The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into The Red Woman

 The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into The Red Woman

      Try as they might, even as they gain on her, the Red Woman still manages to slow their advance. She feels time slipping, and so thinks of something to try with the new enhancements to her blade. She knows of the special skills embedded with the blade, Azarath. Maybe this one can duplicate them, worth a try anyway. So she points the blade at where she senses the Red Woman and commands her blade, 'tracer'. She feels a bolt fly from the blade, speed its way to the Red Woman, and mark her.

     She then commands, 'teleport strike', and she feels pulled at frightening speed to the Red Woman and executes a series of lightning-fast strikes. The Red Woman parries all but two of the strikes, and those two are enough to send her plummeting out of the sky. She hits the ground hard, with Iriisii following, landing on top of her and driving her even deeper into the hard-packed ground.

     Iriisii steps up to the edge of the hole, and then telekinetically lifts her out of the hole.

     "Why do this? Why destroy this Creation?"

     "Because 'he' has given me to the Ravenous Darkness as his servant. I must do as the Ravenous Darkness commands."

     "Who is the one who gave you as a servant?"

     "I am forbidden to name him. You will meet him in due time. He is in fact very interested in you."

     "I see, then just what am I to do with you?"

     "Whatever you wish. I am just a distraction, used and discarded when no longer of use."

     "Who were you before you became the Red Woman?"

     "No one of consequence, I was a slave and became infected with the Red Lyrium as an experiment to test what it could do. My master has since used it on several others of greater value than me, which why is he chose to use me to distract you."

     "I am sorry for what happened to you, but more so because I have not the time to purge the red lyrium from you and free you from its yoke."

     "You need not feel sorry for me. When this Creation is destroyed, so will I, and I will be free then. Until that time, I must do as I am commanded."

     The Red Woman projects a slim spear of red lyrium and shoves it toward Iriisii. As she twists away, she feels the point slice into her neck, just below the jaw. The tracing of fire races through her veins, as the red lyrium feeds on her power to reproduce itself at a vastly accelerated rate. She feels the crystals forming within her joints even as she uses every trick, every spell, every ounce of will, to slow its progress and heal the damage done.

     A part of her still speaks to the Red Woman, to buy further time, until her dragons can arrive. "What relationship do you share with the Wamphyrie?"

     "I am the only one who they cannot turn, thus I can command them. If I infect one with the red lyrium, the battle to control their body results in madness, followed by agonizing death, as even their leech cannot heal them fast enough and is converted in its turn."

     "I take it your master is trying to produce a hybrid then?"

     "What do you know of 'his' plans?"

     "Why else use you to infect them? If a hybrid could be produced, the usefulness of such a one would be great indeed. And if the conversion could be controlled, even held in abatement at some point. 'He' may even wish to try it on himself and gain even more power than he already has. Which would tell me he cannot gain more than he now has, yet feels how much he has is not enough to see his plans through."

     "You may be right, yet I know not his desires. His hatred is beyond boundaries, and thus he keeps it hidden that his underlings know not how great it is and fear for their own survival. I do not fear for survival, but would welcome death, if he would free me from this prison. A prison you will know as well as the red lyrium consumes you. Your dragon allies come, and so I must go. Much as I would welcome seeing you pass your infection to them, I am called elsewhere."

     The Red Woman turns and leaps into the sky, the power contained in the red lyrium levitating her and sending her on her way. The dragons drop from the sky, while the leader approaches.

     "Stop, come no closer! She has infected me with the red lyrium and I would not have you suffer my fate."

     "We felt it as it burned it way through you, but still we came. We understand what would happen if we became infected, but you must survive if this Creation and your own is to survive. We can drain the red lyrium from you and it has been decided among us to do this for you. We ask but one thing."

     "Name it!"

     "We ask that you purge the red lyrium from us when you return to your Creation. Call us to you, 'Mother of Dragons', and we will come. Purge the filth from our bones, and call us home to be with you. This is what we ask."

     "Then by all that I have ever held to be holy, I give you the 'Vow of a Dovah', that I will do this for you, no matter how long it takes, how much power I must use, this will be done!"

     The leader steps up to her, but instead of breathing on her, he inhales. And as he inhales, he draws the red lyrium from her and into himself. Somehow he passes it to each of his brothers and sisters, drawing more and more out of Iriisii until there is none left. 

     "While we still have our minds, we will go and await the destruction that comes. We know that our bones will remain behind, perhaps when your Creation begins, they will be drawn to it and so rest until you find us. Our souls will wait for your call and will be ready to answer on that day. Until then we go and remember always, we love you as a child loves their mother, for you are our mother, our 'Mother of Dragons'. From now onward, this event will define what those words will mean throughout all time."

     And they rise into the air and fly with all speed to await their fate. Iriisii cannot help what happens next. She feels something welling up from the deepest parts of her psyche, areas hidden in darkness for years, coming back to her awareness with a vengeance that will not be denied. All sense of purpose flees from what comes, the only thing she can do is react to what that something wants. And what it wants is unrestricted release!

     She throws her head to the skies above and shouts the first word! "Dinok" The skies darken, the clouds boil and swirl, cyclones form and drop to the ground, tearing the very ground up into the air, as well as anything that they can pull up. She cannot see or feel, but this effect is now so very much stronger than when it first happened to her, years and years ago on Nirn. And now there is no one to stop it, no one to stop her, no one who can stop it from spreading throughout this Creation.

     She is now a mindless force of destructive nature, as she shouts the second word! "Zahrahmiik" Now, the ground quakes, chasms that are miles deep rend the surface. The very stars themselves send out flares of fire as they too are affected by the second word. And then in the center of Creation, a hole opens. A hole, not into a singularity, not into a wormhole, but directly into the quantum realm. All matter close to the edge is converted back into primal energy and sucked into the hole to return to the source of all energy. The edges of Creation start to become pulled back toward that hole, the void eagerly returning to lay claim to the vacated space.

     Somewhere deep inside, Iriisii hears a peal of dark maniacal laughter. "Yes, yes, my pretty one. Say the last word of 'unmaking'. Show this Creation what destruction really is. Know within you that it was me, Lord Foul the Despiser, that brought you to this act. Did you ever stop and wonder where anyone could get the power to destroy an entire Creation? Only one capable of starting a Creation has the power to destroy one.

     And so I had to find the one way to access the one flaw in your armor and bring about this glorious desecration. And I found it, did I not? I found it and I have opened the floodgates. There is no Varthlocuur here to stop you now, there is no Lillith here to put a blade into your heart and save this Creation from me! I have won!! And I will win once more when I destroy your Creation!"

     Whispering, "why?"

     "Why?! Why would I not, when all that exists, exists solely to be my bane. When I am trapped, yes, trapped I say in this miserable existence. And the only way out is when it is all destroyed when even the Arch of Time is in ruins. But do not worry, my dearest destroyer, your time is a long time yet, we have so much more to do, you and I. Never fear, we will meet again, and then we will go about the business of destruction once more. 

     Ah, it is so bittersweet, that you never knew you were the one who destroyed this Creation. You are so much more than the 'Worldeater' so many others thought you to be. But they will learn of their folly, indeed they will, when it is their turn to return to the beginning of all things. I must leave you now, to complete this task. But utter one last word, it will be done, and you can return home. Farewell."

     Iriisii cannot believe what she has heard. How could she have been so blind? Did any of the Gods not see this? She just wants to curl up and let it all end, herself with it, that it does not happen again.

     "Sister! There you are...he told you, didn't he."

     "You knew as well and did not tell me?"

     "If I had would you have continued? Thrown everything away, all that you have done. Would you have deserted Kathea? Left her to what dire fate will be hers without your intervention?"

     "Don't bring her into this!!"

     "And why not, she is as much a part of this as anyone else, even if she had no say in it. Besides, if you had not done this, someone else would have, and there would be no rebirth for this Creation. Only if you did the deed could it all be made whole once more. Had you forgotten that, when you used Starfire against the Tsaesci and burned the land, only to come back and restore it into a 'Garden' worthy enough for Kyne to grace it with her flowers? You can only give Rebirth to what you destroy."

     "Then..."

     "When it was used otherwise, a price had to be paid. And others paid that price for you. It is part of why it has so rarely been used. For few have the strength to use it as it should be used, and now you know why. So what will you do? Will you finish, and give what you destroy new life elsewhere, or let yourself fall into the 'hole' and everything eventually is destroyed without hope for Rebirth. The decision is yours."

     "How did I get this power?"

     "That I cannot tell you...because I do not know either, but it is yours. Yours to use or not, as you see fit. But I will tell you this, it is the ultimate expression of the 'Balance'. For if you have the ultimate power to destroy, you should have the ultimate power to create, in order to be balanced."

     "I see the truth of what you say."

     "Sister, if I could take the burden from you, I would, but I cannot. It is not meant for me, but for you. My burden lies elsewhere, far from here in time and space. But you do have those who will share it, help you bear it if you will let them."

     "I do, don't I. I do so want to shield them from all that I know and have seen, but that is not being fair to them, is it?"

     "No, it is not being fair to them. They love you more than they do their own lives, and you the same to them. That is what makes things so difficult between you. You each watch out for the other, to shield, to protect. When sometimes that is the wrong thing to do. You have risked yourself so many times for them, yet you will not let them do the same for you. Where is the balance in that? And does that not affect the balance in you?"

     "You are right, I admit it. So I must finish the destruction so that we can give rebirth to this Creation. And then go back and begin again to travel the long road. Very well, but I do intend to do something nasty to that asshole when I get my hands on him."

     "I would not expect it to be any other way."

     "Then be ready to initiate Rebirth, when I shout, 'Al'!"

     Many things start happening all at once. The rate at which the Creation is being pulled into the Quantum Realm increases considerably. The chasms in the worlds begin joining, breaking the worlds into pieces, increasing the speed they are consumed at. The bigger stars begin going supernova and nova, the smaller ones collapse.

     The 'Child' and Iriisii feel the energy conduit from the Quantum Realm open up for them to begin drawing from. As the 'Child' converts the primal energy into magic, Iriisii grabs it, pools it, preparing to initiate Rebirth. When they feel the tipping point has been reached, they begin.

     Iriisii and the 'Child' speak in one voice. Although they do not need to speak at all, this helps them to concentrate on just what they want and need to have to happen.

        

        Pah soulle do thdro creation

        aav voth zu'u Nu, come wah mu

        let mu show voto hi aan path

        aan new path wah aan new home

        ol fin wuth passdro away

        let fin new come wah passe

        place nii ko aan new home

        aan new place than before

        make nii just ol nii lost

        ahrk make pah soulle kiin

     It is then that the power flowing through the 'Child' to Iriisii rips through her at a rate she has never felt before. Enough power to rebuild an entire Creation, and it takes all she can do to keep it from burning her out. It keeps flowing, flowing without stopping, but staying steady. The map of what was, clear in her mind. The power goes and reforms everything. Even the old gods are rebuilt after being drawn back from where the 'Dead Gods Lie Dreaming'. They are amazed that she was actually able to pull it off and restore not only them but the entirety of their Creation.

    The one thing she makes sure not to rebuild is the Lyrium Dragons, for they will be reborn later in the 'Third' Creation. How much time passes, truly who knows, for even time had to be rebuilt in the new dimension to match the way it was in the old one. The knowledge she accumulates through all of this is staggering, but she puts it back in the back of her mind, for the Ancestral Memories to deal with. Finally, it is finished, she opens her eyes, closed to empty her mind of distractions while Rebirth was going on. She looks upon what she and the 'Child' has wrought, and tears of pure joy and bliss flow down her face at the wonder that greets her vision.

    For she sees differently now, not just the surface, the outer shells. Now she sees everything, what is inside as well as outside, not just the worlds, realms, stars, but down to the very basic building blocks, how it all comes together to form the entire Creation.

    'Sister, slow down, this is your first view of what a Creation is. Until now you have seen only the surface, now you see what lies beneath. It can be overwhelming at first.'

    'Thank you, but I am ok. I see what I saw from the imprint within my mind as it was being reformed, but now I see how it all works together. And I know I can adjust my vision to only show me what I need at any given moment. Also that this will work only here for now because I have given Rebirth to this Creation, and no other.'

    'Good, you understand, this much anyway. More awaits you later, I sensed it had remained hidden from you until you could do this. Now what was hidden will reveal itself to you, and many answers will come with it, as well as even more questions to be answered still later.'

    'Does the questions and answers ever end?'

    'Even I have no answer for that, but if I had to hazard a guess, no, I do not think it does. Our friends and family come, enjoy them, for soon you must return, but take a time to rest from this. You deserve it and need it.'

    "YOU DID IT! YOU REALLY DID IT! What happened when you left after the Red Woman?"

    "I will tell you all that occurred later, for now, just wrap your arms around me and let me hold you, all of you!"

    The celebration goes on for hours as everyone within walking distance of the Great Hall comes to give thanks to Iriisii. Then a glowing figure appears, walks up to Iriisii, then kneels. 

    "We cannot thank you enough or repay you for what you have accomplished. We all dared not hope that you could truly do this for fear our hopes would be dashed on the rocks of despair. How may we serve you, 'Mother of Creation'?"

    "Go and do what you would have done had you been allowed. Be the guides, mentors, protectors, to the peoples of this Creation that you were intended to be. But understand you will need to take it slowly, long have they had to depend on themselves. And so, even though they remember you, it is history to them, not present experience. They will need time to come to know you once more, to ask guidance from you, to seek your presence when they need help and hope. Be there for them then, and as word spreads, they will seek you more and more. When you yourselves need aid, seek the 'Child of Infinity', whose home this dimension is and who graciously helped me bring your Creation here."

    "Then we are not where we once were?"

    "No, I could not do that without causing too much paradox damage to the future, even to causing a paradox rebound that would have bounced backward and for a second time destroyed this Creation. Only then I would not exist to save it. The only way was to bring you into another dimension to be your new home."

    "Then we thank you for your foresight in seeing the probabilities and finding an answer to them when that answer was needed."

    "The one who planned the destruction, believes it to be done. And so you are safe from his meddling. I will of course need to return and in due time deal with him. But that is my problem to deal with, not yours. You have much ahead for you to do, look and see what they have accomplished on their own, then look to how you can help them further on their chosen path."

    "We will, 'Mother', rest assured, we will heed your words."

    And the glowing figure of the old god fades back into what constitutes the Aether in this dimension, to give her words to the others.

    Later after she gathers Lorem and her mates, tells them all she learned, then breaks down as the burden she carries over her actions finally grew too much.

    "My love, listen to me now. What happened was not your fault, you did not do anything more than played the role given to you in this messed-up grand play. If you had not been the one to do it, they would have not have had a chance at Rebirth and a new existence. You have so much to be proud of, you saved an entire Creation, its inhabitants, its gods. All owe their continued lives to your efforts, and you hid it all from the one who orchestrated this.

     Do you honestly think anyone else could have done what you did? Not to mention that you have learned so much from this, he will not catch you like this again, of that I am certain."

     Iriisii raises her arms and Rigmor gladly steps into them, wrapping her own around her 'love'. Desidarius steps forward for just a moment, "now that we have a name, I know some we can ask about what they may know. There are ones out there who owe me debts, and I will use them to find out what we can, I promise you this." Iriisii stands and embraces Desidarius, "thank you, my love. I have not forgotten my promise to you."

     "A later time though, you have much on your mind that you need to sort out, and if you need my company, you have but to ask."

     "Before we leave here, I will need to talk with you, then we can see what else we may get into."

     "Desidarius smiles, "I will hold you to that."

     "Promise?"

     "Yes, I promise."

     Sanshae walks up with a very large book in her hands.

     "I found this in the library, but I do not remember it being there before. As soon as I saw it, I had to go look at it. Then I touched it and felt I needed to bring it to you."

     "Please set it on the table and I will look at it."

     Sanshae does as asked. As Iriisii looks over it, she notices the locked clasps near the top and bottom. The covering of some kind of leather, but she cannot tell from what animal. The decorative inlays seem to be made of powdered jewels. There is a 'feel' of great age emanating from the book, but she senses nothing malevolent. There doesn't seem to be a title until she brushes her hand across the front cover, and a title slowly appears.

     The others look at it and remark on its lettering, how they flow smoothly, with curves and curls, yet none can read or even identify what language it is. As she stares at it, one of the oldest of the Ancestral Memories makes his way forward, asking to be allowed to see it. As the others make way for him, Iriisii allows him to get a good look, even running her hand across it and letting him feel the texture of the cover. He runs her fingers across the lettering and feels the sharp tingle of power, while the singular smell of ozone reaches her nostrils.

     He pulls back and tells her, "I have felt this book before. How it came to be here, however."

     "Tell me what you know."

     "It is one of a particular set. A set of volumes that can literally think for themselves, drawn to entities of the greatest power and destinies. They do not act of themselves, but rather advise and impart knowledge of whatever specialty they were written about. The set is called, 'The Books of the Shadowlands', each volume covers a different topic or area of the Shadowlands."

     "Can you tell me anything of these 'Shadowlands'?"

     "Only a little knowledge do I possess, but I am most pleased to pass to you."

     The memory gives Iriisii all that he knows of the 'Shadowlands', steeped in mystery, existing since before the Words and Song brought forth the 'First Creation'. Who or what, brought them into existence unknown, even if that entity was still alive or aware, unknown. Only a very few had ever visited, and afterward saying nothing of the experience.

     The books only appear for those showing the greatest amounts of power, skills, wisdom. Those of epic destinies, known and unknown, both dark and light, good and evil. They seem to stand apart from those concepts, taking a different way to go. Deep down, she feels an affinity for this particular book, like its subject is one she knows well. As her hand still touches the book almost like a caress, she thinks she can hear the words, "soon, soon, you will know me."

     She looks toward Rigmor, "I need some sleep, would you..."

     "Of course, come on, we will find you a bed and I will hold you for as long as need me to."

     Iriisii stands and follows Rigmor off into a side corridor and outside, to find a nearby Inn.

     Desidarius looks to Dettlaff, "how is she holding up?"

     "About as good as anyone could expect considering what she just did."

     "How do you feel about this 'bastard' that set it all up?"

     "I want his fucking head on a platter!"

     "I want to help with that if I may?"

     "You really do love her, don't you?"

     "Ever since that time on Nirn, when she sang that song to me. I have never been able to forget it, to erase it from my heart, my memory. She saw into me, and knew what it would do to me."

     "And you don't hate her for it?"

     "No, because I saw that deep inside her, she meant every word. She wanted what the words of that song said, wanted it with every bit of her soul. But it was too soon for us, we needed time to let the message sink in. To feel it running through our veins, piercing our hearts, burning us with its sweet, sweet, poison. Until the right time came, we both knew it was right.

     I know of my reputation among the Lords of the Dark. I have done hideous things in my quest to deal with him who made me, then cast me aside like an unwanted toy. But she never judged me for those things. How could I hate someone who could see into me like she can, see all that I have done? Then let it go and not judge me, but love me instead. She showed me the truth that I had hidden even from myself for millennia."

     "What is that truth that she showed you?"

     "That all I ever wanted was for someone to 'love' me. You know this too, you know that 'love' is not just the province of the 'light'. That we of the 'dark' sometimes seek it as well."

     "Aye, you are right about that. It is a most powerful force, that can cross boundary lines like it does. It doesn't ask us to remake ourselves, just that we accept it. Let it in and guide us. Most of us fear anything that can reach into us like 'love' can. I have learned that it can make us more powerful than we ever imagined."

     "I do not want that power, I just want to be with her. If it comes to me anyway, then so be it. I will use it to help her cause."

     "Why are you telling me this?"

     "Because you are best suited to understand me and my motives toward her. I will never harm or betray her. I could not do so and live with myself. Such a strange thing for one of the 'dark' to say."

     "She will be asleep soon, once she is, go to her and Rigmor. Do as she is doing and hold Iriisii in your arms as she is doing. Let the 'darkness' within you draw the pain she feels from her, then she will rest and so will you."

     "Thank you, Dettlaff, I will do as you suggest."

     "When the time comes and she asks to add you to our family, you will have my vote."

     "I did not intend..."

     "I know, that is why you will have my vote. Because your heart may be 'dark' but it is true to the one we both 'love'."

     Desidarius nods her head to Dettlaff, and goes to find Iriisii and Rigmor. Maybe she can help them both sleep soundly this night.