The Inflection - Abbey

General Summary

Note: This session was conducted in three parts the first two of which were at @Chr

Rock'em Sock'em Golems

2:05:40 punch 2:17

The Inevitables

As Myra casts see invisibility a figure appears to her, the plating makes her heart skip a beat as she raises her weapon in front of her. The warrior before her stands arms crossed, flexing one of their hands as they lean against the alter bow slung across their back. Their mask has no eye or mouth openings but seems to be kintsugi in design with gold filling what looks like cracks. Myra levels her weapon to their throat, advancing, "You need to give me a very good reason not to kill you right now."
The figure does not respond except to point at the door leading where Myra can now hear the arrival of something as the figure moves to tap their opposing wrist as though to indicate 'you're running out of time'.
Myra looks back at the group but only Nari seems able to see the figure. Myra swears and hands Sarya the bag of holding, mentally, "There are those who could find us down here who I do not want to have his body."
"It's better to take him with us than to leave him here," Sarya agrees.
The figure steps forward, as they do they materialize to the others, the gold armor shimmering in the light. Raijun and Hagren recognize the figure as Ayil , the mage Adama talked to in the Everchange Exchange (See Arts and Crafts - Everchange Exchange). "I do not mean to rush you but if you would at least give me a little bit of your time I can give you a little bit more."
"More what?" Hagren asks.
"Time." Her hands are up in a sign of surrender, Myra's staff to her throat, "But I need to be able to move freely."
"Are you on the same side as the angel from Mechanus?" Myra asks not lowering her weapon, placing the figure as one of the fighters in Yamil's memory.
There's a click of an elevator landing in the hall outside as Ayil speaks, "I could give you the time to answer the questions but you need to decide." She turns her head towards the door. Myra motions for Sarya and Raijun to load Adama's body before she drops the weapon but Ayil shakes their head, "no, no, no. I need to finish." Footsteps sound from the hall outside. "You don't have much time, lower your weapon and then we can talk."
Voices can be heard in the hallway and Myra, hesitates and lowers her weapon. As she does Ayil makes a number of hand signs and time freezes. "Let's make two things very clear," Myra starts, "He's not going with the undying and he's not going with you."
"Neither is part of my mission. I just need to finish my work and I will be on my way. While I work I can answer the questions you have... for what I can say."
"Well let's start with what is your work," Myra asks, arms now crossed.
"I need to ensure," she pauses considering, "I need to make sure that he is delivered at the right time to the feet of his former king."
Myra bears her teeth, "What part of 'he's not going with the Undying' did you not understand?"
"I didn't say he was going with them. I said at the right time he would arrive there."
"How would you ensure that?"
"That is not part of my mission. My mission is to prepare him. It is up to you to ensure he arrives in the same condition I leave him in."
Myra's shoulders slump as some of the fight leaves her, "That's what I thought you were going to say."
"You are quite smart."
"Doesn't feel that way right now," Myra says rubbing her face. "You work for Mechanus."
"I work for order."
"Well they are kinda the kings of that."
"Maybe a proper introduction will do some good. May I?" Ayil asks. Myra waives her to continue. As she does the armor retracts in geometric patterns revealing a very tall very thin woman. She has stark white hair and golden eyes, skin a golden brown. Scarring runs across one side of her face and down one of her hands. "I have spoken with Adama before. This," she pauses, "While not one of his wishes, certainly aligns with them and... is a good path. It will certainly make both of our journeys much easier."
As Ayil removes the mask Myra looks to Yamil and Nari for any kind of recognition but finds them frozen, though the other Wardens seem unaffected. Turning back, "As we are doing introductions, he called you Ayil I believe?"
She smiles, "Ah an alias at the time. I am Kya, the inevitable of consecution."
"And you work for Mechanus? Or with them at least?"
"I preserve order, in a grander sense. Or at least attempt to. I believe at this point you all have seen me before."
Myra nods, raising an eyebrow, "Yes, and then the person with you, or so it seemed at the time, proceeded to kill all of us."
"Yes," she moves towards Adama, Myra moving with her watching her incredibly closely. She bends down and very delicately and respectfully folds Adama's hands across his chest just below the wound. Those in the group notice that a ring Adama always wore is no longer upon his finger. Myra and Sarya think back and recollect that by the time they came over to look at him it was not there. Kya lays her hand across the wound in Adama's chest and it closes other markings shifting and curling around his chest. She extends her hand up to his forehead and ag old band against her knuckles extends out around his head. "Yes, that was.... my commander for a time," answering Myra's unspoken question. "Based on his actions he is no longer part of our core."
"Ah the agent of law went rogue." Myra pauses watching Kya work, thinking. "Does that mean we can count on your order's aid then?"
"Part of the reason I am here is to answer, at this point, what I can," Kya continues as she works. The light around the chest seems to extend in and around aligning and protecting flowing inwards.
"Will he be able to be raised after this," Myra asks, brow furrowed.
"That... he will not be corrupted in the way he did not desire."
Myra nods, "What is the name of your organization?"
"The Inevitable."
"And do you work to preserve a timeline or a multi-verse?"
"The acts which you all complete are of great importance during this era. And while it is very unfortunate one of you has fallen, it was always likely at this stage." She pauses, "This is a point of great possibility. Depending on the scenarios outlaid and the decisions that will be made upon the completion of my work will determine the ease or difficultly in the challenges ahead." The light on Adama begins to brighten.
"Did you fail before? Back when your commander was still with you?"
"That was another inflection point that," she pauses, "had one of the least desirable outcomes."
"And you can't go back and try again?"
"That would not yield any more favorable results... As you saw there is always the potential that they are there waiting."
"What were the beings that were coming through? The ones with the other Topp."
"In your time, there was a return of a city long thought lost. It brought back with them entities not too dissimilar from the one that granted you," she stops and the group in their heads hear, "The gift that allows you to communicate without sound." Returning to speaking out loud, "there is a time a great and powerful corrupt ruler was finally able to utilize those beings to their advantage. That is what they were."
"Why were they brought with him? He clearly did not intend to bring them."
"He did not."
When Kya makes no motion to answer further Myra sighs, looking down at the fallen Adama, "Do you know if this is what he would have wanted?"
"It is not the transition into peace he had forsaken long ago. But, more of an act in line with his character, and the chance to prevent others from entering or following his path."
Myra nods sadly, tears running down her cheeks, "I cannot say I agree with many of the pieces of the path he walked. But nor did I walk them," she pauses, "if this prevented others from taking that path I do not think he would be against it."
Kya concludes her attention to Adama's chest and turns her attention to his brow, forming a triangle between her thumbs and index fingers, something forming in the center. "The time ahead of you regarding the items you all carry.... decisions must be made about those still out in the world. You came here seeking answers and instead found misfortune. Parties on the other side of this door gather materials for a ritual ceremony for the return of a great warrior. This is odd as there is no day of celebration near. Stopping this champion before they use the scroll of necromancy to empower their hero is the only chance to stopping those who would walk the path of Hades from stepping foot in another kingdom such as this Plane. If left unchecked the Untamed will assassinate the ruling merchants of the Carrefour and take control of the city plundering the secrets that lie beneath. Demons gather within the monasteried mountains of northern Varoth, your journey may take you there for other reasons but barriers have been weekend and it had been developed as a new hunting ground. It will open soon for the collection of souls that an intrepid leader now holds. Choas will continue in the mountains of Timestone as the flood gates will open and creatures of story and legend will burst from the pages of a lone child's book and plunge the land into chaos. The imagination of the reader will grow until it is unbound the land and all others will be plunged back into the time before the gods." She lowers her head as she continues quieter, "Eventually you will have to remove the one contained within the heart of the pained..." She pauses, "If done in the correct order it will come at no resistance. But if not great pain and suffering could follow. A life of importance could be lost."
"Do you have any great insight on what that order might be?"
There's no reply as Kya continues with her work, the pattern that is forming on Adama's forehead is solidifying into an object.
"Can't you just give us the next one that needs to be dealt with," Myra pleads.
"That choice is up to you. Time is not an ally anymore."
Myra rubs her temples in an attempt to process all of the information, "You said he had to be delivered at a certain time. When is that? Can you at least tell us that?"
"That is up to you."
"Oh the time of 'whenever we're ready' no way for us to mess that up. Great."
"Consider what you know about the world and where the pieces are within. Having the access and availability to certain audiences or keeping them at arms length might be beneficial depending on your plan. Either way, your initial intuition on hiding Adama was correct. However, your attempt was foolish and would not have circumvented the discovery of his body in the presence of those who would use it for other means. You have no reason to trust me, but I can remove it to a safe location that, if you are able to find a way out of here, you will come across soon. Safe, and treated with respect."
Myra looks down sadly, as though already resigned, "Do we have away to contact you?"
"No, but I will be watching." They complete the final actions of the spell, the last bits of light transitioning from Adama's temple transitioning into the object which they take into their hand and place it into their armor. They turn their head as though listening to something before turning back to the group, "It is your decision. I can offer my assistance or I can go."
Myra turns to the rest of the group shoulders slumped, "She's right. If Cormerin is on the other side of that door there's almost no way that putting him in the bag without other protective measures would do anything." Her face twists in frustration, "I have tools, I have means but I don't have time. I would rather he end up anywhere but back with them. But what are others thoughts?"
Sarya speaks, "I only know one thing. If that church gets him, he will not have the peace he wished. We have no better option so I place my trust in you," she nods to Kya.
Myra looks Kya dead in the eye, "If you do not return his body to us, I will find you and I will make you wish you had."
Kya shakes her head, "So many things alike."

Epilogue

A figure stands atop a great mountain plateau looking down at how far he has come. Power and shadow course around him, as his jabbering cheers of his legion have arrived.

Report Date

25 Jan 2023