race, no matter where you were born, she brings her gifts to all. And so let all come to know her. All while the Soul Hound has been speaking, Dovah Sot Yolos was watching him, listening to his every word, as if she could understand everything.

     She reaches out a hand to him, and he obliges her by letting her grab hold of his finger. At once, a golden glow flows down her arm to envelop the Soul Hound, and then the color of the feathers of his wings turn to White Gold. He quietly speaks to her, "from this day forward, I am yours to command, my Dragon Princess." She smiles at him even as she yawns and settles down in her mother's arms for a nap.

     Later Iriisii has made her way to one of the squares, this one has the moneychangers shop owned by Cosma Cianfanelli.

     "And how may I be of assistance this fine day?"

     "I would like to purchase your skills for an important transaction."

     "If it involves gold, I am most certainly your dwarf, my lady."

     "Oh yes, I believe this will involve a lot of gold."

     "Please come inside, let us discuss business in comfort."

     Iriisii follows him inside and he takes her to a plush office, offers her a seat in a stuffed chair, and pours a cup of tea.

     "Now how much gold might we be talking about?"

     "Let me put it this way and you can tell me how much this will cost."

     "Fair enough, please continue."

     "I understand that the 'Crown' has confiscated the abandoned properties that were previously owned by the 'Church of the Eternal Flame'."

     "A shame about that and all just up and vanished into nowhere. Now how can I help you concerning this?"

     "I would like to buy the properties and having little experience in bargaining with nobility here in Novigrad, I thought to hire someone with more experience."

     "You have definitely come to the right place, madame. If it involves gold in any way, I know how to get the best deal. Which of the properties are you interested in?

     "All of them."

     Choking and sputtering, "are you certain you have enough gold?"

     "Oh yes, even after having Zoltan Chivay exchange some gold bars for coins to pay the wedding expenses, I still have a great deal more available to me."

     "You were the mysterious benefactor that converted all those gold bars into coin?"

     "Yes, I am. And since your terms were fair on the last transaction, I came to you about this one. Do you think you can convince the 'Crown' to close a deal for those properties?"

     "Don't you worry about a thing, my Lady, I know exactly how to go about and get the best price. I assume you will want to pay in gold bars like the others?"

     "If you have no objection."

     "Not at all, not at all."

     "Good, I can be reached at Dandelion's Cabaret, he has kindly enough allowed me to rent his top floor, if I am not in for any reason, just leave a message with Zoltan and I will be sure to get it and respond. And I do want to thank you for your 'silent' assistance with the 'Wedding' expenses. It went off beautifully and made quite the impression."

     "It was my pleasure, my Lady. Might I see you out?"

     "Why thank you, and some say chivalry is dead in Novigrad. I am very pleased to see that it is not."