The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into, Where in Hell Am I

 The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into, Where in Hell Am I

      As ALoi and Dettlaff return from Dettlaff's 'Destiny Seeking', Iriisii looks up at him with hope and questions in her eyes. "Did you...?"

     "Yes, I found my path as did you when you undertook your 'Seeking'."

     She looks down away from him, afraid to hear that maybe his path leads away from her. He steps up to her, takes her in his arms, and quietly, "you have not to worry, I will never of my own volition, leave you and go alone."

     "The path you found...?"

     "Walks with yours and farther, it draws those important to us both to walk with us on their own paths."

     Tears of joy in her eyes and running down her face, "Rigmor?"

     "I saw the depths of what she feels about the both of us, it can be guided to work with our feelings toward her. The stricture the 'Mother' placed on us for blood sharing is very much needed and we must always adhere to it, but there are ways we can all enjoy each other's company without crossing that line."

     Iriisii looks to Aloi, "thank you for your help in this."

     "It is my pleasure and honor to be a guide and mentor to my children."

     Right then Aloi looks up and outward, listening to the voices of the other Gods of the Gray Paths, as he listens he frowns at what he hears, then looks back to see Iriisii and Dettlaff looking expectantly at him.

     "What the others speak of does not directly involve you, however, you should be made aware of it, so that you may decide for yourselves. What you need to see, the 'Judgment Seat' will show us."

     As they walk to the 'Seat' to see what it has to show them, Iriisii and Dettlaff look at each other, both having no idea of what this might entail.

     "'Judgment Seat', show us what you see."

     The image above the 'Seat' shows a world very much different from the ones Iriisii and Dettlaff know. However, Iriisii sees some common elements with some worlds she has visited in her Reality, even if in the past memories of those she has walked with. No fortresses, no castles, or keeps, at least none recognizable to her. But buildings, yes, roads, homes, parks, children playing, parents going about their lives. What is the 'Seat' showing here? What outer horror is about to descend on this idyllic scene? Nothing could prepare her or Dettlaff for what happens next.

     They feel a sudden tension in the air, dire events are coming together from the decisions of those placed in positions of authority. Then the howl of warning sirens pierce the air everywhere, heads look up, parents run and snatch up children, hurrying to wherever safety may lie. What do they fear all of a sudden? 

     Then looking at a small group of homes, as the people living there all come out into the open air, instead of going back inside they all begin moving toward a place away from the homes, situated on a hill behind them, a metal fence of some kind surround it. People are clustered around a gate, guarded by soldiers. Some are being allowed entrance, others turned away, their view closes in on one man, his wife, and a young baby in the man's arms.

     They are passed through and make their way to a dias on the top of the hill. As they reach it, a sudden burst of blinding light occurs off into the distance. A roiling cloud of fire and smoke rises from the ground. What this is Iriisii does not know, but she recognizes a force wave heading directly for these people. The dias begins lowering itself down inside the hill. Can they get far enough below before the wave crosses over? What about the other people, the men, women, and children left above ground?

     Then she sees a metal cover coming out and covering the open shaft left by the dias dropping into the ground. Just as the force wave arrives, smoke, fire, tremendous heat, and something else, power, the power of a star. Somehow these people, more precisely their leaders, harnessed the power of 'Starfire', and now it has been used against them like she used it against the Tsaesci.

     As those left above ground, burn in an instant, the land scoured and scorched. The hills directed some of the destructive force upward so that as it passed over the group of homes, the destruction was not total, but still extensive. No one was left living, the only movement coming from a single machine, a round orb somewhat like a Dwemer automaton, going about the tasks still laid within its memory, a silent tribute to the crafting expertise of these people. The scene comes upon a sign at the entrance to this group of burned, destroyed buildings standing like a tombstone in memorial to a place called...        'Sanctuary'.

     Iriisii rises above her grief and tears for a moment, "I hope those who made this happen burn in whatever passes for 'hell' in their world."

     Dettlaff says nothing, but the eyes of his 'beast' looking at the devastation says all that needs to be said.

     "Where you need to concentrate your attention is later in time, a little more than two centuries later from when this took place."

     The scene blurs and comes back into focus, the area is still devastated, but 'life' of some kind is returning. Trees are growing once more, water is flowing, some clean some still poisoned. The bones of those who were still outside are scattered about, few animals remained to deal with them. What animals that are now coming back are changed.

     They see the metal cover over the shaft at the top of the hill, watch as a small group of figures, only one not completely clad in something covering their whole body, the single one different clad in cloth and a leather harness, armed with some kind of metal hand crossbow. She cannot see what kind of bolt it fires, somehow it is contained within the crossbow itself. It seems they could still give the ingenuity of the Dwemer a run for their money.

     They see these find a way down into what lies beneath, seeking something, but what. Their vision follows, and the one warrior keeps looking around as if he can sense them watching. He speaks to the others, "we need to get a move on, we are not alone."

     "Why there is no one else here but these 'popsicles'." The warrior takes offense at the words, as he points his 'crossbow' at the one who spoke. "Have some respect for them, asshole. They had no idea what was in store for them when they came down here. Or for what we are about to do. But I still feel eyes on us, watching, nonetheless."

     The leader says, "this way, what we came here for is at the back of the 'vault'." They keep going until they find a specific, whatever these things are called. Their vision gets close enough to see people frozen inside, a few have failed and all that remains is bones, most however are still working. They find the one they want, the man she saw earlier with the baby in his arms is inside. His mate is across the aisle in another of these devices.

     One begins working on a device attached to the side, and the warrior says, 'hurry it up, we do not have all day."

     The one working replies, "just a few more minutes and we will have it open."

     Then a hiss can be heard as the device thaws out the occupants before opening the door. As it opens, the man inside is groggy, but still holding his baby son, he calls, Sean. One of the totally covered reaches in to take the baby from the father, who resists giving him up. The warrior pulls his crossbow and points it at the chest of the father, telling him to release the baby or he will fire.

     Whether the father is truly aware of what is happening is not certain, all he knows is that someone is trying to take 'Sean' from him and he is not going to allow that to happen. Then there is a loud, sharp sound like a 'crack'. The warrior's crossbow is smoking at one end, a bloody hole is apparent over the heart of the father as he slumps still inside the device. The person takes the baby from the now-dead father, and the one operating the control panel causes it to close and reset itself back to the way it was.

    It seems that the one the mate is in was also in the process of thawing but not as far along as the one her mate and child were in. She was conscious enough to see what happened and to burn the happening into her memory, as the device returns her to a frozen sleep. The man with the crossbow steps over to peer at her through a window. He says something but Iriisii cannot tell what he said, he then turns and follows the others back to the surface.

    "Why did they take the baby? For what nefarious purpose was the child chosen and then the father killed? What happens later after the surviving mother is reawakened? When is she to be awakened? How long transpires between this and her awakening?"

    "She will awaken after another sixty years has transpired. She and she alone will reawaken to return to her world above. Seeking a child to be a grown man who she will believe to be still a baby. But she will suffer from the events that happened to her world. Her mind was still fragile trying to withstand the changes wrought by what she knew. She will be plagued by these things, memories, words, and things from the depths of her mind that will make her doubt her sanity.

    She is as important to her world as you were to Nirn before you ascended. As you first assumed the 'Mantle of War', first of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so she will one day assume the 'Mantle of the Lone Wanderer', a figure already legend in her world. One that could join with the bearer of the 'Mantle of the Eternal Champion', and with the bearer of the 'Mantle of the Mother of the Cosmos'."

    "And what would be the purpose for such a joining? For those particular 'Aspects' to come together, what Destiny calls for them, that needs them above all others?"

    "All we know is this", and the vision changes to a building that could be anywhere, any time, but there is something there. A cylinder, tall and incredibly old, something can be seen inside the clear sides of it. A liquid, luminescent, toxic, but by all Gods, ALIVE! What could this be, what form of life is it, and what does it have to do with them?

    "What you do as you go forward, will bring you to a place where this meeting will be needed to happen. The 'Lone Wanderer' will need your help in healing her broken mind, so that when she does what she will be called to do, and then when the 'wanderlust' calls her once more, she will be whole and able to assist you when that time comes."

     "Who is she that she will assume this, 'Mantle of the Lone Wanderer'?"

     "She is the same as any other whom a 'Mantle' chooses to be its bearer. The reasons for a 'Mantle' to choose one over another are known only to the 'Mantle'. It has existed on many worlds before it came to this one, each time drawn to the holocaust of war and its aftermath. Finding the one agent to restore each world's path back to rebuilding. But you three who bear these 'Mantles' have many things in common, but one in particular."

     "They are all intimate with 'WAR'."

     "It has been said across the entirety of this Reality, that War never changes. Perhaps the time comes when even 'War' will know change. What that change will be, who knows? What form will it take, again who knows? But this we can surmise, what comes will require those closest and most intimate with it, to bring this 'change' about. And only they will know if that change should be brought about."

     "So I am to be led still farther away from my Kathea just as I am growing close?"

     "No, you have the choice of when you go to help her heal her mind, but you must do this before you assume the 'Mantle of the Mother', for this world, as distant as it is, is still on the edge of this Reality and so will be affected when you take that 'Mantle'."

     "One last thing I would ask, where are their Gods that such as this would be allowed?"

     "They are like unto what your Dwemer were, their Gods were the Gods of 'Science' and 'Logic'. Cold Gods who care naught for mortals and their emotions, when their 'experiments' fail, they use 'War' to clear the worlds of their failures, and so try again. What their goals are, have not been revealed to us, perhaps we cannot envision them, so alien to us they are. Maybe somewhere, they succeeded in their experiment, and that is why you and the others are being called, to deal with what they have wrought, and what it means for the rest of us."

     "Then we will see to this world and its needs when we are more able. Events here are too close to fruition to leave now."

     "As you will, daughter."

     "Tell me this, does this world touch upon the Dreamlands anywhere?"

     "It does, but it is very far. But I see where you are going with this, it may very well be a better plan to visit its dreamland realm first and see what you can do from that vantage before going directly to that world. You would know better what you can glean from the things you will see. What the cylinder you saw has to do with this, we do not know. We have never seen anything like it before, nor have we ever heard of such a thing. What we do know is that it is involved, deeply involved with you. Be wary of it, for it has power undreamed of even by Gods.

     It is time you return to the Dreamlands, the Gray Paths are open to you both whenever you have a need to return. Be careful from here onward, there are those whose attention has become fixed on you that it would be better had it not."

     "Aleytys, we can return you to Nirn or you may come with us into the Dreamlands, the choice is yours."

     "Where is Freya going?"

     "Anywhere that I can, somehow I feel my path lies beside yours for a while, I do not know for how long but if you will have me I would travel with you."

     "Very well, our path grows dangerous ahead, more would be helpful in this. We go to the city of Kadath in the Cold Waste, atop a mountain, said to be inhabited by the Gods of a place called 'Earth'. There is one who lives there that I seek, and with luck, he will show me the way to my destination."

     "Who or what do you seek, mother?"

     "The 'Knights of Silence' are sequestered somewhere within the Dreamlands. I seek them to add them to my Celestial Army, to stand with the Dragon Legion, and the Sirens."

     "The 'Knights' would indeed be a powerful addition to those who have already come to your banner."

     "You have heard of them?"

     "Only whispers, rumor, innuendo, stories, but if you look closely at those speaking these things, you can tell those who truly know of what they speak from those merely parroting what they have heard from others. There are also very few places in certain books where they are mentioned. I have not read these books but that they exist is certain and they are very jealously guarded for the knowledge they contain."

     "If we go with you, where will our bodies go?"

     "Your bodies will be transported to where ours are being watched over so that when we wake, we all will wake together and in the same place. So, our portal awaits."

     They gather and walk back through to the Dreamlands, while their bodies return to their wait, Aleytys's and Freya's bodies joining them. As they awake back at their camp with Aleytys and Freys, Norok stands guard over them. Freya cannot help but give in to her nature, putting herself at odds once more.

     "Ooooo, what a handsome kitty, want to pounce on Freya? Have some fun!"

     Norok growls deep in his throat.

     "Off on the wrong foot already? Norok is an Elder of the Cats of Ulthar, crossing them is as bad an idea as crossing me. Not to mention that he and I are 'brother and sister' by blood rite."

     "I see, all the interesting ones are always taken."

     Aleytys listening, walks up to Norok, extending her hand for him to sniff. As he does, he recognizes her as kin to Iriisii.

     "May I ask your place with my 'sister'?"

     "I am her half-dragon daughter, Aleytys. And so do I consider you my Uncle?"

     "If that is your wish, then yes. As daughter to my sister, I will protect you as I would her. As to the other one, she should watch what she says and does, there are places where even the Gods fear to tread. Were she to fond herself in one of these places, she would simply vanish, never more to be seen."

     "You would deliberately lead me to one of these places?!"

     "This one would not have to, they have lures set out to gather in those unwary ones such as you. You should endeavor to stay on the good side of those who know the Dreamlands, thus we can guide you around such lures safely. There are dangerous areas all over the Dreamlands, even for one such as you."

     Iriisii listens to the conversation but pays no attention to it, something else outside in the deep dark has her senses tingling. Aleytys notices the way she is looking out there and Dettlaff follows her gaze.

     "What is out there mother?"

     "Danger, very great danger, be ready to put the rest of the firewood on the fire to create a large blaze. We are close to Borea and I am very afraid of what might come out of there."

     "What is in this Borea?"

     "That is Ithaqua's domain, it is not likely he will leave it, even for me traveling close by. But he has servitors he can send that are nearly as dangerous as he is. NOW! Put the wood on the fire, everyone your backs to the fire, face the outside! Stand still and make no aggressive move unless I do! Quickly now!"

     "What is it?"

     Norok takes a deep sniff of the air, growls deeply, "Wendigo!" and spits to get the taste of that word out of his mouth.

     "How many?"

     "Too many! This is not one or two, this is an entire band! Ithaqua must have sent them!"

     They see vague shapes out in the deep darkness. Then one half again taller and larger than the others steps out onto the edge of the flickering firelight.

     "An Elder! He means business to send an Elder."

     "Everyone wait but stay ready, I am going to speak with him."

     "Is that wise? You know their reputation."

     "If they wanted to attack, they would already be among us, of that you can be certain. This is a parley situation, if they do not hear what they have been told to listen for, they will attack, so again stay ready but do nothing unless I say."

     Iriisii walks out toward the Elder Wendigo, just far enough to speak and be heard clearly.

     "You are the one called Iriisii Dovahkiin?"

     "I am."

     "My master wishes to know your purpose so close to his domain."

     "My purpose does not involve him, I seek entrance to Kadath. And only for as long as I need to seek information."

     "Anyone seeking entrance to Kadath concerns him."

     "I have no quarrel with him, unlike some certain others. He should listen less to his brother, the 'Messenger', since he has been fully enthralled by the 'Blind Dreamer'."

     The Elder Wendigo hisses his displeasure at Iriisii's words. A few of the lesser make a move to attack, but the Elder reins them in.

     "What do you know of this that you speak?"

     "The 'Blind Dreamer' seeks to have me brought before him, that he may bend me to his will. Twice now he has sent the 'Messenger' to do his bidding, and twice now he has failed. I have offered to break the chains the 'Blind Dreamer' holds the 'Messenger' with, yet he has demurred my offer, and elects to remain chained."

     "I will send your words to my master and seek his desire, please wait until he answers."

     Iriisii turns and walks back to the camp, "set up a watch, we may be here for a bit longer."

     "What is going on?"

     "The Elder is going to relay our conversation to Ithaqua, and he wishes us to wait for Ithaqua's response."

     "Then we should be removing ourselves from here posthaste."

     "There are too many to deal with out there, and it will be better if we wait. Then he will see that I stand by my words and while I know he will not believe everything I say, in this, I may be able to sway him just enough to at least not actively oppose us."

     They wait for several hours, the darkness this close to the cold waste lasting for days, even months at a time. Then she feels rustling on the edges of the mass of Wendigo patiently waiting out there. She rises and walks back out to where she previously stood. The Elder appears just a few minutes later.

     "My master has taken your words into consideration and wishes to meet with you, to speak in person. He asks that all with you come as well, to better ensure their safety. The pack grows hungry and is in sich times difficult to control."

     "Very well, we will meet with your master. If you will show me the place to meet with him, in your mind, I will open a portal that we may arrive and not keep him waiting."

     "Your concern for him is noted, I will give you the information you desire when you are ready."

     "Then please accompany me, I render unto you my protection until we arrive in your Master's hall."

     The Elder Wendigo turns and hisses to the mass behind him, and as they melt back into the darkness, he follows Iriisii to the campfire. As they approach, "I have given him my protection until we arrive safely within Ithaqua's hall. Do not breach this trust, or upon my word, it will not go well with anyone who does so. Gather the caravan, when ready I will open a portal. I would advise all to enter in, I do not think you want to be left here with a large number of hungry Wendigo waiting in the darkness to see if anyone stays."

     With that, the caravan workers, move quickly to load everything. No one who knows anything about the Wendigo wants to be left alone here with any of them much less hungry ones.

     "Just exactly what are they?"

     "They are called Wendigo, after the hunting cry that they give while hunting their food supply."

     "And what do they eat?"

     "Anything that walks. slithers, flies, basically anything they can get their hands on that is alive. If they cannot find game or victims, weaker members of their group will serve just as well."

     "You mean they are...?"

     "Cannibals? Yes. To them, if it can be eaten, it is fair game. And they began their existence as Wendigo, by cannibalism. That and surviving the bite from another is enough.

     Everyone listen, since we are invited before Ithaqua, we must be accorded guest rights. Just do not violate those rights and you will be all right. If there is any question about action in your mind, take your cue from me. Meaning, do as I do, and you will be fine. If any needs to speak, let me do it. Act toward him as you would a King or Emperor, defer to him in your deportment, and all will be well."

     Once the caravan was ready, Iriisii opened a portal to the location the Elder Wendigo showed her in his mind. The portal opened and the caravan went through. On the other side, the fortress was entirely made of ice. But this was an arcane form of ice, somewhat similar to stalhrim, but much harder, able to be shaped and hold that shape despite the winds that continuously blew over this part of Borea.

     She saw where there was an area set aside for draft animals and then bade the caravaneers to take the animals over there and set their loads off. The rest she asked to come with her as she followed the Elder Wendigo into the interior of the ice fortress. Some were surprised by the presence of torches and braziers providing comfortable heat. Even more surprised that there was no sign of the ice melting.

     As they entered Ithaqua's Great Hall, they could see him sitting on his throne. His skin is a blue akin to clear sea ice, his features smooth, very muscular. She judged his standing height to be around twice that of a man, but that is relative anyway. He is capable of changing his height and features on a whim.

     She motions for all of the party except for Dettlaff, Aleytys, Freya, and Norok, to stay behind and observe. As they approach Ithaqua's throne, Iriisii stops at the first step upward on the dias, bowing but remaining on her feet, she does not kneel. Ithaqua, of course, would have liked for her to kneel before him, but having her acknowledge his position here as ruler of Borea, by bowing is good enough. He may be insane, but he is not mindless and knows the power she holds within herself.

     As this is his demesne, she gives him the honor of speaking first.

     "I am grateful you accepted my hospitality, it shows neither of us is the homicidal purveyor of wanton death and destruction that they say of us."

     "Indeed, I have never thought of you in that regard, misled sometimes by someone we both know, but who uses violence with calculation, not mindlessness."

     "Ah, a goddess after my own heart, not literally I should hope."

     "Oh no, not at all, not intentional at any rate, in the heat of battle, mistakes can be made, but such is the nature of war."

     "Good, good, we understand each other then. And so I must say, I found the words you had to say about the 'Messenger' interesting. Would you care to elaborate for me, just what you meant by them?"

     "Of course, as I told your servitor, he has on two occasions now, attempted to bring me into the presence of his master, who wishes to bend me to his will, and focus his power through me to affect this Reality we live within."

     "I see, and why does he need you for this? Is he not capable on his own?"

     "No, he is not. It has to do with the physical laws of our Creation, and due to his own origins, he does not share them. Although many believe he is as one with yourself and your brothers and sisters, nothing could be further from the truth. He is from a different Creation, and more than that followed the Paths of the Gray in that Creation. How he came to be here in our Creation, that I do not yet know, but I intend to find out."

     "And the Messenger follows him completely?"

     "He does, after our last encounter, I offered to break the chains that bind him to the Blind Dreamer. His reply was that he had been chained for so long, he could not remember how to live any other way."

     "This is disturbing indeed, who could have thought we were being led by the nose for so long and by a being thought to be nothing more than a mindless bubbling chaos existing at the center of all things."

     "He is neither mindless nor bubbling chaos. Those who wrote those words could not understand what he truly was then or now. He is so different from what we know, they knew no other words to describe him."

     "But you do?"

     "Not words, no. But feelings, instincts, yes. Those serve us better where he is concerned than words do."

     "Would you share those with me?"

     "It would be risky, but yes, with proper warding to protect ourselves, I would share them that you know what I do of him."

     "Take what time you need, ask for any materials you may need, I also give you permission to peruse my library if you so need. I must go and see to my followers on the moons, and so I will return when I am done to check on your progress. I leave you in the care of my daughter, Aurora, until my return, then."

     As Ithaqua rises from his throne and walks out onto an unguarded portico, he continues walking, but his steps take him higher and higher. His body grows in size as he continues, such that his steps take him further with each one until he is but a speck in the distance.

His daughter then steps up to show Iriisii and her people to their quarters.