Legend of Ransera

As the banquet concluded and formality relaxed enough to allow Raithen to spirit some of their foreign guests away to the Noctis Æternæ for more merrymaking, the crowd thinned per Cithæra’s orchestration. Even the High Sentinel would excuse herself to leave the Crown Prince and his amatus to invite to Kala and whatever remained of her party to a nightcap in a parlour within the royal residences. What might have been a trip upstairs was but a few steps through a portal.

Upon parting the folds of timespace, Finn would reveal a familiar setting albeit with unexpected company. Arvælyn’s eyes widened slightly at the scene that lay before them like some projected tableau of some ancient moment of vaunted import.

At the point of a decidedly regal V-shaped formation, stood a pale elf platinum of hair with metallic wings not unlike those of the Crown Prince. To his left stood the dark-haired, silver eyed figure Kala would instantly recognise as Varvara Imperatrix and, naturally her lustrous golden counterpart stood opposite her to the right of Zalkyriax. Before them Iay a table with ornate chalices. When one could bring themselves to peel their gaze away from this majestic trio, one would notice the scantily clad servants lining the walls were not the usual palace servi. They were not even members of a race common to Solunarium. They had the fair features and pointed ears of elves, but their hair came in pastel hues and their Auras and Symphonies, markedly unmasked, projected scenes and songs of the sea.

Aværys glanced sidelong and six Neptori moved in graceful unison, each to pull out a chair. Zalkyriax would step forth to claim his first, as the Founders took their places at his side. The rectangular table was situated like a dividing line between the ancient and the young. Those verses in the mysteries of the past would know that it was arguable who was the eldest amongst the ancients. Though Aværys had famously been there at the hatching of Zalkyriax, he was far younger than Zalkyrion whose investiture dwelt in the form or his eldest hatchling. That was to say nothing of the warring gods who preceded the union of Aværys and Varvara.

“The æsthete in Me would see Finn take the middle seat, but the hierarch and the host would see Her Ladyship of Starfall assume that place…” Aværys glanced to Zalkyriax, whose withering gaze seemed to clarify the position of the Crownwyrm.

“Kala it is. I shall find symmetry through other means…” Finn would feel a surge of divine power at his brow as, before all onlookers, translucent wings sprouted forth from his back and he projected the image of an Angel of Majesty to all onlookers. The Neptori could do little to conceal their awe, but dutifully averted their eyes to the floor, knowing without knowing that this was His will.

“Much better.”

Arvælyn glanced to Finn, parting from his arm to claim a seat across from Her of the Scourge so that Kala might bisect them at the table’s head opposite Zalkyriax.

Even before Kaus departed, he paid his respects to Princess Cithæra, and when it was clear she wouldn't linger with them, Kala did as well. Master Finn's presence was a boon; he had made himself known to them already at the Citadel and it pleased her to see him thriving in Solunarium. Last she had seen him perform, Traversion hadn't been one of his powers, but Solunarium seemed to turn people into master mages. She stepped through his portal and her pale eyebrows rose with mild surprise.

The winged Avialæ bowed respectfully, though the sort of bow one offered when one didn't know one's place in the hierarchy.

"Your Exalted Majesty," she greeted. "You honor me with your presence." To the Divine Twins, she offered a more familiar smile. "Cousins, 'tis a pleasure to see you again." She felt a pang in her soul, but it was merely an echo along the bond between her and her twin. Had he known Aværys would be there, he might have jockeyed to stay. She managed to persuade him that absence made the heart grow fonder, so Aværys might very well miss his presence.

"And you honor me again." But as she moved to take her seat, Aværys altered his chosen. She admired it, and if Finn was a touch short for an Avialæ, well, so was she. "You did say that wings had been a missed opportunity." With a chuckle, she sat gracefully opposite the Crownwyrm, nodding to the pretty sea elf who ensured the chair was just where it needed to be. It was strange to experience the pull of Aværys' emblem, but she saw immediately how useful it could be for his Empyreal Lord. She herself hadn't come to any conclusions about an emblem of her own; she had all the time in the world, though, to decide.

Both Finn and Arvalyn—now Arvælyn to his nearest and dearest—had changed, not that she had known them beyond their stage presences. She had too. Change was, it seemed, the only constant.

Under the table, Finn may or may not have opened a little portal so he could catch his amatus' ankle between his two.

As everyone was seated, the Neptori moved in ostensibly choreographed concert to pour drinks into the ornate chalices arrayed upon the table. A savvy observer might note that the cordials poured were not the same for each guest at the table. Finn, Kala and Aværys were poured a syrupy amber liquid while a rich, thick red went to Zalkyriax, Varvara and Arvælyn.

"My presence is a simple byproduct of my curiosity." Zalkyriax answered, "It betokens nothing more or less than that." Aværys grimaced slightly at the dragon's glacially impolitic reply.

"You will forgive Mine old friend, Ladyship. His cool candour is, in sooth, a boon. Though icy in tranquility he doth scorch when enraged. Yea, an if dragons do surround themselves in fire it is because their blood be cold."

Varvara, for her part, seemed unperturbed by the social graces (or lack thereof) being exhibited thus far.

"Wings..." Aværys nodded, "Fins..." He gestured to the Neptori, "Finns..." He gestured to the bard, "Verily do I expand mine horizons in this Age of Steel." He grinned, impishly. Zalkyriax's impassive expression remained steadfast as he peered at Kala through eyes that churned like Arvælyns, though with a brighter flame that complemented the platinum hair that framed the pale, elven face he wore in this Seeming.

"I am curious..." The dragon began, as if Aværys' whimsy had not interrupted his initial thought in the least, "As to what sort of goddess now joins Eikæn's Pantheon. In my reckoning many of the gods who rose in this epoch are wanting... Unworthy, unfocused beings whose energies would be better consumed by elder entities with the wherewithal to wield them toward greater goals. Those which dwell in other realms or claim mantles that overlap not with our interests concern me not... for the nonce. But you are hither and you have curried Their notice, so you have mine. Tell me, god-child: What is your purpose in the Pantheon? Mortals have the liberty to be aimless if it suits them. Gods and dragons do not."

Kala managed to meet the dragon's implacable stare, but she could understand why he made the Twins nervous. There was a weight to his presence similar to their own, but not the same - not quite the same. The ancient wyrms were to dragons as gods were to men; an object lesson sat before her, and she would learn it if she were to survive immortality. Her smile broke before Avaerys' nervous explanation. It was no wonder he took a shine to Kaus; they were similar, and Kala could understand Varvara's reticence.

Finn smiled in response to his god's attention, though he wished he could do aught to assuage the divine nerves. He had been under the gaze of the Crownwyrm, and if he hadn't been so intent on proving himself worthy of Arvaelyn, he might have quailed before it.

Kala thought upon Zalkyriax's words before responding. Talon made mistakes. They said a Lysanrin refugee from Zaichaer was now a god of rebellion, though from what she had heard, he had been a willing collaborator with the government from which he had fled. She felt like there were others, but surely she was too young to have forgotten an apotheosis within her lifetime.

"My mortal quest ended in Atoria," she began slowly, trying to give a succinct answer. "There, the Necromancer performed his miracle once more and granted me wings. There, Mother Naori came to me in a vision, showed me Her favor, and made me Her daughter. She called me Unity and Daughter of Chaos." Her head canted slightly at the seeming paradox. "She gave me an immortal quest. While accompanying a young dragon you have met - Lord Aoren - my eyes opened unto the Stars. I feel their dance now... I know the Dragon Star and the home of your people in its orbit. I burn now - a slow burn. I hope an enduring one. I have watched the mistakes of your Daemon and wish to learn from them rather than repeat them anew. To that end, I asked the Divine Twins to speak with me in the Pantheon. I am here to learn, to grow. Though I am but young, I begin to understand time as the Stars measure it. I needn't be hasty or rash - not if I want to complete my immortal quest for which I was raised above my brethren."

"Unity and Chaos." The Crownwyrm's lips, hitherto flat, curved slightly downward as he considered. "Næ..." His expression returned to its default stoicism.

"A daughter of Chaos is not perforce chaotic. After a desert storm strikes up the sands of Atraxia, there is tranquility. After a war devastates a realm, there is a chance for novel order. We were all of us born of chaos in one way or another, but we can strive for structure." This seemed to satisfy him somewhat and Varvara spoke up as he quieted down.

"Recall thee the Godchild on the mount, old friend... That petulant pretender who did, undeserving, claim the fleeting mantle of Rebellion. Rebellion, which may be born of Order, can serve its purposes, but being chaotic in nature, doth better serve hewn up by We whose designs extend beyond the tumult toward the outcome. Kala be measured and meticulous rather than rash and reckless. She hath the temperament to walk thy Platinum path, if she hath the will..."

"And in Starlit Unity, perhaps she doth..." Aværys suggested, with a glance to Kala.

"Perhaps." Zalkyriax conceded, before lifting his eyes to regard the girl again. "So, tell us, godling: What do your domains mean to your heart? How broad do they sweep and how do you define the lofty concepts you have been chosen to claim as your undisputed domains? Would you impact the world and, if so, how would you design a better one than that we now dwell?"

Arvælyn arched a brow at the interrogatory litany, but leaned back in his seat to steal a glance at the version of Finn engendered by Aværys to bear glowing gossamer wings upon his back. The prince bit his lip, hoping he'd get to keep them, at least for the night.

The godling nodded, glad that the opinions of gods and dragons seemed to support her own, that while she was Moritasi, she had more agency than the Dread Mists.

"The task Mother Naori laid upon me ought not to be a surprise given my appearance: She wants the Avialae whom She helped escape bondage be free and united. The Kathar of the Gelerian Imperium are not meant to be enthralled to the Obelisk. Perhaps, in Unity, I will remain a racial goddess for a time." She was quite aware that while she had been made immortal, she could still change and grow; Chaos demanded it, in fact. The Orkhan deities seemed content with Ecith, although she had seen firsthand how their brashness irritated the All-Father.

"As I change, I find myself meditating upon the Unity between my twin and I, perhaps another reason I felt compelled to seek audience with the Divine Twins of Solunarium." She looked at each of them in turn, feeling that kinship. It was, they often said, a 'twin thing'. "Whether I invest power in him as my Champion, or seek to aid him along a parallel path of evolution as my own, I feel it incumbent upon me to foster an eternal unity between us. Complementary as between my cousins here.

"Beyond that, I am still learning my own domain. I am fascinated by the unity of purpose here, and perhaps will be able to interpret it for myself, for my own people, in Karnor." She did not want to enter into conflict with Talon Novalys, of course, but with divine patronage, Starfall might make a bid for independence and interdependence. "I must also learn the darker side of it, when unity might prove a detriment, when chaos is necessary to allow for order." A line bisected her brow as she thought; it still seemed to her that perhaps Order and Chaos were not, in fact, separate, but rather a false binary that a greater mind would see more clearly.

"The Stars..." Her eyes went distant again. "They are new to me, but already beloved. I did not seek them, but I come from a place called Starfall. Perhaps it was inevitable. I can see what they see, know what they know... but that is not yet under my control. I cannot say what that domain will mean. Our sun is a star, but I do not know if that lies within the purview of my authority, my responsibility. But the stars have already begun to change my magic... For instance, when I call Fire, I can call starfire, which can leave a corrupting influence upon almost all substances, particularly flesh. For now, I will seek to understand these changes that I might not cause unintended harm through ignorance, and I will seek to understand my new children..."

She laughed lightly, then, shaking it off.

"It seems strange, doesn't it? Only recently a woman and already feeling maternal instincts for ageless spirits..."

"Order, and the pretense thereof, may be passing cruel..." Varvara mused at the mention of the Imperium and its Kathar.

"'Tis a pity. Matters may be pressed smoothly. Force may be applied..." Aværys added with a smirk and a wink to Finn, "...with lubrication. This is why those who brook the burden of standing atop Our social pyramid have ever eased the minds of their inferiors. The Ætherium grants unto Us these resources, and We would be malevolent to shirk them as We pursue Our Holy Endeavour." His gaze shifted to Arvælyn, lingering there for a moment.

“The problem amongst mortals is succession.” Zalkyriax interjected, “The most capable king may be succeeded by a baffoon or a tyrant. It is no concern for we of the Platinum Flight, who innovated the concept of primogeniture. But that is because we are dragons and the undying Zalkyrion invested his blessed being into me upon his death. Even if I had been inept, his ancient puissance would have superseded my weakness to make me worthy of his lofty mantle.” The Crownwyrm explained.

“It is for this reason that We do not shirk the crown as Arcas doth.” Aværys added.”We are worthy and withal æternal. Enlightened despots who might rule unto the end of days or choose worthy viceroys to rule in Our names should We require intermission or seek to ascend higher. It would be irresponsible to leave an Æternal Crown to weigh down a mortal head with no support or guidance. Thus hath our unwilling absence left Our quondam realm to stagnate under unworthy, myopic stewardship.”

As Kala cogitated over the subject of Unity and its relationship to twinhood, She of the Scourge looked pensively at the winged demi-deity across the table from Her.

"Why not both? It is not thine to bestow Apotheosis. E'en We ancient things are not so lofty as to confer such boons or burdens. It is Ours to bestow Emblems. So let thy frater be thy champion that he may employ the gift of thy divinity toward an ascending path. Though th’ imbalance betwixt thee may chafe, the road to godhood be hazardous terrain. Let not thy brother run heedless where he should take measured, cautious steps. To rush him toward such an end would endanger thee, withal, and be marked by the gatekeepers of Pantheon..."

Zalkyriax tilted his head, intrigued at Kala’s talk of the stars.

“It is a strange conundrum… The Platinum King treasures this world, but Ransera is not wholly unique in the cosmos. There are other worlds with other gods. I have known some of these alien environs. You would do well to be cautious as you claim a domain that inherently overlaps with entities whose natures, powers and imperatives are unknown to you. I know that you have visited other planes, but have you visited other planets?”

“Perhaps, father…” Arvælyn began, ever trepidatious with his father as Finn rarely saw him with others anymore. “This would be an opportunity for us to visit Genesis?” Zalkyriax froze, his fiery eyes darting to glare at the fair face of his son. Aværys and Varvara shifted their eyes sidelong in unison to inspect the pale elven countenance worn by their old friend.

Arvælyn’s neck tensed, his mind rushing to terrible places in the silence that elapsed. He wished Finn was not a demi-goddess away, that he might grab his hand, so instead he grabbed his æther— weaving his Mesmer with his Divine Tethers to link with his amatus for support on different levels.

“So be it.” Zalkyriax downed the crimson contents of his chalice and slid his chair back to stand. “You’ve come from a banquet, so you have surely surfeited enough for one eventide.” He looked to Kala,

“If you would see another world and bask beneath the light of another star, then let us to Ketherys there to behold Re’hyax: Nostra Stella Platinum.”

If there was doubt about it before, there oughtn't to be now. Kala listened much more than she spake. Varvara gave her food for thought where Kaus was concerned, Avaerys and Zalkyriax where Starfall was concerned. She made respectful eye contact, nodding as points were absorbed. The refreshment was largely forgotten, though.

Finn tucked in, though. He had a less active role, though he found it all quite fascinating and thought it would be helpful for his work with the Custodes Deorum.

"Not yet," she admitted. Though immortal, she recognized that she was still more vulnerable, more fragile than Arcas reborn, let alone the well established Twins. But when she was more certain of her durability, she intended to fly until the Air gave way to Void, and explore Beyond.

Arvaelyn cut in, and drew all eyes to him. Kala sipped her libation; Finn opened his symphony to its depths in support of his lover. He smiled encouragement, too. The thought was tempting, and he hoped a Vigil from Phocion's cohort might be allowed to go on that journey. It would help him understand his dragon prince and Arvaelyn's dragon kin.

Kala waited only a beat before mirroring Zalkyriax, finishing her drink. Finn was already up and around, pulling out the chairs for Arvaelyn and Kala, and thence, to do the same for his divine patron. Damn, but Avaerys' hair smelled - well - divine.

"I would be honored," Kala declared.

Perhaps there might be some Unity between dragon and god, as well. They were similar mostly in their power, and quite different in other ways. Still, Zalkyriax had goals for his subjects much as the Twins had for their faithful.

And perhaps when she had unlocked Garel's secrets, she would give Aquilios' bride wings that their children might all have wings. Perhaps she would bless the rule of House Leukos through his children and his children's children while maintaining divine and temporal oversight. The Twins had advised delegation. With her help, Starfall could be autonomous.

Aværys smirked, briefly brushing the back of his hand against Finn's face affectionately as he glanced up at the translucent, luminescent wings he'd applied for entirely æsthetic reasons. Finn would feel no weight and, though he could move them with a thought, they could lift him to no new heights unaided, though it seemed to new heights he would soon go.

"By my Sceptre those look good on you..." He said with a cluck of his tongue, followed by a flick of the wrist that wordlessly dismissed the Neptori and Sentinel guards from the chamber, leaving the magnati unattended.

“It is no simple thing to vault between worlds.” Zalkyriax explained, “So before we traverse the cosmos, we must take an intermediary step. Those of you who are vulnerable to heat, must be protected.”

“Stay thee close, dear one.” Aværys purred to Finn, as the glow of his radiant crown extended to envelop the bard. Arvælyn grimaced, a tad vexed that he had no such power to protect his amatus, but he supposed if he was to be shown up— the God of Power was among the least humiliating figures to yield to.

Varvara would nod to Kala, recognising her to be a master elementalist in her own right and, once protective preparations had been made, Zalkyriax lifted his hand to split the air before them. The grey stone of the Palatium Umbrarum was obscured by the dim orange glow that permeated from the Thalamum Draconum, which lay at Sorokyn’s core.

On the other side of the portal was a cavernous chamber hewn of black stone traversed by glowing red veins that emitted so much heat that the entire scene was refracted before their eyes. It was hard to tell what was the blur of the portal and what was the result of the geothermal heat. Zalkyriax stepped through, followed by the others.

“Welcome ye unto the bowels of the Palatium Draconum…” Aværys grinned, extending his arms in presentation.

As the portal closed behind them, they would have a full view of the hall. It looked massive enough to house over a hundred dragons in their true forms. No carefully carved chamber was this, but a natural cavern adorned with stalactites in lieu of chandeliers. There were no tables, chairs or other creature comforts. There were only platforms and promontories that looked as though they might have formed with no manipulation from conscious minds, or were perhaps the product of very simple elemental alteration. The only landmark that was clearly the product of an architect was the most prominent: a colossal arch carved into the stone of the rear wall with steps leading up to it. A keen eye might recognise that there were elements of ancient Hytori architecture built into arch, but it seemed to have been augmented by a younger, albeit still ancient, culture.



The wall against which it had been set had a faint mural glowing the same dim red hue as the light cast from the veins of magma peppering the cavern. The mural depicted a great city with dragons soaring through the air and, like many Solunarian visual art, the scene was in motion. As they stepped closer, Arvælyn thought to wonder whether it was a mural at all. He’d long studied Sol’Valen’s history when he thought he was descended more directly from that realm.

“Behold: The Preservation of Fire.” Zalkyriax proclaimed in a voice that echoed through this hallowed hall.

“Is that…?”

“A Rift Gate.” Zalkyriax answered by way of completing his son’s thought. “In isolation, Solunarium has preserved a great many ancient things lost to the greater world. We of the Zalkyrian Dynasty have been particularly well situated to keep certain flames æternal.”

Finn cast an apologetic smile at his prince, then sidled close to his patron god. Under his eye, the fires of Mount Sorokyn felt pleasant and mild, and it seemed to him that the blacks and reds, oranges and yellows, were limned with Avaeryn gold. The world was beautiful with Avaerys in it. His wings spread to catch the drafts of hot air; though they were only glamour, it were best to present them well while he had them.

While a younger Kala had dreamed of Air claiming her as it had her twin, Fire had always been her element. Most people in Kalzasi saw her as a comfortable hearth fire or a candle lighting strange writings. But Mount Sorokyn's heart was comforting, even if it was not so hot as the heart of a star.

Finn looked for that place where Arvaelyn had changed; this had been the place he could not follow. Kala looked for dragonsign, and instead beheld a Rift Gate. She nodded, comparing and contrasting it with the one that had taken her from the Warrens to the Aetherial Sea on her journey to Atoria and her destiny. Its creation was beyond her, but she imagined Master Kilvin might unlock the secrets given enough time to contemplate one.

"Wonders indeed," she said, just heard over the rush of molten rock and superheated winds. She imagined this was their direct link to their homestar, a relic of a bygone Hytori age repurposed for draconic purposes - an elegant solution. Hidden here, they could visit at will. They could also quickly import an army of dragons, which would decimate any army that came for Solunarium. Not that she would ever have sued for war with Solunarium, but now she certainly knew better.

Though she couldn't manipulate the slipspace, Kala could sense it. Perhaps when she ascended more fully, she would be able to vault herself between stars under divine power rather than runic might. For now, though, this was an interesting way to travel, and her visit to the desert kingdom had already proven worth more in knowledge than she had hoped.

"Lead the way, Dominus," she urged, a touch of eagerness belying her true feelings.