Abyssal Road Trip

The clatter of Succubi directing smaller demons was in full swing when Lêdhins sought Julia out again.

“I thought you’d be sinking a few more in the middle pocket still,” Julia said, tucking the cambion’s pouch away.

“You’ve got them all excited about a place to screw in comfort. So go for motivation. Got the cargo still?” Lêdhins asked as he looked the room over.

“Of course, plus a few other things I picked up,” said Julia.

“What you find, you keep,” Lêdhins replied.

“Take it you looted those upstairs,” Julia said, noting the smug look he had about him.

“What little I found of interest, they’ll sell the rest. Don’t count on this working. They’re likely to steal everything.”

“I can always track them down and end them if they do. I’ve got enough ‘Use’ names,” Julia said, Telepathy making her well aware of one Succubus listening in on their conversation.

{{Yes kill them..}}

“That’s the attitude,” Lêdhins said. As he held out a hand, a glass sphere appeared floating above his fingers. The sphere's interior looked like it held a weird series of gears that moved in all directions at once.

((The Titan's work. ))

“So that’s your planar jump thing?” Julia asked, looking it over. Unable to decide if the outer sphere was also spinning or if the inner gears were shifting position so fast, it made it seem that way.

“Dimensional Sextant,” said Lêdhins, before speaking not in Abyssal as she had expected instead Celestial. “Judgement.”

With that word, the surrounding air weighted down, and then reality flinched. As it recoiled, they were first nowhere. Then when reality snapped back, Julia stood within the clouds. Even though it felt like there was solid ground underfoot, there was a sense of being high in the air. Something about being here held the feeling of high places far from the care of city life.

“When you said grey fields, I didn’t expect so much white,” Julia said,

{{Yuck.}}

((Beautiful I can see for miles here. ))

Everywhere Julia looked, pure white mists shone as if standing in a fluffy cloud illuminated with the midday sun.

“What white? It looks like its getting close to rain, always does,” said Lêdhins, looking at her, confusion clear on his face. The sphere he had used disappeared into whatever storage held it.

Figures moving towards them in the mist stopped Julia from arguing with Lêdhins. Their tall silhouette didn’t match Lêdhins for height, but their size reminded her of Torm. As the slithering clink of metal armour came through the mists, Lêdhins just held out a hand for calm.

“The Gods of light have patrols through the fields. It’s always a matter if they find you first or the Titan’s servants,” Lêdhins said, “though they’ll be along soon enough. Where did you store the cargo?”

“In my inventory,” Julia said.

“In that case, it won’t take long to extract them. Wait till the patrol arrives, since it's so close. They will want to see the Soul Gems to confirm our reason for being here. Once verified, then we have to wait till their presence attracts the servants.”

The patrol didn’t take long to approach, though their caution was apparent, and hands stayed near weapon hilts. The wolf-like features were the same as those she’d seen under Torm’s illusion and radiated the same calm confidence about them.

“What brings you here, Demons?” The leader of the patrol questioned as they came close, the crest of Týr on the uniforms.

“Soul Gems for delivery to the Titan’s servants,” said Lêdhins, his arms just folded across his middle.

“If you would, then show them, so we may verify the reason for your presence.”

Lêdhins just gestured to signal Julia to proceed.

She crouched and extended a hand towards ‘ground’ level with no knowledge of the formalities and willed them forth. Souls of all shapes and sizes cascaded over unseen surface underfoot. The Soul Gems acted as if on a surface, yet it was possible to look in any direction with equal ease.

“We will wait for their arrival to ensure no others interfere with your delivery.”

“Agreed,” Lêdhins said, nodding to the Patrol leader, who looked to be the only one inclined to speak to them.

The patrol spread themselves out in a circle, most facing away from the pair, though a few still kept their gaze upon them. They waited patiently for whatever was to happen. Movement in the mists was the first sign, yet instead of the figure moving through them. It appeared as if the mists parted to allow the figure passage. A circle of air with a single figure at its centre. As the leading edge of it passed Julia, the whole interior of the dome became clear.

Instead of clouds underneath, they seemed to stand in midair, with the Soul Gems spread out on the same invisible platform. The figure that appeared, though, wasn’t anything like any Celestial she’d seen. She’d been expecting some angelic being, yet the humanoid figure approaching looked formed of seamless glass. As within Lêdhins’ sphere, as they approached an endless procession of changing gears, turned within that shell.

“We acknowledge you, Derek, and Julia. You have Souls to return to our Father.” the Figure stated. Somehow its words in English were clear, yet came from all around.

“Yes, we do,” Lêdhins said with no hesitation.

“How do you speak English?” Julia asked, surprise adding strength and volume to her voice.

“Hidden, you hear us how you yet wish to perceive things, just as others perceive your words and ours how we wish them. You perceive the clouds to be white, Derek, or Dös Lêdhins Fy as you know him, believes them to be heavy with the promise of rain. For a time none will hear us speak.”

“How?” asked Julia, the additional surprise far from welcome.

“It is as the Titan wills.”

“Is the Titan responsible for Lêdhins and me being here?” Julia asked.

“Only in that there was a debt owed, and the repayment requested involved each of you.”

“Then, doesn’t he owe us?” snapped Julia.

“You have done him no service, and he has given you both opportunities and advantages. You have no debt owed. Do you wish to change that? There is no destiny for you here, except that which is formed from your own decisions.”

“I don’t want to be in his debt. How do I get free of the Abyss?”

“That is understanding you already possess. Your path is your own to walk, and any that choose may walk it with you.”

“I have to be a Demon Lady to get free of the bitch that bound me,” Julia said,

“That is correct. If you wish to do so most safely,”

“But I need to know how to get free of the Abyss without getting a cult.”

“You want, but you do not need. All you need, you already have. The rest is yours to determine with your own choices. Perhaps consider what others need when the light does not offer them hope. Yet there is always a need for light in the darkness.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Only those who seek can find some things, and some that are told learn nothing.”

“Riddles. I need to know if Andre is alright? How I got here? What is going on? Is there nothing you can tell me?” Julia asked, feeling tight with frustration.

“Mysteries. What you want is different to what you truly need.”

“If the Titan paid on a debt, then I helped him pay it. So he owes me. The Titan didn’t have any right to me.” Julia said, the Ki not holding her frustration at bay.

The figure just paused for a moment, and the gears continued to whirl and spin—golden light reflecting off the shifting metal.

“Your own lack of faith made you available. As you were undedicated, Father could fulfil the owed debt. He recently gave payment on the last of that debt. No more will arrive here in such a fashion. The family overstepped themselves with three within three.”

“No more. Three within three. What do you mean? How many were there in total?”

“We have given answers, where there was no debt.”

“The Titan doesn’t seem to consider himself owing a debt to many people that he should. What about the Night Elves? What’s owed to them? Weren’t the Night Elves his singers? He’s just leaving them in the Abyss. So he only cares about the debts he wants to repay. If Andre got hurt at my funeral, then he’s responsible for that. So that’s a debt he owes. He used me to pay a debt. If I hadn’t been here, she wouldn’t have taken an injury at my funeral. How did her blasted father get here?”

“Father has rules of his own that he follows. Your presence and that individual were within those rules. The decision of Souls brought the Night Elves to their current fate. Only those Souls that stand among them can decide their fate. They should know to trust yet have not chosen. We have completed the Soul Gems assessment, payment will arrive shortly. Hidden, know he will consider your friend’s situation, but you may never know of the outcome either way.”

“Your mouth is moving a lot, but I can’t hear you or them saying anything. What’s going on?” Lêdhins asked, tapping Julia on the shoulder as he spoke.

“No secrets given to you, remember,” Julia said, the anger she felt clear in the gaze that locked on Lêdhins.

“No point in arguing with them. They’ll tell you what will wound you.” Lêdhins said, shrugging dismissively.

"Father considered the requested payment of bringing you here was unfair. So what tools were wise within the bounds of his promises he provided. Hence there is no debt. The choices then and in the future are yours to make. Just as others will choose their path, you live in the Abyss or not by your own choices. Yet even the wrong choice might turn to your advantage," the Figure said.

Julia went to ask another question when it vanished, along with the Soul gems. Several crates appeared in the figures’ place as the mists closed in. The temptation to scream and yell for them to come back ran through her.

“What did you mean? They’ll tell me what will wound me?” asked Julia, wishing that punching him would help.

“Knowing your own mistakes, wouldn’t you keep kicking yourself? Going if only I had?” Lêdhins said, shaking his head, “Just a way to pain and regret.”

As he checked each of the crates, they disappeared.

“You’re wrong. It tells me what I missed. Learn from history or be doomed to repeat it,” said Julia, anger still riding her voice.

“Well, yelling questions at them never helps,” Lêdhins said, looking unperturbed.

“I thought you couldn’t hear me,” said Julia, wondering what other lies had been told.

“Didn’t have to hear your voice, to see your neck muscles working overtime yelling,” Lêdhins said.

“Fine. If they ever talk to me again, I won’t yell.”

I hope Andre is okay. They could have at least told me what they meant by ‘consider’ it.

Julia just took a moment to breathe and ease the tension within while Lêdhins checked the last of the crates.

“They can hear you now, so be careful what you say,” Lêdhins said, tilting his head towards the Patrol.

“I had expected a bunch of Souls to be standing around waiting for their Deities,” said Julia, trying to peer through the mists to see if there were others about.

“There are places where they wait, Succubus,” The patrol lead said, nodding to her.

“With our business finished, I supposed you’d prefer we be on our way?”

“You are correct. Do you require a guide?” the patrol leader asked.

“We’re using a gadget to get back to Ternòx. I’ve got lots of time ahead of me exploring there to learn it properly.”

“Things take time to learn properly,” the Patrol said, just merely nodding, “Succubi, so many of you have skin the colour of white jade. It is a pity you do not seek such purity.”

Cool, and my message understood. At least I didn’t have to find a messenger in the Abyss, well not yet.

“White jade is lovely,” Julia said, aware that Lêdhins’ eyes were resting on her.

{{Scream you know you want to.}}

((Find your centre child. They have confirmed you have choices ahead. ))

Closing her eyes, she hoped to feel the warmth of the Sun on her skin. Yet though the light was present, there was no feeling of warmth across her skin. With the anger pressing at her, Julia made a choice and let the Ki drift up and wash its heat away.

"No more. I'll do what I need to do. Shall we go back, Lêdhins?" Julia asked.