A Goddess to Entertain

Occurred during the Festival of Dancing Monsters during the Second Age.

Sonia Meets Hither, Thither, and Yon
Sonia stared down into the crowded alleys and festive street of Spectroplis from her perch amongst the many arches of the buildings surrounding. She loved this time of year, when so many people were so happy. She longed to join them, but was always to shy to leave her watchful post.

From where she sat, she could hear the loud singing and cheering from the Grand Forge and smiled just a little to herself. Crav was in a rather good mood.

Sonia was being watched.

Three figues sat in a small backstreet cafe. One was looking across the alley at her, up on her perch. One was looking at that one with the sort of bile fascination given to madmen. The last regarded the other two with quiet serenity of a snowy mountain.

The second one, a Durhian, immaculately dressed in a suit of blue and expensive rings sparkling on each delicate finger, managed to find his voice again and chuckled. "A fine joke, brother. You had me going for a second there.

The first man, a Rhean, brown leather jacket as out of place in this climate as the goggles hanging from his neck were eveywhere else, turned to his brother and smiled. "Oh, I'm dead serious."

"No, you're not." said the Duhian, calmly draining the last of his coffee. "It's to audacious, even for you."

"Audacious is my middle name." replied the Rhean confidently."

The Durhian put his cup down perhaps a little to forcefully. "Lets entertain, for the moment, that she is not so offended that she smites you on the spot and curses the company for your impudence. She's a goddess. A literal goddess. She's out of your league."

"Three things." The Rhean says, holding up three clawed fingers. "First, Spectropolis. She can't outright smite me."

"Feh," said the Durhian, making a dismissive gesture.

"Let me finish." The Rhean replied sternly. "Second: just look at her. Is that the face of a woman who would curse a whole company for the actions of a single meathead?"

The Durhian took a good look. He did have to admit, it would be out of character.

"Thirdly," the Rhean continued, "The fact that she's 'out of my league' actually works to my advantage."

The Durhian leaned forward, interested. "How do you figure?" he said, bridging his fingers.

"Everyone who's ever thought about what I'm about to do, had that thought immediately afterwards. 'She's out of my leuge.'"

The Durhian nodded along. That was entirely within reason.

"I'm willing to bet that thought stopped most of them in their tracks. In fact, I'd bet good money that no one, no mortal at least, has ever straight up asked her out."

The Durhian considered this. "What about.... other gods?" He asked slowly.

"If she was with another god, what is she doing alone in Spectropolis on a festival day?" The Rhean countered, spreading his arms as if daring his brother to challenge that logic.

Faced with such a challenge, the Durhian deferred. "What do you think, Yon?"

The pair faced their silent companion, a large Milteo. Despite their differing species the earth brown skin, jet black hair, and ruby red eyes made no mistake about these three mens relationship possible.

Yon, the third brother of this little group, cupped his head in one massive hand and went deep into thought. The two waited patiently while the Milteo ran the proposal under the millstone of his brain. Then, he raised the specialty camra in his other hand, hit the button, and a bright flash filled the room.

The other two waved their hand in front of their faces, trying desperately to get their sight back. When they were finished, Yon answered, simply and plainly, "You're going to die."

The Durhian considered this, before standing up and straightening his tie. "Well," he said, checking his breath. "I certainly have no intention to let my baby brother face his death alone."

Nodding to one another the Durhian and the Rhean, as one, paid, walked outside, and stroled across the street. Along the way they played a quick game of paper, rock, scissors, which the Rhean promptly lost.

"Excuse me, your grace!" The Duehian called up to the goddess. "Me and my brother were wondering if you might grace us with your company."

Sonia sat at her perch without a care in the world. Lost in thought, she stared out at the city. Suddenly a cheerful voice cut through her blissful stupor.

"Excuse me, your grace! Me and my brother were wondering if you might grace us with your company."

Sonia blinked in brief confusion and looked about quickly for the source of the voice. Her eyes settled on a pair of men in the street below looking up at her. One, a Durhian dressed in a fine blue suit and the other a Rhean, in a strange leather jacket. She stared briefly at the pair contemplating them with interest before calling back down.

"P-Pardon me? Did you....um.... ask me to join you? What for?" she asked before sliding from her perch and landing softly on the ground before the two.

"Well," Started the Rhean. "We were just sitting in that cafe over there when I saw you through the window and I remarked that it seemed such a shame for anyone to be all alone during a party like this, and it's extra tragic when it's a pretty girl."

"So I suggested," said the Durhian, cutting in, "that is, of course, if you weren't waiting for someone, that the three of us could be your entourage this evening." He bowed politely to her. "Hither Tomes, my lady, and I must say it's a great pleasure to meet you."

"Thither Tomes." Said the Rhean, extending his hand and smiling. "It's okay to laugh, we know how stupid our names sound."

Sonia giggled. She had never met people so charming. She had spent most of the past 400 years in the company of other gods and when she did venture out among the people it was to witness displays of worship and thanksgiving. Never had anyone treated her like an equal.

"I ...I think I will join you. Thank you."

"Wonderful. Beautiful. Sensational." Thither said, throwing his arms wide. "Anyplace you'd like to visit in particular?

"Well...where's your favorite spot in all of Spectropolis? We could go there. I love to see the city through another's eyes."

"Flash Street." Thither says instantly, his face lighting up. "We should hit Flash Street."

Hither looks dubious. "My brother is a dabbler." He says, by way of explanation.

"Flash Street. Come on, you've never been. It'll be fun. Yon! Yon, come join us! We're headed to Flash Street."

Flash Street
Flash Street, in Entertainment, was well known for one thing: Magic. Ever since the Arcanocentric Academy of Sorcery had opened there 300 years prior, buying up several buildings and a park to create it's large campus, the cottage industry of magic had sprung up around it to cater to both students and those interested in the magical arts. On the best days you could find any manner of magic user selling trinkets, reading palms, and offering services on the long street on which the main hate of the academy sat.

Today was not one of those days.

As the Tomes brothers escorted the goddess down the street, the only things they shared it with were a few confused tourists. Thither in particular was looking agitated, turning this way and that, looking blindly for something. All he found was disappointment. All the shops seemed to be not only closed, but boarded as if in anticipation of a hurricane.

"And on the biggest shopping day of the year." He says in disbelief. He glances over and Sonia and awkwardly scratches the back of his head. "I mean, there's usually something happening. Hold on."

He breaks away from the group and walk over to one of the buildings, an small cottage set up. He rapped on one of the shuttered windows. There's the sound of many locks coming undone, not all of them of this world, and an old warted face peers out of the window at him. He flips a handful of coins into one of the pots hanging from the window. "Hey, what's up?"

"Ahhhh," The old witch says. "Well, word slipped out that Minerelle is going to go wild again. Apparently, Headmistress Knox payed her some great insult last year and she's been at revenge all this time."

A look of excitement washes over Thither's face. "Minerelle and Knox? Head to Head? You sure? Where?"

"Right in front of the Academy gate, from what I hear."

Thither whoops, leaping into the air. He slams a whole bill-roll on the Witches windowsill and runs back to the group smiling ear to ear. "Mage Feud. Come on, this is something you only see once in a lifetime."

Hither looks at the witch, who had hurriedly re-closed her window and, from the sound of it, was redoubling her defenses. "Yes, once a lifetime. That seems a correct estimate."

"Oh, quit being a downer. Between the three of us normally we'd be able to get out if things got to hot. That's not even countering our special guest." He says, wiggling his eyebrows at Sonia. "Besides, Flash Street will be open again proper once they're done and I can really show you why I love this place."

Sonia giggles as she grabs a hold of Hither's arm and pulls him playfully in the direction Tither was headed.

"C'mon, it'll be fun. I want to see this."

Sonia fakes a stern face

"I can protect you if you're too scared," she jokes before heading off after Thither.

The well dressed Durhian straightened his tie. "I'm not afraid of anything." he lied. "I have people to do that for me. Yon! Carry my fear."

The Milteo made a half-fearful squeak and covered his whole face with one big hand. He then reached out and wrapped another around his brothers shoulders. Hither chuckled and the pair made their way down flash steet like this, catching up to the other two.

Outside the Academy gates, they witnessed something magical.

A Quick Exposition
It is necessary at this point to go into a bit of history regarding magic in Spectropolis.

As you already know, the Arcanocentric Academy of Sorcery had been opened on what is now known as Flash Street 300 years prior by diplomats from the Magocracy. However, they did this to capitalize financially in the growing magical interest in the city, which had spread like wildfire thanks in no small part to the efforts of a certain club: The Society For The Broadening Of Horizons And The Unlocking Of The Omniverse's Secrets. The Horizon Society, for short.

The two groups were very different ideologically. Where the Academy had a strict curriculum, the Society encouraged it's members to "Do whatever." Where the Academy had a strict hierarchy, the Society had no formal structure. Whereas the Acadmys student all came from well to do families from various regions in the world, the Society was made up of those too poor to afford a formal magical education and, more and more, Academy dropouts.

Conflict was inevitable. The Society thought the Academy were a bunch as a group of stuck up, inbred, ignoramuses who were stunting the natural evolution of magical thought by formalizing it. The Academy thought of the Society as a hoard of egomaniacal amateurs dabbling in forces they didn't understand who were probably going to end up destroying the city. Neither side was entirely wrong in their assessment of the other. The two sides entered a state of cold war, occasionally taking childish shots at one another to the amusement of the rest of the city. A rain of eggs on orientation day led to people turned a permanent neon pink, a whirlwind appearing in the commons that blew off only clothing for six weeks triggered a pack of phantomed dogs that bit only specific bums, and a man being turned into a duck led to the headmaster of the Academy being permanently infused with the essence of a chicken.

Back to the Story
That last one was recent, and the woman responsible glinted in the sunlight atop a building opposite the Academy main gate. This was not unusual, because Minerelle Orr was a shardmind with skin of a deep sapphire blue wrapped head to toe in cloaks. Though the Horizon Society had no formal structure or leader, it was known throughout the magical community that she was the best they had. She also had a reputation for being, alternatively, paranoid and unstable or prideful and very shy depending on who you asked. She had arrived in the city twenty years prior with nothing to her name and had since not gained anything except the clothes on her back and a reputation as the city's most powerful hobo. No one knew why she had come to the city in the first place, or stayed for so long, but her sterling insistence that she hadn't been thrown out of the crystal tower and that her connection to the mana battery hadn't been severed gave everyone a pretty good idea.

Minerelle reached out and patted the object that stood on the ledge next to her on the edge of the roof, the called across the street to her opposite in a tinny voice pitched so high that it could see the curvature of Gamara. "I'll give you one last chance." she called. "Give up the offender and apologise, and only he slash she will receive my wrath."

Her opposite stood atop the ornate gate of the Academy. A Draemar, her skin a gleaming gold that seemed to shine like the sun, to put Fortuita Knox next to Minerelle Orr is to create a study in opposites. Where the shardmind was short, the Draemar was statuesque. Where Minerelle bundled herself up in any rag she could find, Fortuita wore an outfit that perfectly outlined her body and wore it well, it's silk, ruffles, and jewelry all serving to enhance her natural beauty. Despite this, however, it was an open secret that Headmistress Knox was a bastard and had only received a posting here because it was far away from the Magocracy. The position had not been in high demand. The four previous headmasters had all been run out of the city in various states of nervous breakdown thanks in no small part to the efforts of Minerelle. It had been a way to kill two birds with one stone, but Knox had taken to it like a fish to water and was quickly becoming one of the most beloved figures of the city.

Knox cracked a small smile at her rival. "If you really think I'm going to let any of my students face your poorly conceived "wrath" you have delusions of grandeur. It really is unbecoming, you know, airing our dirty laundry in public like this."

"Don't play dumb." The shardmind shouted back. "Everyone knows it was you who ruined our grand magic display last year. I choreographed that and everything. We worked for weeks to get that timing right, then when the day comes everything we pitch turns into a fish and explodes over the crowed." Minerelle stamps her foot. "Well, now your chickens have come hoe to roost."

"I have warded the entire wall. Nothing you can throw at it will stick."

"Nothing, ey?" Minerelle ripps the tarp off of the thing beside her. Glittering in the midday sun, sitting on the very edge of the roof, is a eight foot tall, scarily accurate stature of Waverider carved entirely of aquamarine. The visage is so accurate that someone standing in front of it would swear they were about to feel divine judgement rain down upon them.

Despite her confidence, Knox takes a step back. "What in the world..."

Minerelle points at her. "You have been chosen as the test subject of today, the day I reveal my creation to the world."

Knox shouts over. "Listen well, dabbler. Take your art project and go home before I come over there, break you down into beautiful gemstones, and use you to adorn my body!"

This seems to take Minerelle off-guard. She calls back, sheepishly. "Was.... was that a come on?"

"That was a promise!"

"No, that was a yes or no question. Please answer in the affirmative or the negative."

This time it was Knox's turn to be confused. "What."

"Either way, I don't like being objectified!" Minerelle gives Knox no chance to regain her composure. She runs around to the back of the statue and places her arms against it. Theres a spark from her to it, and the statue begins to glow a bright blue even before she's done shoving. The little push was all the already unsteady statue needed. It falls off the roof, glowing like a sun. But before it hits the ground, it shatters into nothingness, leaving behind a transparent blue outline.

"Fish isn't so impressive." Shouts Minerelle as the outline pulses and expands. "I can do whole seas!"

The Outline shakes, twists, grows. For a moment, Thither thinks he sees something swimming in it. Then it explodes, sending a tidal wave crashing over the school. Fortuita is carried off by the wall of water as it starts streaming onto the campus commons, going farther and rushing down alleys. Streets are turned to into rapids.

A wall of water comes rushing down Flash Street toward Hither, Thither, Yon, and Sonia.

The Surfboard is Made
Crav stepped out onto the street for a quick breather from the drunken party in his Forge. He stood outside watching the sky as a steady rumble built beneath his feet. Nonchalantly he glanced down the street. His gaze was met by a daunting wall of water rolling rapidly down the street. Pedestrians ran for cover as it barreled past the buildings.

Crav stared at. He blinked slowly and suddenly it was upon him. With a swift movement he lifted his feet, a long thin portion of the street came up with the. In one deft movement Crav angled the segment of street attached to his feet upward as the wave crashed around him. The water lifted him up to its crest where he glided on the waters down the street.

And so, the first godly surfboard was made.

Back to Hither, Thither, Yon, and Sonia
It's a testament to Hithers natural poise that he does not just collapse with relief, before looking down at his water speckled suit and sighing. "Well, I can never wear this again." he says regarding the slightly damp garment. "Thank you so much." He says to Sonia.

Thither is, meanwhile, yelling out in exhilaration. "Whoooooo! DId you see that? That was amazing. I swear I saw a squid in there." He puts his hand up to his face and seems to try and stare through the wall. "What the Hael was that? I've never seen a pitch the powerful."

"That was a pitch?" Hither asks.

"I'd bet my life." His brother replies.

Suddenly the entire group lights up in a flash. The brothers turn to find Yon, who has photographed the entire scene. He lowers his camera and smiles. "Grace of God saves Morons from Watery Fate." He says calmly, tasting the words.

"If you print a picture of me in this state, I'll dismantle the entire newspaper division." Hither jokes.

Behind them, seeing as the butting of heads is safely walled off, Flash Street seems to be coming back to life. Stalls reopen, dealers come from nowhere back onto the street, magicians and entertainers seeming to appear from thin air.

Behind the wall, lightning strikes. "No fair Fortuita, I wasn't ready."

Lighting strikes again.

"Stop it, I said I wasn't ready!"

There's an explosion.

Hither shrugs his shoulders. "Problem for the city Watch."

"They just Flooded the city! With water! How could anyone be so reckless!?" Sonia gasped.

"Oh, I don't think it's really that much water." Says Thither, as a shallow layer of water begins to flow from the alleys around the wall. "It's just that it was all, y'know, here. Spread out it's not nearly as much."

"Enough to effectively ruin my good shoes." Hither says, quickly taking off a pair of fine black shoes as the puddles splashes up against the soles. He holds them over his shoulder and looks dismissively at Thither. "Of course, the socks are going to be unsalvageable."

Despite, or perhaps because of, the excitement Flash Street was coming alive before them. Tourists and wanderers, drawn by the sounds of battle, where already being accosted by sellers were already screaming out of talismans and lucky charms. Strange old cauldrons gave of unusual smells of lavender, or cinnamon, or monkshood. Palm readers, mind readers, and Spectropomancers offered in loud voices to unlock the secrets of the fate for a few dollars. The salty smell of the sea permeated the air, perhaps adding to the feeling of wonder and mystery.

You can already hear some people claiming credit for the wall. Thither laughed. "Just as well." He said. "If people knew a goddess was among them they'd either be freaking out, or trying to filch a piece of her as some ingredient. Come on! Lets see what they have to offer!"

The various vendors, merchants and stall owners came from every corner of the map. Each one was a different race, height, ski tone and shape. Their wares were just as unique.

One vendor, a man wearing more jewelry than could possibly be feasible, held out samples of enchanted cloths and silks. Each one shimmered, flickered and danced with different colors, patterns and shapes. Some even seemed to move of their own accord.

A larger Kata woman in a bright yellow blindfold sat in her small tent, calmly smoking a pipe. Before her, rested dozens of carved stones. A handwritten sign nearby identified them read: "Source Stones: For Quick Fires, Waters and Winds"

A Durhian stood in the street further down the way, blowing bubbles from a metal wand. The bubbles took on all sorts of strange shapes. Cubes, flowers and even cats formed in the air and popped with silly sounds and noises.

A Boquabian couple called out to the crowd claiming magical beautifying properties of the various brushes, mirrors and perfumes they held up.

Even further down the street crowd gathered around a boisterous Dwarf and his small wooden puppet that seemed to be dancing a merry jig without any strings.

Sonia gasped at each new wonder, her eyes lighting up like a child’s. Her amazement at the ingenuity of mortals knew no bounds.

Hither cleared his throat. "If you should see anything you happen to want, by all means ask me. Not that I would do anything to suggest you could not afford these trinkets, but I have a strict personal code against allowing my companions to pay for anything in my presence." He says, smiling. Despite his reservations and his ruined suit, he seems to be enjoying himself.

The End of the Fight
The magical spat between the head of the Academy and the most dangerous hobo in the land had transformed into a full on fight that had made it's way into the still soggy commons of the academy. Students cautiously suck their heads out windows in hopes of seeing their Headmistress throw down with their most hated enemy, chattering and jeering.

Thunder rumbled high in the sky over the Academy, emanating from a deep black storm cloud that seemed to spring into spontaneously form on the otherwise sunny day, and only over this one spot. Under this cloud, standing ankle deep in the still draining water that had flooded the commons, Knox and Minerelle faced one another. Though invisible to most, Minerelle could see sharp yellow energy that had stirred up the cloud slowly float down and wrap itself around Knox and the blue sigh that Minerelle knew was her battery. Except for one strand, one tiny little piece of a the spell that tethered her to the sky. She reached quickly into her back pocket. She hadn't come expecting a serious fight. None of the other headmasters had ever attacked her before.

As she did so, the Headmistress flicked her wrist and the yellow network flashed red for a single moment. Then there was a flash as lightning struck, like a viper out of the sky. It crashed into Knox, but didn't hurt her. Instead, it spread out among the yellow spell network around her body, converging in her index finger. Minerelle caught on just a moment to late.

"Divine Retribution!" Knox shouted, the lightning shooting from her finger having never touched her and coursing through Minerelle. The pain was brief, but terrible, and the Shardmind stumbled back as thunder roared, dizzy and aching. She grasped the thing in her pocket and hurled it, a prism that was already shining and beginning to come apart. "Crystal Pitching: Color of Potential!" She shouted, as the prism shattered into pure energy off every color of sorcery, as the each arced down toward Knox. She leaped back as the colors slammed into the ground around her, throwing up a wall of water. She extended a hand forward, prepared to call more lightning as soon as the water was clear. But then something blue and shining came through the water curtain, shattering into pure energy that enveloped her. It arched through her like lightning, pushing pure pain through every one of her nerves. It felt like all the strikes she had suffered developing her lightning channeling spell, but continuous. She felt to her knees along with the water, and looked up to see Minerelle holding three more blue crystals in her hands.

"Crystal Pitching." came the Shardmind's tinny voice. "Color of Agony!" She pitched all three, the shining missiles flying through the air on a collision course with Knox. Knox quickly got to work with her hands. She formed a square with both of her hands, then began furiously layering her fingers over one another, chanting. "Lightning, shield me from misfortune. Strike aside all who trespass against me with your heavenly might. Retribution Field!" She spread her hands, and the blue battery behind her surged with power to create the network of magic in front of her: a blue square, holding within a net of interlocking yellow lines. As the stones sailed through the net they took with the a sliver of it with them. It flicked up into the storm cloud, and as it touched it lightning arced down along each strand and struck the crystals, scattering them and their energy in brilliant blue explosions.

But Knox paid them no mind, and was already moving her hands again. She did the same motions for the field four more times in the blink of an eye, then threw her hands forward, up, left, right, and back. The battery gave another heave as four more of the blue field appeared around Minerelle, flying into position to box her in. With a flick of the wrist the original field shot forward, sealing the shardmind in to the cage of force. "Retribution Cell." she called coldly.

Minerelle looked around furiously, trying to find any weakness or gap in the field. "I wouldn't even try." Knox called over confidently. "You're lucky you have the training to see this: most wouldn't even know it's there. The more of the individual strands you touch, the more lightning is called down. You were able to shrug off one bolt, but enough lightning can even wear down stone, as they say."

"Water wears down stone, stupid, not lightning." Says Minerelle.

"SHUT UP!" Knox shouts. "I"M SAYING IF YOU MOVE THROUGH THE LINES THEY"LL END YOU!"

"WELL THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T USE STUPID METAPHORS!" Shouts back Minerelle, searching her cloak.

"HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DON"T YOU MOVE!" Shouts Knox, throwing her hand forward. "Not that you could ever Pitch anything out of there, but if you try I'll fry you." she says with a grave look on her face. "If I shoot my lightning through the cage, it will trigger a bolt of lightning to strike it. And as that lightning comes down, it will trigger the cage coming in from above and add more power to the bolt. That's the force of three lightning strikes for the already miniscule cost of one. And with the mana I have stored in my battery I can keep that cage running for up to a week. You've lost, Minerelle Orr!"

A cheer goes up from the watching students, shouts of praise and exhilaration. Knox looks around, almost shocked at the sound, before flashing a little smile. Almost a whisper below the din, Minerelle says, "You've certainly put a lot of thought into these...."

"But of course." Knox says, pushing her golden hair out of her eyes. "My lighting channeling spells are all self-developed. I sacrificed my blood and sweat working on these spells." A look of bitterness flashes across her face. "I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"Excuse me....?" Asks Minerelle gravely, looking up and staring deeply into Knox's eyes.

Knox speaks, the anger of her words almost palpable. "It's all well and good for shardminds and the rest of you Eternians. You didn't develop anything yourself, instead having everything handed to you by your god long ago. You've never had to work around a low personal mana supply. You've never had to find a creative work-around to get your spells running. Every spell you've ever cast has come to you naturally as breathing. You haven't even used any real spells, instead resorting to pitching; magic in it's easiest, most simplistic form. I guess you were thrown out because even your own spells were to complicated for you. Compare yourself, who's had everything placed daintily into her lap, and me, who bled and worked and sacrificed for her craft. The winner becomes obvious in hindsight, doesn't it?" she says, letting a little smugness seep out right at the end.

Minerelle stands and takes all this, silently staring at the ground all the time. "Sacrifice?" she says quietly. Minerelle raises her head just enough for Knox to see her eyes, blazing in hatred. "What does a pampered little doll like you know of sacrifice OR MY HOMELAND!?"

Minerelle pulls a perfect red crystal and a cracked, dim blue one from her pockets. She tosses them both at the field. "Crystal Pitching: Color of Hatred!" Both break through the yellow lattice, the parts they carry with them streaming into the sky. Lightning streams down to intercept them. But as the lightning nears the cracked blue crystal, it veers off. Both bolts collide and strike the red crystal, shattering it.

Knox had already throw out her arm. The strand of yellow connecting her to the cloud flashed red. "Three Pronged Retribution!" She said, channeling the lightning. It smashed through the field, attracting one bolt, which attracted another, and all three combined to strike Minerelle dead center. The force of it threw her off her feet, burning a hole straight through the many layers of cloaks she wore.

Meanwhile, the cracked blue crystal had reached Knox, glowing and arcing as the power of creation unmade it. Minerelle just managed to get out a few last words as she lost consciousness. "Self pitching." She croaked. "Psionic Despair Storm."

The blue crystal unmade itself, unleashing another wave of blue energy that enveloped Knox. What she experienced wasn't like before. There was still pain, much more pain, agonizing pain that shot right to the core of her being. But underneath it was a deep pit of despair, the kind that makes you want to find a hole and remain in the pain, forever, because deep down you knew you deserved it. Images flashed before her eyes, a tapestry of colors and sounds that made no sense.

red triangles

a tower

black bars

something heavy being dragged across the floor

brown

shattering

teeth

Then only black.

Both woman hit the ground at the same time, and neither stirred. A scream went up from the halls of the building.

On a nearby roof, a pair of figures sat. One was a Witness, it's purple cloak identifying it as Custodes. The other was as equally purple Boquabian with short green hair and immaculately polished watch armor. She wore her own grey coat on her shoulders, letting the arms flap in the wind. She started clapping her hands, then put her fingers in her hand and whistled. "Oh what a wonderful show. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The plot was a little thin, but I give it props for the use of special effects. Four out of Five stars. Thumbs up! Hahahahaha!" She turned to Custodes. "Dissenting opinion, Commander?"

Custodes ignored her, staring up at the dissipating thundercloud. "Why do they have to make trouble today?"

"Commander?" The Boquabian asks, confused.

"Never mind." Says Custodes. "Shows over, Captain Debutant. It should be safe for our people to move in now."

"Yes sir." Said Entertainment Watch Captain Darla Debutant. She called out over the side of the roof. "ALL UNITS MOVE IN AND DETAIN THE SUSPECTS FABULOUSLY!"

The Group Separates for More Festivities
"Mr. Tomes!" came a call from above the Sonia and the brothers.

From out of the sky, down along flash street, and evil black shadow descended from the sky toward them. It was jet black, it's talons and beak seemingly sculpted from obsidian, it feathers so shear it was as though you could cut yourself on them, its eyes knowing nothing of love and everything of hate. The Snipe, the Lord of the Southern Skies. The King of Birds.

The mailman.

It landed before the foursome, and it was only then you could see the intricate harness and saddle, the large bags hanging empty at its sides, and the be-goggled Rhean sitting astride it. He took his legs out of the stirrups and slid off the back of the bird, running up to Hither. "Mr. Tomes, thank goodness I've found you. I......I......I......."

He was looking at Sonia. His amazed eyes looked her up and down. "My lady......" he said in awe. Hither cleared his throat. The stunned Rhean looked back at him and was met with Hither Tomes patented I am in an important meeting and if you want to keep your job this had better be important look. It was pretty famous in the office. Some people fainted when it was turned on them.

The messenger started to stammer an answer, but then looked at his bosses brothers and remembered something sent out in a company wide memo before the three had left. So, he swallowed the answer he was going to give, and then said. "It's Blackmoor Mills, sir." he said carefully. "It turns out they were screwing us."

The color drained from Hither's face, and knuckles went white from how tightly he closed his fists. "Stupid bastards, they really did it." he said quietly. He turned to the group, "I am so sorry, it appears something has come up at the main office."

"You are not seriously going back to work!" Thither exploded. "Seriously man? I mean, really?"

"This is important, Thither." He said back. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a bank notice. He walked past Thither, and handed it to Yon. "This will give you access to my Spectropolis account. My way of apologizing for leaving so suddenly."

Yon took the note, and cocked an eyebrow at Hither. But the durhian paid no notice as he turned to Sonia. Reaching out, he took her hand. "My lady, my apologies. Would I had the choice, I would remain in your company for the entire week." He gently kissed her hand, and for a moment regarded her with great sadness in his eyes.

The Alabastra Gods were joyous, kind, and loving gods. What was about to happen would hurt them dearly.

Turning away he leaped up behind the Snipes Pilot. The bird was a two seater, its saddle a prototype for the companies ventures into transit. That wold have to wait, Hither decided. He waved one final goodbye as the bird beat it's mighty wings, took a run up that scattered tourists and stalls, and took off into the air. The plot turned around and shouted over the din. "Are you sure you don't want to tell them?"

"It would be best for my brothers to remain out of the country for what's to come." He shouted back.

"What about the lady Sonia?"

"Our gods could not stop the coming conflict if they tried, only delay it. It's to far gone now. Let them enjoy this happiness while it lasts."

It was obvious to anyone who had all the information that the discontent between the two species of Crav was on the brink of boiling over, and Hither Tomes had a monopoly on information.

"What about you sir, surely you're in danger?"

"I will not sit by and allow my company to be reduced to ashes by this stupidity. The daily is to important. It is my duty as CEO to see it weathers the coming storm. I will leverage everything I have against anyone who threatens it."

Down on the ground, Thither watched his brother until he was merely a spec in the sky. "Flake." He said dismissively, shaking his head. "Still, I'd hate to be Blackmore right now. Hither only looks like that when he's going to destroy someone."