The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into A Mind's Key

 The Search For Kathea, A Leap Into A Mind's Key

     As Iriisii and Byrsael wake within the control room for the Rainbow Bridge, Byrsael gives Iriisii a strong hug for being there for her. The healers insist on checking her over and Iriisii agrees with them. Best to make certain there are no lingering aftereffects from the Catalyst. Wotan takes one look at her and asks her to accompany him to his wife's garden, where they can talk in peace and quiet.

     Nothing is said as they walk, Iriisii having instructed Dettlaff and Reaper to stay with Byrsael. Once Wotan and Iriisii get settled, he waits for her to gather her thoughts. She explains to him what happened, what they both saw, heard, and experienced.

     "This is not anything like what previously happened is it?"

     "No, it is not. This felt more in the 'real' than before. Then I knew I was outside of time and space, this time, the lives that were lost to 'his' mace were real. The injuries suffered were real. And he had a command of time, that comes close to my own, but his experience with what he can do with it is far less than mine. And the other that came afterward, he is as much an enigma. I know that was not his true form, he took that from Byrsael's memories of wizards she had met. But it was his words that captured me."

     "How so?"

     "It was like he was struggling to express himself in terms I would understand. I think where he is from the powers are more polarized, much less blending and sharing, much less a 'balance' between the extremes. It was like he had difficulty understanding how I could cross the line between 'light' and 'dark', then cross back and forth as I need to."

     "I believe I understand, there are places where that is the case. Much more rigid differences make for far greater problems with fewer opportunities for agreement and compromise. Life there is even harder than what you experienced, but conversely, there are fewer 'heroes' that are born, very much fewer indeed. Should you ever find yourself in one of these places, gird yourself well and be prepared to fight. Not only mortal but immortal as well will try you to see what you are made of.

     I believe because of what you have become, what you have learned and believe about yourself, and your motivations, you would have much greater advantages over them. Your ability to switch sides, and do what you need to do, no matter how distasteful you personally find it, would keep them so off-balance in trying to predict your responses, that they would find themselves beaten before they even crossed blades with you for the first pass."

     "I think you are right, the last thing he said was that he was sure I was ready for what may come next, but his question was if what comes next was ready for me."

     Wotan thinks for a few seconds then bursts out with a burst of deep rolling laughter, slapping his knee as his laughter continues. Even some of the guards walking patrol nearby stop to see what he is laughing over, before moving on. When he catches his breath, "I agree with him completely on that assessment. You are making your own destiny now, and so few ever grow powerful enough to do that or even know if they should.

     He complimented you greatly, and I think eagerly awaits to see if you reach where he resides, shaking the very ground you walk upon as you arrive amidst storms of rain and lightning."

     Iriisii smiles at the vision his words conjure in her mind, "that would be a grand entrance would it not?"

     "One worthy of a 'Goddess of Storm and War' I would say. Some would say you stand on a precipice, others that you stand over a vast field of battle."

     "What do you say?"

     "I say they are both right and wrong. It matters not where you stand, what matters is having the power to control whatever situation you find yourself in and that you have demonstrated that you do, time and time again you have risen to every challenge set before you. And some are actually beginning to fear you because of this. That you will step past them, upset the position they have made for themselves."

     "And that is in large part why I do this, they have made the situation I have been called and trained to deal with, they are the problem, and I am the solution to that problem. It is not enough that I correct what has been allowed to develop, I must also see that the foundation is set right once more so that it does not happen again. Those that caused this through action or inaction will at the proper time be replaced and hopefully, those replacing the problems will learn from the mistakes of their predecessors."

     "And that leads me to what I wish to speak to you about."

     "Tell me, and anything I can do, you know that I will."

     "Indeed that is exactly what I hope for, when you take the 'Mantle of the Mother' and reorder Creation, Freya and I would like to go 'Beyond'. We think then would be a good time to hand over the reins of Asgard to Thor. You have been an exceptional influence on him. We have seen substantial growth in him since he has come to know you. He is almost ready to take power here and truthfully, we wish to start anew, just the two of us."

     "I...understand. I may wish otherwise, but it is your decision to make and I will not stand in your way. Know that I will be there to help Thor in any way that I can."

     "Thank you, it means a great deal to both of us. Now know that I will set my ravens out to find anything they can on this situation building within Middle Nirn and get that information to you. It troubles me as well, that problems beginning in other Realms are so readily spilling over into others and complicating matters everywhere greatly. As to whether you actually require one from each of the 'paths' to stand with you against the 'Blind Dreamer', I personally know of no such requirement laid down by those above.

     I believe that if it were so, the 'Mother' would have already informed you of such. That is not to say that it could not be a construct of those even higher. I have no personal knowledge of any, but it stands to reason that there must be some agency that controls the foundation upon which all this is built. Something or someone began 'Creation', it did not just come about on its own. Things are far too ordered for that to be the case."

     "Indeed, not only because this is the third 'Creation' that has been started. For this process to have a means of replicating itself in the event of its destruction, says there is a fundamental force guiding it. As you said, something or someone had to design and put it into motion. That they choose to be silent is their decision, but I do think they still act, if only in nigh untraceable ways to keep their 'Creation' growing."

     "So I would counsel you to appear to be going along with what you were told, at least until you can turn things to your advantage and deal appropriately with your adversaries. Assume that both the 'Agents of Good and Evil' are aligned to turn on you when it is most advantageous to them to do so and be ready with a counter of your own."

     "I had already come to the same conclusion, myself. As I am pulled in so many directions, I must keep within sight of my goals and which decisions and actions will bring me closer to them, while which ones seem only to pull me farther away."

     "I believe it was your Rigmor who said, 'what will be, will be,' and so keep that in mind as you go forward. Everything you do has effects, some we see, some we do not. But there is no denying that they exist. Do what you must, go where you feel led to go, everything will work for you if you trust in yourself and your people."

     "Thank you, Father Wotan, I have been sorely in need of your counsel, even as I had no idea that I needed it."

     Wotan chuckles, "now if only Loki felt like you, but alas, he is a product of his nature as much as the rest of us are products of ours. He is my burden to bear and so I should go and see what mischief he is up to."

     Iriisii sits quietly in the garden, the light scent of the blooming flowers following the breeze as it winds its way around her. Byrsael comes and sits next to her.

     "I am sorry to be such a burden."

     "Where is this coming from, love? You are in no way a burden to me or anyone else."

     "But this whole 'Catalyst' thing just went so wrong!"

     "Shhhh, we cannot foresee every eventuality. What I went through was different from what Rigmor went through, and both were different from what Dettlaff went through. Yet, we all came through it and learned so much about each other from it. If you have not noticed Rigmor and Dettlaff are closer now, closer than they have ever been before. And both together are much closer to me and I to them. You will be included in this as time moves for all of us."

     "You mean that?"

     "Of course I do. The only regret I have in my time with you is not getting on that ship before you set sail and asking you to come away with me."

     "You really wanted to do that? But what about the shard?"

     "First, yes, I really wanted to ask you not to go and instead come away with me. As to the shard, we have some of the greatest healers among the Psijic Order. They could have done what I did, this is not in question at all. I have seen them perform what others call miracles.

     The only reason I did not carry you away, was because you wanted to go. You asked me not to stop you, and so because I loved you then, I did as you asked. And as much as it would pain me all over again, I would still do what I did, because you asked it of me. But do not think I am going to let you go again, even if you ask."

     "And if I did ask?"

     "Only if I go with you!"

     "Now that is sneaky, underhanded, downright immoral, but I love you for it. And I will stay, come what may, I will see this through with all of you."

     "Then stay with me awhile in this garden, so that these flowers can see that they are not the only lovely things in existence."

     Byrsael leans her head against Iriisii's shoulder and they gaze at the flowers, swaying in the light breeze, surrounding them in their sweet fragrance.

     As Freya dispels the scrying bowl, Sif looks at her with conflicting emotions on her face.

     "Why show this to me? Is it yours and Wotan's intention to bring them and Thor together?"

     "No, it is rather to show you what Thor needs in a mate, to help him continue to grow into the leader he will need to be. Iriisii has done great things with him in the time she has been allotted to be with him, but they cannot be together as you think. She has far weightier things to do and prepare for. Thor would be more of a hindrance than a help, a hindrance she cannot and Creation cannot afford."

     "That I could believe, but you mean to say..."

     "Yes, they have not, nor ever will be intimate with each other. He does not interest her in that way, if not for her Vyrkolos, that might be different. But he commands her full attention as a male, and she will not stray from him for any other. And before you ask, she has only one other female interest, and there is no way in the heavens or the hells that you could come between them. I would you suggest that you not even try, for she might not be able to save your life should you attempt it."

     "Who could be so powerful that she could stand up to me?"

     "I know you are considered one of Asgard's finest woman warriors, but even I could not stand against Desidarius."

     "Desidarius, the 'Dark Queen' herself! But I thought..."

     "As do so many others, she is in mind only right now, but Iriisii has promised to create a body for her, and then to meld her mind to that body. After which, Iriisii will ask her to marry, and she will definitely accept."

     "What do the others say of this, surely they..."

     "They are in agreement that if this is Iriisii's will, they will go along."

     "But how could something like this happen, does it not violate the 'Laws of Parity'."

     "Iriisii is the 'Champion of Balance' and has proven that she believes in it to her very core. She does not pay lip service to it, but rather lives it in every moment of her life. As to how this could come about, I think this is a better explanation than any words I could speak."

     Freya gestures over the scrying bowl as a new vision comes into play. "This happened before she ascended, indeed it was her 'Test of Apotheosis' and its aftermath." the vision starts just before the Great Battle to repel the Tsaesci from Tamriel's shores. It follows through the events of that fateful battle. The pain, the death, as well as the heroism of all who fought at her side. Sif sees the numbers that Iriisii faced and realizing what they were, looks to Freya, "vampires?".

     "Yes, of a breed we have never had to face. Consummate warriors, exceptional mages all. But watch what happens."

     Sif returns to the vision, and sees Iriisii's battle tactics progress, drawing the Tsaesci further from the shoreline, away from their ships.

     "Why draw them away, surely she could force them to abandon the battle and leave."

     "No they will not, look there, at the fiery pit, see what foul magic is going on there."

     As she watches, she feels her stomach twist and turns at the abominations crawling out of it. "This is dark necromancy! I cannot believe any being would use such on a battlefield!"

     She sees the tide begin to turn against Iriisii and her Empire Legions. Then she stands horrified as she sees Iriisii send her people back behind her lines and step forth to face the invaders alone. Rigmor will not leave, and she witnesses Iriisii slam a mailed fist to her jaw, knocking her unconscious, then handing her over to a mountain of a warrior and another who could very well be a Valkyrie, sending them to the back lines with the others.

     Once she is alone, the enemy just stands away from her, not willing to engage. Then Sif watches as Iriisii calls forth a 'summons', and gasps as she sees who answers her call.

     "She is one of them?! The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse! How long has she been with them?! What is the 'Mantle' she bears?"

     "Not long, about three, four years at this point. And the 'Mantle' she wears is that of 'War'."

     "But 'War' has been missing for thousands of years with no replacement."

     "Exactly, no one has come forth who could qualify until she did. But watch what happens now!"

     As Sif continues to watch, she sees Iriisii, now the 'Horseman of War' lead the others in another ritual summons. This time she sees a portal form in the ground within the center of the summoning circle and a 'dark' insanely beautiful female floats up from the blackness of the portal.

     "Is that...?"

     "Yes, that is Desidarius. Aasimar, like Iriisii, is, in fact, of the very same clan, although separated by about a few thousand years. Although Iriisii does not remember, this is their second meeting."

     "What is she doing, bargaining?"

     "Yes, she is bargaining for the right to call 'Starfire'! This is the moment in her 

Apotheosis, when she wields it to destroy her enemies."

     Then there is a flash of intense light, Sif swears she can feel the heat even through the scrying bowl, as the water within begins to steam. Then the light fades, the land is burnt, and desecrated, but there are no more enemies, anywhere. As she looks to where the ships were, she sees Dragons flying around them, spraying them in Dragonfire. Not a single one escapes, it is a total massacre.

     "What was the price of this?"

     "The souls of all those Tsaesci killed on the battlefield, and the physical form of the Daedric Lord who created the necromantic pit. But we are not done yet. Iriisii lived through this, barely, but she did. A feat no previous mortal has ever done. For no other mortal has called 'Starfire' and survived."

     Freya forwards the vision about a week later. Sif sees her come out of a tent, and begin some kind of preparations.

     "What is this leading up to?"

     "Watch and learn why she is so loved, this is the beginning, this is the event that began it all."

     Sif stares intently at the vision, as later, Iriisii and Rigmor walk out and return to where the first summoning was done. A physical summoning circle was laid out, and she watches yet another summoning. Again she recognizes Desidarius as the one summoned, but something is different now. The tone of the summoning is different, and the intent of the bargaining is also different.

     "She is doing something new here, but what?"

     "She is bargaining for 'Rebirth' of the land she destroyed with 'Starfire'."

     Sif begins to see Iriisii 'sing' to Desidarius.

     "What is she doing?!, By the Norns, that song!!! It sings directly to the soul!"

     Sif feels the drawing power it is having on Desidarius, and she sees it also affecting Rigmor as well, even as Iriisii is concentrating on Desidarius. 

     "She is seducing Desidarius, she must be, nothing else can explain her reaction."

     Continuing, she sees Desidarius open herself to Iriisii, preparing to join the two of them together, then something happens, something extraordinary. There is a flash of light, bright as the dawn, a white mist envelopes the land, and she sees ghostly dragons flying in the skies above the enshrouded battlefield. Then the mist fades, and she cannot believe her eyes, the damaged land is healed, trees surrounding where the fighting took place, grass, and a white fragrant flower spring up everywhere. Where Iriisii and Rigmor stand, Desidarius is gone, in her place is another.

     "That is Illyria, her mate after Rigmor. Iriisii reached inside Desidarius and returned Illyria to the 'light'. For thousands of years ago, Illyria fell into darkness and became Desidarius, who took Illyria's former place within the depths of her mind. It was Illyria and Rigmor, together with Iriisii, who saved Byrsael's soul from everlasting enslavement to 'he' who they call Sauron, the Dark Lord, servant of Morgoth."

     "And now Iriisii seeks to give Desidarius a body of her own and then to marry her, but why?"

     "Because the song she sang, is a song of the soul. It created a bond between them that has only grown stronger, and now she will do for Desidarius as she did for Reaper and make a body for her to inhabit."

     "Wait! She made a body for Reaper?!"

     "That is another story, very much different circumstances. Iriisii considers Reaper to be her son, and he looks to her as his mother. Now you know why she and Thor could never be compatible as mates."

     "You are right, it seems I have nothing to worry over in that regard. But the song she sang to Desidarius, was also affecting Rigmor as well."

     "It strengthened the already very strong bonds between her and Iriisii, to the point where it allowed her the freedom to explore bonds with the others in their relationship without qualms or fears. Within their relationship, she, Iriisii, and Dettlaff are in the beginning stages of forming a triumvirate. Each recognizes the strengths and weaknesses in the other and then uses their own to cover those in the others. If they are truly successful, what they will form has never before been seen and the power they can touch and use will be enough to shake the foundations of the Realms above this Creation, and maybe even further.

     Help Thor guide Asgard as an ally to Iriisii, and Asgard will rise with her and share in the rewards to come, take another path, and be left behind, forgotten save as a footnote in the 'Annals of the Lost Empires'."

     "As much as I would wish to stay and sit with you longer, we must return to Telios. I have a task ahead of me."

     "You mean to transfer the mind trapped within the Mantella back into its rightful body?"

     "Yes, but the question that remains is what to do about the 'insanity' still there. 'Insanity' within a God is not the same as for a mortal. With time it takes on a life all its own. It is not possible to simply heal it, I have to replace it."

     "And so it has to go somewhere then, into the Mantella perhaps?"

     "I see no other way right now, and even then something will have to be done about the Mantella. It will have to be sealed away, where it can never again be found, opened, or used. The insane mind of a God is a very dangerous weapon, even in the hands of those who would use it for the best of intentions."

     Byrsael rises to wait for Iriisii, who gestures to her to stop as the ghost mind chimes in.

     'May I interject here?'

     'Please do, I can use all of the help I can get to understand what I can and cannot do in this.'

     'From the time I spent with the insanity within, I would ask, is there any entity or place that deals with insanity? Not from a healing standpoint but living with it day to day?'

     'You know you just might have given me an idea. I will need to tread very carefully, but I think it just might work.'

     'If I knew what idea I gave, maybe I could be more certain of its efficacy?'

     'Are you aware of the entity called 'Lord Insanity', who dwells in the Dreamlands next to the gulf across which is where the 'Dead Gods Lie Dreaming'?'

     'I have heard of him, yet know not much more than that. Do you think he might receive the Mantella containing the 'insanity'?'

     'If I am right, he most certainly will. He has yet a score to settle with 'it' for some things 'it' did recently. And if I do not miss my guess, I can probably bargain for him to take all of the 'insanities' that I will collect from the 'Great Old Ones'.' To be honest, it would not surprise me to learn he already anticipated this and is eagerly awaiting my visit.'

     Iriisii rises to take Byrsael's hand and walk back to the Rainbow Bridge. "The mind ghost has given me an idea of what I can do with the 'insanity' called Nyarlathotep, and maybe the rest of them as well."

     "What did he say?"

     "I will need to talk to Lord Insanity in his realm in the Dreamlands when I go back. It is likely he would want to have this particular one back in his hands. And possibly he will want all of the others as well. I can certainly hope that turns out to be the case."

     "I really don't understand, but if you say so then it must be a good idea."

     "I will have to get Shivista to tell you the tale of what happened when she went to speak to Lord Insanity on my behalf. It all stems from what happened then, all I can say is that it did not work out for Nyarlathotep as he wanted."

     "How are you going to transfer the mind when you get back to Telios?"

     "It will have to be done such that I can restore the old one and capture the insanity at the same time. As the old mind is being restored the ghost mind will rejoin with it, there might need to be some healing of the neural pathways but that is easy to deal with. Keeping the mind and the insanity separated is going to be the hard part."

     "Why not use a second conduit, one handle the restoring of the old mind, the other handle capturing the insanity."

     "Yes, that would work! I would prefer to do the capture myself, as that is the more dangerous part. Then any of you others could take on the restoral, the old mind would undoubtedly help in it."

     "Could I do it?"

     "I do not see why not. It would be no problem for the ghost mind to be transferred to you. You would be in no danger as long as I can contain the insanity. It should not be a problem since mental wards work against the insanity just as physical wards do when it is inside a body. Let us go and find the others then, now we have a plan."

     Back on Telios, everyone involved has gathered in the room where Nyarlathotep is still held within the warding circle. A table has been placed near where he is shackled and the Mantella sits upon it gleaming in the torchlight. He looks upon it with desperation and horror as if knowing what has been planned.

     "Everyone ready?" All in the room nod their heads. Iriisii places her hands around Byrsael's head and transfers the ghost mind into her for her part in the transference. She then places one hand on the Mantella and her other on Nyarlathotep's head. She sends her mind delving inside, chasing the insanity, which somehow knows it must evade capture. As she forces it away from one area, she places a mental ward to restrict its movement even more. As slippery as it is, she tracks it to where it is trapped between two wards and cannot proceed. 

     By now it is beyond logic, having become pure instinct, she strikes quick, enveloping it with strands of power anchoring the other ends within the Mantella. She then extends those strands into the Mantella and begins the transference of the insanity. 

     "Byrsael, begin transferring the mind into the body."

     "Beginning." The process on her side is simple as the mind knows what is going on and is cooperating fully. On Iriisii's side, the insanity is fighting tooth and nail, but she is far stronger than it is and will brook no opposition to the process.

     Once they have been switched, the whole mind tells Iriisii how to lock the insanity within the Mantella to prevent it from attempting to escape.

     "Harbinger, let me show you what I learned of what you call the 'Mantella'. First, you simply need to fold this chain within the crystalline structure in this direction."

     As she follows his instruction she sees the change come over the Mantella, as the insanity now within cannot find a hold to grab onto and leverage to escape.

     "This will hold anything of the same level as that 'insanity' and keep it locked away. Something more powerful however will need additional security and different changes. I assume you have something in mind, so please allow me to give you the knowledge I have accumulated about these crystals during my forced incarceration."

     The whole mind who now gives her his true name, Aloridian, also passes his knowledge of the Mantellas to her. As she absorbs it, much more becomes clear to her concerning their uses, how to create them, and how to manipulate their structure to attune them to a specific target. Something also comes unbidden from deep within her mind, about what she saw at the end of the Nirn's Fifth Era and about how this knowledge could be used to allow Nirn to circumvent that fate. She files it away to come back and take a closer look at this and just what it would mean if it could be done.

     Once all is done she releases herself from both Aloridian and the Mantella, making sure Byrsael is also released.

     "Harbinger, there are no words to express my thanks for what you have accomplished this day. Know that whatever I can do to aid your efforts, you have but to ask."

     "I somehow feel that you will become an important part of my advisory council, but for now I am sure your fellow Gods will want to welcome you back into the fold. Rest assured I will need you to work with me on securing the release of the others, but that time is not yet here, although it approaches quickly. Now that the 'Blind Dreamer' has been denied his 'tool' and the other Great Old Ones do not have access to the 'Messenger' it will throw them all into disarray. We must be ready for anything from any direction."