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Sy
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I appear in the Courtyard. Before I can even survey the damage around me, I meet Mitheoni's eyes. Just as quickly, I look away. Was that. . .
"Jhe o'Radia is in the place of Regeneration."
Mitheoni's eyebrows shoot up. "What in blazes is he doing there?"
I snort. "Regenerating somebody, obviously." I wave off the ensuing interrogation. "I won't ask him who while he's in there. It's not proper. I can't intrude like--"
My eyes widen. I then cut the most formal bow that I can possibly execute with any due swiftness. "I am being summoned." I'd bother with more words, but Luciprochoros demands my presence so immediately that I'm to just bring the former Peacock King along with me instead of taking the time to lay him somewhere secure.
And so, I leave straight away, not bothering with any more words. I'd expected the chamber to be in use quite soon, and thus took it as a matter of course that my brother was in it, though I didn't expect that this soon. I'd assumed Katherine had signalled her Father to head into the chamber in anticipation of my arrival. But that's not Gerald that's been taken into there... not yet. And it wouldn't be so urgent for him - he died recently, and we're all quite used to it happening to him by now. I don't know who's the one being taken in and what's going on, but I thought I sensed...
No, it couldn't be possible.
I sense Katherine's questioning nudge, and then I request she join us immediately.
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Mitheoni
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I'm left in Radia's Courtyard with far too many questions left unanswered and far too many persons milling about who obviously don't know enough to be interrogated, and now I am rather cross. There are what I can only describe as brigands mixed in heavily with the crowd, brigands who I am very well aware were responsible for the sacking of a grand Chetharian galleon, and it's all I can do not to draw my sword. I have been sorely tested today, for whatever reason. It's as if my predecessor has just given up on all pretenses of upholding the Law. The Most High's Judgement passed down through me was as lenient as it was due to some Mercy towards him that I don't even understand, and I expect that only Jerithea could rightly make me do so. I trust that this is the case, as always.
But I am sorely strained, I have been left alone here with no explanation worth halfway listening to, Jerithea is nowhere to be seen and nowhere that I can reach for because this place's wards are a sinister and infernal web of chaos, and...
There is a kitten sitting on my head and I've no idea how it got there.
When did it get there? I don't know when I noticed the weight of it. Was it there all the time, staying quiet? Maybe Jhe h'Akribastes and his Advocate weren't mentioning it for fear of embarrassing me. But wouldn't they react? I mean, an entire kitten... on my head, no less. This puts everything else in a stark contrast, because it's even less explainable than the day's entire mess.
And then it purrs and licks my eyebrow.
"No, no, you can't just stand around here." An imperious voice rises over the crowd, the tone contrasting the age and the... well, in Chethar it's not really our way to have the women boss the men round like that. Jerithea being the exception, of course.
...Well, that's the way it is.
In any case, some girl is trying to herd the pirates here by simple dint of bossiness, and I suppose that warrants more attention than the kitten on my head, which chirped at the girl's voice anyway, so I suppose she warrants more attention from it.
"Ey, I can boss me own men 'round, wench. BOYS! Even the ones of you I calls women! Haul yer arses up in a line here, it ain't as if yer all dead!"
There are a few grunts and mumbles suggesting that they're unsure of that, but the lot of them look healthy enough. The few other Radians, some of whom are Armed, just mill about and stay alert to any more trouble the pirates might cause. Hm. It's almost as if there were a skirmish here.
Wait, why is the man who knocked me out and locked me in a Radian jail cell roaming about as if he owns the Courtyard? Before I'm able to approach and demand an explanation, and most likely exact some retribution for the Chetharian galleon that I was told the Captain was responsible for pillaging, that girl's voice pipes up again... only a bit sheepish-sounding. "Um... excuse me?"
I look down. My, she's short. I didn't even notice her approach. Well, a lot of humans don't really reach the height of many Archo. She also looks remarkably like Jhe h'Akribastes, except... a little girl. Strange, she's the same eyes and everything. Oh, that's right, he reproduces.
"Yes?" I try to sound formal, but I've a kitten on my head and I'm not sure what the proper protocol is for that sort of contributing factor.
She points up at my head timidly. "I um... that's my um... cat. Thing." Her cheeks are growing redder by the moment. Odd, why is she so alarmed? Is she afraid of me? Radians can behave so strangely, it's never like this in Chethar.
"Ah, well." I mull that over. "Would you like it back?"
She looks absolutely mortified, but nods.
I reach up, but then there's a strange sort of POOF sound over my head and the weight of the kitten vanishes. The next moment, a curious creature that certainly looks as if it's part kitten appeares in the girl's arms. It reaches up and licks her nose, then ruffles its... wings?
Is that a squirrel tail?
She bites her lip, then looks away. "Um... her name is Millie." She looks distinctly uncomfortable, and I start to wonder if there's something amiss about this creature. Certainly it's nothing the Most High has ever heard of.
"Ah. Well then, I'm Mitheoni. And your name is?"
Her eyes widen and she curtsies properly. "My sincere apologies! I've been so rude. Jhelogios'denuos Stevane a'Crux Radia a'Logos d'Akribastes Akribastes-ten." Ah, it seems she's a Poet, and an Armed, and of course she's a citizen of Crux Radia and a subject of each respective King that presides over her. Radian names can be so complex. As I consider her name, she shifts the kittenlike creature in her arms in some vain attempt to hide its extremely strange qualities.
I raise my eyebrow ever-so-slightly at the attempt. "And just what sort of creature is that?"
She squirms a bit. "I'm sorry! I don't know how to explain it, I'm not sure if... well, Jhe h'Logos said they wouldn't be worth much notice and... well um, they're a sort of messenger... they're really quite useful!"
My eyebrow arcs a bit higher. "Oh? And just what do you call them?"
She finally meets my eyes. "Shenanigans."
I blink. Suddenly, it strikes me just how quiet the Courtyard is now. I hazard a glance around. We're the only ones here. Meaning... the pirates have departed entirely.
"I um... you should come in and have some tea." The girl's voice manages to cut through my fury, or at least timidly nudge it aside. The kitten... no, the Shenanigan mews. I get the impression from the Most High that I've enough to deal with today without hunting more trouble down.
I close my eyes for the briefest of moments, mentally compose myself, and decide to follow the girl for tea. "That would be lovely, thanks."
"Oh, well... well good! We've a quite delicious assortment of blends, and you're in a uniform and everything! Finally, someone dresses properly." And then I'm nearly dragged out of the Courtyard and towards the Poet Hall just as Jerithea wonders at me if she can join.
I'm simply flooded with relief that my Advocate has returned from whatever Duty she was attending to. Of course. Please, this day is utterly unbearable.
Aww, poor boo. Did Jhe h'Akribastes frown at you in that way of his?
...I focus on the prospect of tea.
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Luciprochoros
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It's so quiet in this place of rest and possible renewal. So peaceful. I could almost imagine that Elesse is sleeping in my arms, and not...
"You brought a body. That's... surprising." Lady Tia glides toward the altar in a glimmer of gold and stars. She examines Elesse, first peering at his face and then stroking his cheek with one hand. She raises an eyebrow up at me. "So young." Her tone is almost accusational.
Ah. She feels she's been cheated. Elete is supposedly in the Void already, after all.
"I didn't hide him on purpose." The words almost choke in my throat - they're dangerously close to lies, but not quite. She can see my crown just as plain as day - she knows my Duty, knows what it means for me to be the Song. "He was created outside of my knowledge. He naturally sought to persist in any way he could, as only a piece of the Song would."
Tia snorts. "A piece of the Song? Moreso than any of your other children. But of course, you wouldn't pass that along on purpose, would you, Lu-i-si'vrahn-prochoros-otheosil-ma-at?"
I wince. There's no point in hiding it. She even let slip a bit of my name at the end that's usually withheld. She claimed it was never necessary to accord her part in me - her partial ownership of me. She usually says that Emperor Theos requires those airs and graces, but she does not.
But sometimes she likes to make her points, and I suppose I have transgressed.
"You are the Song of the Balance." She almost spits it. "Have you lost your shame in it, now that you'll actually wear the crown I gave you for it?"
I can't really speak. Such a silly predicament, for someone whose primary role is to Sing. I just look down instead, and that means I look at Elete.
No, this is Elesse. Elete died before I would take any responsibility for this. He's lost. "I'll recover what I can. That's what I decided. It all carried on so far that it got out of control. That was when I thought I could let Elete..." I sigh. That's another lie. I knew on some level that Elete couldn't be the entirety of the Song. He could Sing part of it, teach his Poets to sing other parts of it, but not... not become it.
He couldn't replace me. I just wished he could.
"Are you ashamed of me? Is that why?" Her voice is twisted, bitter. "You never wanted any part of me, is that right?"
I shake my head. "It's nothing nearly so simple as that. Nothing nearly so..." I sigh. "Is this my Trial?"
She snorts. "Theos holds Trials. I make do on my own. Put your man on the altar and we'll see what he becomes."
I nod, then step forward. Before I set Elesse's body down on the altar, he vanishes. I stare at my empty arms.
"Ah. It seems he's amounted to your faith in me. Fitting." Tia turns her back to me.
I stare at the altar. Empty. I was so sure of what I was doing, but... he's gone.
There's nothing left now.
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