The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into The Wisdom of The First Ones P2

     Rigmor feels something is off with Iriisii but cannot quite place it.

     "Come on, my love, we need to get you where you can rest."

     Iriisii starts to protest.

     "Look, I know you do not need to sleep, but there are things going on in your mind that you need to rest in order for what is going on to sort itself out. Just find a place where we can be alone, quiet, and just let me hold you in my arms. Will you do this for me?"

     "You are right, I do feel out of sorts. It must be the after-effects of what just happened."

     "Then come on, let us go somewhere, then you can tell me all about it while you rest. We will get you sorted out and then we can start on what we need to do next."

     Meyrlyniq helps Rigmor get Iriisii up and shows them another corridor out.

     When they arrive, "here, these are the private quarters that belonged to my sister. As Iriisii is now her declared 'Daughter', they are hers now."

     As she opens the door, "thank you", and walks through, Rigmor is immediately struck by the 'feel' of the rooms. Sometimes you can 'feel' who a person 'was' or 'is' by the rooms where they spent so much time. Here the 'feelings' she reads are warm, comfortable, reminding her so much of hers and Iriisii's earlier days together in the Imperial Palace, before all of the complications that came later.

     The strongest 'feeling' she recognizes and remembers for herself is how she felt looking at Iriisii and Kintyra sleeping together. The overwhelming feeling of love, comfort, peace, that would come over her in those moments. And then she would carefully join them, so as not to wake them. Then join them in sleep and dreams.

     Funny thing that I remember, I know that I dreamed with them, I just do not remember what we dreamed about. Maybe Iriisii remembers, have to ask later.

     The furniture is all soft, so many pillows, all so inviting. But she takes Iriisii to the bed. A large one, with a lot of room, so soft as she helps Iriisii settle in and watches as she sinks into the covers. Almost immediately she is asleep as if she did not know how badly she needed it.

     "Has she always been so driven? To keep pushing herself farther and farther?"

     "For as long as I can remember, she has. I know much of her past now, much more than I knew in the early days. Her need to push herself came almost from birth. Hers has been a life of tragedy, personal loss, with some moments of family joys thrown in here and there. But the tragedy far outweighed the joys."

     "And now, how is she now?"

     "Still driven, I do not think that will ever change, it is too much ingrained in who she is, how she sees herself. But she has learned to take her joys and happiness wherever and whenever, as much as she can."

     "Is that why she has all of you, I mean.."

     "I know. Yes, in part. She needs all of us, we each sate a specific need in her and she in us. It was not easy at first, but in time, we saw the depth of the need in her. Depths that each of us alone could not deal with. It is not an ordinary situation to find yourself in, nor is she an ordinary woman as you have seen for yourself. Someone to be satisfied with lesser pleasures, no, that is not quite right. 

     There is that within her that reaches farther, deeper, higher. Most people have no experience to relate with someone like that and so they fail and leave, seeking someone else simpler to be with. She luckily did not have that happen to her, but she lost nearly every other she found that might have been able to love her like she needed to be, wanted to be. And those losses still weigh heavy for her. That is in part what each of us helps her deal with."

     "But there are still unresolved issues, aren't there?"

     "You see a great deal for only knowing her such a very short time."

     "It comes from having lived a very long time."

     "How...., no, I really do not want to know, not if you and your sister were here so soon after 'Creation'. But the answer to your question is yes, there is at least one very sticky situation waiting to come out. It involved Desidarius."

     "I have heard the name before, but not in connection with any of you. How does she figure into this?"

     "She is Illyria's 'dark side', or that is as close as I can come to it. Illyria is Aasimar like Iriisii, but at least a thousand years before Iriisii's time."

     "Then how could they have even met?"

     "This is quite frankly, a convoluted mess. You see the 'bastard' we have imprisoned out there in the caves was the one who set it up for Illyria to lose her only child, her daughter. She was what was holding her together after a bad relationship. When the child died, Illyria 'fell'. When an Aasimar 'falls', they change from 'light' to 'dark', in her case, because of 'his' involvement, her 'fall' was harder."

     "Harder how?"

     "Her 'dark' went beyond and became a separate dominant personality. She even took a separate name to distance herself even further from Illyria. She called herself 'Desidarius'. She then went and locked what remained of Illyria deep within the depths of her mind, never letting her out, keeping her forever ignorant of what she did in her 'new' life."

     "What did she do, then?"

     "Made a name for herself as one of the most potent and devious of the 'fallen'. She even sought out 'him' to inquire why he created her, so to speak. As I understand, 'he' wanted nothing further to do with her. It was the act of 'damning' Illyria that interested him, not the creation of Desidarius. That may have been a serious mistake on his part."

     "Why?"

     "It started and drove a serious hatred and need for vengeance in her against 'him'. It eventually sent her to the 'Courts of Chaos' to find an ally to help her deal with 'him'.

Her road there was not a short one, it took a long time for her to build her strength, her reputation until someone told her to seek them out if she wanted a way to deal with 'him'.

     So she went and began talking to whichever of the 'Lords' there who would listen to her. Most felt that since 'Gaunter O'Dimm' was not threatening them, they felt no need to go after him, and so let her go. But she was able to interest a few, who had dealings with him in the past and knew eventually he would show up to sow trouble.

     She found an ally in one who was also brother to Lord Arioch, the same Lord Arioch who is patron to Elric of Melnibone, Aspect of the Eternal Champion. His brother, Lord Addrick, formed a plan with Desidarius to create a pair of weapons that would go around 'Gaunter's' main attribute, that when his body would be killed, he would return to his 'lair', take another body and return to deal with the one who 'inconvenienced' him be they mortal or immortal."

     "You said 'weapons', what kind of weapons would work against him?"

     "They created a pair of swords, Iriisii called them 'Moon Katanas', why, she never told me. But the swords alone were not enough. Lord Addrick needed sentient souls to inhabit the swords, make them 'soul stealers', and just any soul would not work. These had to have a personal tie to the one 'forging' the blades and the share the hatred and desire for vengeance against the target."

     "How did they solve that, I wonder?"

     "Desidarius allowed herself to become 'with child' by Lord Addrick. Having twins, demon-born twins. she kept them with her day and night while she forged the blades, using her own blood and flesh, intoning the most dreadful and dire of curses into the blades. She would speak to the twins of her hatred for 'Gaunter' until they felt the same toward him as she did.

     It was then...."

     "What did she do?"

     "She sacrificed them on an altar that she made just for this purpose. As their lifeblood left their bodies and came into contact with the blades, she called for a 'curse'. What it is called, I do not know and do not want to ever know. It is bad enough I know where it came from, and I have never told Iriisii that I know its source. The curse changed the blades, using the blood, it called the twins' souls into the blades and fused them together.

     Now they had the power to split and steal 'Gaunter's' soul and the souls of the twins inside the blades would battle the split soul, keeping it locked within for eternity. Where she went then, what she did, there is no record existing that anyone can point to. But she did not succeed in what she wanted."

     "Then what happened, something did sometime later, no?"

     "The blades became fabled, searched for by thousands over just as many years, but no one able to claim them, always losing their own souls to them. Until a young boy went in search of them to give to his sister, as she was to embark on her trial to become a 'Blade Dancer'."

     "Oh no! I know what happened from there. How it was Darius, who found them, her brother, yet in truth, her first son, who was responsible for her escaping the Black Lotus. How they were reunited by the Blade Dancers, but no one knew they were mother and son. I am not certain at all, but I wonder if Desidarius was behind that? I know she was watching Iriisii when she was called 'Darkstar' and had even talked to her once or twice."

     "I was not aware of that! It would explain some things that came about later."

     "What?"

     "Go on with your part of this story, I will add what more I know when you reach that time."

     "I know Desidarius kept up on 'Darkstar's' progress. I considered that she wanted to possibly groom 'Darkstar' for another attempt at 'Gaunter O'Dimm', I think that it might have even worked, for Darkstar's skills were becoming so advanced that the other assassins were becoming concerned she might preempt their rise up the ranks. Then when she joined the Blade Dancers and honed her skills, even more, combining both schools into something, well, no one else until now has been able to come close to mastery of the combined school she created."

     "Who is it that has done so?"

     "Two students called Darius and Ragnar."

     Rigmor's shocked face gives her away to Meyrlyniq.

     "You know them?

     "Both of them are her sons. Go on."

     "I know she fled from the island continent, alone. She just vanished, even the Sinister Seven were at a loss to explain where she went and how she managed it."

     "I know. She made a bargain with Desidarius to get her away. The price was a slice of her memories. And so she was dropped on the border of Cyrodiil and Skyrim, weaponless, alone, bereft of her memories, but Desidarius did not break the bargain. She was still alive. And now with some of what you have said, I think she was indeed grooming her, she knew just what situation she was dropping Iriisii into, and wanted to see how she got herself out of it, handicapped as she was.

     I am sure you have heard of most of what happened after, so I will not bore you with that. But it comes to a head, outside of Leyawiin, when the Tsaesci land and began their invasion of Tamriel. Everyone knows what happened during the battle, no need to go there. But what she did to finally win, that very few indeed know.

     She was surrounded by the Tsaesci, but they were not advancing. She was oblivious to them as she called for the other 'Horsemen' to join her. The Tsaesci did not know what she was doing, but they felt the power involved, and it made them stay back. When the others joined her, she had them combine their power and 'call' for help. She called 'Desidarius'. Time stopped, as she bargained once more.

     Desidarius wanted more memories, but Iriisii said 'no', instead she would give her the souls of all the Tsaesci army she wanted to destroy. And the person of 'Molag Bal' who was fighting with them against her. For he was the reason for her to need Desidarius' help, without him, the Tsaesci stood no chance. And she was not going to let him win.

     The bargain was struck and Desidarius called 'Starfire' through Iriisii's body. As the one who wanted it, she had to channel it, and we later found out that using it in this fashion, caused it to qualify as a 'Test of Apotheosis'. The army was destroyed, the battle won, but at what cost! The land was a smoking, blasted, waste. Where once it was green, lush fields, trees, streams, now it was desecrated, not even fit to bury the enemy dead in. Not that there were any left, all we ever found was dust and ash, not even bone.

     She stayed, refused to leave, said we still had more to do. Days later she arose, woke me to come with her as we went outside to where they had summoned Desidarius. She then told me she wanted to restore the land that she had destroyed. I asked her how? And she then told me we were going to 'call' for 'Rebirth'. I figured she had known what she was doing before, and so she likely knew what she was doing now. 

     How little did I really know what would be involved? For she had to call on Desidarius again. And this time would be different because Desidarius would likely not want to assist in healing the damage she had just helped to create, but I went along trusting that Iriisii knew what to do.

     She began the ritual, and summoned Desidarius again, she knew something was up, but was curious nonetheless and came to the calling. Then Iriisii surprised both of us, she broke out into a song directed at Desidarius. It...was so haunting, so enticing, I wanted her so badly to be singing it to me and not Desidarius. I saw the effect it was having on her, and still, I wanted it to be me.

     Then Desidarius opened herself to Iriisii, opened herself completely to welcome my Iriisii into her, to become one with her. I was crying as I could do nothing but watch. And then everything changed, Iriisii, against all the odds, found what was left of Illyria inside Desidarius. She asked Illyria if she wanted to be returned to the 'light'. And when she said 'yes' the requirements for this 'Rebirth' were met, and I watched dumbfounded as a white mist flowed from us to cross the desecration, as Illyria was brought back into the light, the land was healed of its damage.

     And at the climax of this, Kyne poured forth her agreement of what we did, and made a garden out of the battlefield."

     "Do you know who was the 'power' behind the 'Rebirth'?"

     "I did not know then, I do know now, however. Your sister, the 'Mother of the Cosmos'. No one else has that kind of power, or at least the will to use it in that way. The more all of this goes on, the more we find out about the how's, the why's. The more we see the 'loose ends' coming together and being connected. The scene embedded within the tapestry is coming to fruition, and it is unlike anything we could ever have imagined."

     "I do not want to come off as a prophet, but neither you nor I have any inkling about how true what you have just said is."

     "To what do you speak, what more is there to point you in that direction?"

     "The 'Birth' of the 'Child of the Infinite'", and points to Iriisii, calmly sleeping in the bed that was last used by Meyrlyniq's sister before she took up the 'Mantle of the Mother'. The irony of all of this is not lost on her and dawning on Rigmor.

     "Is that what happened just as I was coming into the chamber?"

     "Yes. And I have to say this, it was completely unexpected."

     "By you or your sister?"

     "Both of us."

     "Then how in the heck did it happen, but start with what you thought was supposed to happen?"

     "What was supposed to happen was that she would absorb the knowledge that was collected within the 'vault', and once it was transferred, she would be able to start making use of it. The primary reason for doing this was to keep it out of Sithis's hands. And since Iriisii is to become the next holder of the 'Mantle', she would be the most logical person to use the knowledge properly."

     "Ok, I am with you so far, that makes sense. So what actually happened?"

     "I am guessing based on what I saw, but it appears that the amount of knowledge stored within the 'vault' crossed a threshold somewhere and became more than just a collection of knowledge."

     "You mean it became alive?"

     "I would not go that far, a kind of awakening of sentience, maybe, but without the physical form required to express it."

     "Until it was absorbed into her, with what has been done to her to awaken her own sources of knowledge spanning Gods' only knowing how much knowledge over how many years of time. And then it found what it wanted or needed to be able to do what?"

     "I think it remade her."

     "WHAT!!!, you are kidding me, tell me you are kidding me."

     "She stopped just some feet away and said she heard the same 'song' that she heard in her vision when she saw 'Creation' begin. I told her to go ahead and take the knowledge from the 'vault' that this was an indication that it had accepted her as a vessel for its knowledge.

     Then she suddenly changed into pure light, there was no physical body there just light. It was so bright, but it did not blind. It was light that was everywhere at once."

     "What do you mean everywhere?"

     "In all of the Realms, all of the 'Creations', even across dimensional lines. When I think about it, it had to go across dimensional lines."

     "Why, please explain it to me."

     "When she was remade, the 'Wisdom of the First Ones' fused all the parts that live within her, even the ancestral memories, all together into a single unified Iriisii, one mind, one soul, instead of several. But the individual parts still kept their sense of individual identity. How this could be is beyond anything I understand. But an entity that strong, that powerful, this 'Quantum Reality could not hold it."

     "What does that term, 'Quantum Reality' mean?"

     "It is the smallest, most basic, building blocks upon which all that we know are composed of, that govern how everything goes together, work together, builds upon itself to make the 'Void', make 'Creation', make the 'Realms' inside the 'Creations', the worlds inside the 'Realms', and so on."

     "So what she was remade as, was so far outside of this...'Quantum Reality, that she had to go somewhere else?"

     "Yes, into another dimension, where its 'Quantum Reality was more friendly to her new form."

     "Then who or what is that?", as Rigmor points to Iriisii still fast asleep.

     "She is still your Iriisii. She has some kind of tether, not aetherial, something else, tying her to the other form."

     "Ok, then what is the other form doing then?"

     "Would you believe sleeping?"

     Rigmor gives her a scathing look.

     "I know but that is what I surmise. Then there were the Soul Hounds."

     "Wait, there were soul hounds here?"

     "Yes, they completely covered the floor. Iriisii touched one and asked some questions after it announced the birth of the 'Child of the Infinite'."

     "Tell me what it said."

     "It said that, 'Sithis has been denied his desire to become the 'Child'. The 'Dimensions of the Quanta' are safe at last. That if Sithis wanted to continue his desire to possess the 'Wisdom' he would have to take it from Iriisii directly, that there was nothing else he could do.' I gathered that it would be better if he simply licked his wounds and gave up, that he would never be able to gather the power needed to acquire it now. But I do not think that is going to stop him from trying."

     "That I agree with, he does not know how to admit defeat in anything. He is going to have to be dealt with. And I think I know how."

     "Please tell me, so long as he remains adversarial, I cannot leave the 'Keep'. I cannot even move it, Iriisii has some plan to attach it to the 'Krang'. to protect it and me that way. I had hoped one day to continue the journey I started so long ago. But all is naught so long as he is free."

     "We planned to use something we are still acquiring plans for, to build an unbreakable prison for the 'Ravenous Darkness'. I have had the help of the 'Krang' in analyzing the structures involved, have come upon a way to make it immensely stronger, both from the outside as well as the inside."

     "How can this prison be strong enough to be 'unbreakable'?"

     "We start with a 'Mantella', a soul gem large enough to contain the soul of a god. Then we would enclose that within a 'Winterstorm Construct'. Believe me, it was a real tough problem getting enough information on a 'Winterstorm Construct' to run 'probability analyses', the Krang's words, not mine. But it does solve another issue we have as well."

     "What would that be?"

     "The prisoner outside, what to do with him, since the 'Black Emperor' wants to release him. He is imprisoned with the swords, encased in 'Void Metal', inside a Dwemer Metal Lockbox, with more 'Void Metal' weld sealed around the outside by Dragonfire.

     What we found was that there were some similarities between Dwemer Metal and Aiym Metal like the Krang is made of. But the real kick in the seat of the pants is that if we layer a sheet of Dwemer Metal with a sheet of 'Void Metal', then top that with Aiym Metal, the result is not only insulating against magical intrusion, but it can hold a charge of energy that if it were to be let loose, would disintegrate anything within about twenty-five feet from it, without harming the metal plate at all.

     In fact, it would begin recharging itself from any other sources nearby, sunlight, starlight, heat, the spin and movement of the world, and this is from testing a sheet of it about two feet square. If we made it bigger, well let us just say, nothing is going to want to get close to it."

     "So you are saying to use that stuff on the outside of the 'Winterstorm Construct'?"

     "Yep, if whatever is inside fights, it will already strengthen the crystalline part of the prison. But if the alloy plate is used as well, it will also serve to strengthen it as well from the outside. Anything dropped inside one of these things, is in there for good, no escape."