Originally Posted by
Gengy
Lors
A Journal Entry
The woman I'd mentioned before ended up being fine. She had passed out, but otherwise was no worse for the wear. Charlie and I got out of there before the guards showed up to ask their questions and make busy-bodies of themselves.
Don't get me wrong. I respect the guards. But they don't understand half of what I do for this city.
Still... I made sure the girl was all right. A polite word to a friend of a friend, and it seems she's found work at a very grateful bakery. It might have even been the one that the stolen bread came from. Either way, as far as I know, she's happy now. And she's being fed regularly, with nothing to fear.
I wish I could say the same.
I've begun to notice the Shadow again. It's popped up once or twice. I tried to explain it to Charlie, but he became confused, and just kept talking to me about kelp. And mermaids. And someone he calls Auntie Rose, who seems to be some sort of teacher.
I've discovered that Charlie can be silent sometimes. But he doesn't sleep all day long.
Still... it is nice having someone to talk to. He was apparently supposed to meet Lady Flower, but ever since running in to me, it's hasn't been important enough to him. And his chattering is comforting.
We walk the city most days. I've got to do my rounds. I meet with the Bakeries in the mornings, and while most people just see me getting breakfast, I'm actually checking for any rotten foods. Sickly yellow colors in anyone's breakfasts are never a good sign. It doesn't happen often; but every once in a while, some apprentice leaves something out over night, or a bad batch of food is delivered to the wrong place at the wrong time.
The best way to cure sickness is to prevent it from happening. So I always have an early morning breakfast.
Next is fishing in the river. First, it was just to clear out that bad batch of demon fish. But now it's an excuse to check on the water. Mother Olm is clean and clear most days, but every so often I'll find a black spot in the river. Sometimes it's just a log. Sometimes it's muck. Sometimes it's something worse. Either way, I clean it out. Someone has to.
I swear I hear the river sigh when I'm done. But I'm an old fool, and I'm probably hearing things.
Up next is climbing to the tallest wall of the city, and just looking out. In the past, I'd find an odd color here and there, nudge a guard with subtle words, and they would go and find out that it'd be a couple guys in a tussle, or a woman not caring for her children properly. Those are just some examples. The guards would have strong words with whoever it was, about whatever they were doing, and that would be that. The oddity would be gone. The Olm would be a better place.
I once managed to stop an all out battle between two sides of a street, just by sending a single guardsman looking for a lost little girl. The girl actually wasn't lost; but the guard didn't know that. He spent all day on that street, shouting her name. The conflicting sides of the street just saw a guard, walking up and down, through the allies, yelling: "Prudence! Prudence!"
These days, though?
These days, I get up on that wall, and I see fear. Fear in the color of absolutely no color at all. Devoid of color. And the guardsmen have their hands full. There isn't anyone around to politely trick or cajole into doing what needs to be done.
Everyone's trying to deal with the Holy Worker, and the cult that he's spawned.
Lady Flower isn't here. Gamesha and the others are busy taking on the bigger sects. Guardsmen are more weary, run down, spread too thin throughout the Olm.
The people know something is going on. Everyone can feel it. There are rumors and hearsay flying through the city. But nothing is confirmed. Nothing is ever confirmed.
It's better that way.
Makes it easier to do my job.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bahbi
"Lead the way, Uncle." Bahbi was ecstatic. He was going on an adventure with Uncle Goose. And it was going to be great! There was Tea and everything.
"Where you go, I'll follow. If nothing else, I'll have some great stories to tell the others when I get back to the Sea of Jongo. And maybe I'll meet more of Creator-Father-Mother's family!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feels like We've been Waiting Forever
With permission granted at last, Jongo gave the soulfire over to Torvaag. Upon the Elder Elemental touching the flame, it soon sparked brighter and clearer. Hundreds of embers flickered up into the sky, and fell like rain down on to the statues that seemed to litter an larger area of the battlefield.
Each ember touched a statue, and burned brightly with fire yet again, moving and waking as though from a deep sleep. Most finished half-ended attacks, but found no great Hydra before them. Several just stopped, and looked confused.
All of them soon were milling about, the fight gone from them. The fire being removed from their bodies was draining - in more ways than one - and though it was returned, the fatigue was still there.
"As I said, Torvaag Grimdeep, your own family is fine. If you say that a debt is owed still, then let it be one owed to you by me. I swear, in the name of my Father, Jongo Chaosborn will answer your call. For now, we both have our families to attend to." And with that, Jongo bowed, and turned back to the battle.
It was mostly over. There were pockets of fighting here and there, but with Torvaag being let through the Barrier, the Forgeborn could sense him and it seems like he was calming them down. That was good.
Jongo could feel the choas of war slowly dying down. It was draining, in a way.
So much power had been thrown around here. Without the extra boost in energy, Jongo wasn't sure she could have handled it. In that sense, he was lucky. But now?
Now it was becoming a bit too much.
"Amanda-dear, not to be a bother, but come give me a hug."
"What? Uncle? Now?" Confused, Amanda still stepped over and hugged Jongo. Falling into the hug, Jongo shrank. Once more the size of a small child - even smaller than normal, now that Jongo took stock of things - everything was a bit easier to handle.
Now hanging from Amanda's neck, Jongo monkey climbed around to her back, and smiled a sigh of contentment.
"Come on, Amanda-dear. Let's go talk with your fathhh -errrrrr, husband. Ouran, you're welcome to join us. I don't think Torvaag here will cause us any problems, as long as we leave the Forgeborn alone. And you should meet some more of my family. You're welcome to hang out with me for as long as you like. I think, once I've rested some, I'm heading to help my brother, Bunny, and then I'm gonna go find out more about rocks. Maybe get into a friendly family squabble or two, for old time's sake."
Re: Heroes of the Fall
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