It’s form reconfigured back into a humanoid mimicry as it sighed in exhaustion, “I am not you, Jes…whew, I feel bad for little Faiz, carted off to the remnant like that. Do you think he’ll be fine?” The sheer hopefulness in it’s voice almost made Jesyll feel bad about what they were going to say. Almost.
“We both know that’s not likely, buddy. That little patch of greenery houses nasties beyond compare, remember? They’re practically swimming in Empyrean radiance over there! And yeah, lest we forget, there’s also a misanthropic and deicidal maniac roaming around in there.” They were uncertain whether he was still alive or not, since the sealing had exterminated most godslayers, but who knew what tricks those deranged fools had up their sleeves?
“I wish we had better ways of Cleaving, Jes. Not right to risk the lad’s life on a chance..”
“Yeah yeah, you can only hope the kid manages to survive and come back safe. Now come on, we’ve got places to be about now. Lots to accomplish.” Their motion-limbs bunch up around their core as they opened the door and crawled out into Ragan.
This town had always been one they felt annoyed by the existence of, self-aggrandizing arrogance blended with an unfounded assurance at having managed to shackle an already dying Light. At least the road and waterways were spiffy and clean, and the linkrails ran on time. The basic mindform ordering around the subconscious of citizens was mostly to thank for the orderliness of the city, but it caused a lot of issues for them whenever they went around attempting to gather information.
Jesyll often wished the Fontsprings of the homeland didn’t insist on their little ignorances, leaving an entire sector on the shifting piles of Ellery alone. The kid had hit a bit too close to the core, and now they were upset at those ancient fossils. Thankfully, the keys to the turnstile were easy enough to gain access to, not that the kid needed to know before he vanished.
Their inner brushfeathers curled outward as they dove into the water, form uncovered as their tendrils propelled them forward. A trailing sense-limb detected Ellery’s form trailing behind them, it having shaped into a more nautical form. Their destination? The cistern palace of a councillor. Partly open to each of air, land and wave, their meeting room was in the lowest recesses of the building.
The waterway led into a small canal eventually, patrolling Leikslong guard waving the two of them through when Jesyll flared energy out of their writ of trespass. The internals of the cistern were decked out with garish displays of wealth, jewels and murals inlaid with energized signs, tapestries woven with heartsilk and dyed in a thousand expensive sheens, all of it a tacky attempt at emulating glory.
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Deeper and deeper the two went, below the pathways, the stilts, coming upon a chamber of richest obsidian carved into the bottom of the deep well forming the structure. Highly armored sentries composed of spiritual flora floated hither and dither, warding off any would be invader. (Assuming, of course, that any person could ever hope to breach the dozens of wards and detection spells crammed into every free inch of the water here)
After much scrutinizing from said sentries, the two were permitted into the chamber itself.
“” The voice echoed from every wall and facet of the polished hall, its source sat on a high and featureless pedestal, hidden behind a glowing veil of light. A usurping Star, in her ethereal flesh.
Jesyll paused a moment, partially to reign in their unending hatred, and partially to reconfigure a sense-limb into a more pleasing tone. “The Assorted Guild-Leagues of the Sunken realms offer their unending subservience and awed worship for your Illuminescence, great one. We are beyond overjoyed to be of use to your grand wishes, no matter our insignificance.”
Ellery followed suit with a (manifold) rehearsed speech, “Your excellency! I am so glad and happy to be in your light, and feel the immenseness of your form, yes! We of the or-guild have acquired for you the object of your wishes, a light-shard!” It said all that as it finally morphed into a fine pedestal, an ornate silver lined box visible atop it.
“” The soft and haughty voice rang out again, failing to hide the childlike glee behind its facade of might as Jesyll moved over to open the box.
Though they loathed to surrender a liberated shard of the sky to a usurper (false as it were) ,the potential benefit of acquiring an endless key…“It will be as you command, excellency. Please glance upon our offerings.” They dismissed the seals and invisible chains binding the raging force within, opened the box-
-and their sense-limbs transmitted data after an indeterminate amount of time. The chamber looked to be in a warped state, if the data they were receiving was accurate. Feathers sprouting from walls, malformed stony arms growing from the floor, the ceiling stretched to infinity. And a faint and ecstatic giggling, beyond the shining cordon. “”
The usurper seemed happy enough with her new toy, perhaps this would all work out. They helped Ellery reform and pluck out the alterations from its being before turning back to the pedestal. “Great one, we are overjoyed to know our offering is of sufficient use to you. We would never dare to be presumptuous, but might I be so bold as to ask a small favor from your unending radiance?”
The Star finally shifted her focus away from the shard, and answered, “”
Finally, all that shameful subservience had an effort! Jesyll wasted no time in laying out the basics, their voice getting lower. Whatever would happen next, they would not fail, to deliver the true Empyrean to its rightful Heirs. “Much obliged, your grace. All we need to start with is a key…”