A Weapon’s Serenade

Nemesis led the group to nearly every nook and cranny on the chariot on her tour. She seemed really proud of everything, including the bridge on the bottommost deck the group had just entered.

Nemesis snapped around to face the central seat. “Intruder alert.”

There was a complaining meow coming from the chair.

“Relax, it’s just a cat. We can’t stop them from going anywhere they want, just a fact of life.” Focalor gave Nemesis a reassuring smile.

Nemesis nodded. “Understood. Does anyone know this cat?”

Melody peered over the back of the chair. “Oh. That’s Tiny, she knows us and has been following our adventures quite closely.”

Tiny was sitting on the central chair looking quite pleased with herself.

Focalor sighed. “Looks like we got another passenger then. Welcome aboard Tiny. Would you like to sit on my lap while we get out of drydock or do you want to hog the chair?”

Tiny pondered for a moment then jumped down and immediately back on Focalor’s lap once the demon had sat down.

“Very good. Now, everyone please take a seat somewhere. Nemesis, confirm with Umbria that we are ready to go and the portal and observation dome are ready to be picked up.”

Nemesis stared off into the distance for a moment. “Umbria has confirmed everything ready, she is in the observation dome.”

“Good. Retract walkways, close all access hatches and prepare to detach from scaffold anchors.”

“Done. Stabilizers active, we can detach.”

“Detach the anchors, move forward slowly and come to a halt once we are clear of the scaffolds.”

Nemesis just nodded and the chariot began to move. Once it came to a stop again, her eyes began to dart around. “Diagnostics of physical systems are done, everything is working correctly.”

“Active the tether runes and signal Umbria to do the same.”

There was a small bump felt on the chariot. “Tether is active.”

“Alright, get us up and above the portal assembly very carefully. Once there is any strain on the tether, stop and release the anchors on the portal assembly.”

The chariot moved again for a few moments. Nemesis clasped her hands behind her back. “Portal assembly is detached from the scaffolds.”

“Get us out of the bay then, carefully and very steady. Don’t want to risk scratching anything down there.”

Once again, the chariot moved. It took a few minutes during which Focalor looked quite tense but eventually she gave another command.

“Full stop. Confirm that we are ready to teleport.”

“Umbria confirms ready.”

“Jump to the designated coordinates… now.”

Outside the forward window, the endless ocean and amber sky was suddenly replaced by a much closer horizon and bright blue sky. Nemesis turned away from the window to face Focalor.

“Teleport successful, the portal assembly is three metres above the water surface. Shall we begin extending the tether?”

Focalor nodded. “Coordinate with Umbria on that, we will hold here until the assembly is in position.”

“Understood, please excuse me.” Nemesis’ image distorted and vanished.

“So, while we wait, why don’t you girls do some expositing. Nemesis and I explained a lot of stuff about the chariot today and I am sure you already know everything about why we are here. I want to know why you are here.”

Anne shrugged playfully. “That is a damn good question I keep asking myself as well. I guess the short version is that we befriended Nirrti, she took us to Hell to meet raptor kittens, on the way back home we met Serena and she wasn’t allowed to join her fellow marine biology students on a trip out to sea because of health reasons and we decided to call another friend, Famine, to see if we can do something nice for her. Then we met a siren, talked about their quality of life and we all agreed that it wasn’t good enough. Now we are here because the high inquisitor agreed with that assessment.”

“That’s the short version?”

“Yup.”

“I know you can spin a causality chain into absurdity, but aren’t you girls also the group that got involved with the entire ancient human cult thing? You know, the one that got the high inquisitor so riled up with the pattern emitter.”

“We are those girls, yes.”

“All that in four years, such a busy life. I spent the last four years being lazy and growing cacti. Is that kind of rush normal for humans? The high inquisitor is so quick to act too and it’s been barely twenty years since she was turned.”

“I suppose it is. Humans generally don’t have the time to take it easy and relax for a few years. Not only do days feel far longer than they do for you, we also get a lot less of them in total. I mean not us as in Melody and I, we have been promised immortality, but humans in general.”

“I do worry about your deaths, promise or not anything can happen and it would be pretty shit if you were harmed.”

“They will not die.” That was a new voice. A woman in a flowing black robe stepped around the command chair.

“Who are you and why are you so sure?” Focalor narrowed her eyes at the newcomer.

“Ara.” Kuria mimicked Focalor’s expression.

“Kuria. It is good to see you use a name. It’s been a while.”

“It sure has. Why are you here? This isn’t where I expected to see you again.”

Melody held up her hands. “Wait. Stop. Again?”

Ara turned to face Melody. “Yes, we met before, shortly before you were separated. I am the avatar of finality in case you have not been following. And I am here not because anyone will die but because you are setting us on a path where I will have to let even more of my children go.”

“The sirens… they are getting a way into Hell and I guess there is a way to turn them into their very own special form of demon.”

“And I am here to make sure they are offered that option and to observe. I have walked the world of the living too rarely in the past.”

“But aren’t you dealing with all sorts of deaths all the time? You must be quite busy.”

“I can be anywhere I want at all times. I am dealing with a lot of dead things right now and I am also here dealing with the living. Consider it a… hobby of mine.”

“That’s a strange thought but sure.”

“It might not be obvious but I do enjoy letting my children go. I do not hate what I am, what I personify, but there is a human saying: rules are meant to be broken. I am a rule and I enjoy being broken.”

“Uhm… that sounds way too… no, forget it. What the hell was that bit about us not dying? We are still mortal, Anne and I.”

“What makes you think I would let you die? I am the end and I decide who ends. You will not.”

“That is reassuring in a scary way.”

Ara smiled. “Good. Now, we are still waiting for the soul within this marvel of magic and the demon in the little glass bubble to finish their job, right?”

Focalor nodded. “Nemesis and Umbria are setting up the observation dome and the portal to Hell, yes.”

“Good, then we can keep chatting a bit. I like this cat.”

Everyone looked baffled.

Ara chuckled. “You must have known that cats are the one kind of being that ignores all rules. Tiny has been wandering places many cats have before but no non-cat has.”

“I thought dogs were able to enter the underworld too. They can travel between universes just like the cats can.”

Ara rolled her eyes. “Even if they could, I wouldn’t let them. Those sycophantic parasites are the worst thing to come out of the heavens and there is a lot of misery among the angels already. I am glad that, in this universe, they are limited to this planet for now and that their souls are tied to the heavens. Too bad humanity has mostly embraced them.”

“Wow.” Anne couldn’t hold back. “I did not expect something that harsh from someone who has been described to me as overly kind.”

Ara looked at Anne. “I haven’t even voiced half of the disgust I have towards these… creatures. Even calling them that is too generous.”

“I guess that’s the singular hate bit about eternal beings. But yea, honestly? I fucking agree. Dogs are dumb.”

“I like you. But yes, I suppose it is the singularly focused hatred of eternity. I love all who walk this world. I love every little bacterium, I love the little jellyfish mindlessly eating things, I love every human even the ones who do bad in this world. They are all my children, the artist the same as the murderer. Even the travellers who just come by, the demons, you, the angels, I love you all. I deeply care for you, that’s why I am happy to see the sirens find a good life even if it is outside of my embrace. But dogs? I cannot be indifferent therefore I must hate. It is my nature. To find them in this universe on the same world that serves as the prison… no, that is a matter for another day.”

Kuria’s eyes instantly widened. “The prison of what? You told me you and the things that walk between the stars cast down some great evil on some rock a long time ago. Is that rock earth? What the fuck did you imprison here?” She paused in realization. “It’s the power that surpasses the demons. The pattern emitter, nothing we know can create one and especially in this universe it breaks the rule you personify.”

“You didn’t put that together before?”

“What? No. Fuck. I need to see the high inquisitor. Right now.” Kuria teleported away.

“That took her a little over three years.”

Melody took a deep breath and spoke with a very stern voice. “What was that about?”