The Stuff of Five Ladies
Written by: Iawen Penn
"Why?!" exclaimed Hope for what seemed like the tenth time this morning.
Date: August 22nd, 1011 "Because I said so?" Iawen arched an eyebrow over the frame of her glasses. "We're only married in that other world," pleaded the High Priestess of Luna, Leader and Lady of Paradise, a protectorate of the Kingdom of Chimeron. "He's nice in this world, too, and he doesn't worship any gods at all but is still a chaotic being. He'd be perfect!" Hope was sitting behind the desk in the office, and this time Iawen was in the visitor's seat across from her. She had been sick for some time down in Coventry, and her Prince (Sir Lord Gideon) had ordered her out for 'fresh air and no work' once she was cleared to magically travel. Of course, he had sent along a letter to her older sister, Hope, to ensure that Iawen had no work to do, and the good people of Paradise had seen to it; but that didn't stop them from giving her headaches. Her sibling, most especially. "Sister," replied Iawen crossly, placing a hand behind her glasses to massage a temple, "I've told you once, twice, a dozen times: just because Diskordia demands that something is done doesn't mean that you have to go do it. In fact, I'm sure your vows to Luna trump everything else. Besides, Quinn might not actively worship other gods but his duties lie elsewhere; don't bother asking him." "But if I'm going to be the Hierophant, for REAL this time, I need to honor ALL the Ladies, not just the ones I feel like honoring," Hope's voice wavered. "I've seen the Ladies when angry, and usually it's at you for something you did." "On the contrary, it tends to be Diskordia that is angry, one. Two, she's the most chaotic of all the Ladies so she's just as soon angry as she is happy or kumquats or a goat tied to a pier eating victory ball jerseys. Three, she plagues ME because I don't roll over easily." "Just like Dad." Hope gave a sad smile. Iawen harrumphed. "You could choose to say no as well," Iawen adjusted the specs on her face before dropping her hand in her lap. "You have that right." There was an awkward silence between the two sisters, and then Iawen sighed. "Tell me where they all are again." "Hmm? Oh! Luna's Altar Cloth is with Rorin, and the Broken Hilt of the Champion on Gryf, but we rarely ever see them anymore and Luna is growing anxious." "I could give two shits about Gryf as the REAL champions are busy fighting the Infinite Dark on Her behalf without any badge of office to do it; Rorin however ought to have a letter sent out to see if he's alright." "Xaos's Altar Cloth and Hilt were with Lord Valas Baneshot of Achoria, who promised to keep them safe, but ever since he was brought under the Planar Shieldstone of Blackwood and the other Valas was unmasked as a doppleganger, no one currently alive knows where they are." "Lovely," Iawen's voice was full of sarcasm, but the eyes flinched briefly as though hurt. "Next?" "Tymora's Altar Cloth and Hilt are missing forever, carried across the seas by a man named Ender. Tymora has spoken that 'when Fate calls, they will bring it to being' when I asked her how to retrieve them for her, but no one has seen him since the Worms Incident in Paradise at that one Feast of Min." Iawen gritted her teeth. "Don't remind me. It was a sad day that I had to call in GRIMLOCH instead of Chimeron to keep the peace. And the others?" "Eris's Holy Items were last seen with Lady Quazar, who said she was going to gift one of them to a lady named Sasha, but I don't know who that is, and now Lady Quazar is gone. And Diskordia's Hilt is with Rillian, who is her Champion, but her Cloth was also lost. I hoped to give it to Lord Airavarri--" "Sir Airavarri," interrupted Iawen, correcting her sister with a snap. "He was a Knight over here with us; he is a Lord in the city of Pious in the lands of myth only. Over here, he was a beloved of Diskordia and Eris, and fathered two sons with the aforementioned Chaos goddess, Axel and... Serrix. He also has many family members he cared for, and they him." Hope blinked. "I didn't know he had a family." "Well, you do now." Iawen crossed her arms over her chest, tucking the hands in and staring at the rim of the desk. Another awkward silence filled the room. "...so, that leaves us, at least technically accounted for, only Luna," Hope spoke in even tones, pulling Iawen out of her thoughts. "Eris is in the hidden North, along with Xaos, only half of Diskordia is safe in Grimloch, and Tymora's is... wherever Fate is? Or wants it to be?" "As it should be," Iawen said quietly. "But we need the Ladies, all the Ladies, not just Luna, in the fight against Bedlam. We can get their help when we recover the items or make new ones and find new Holders for them. And if the Ladies accept them as Champions, the Hilts turn to Swords. And if they accept them as their Priests, the Cloths double as Shrouds to shield them." "I know what they do, my lady," Iawen responded again, softly. "But I know not what WE'RE to do," Hope's eyes gazed at her sister. "...that part is easy, you said the words yourself," the younger sister brought her gaze up to catch Hope's. "We either find them, or make them." "Where do we start?" "The North," Iawen adjusted her black tabbard and stood, snagging the cane from the chair. "Why not the South?" "The South has enough on their plates, and most of the missing pieces point that way. Besides, if Brenda and Kurt dislike us searching, they can just destroy the hidden pieces before we even get to them, and then our job is half-done." "They wouldn't REALLY do that!" Hope laughed nervously, then paused. "...would they?" "Fuck if I know, fuck if I care, fuck us if we don't at least try. The Many Woven Branches document was clear, Hope: no matter where we're from or currently living, we're all running out of time to petition our gods for help. And if we don't do it, then we shouldn't expect them to answer us on the battlefield on that Terrible Day." "To the North, then," Hope stood as well, and grabbed a small staff that her sister had made for her years ago. "..and are you sure I can't ask Quinn to even consider becoming a priest of Diskordia?" "Sister," Iawen grimaced once more. "He was the Wellspring's first, then the Beast's, got caught up with the Kal en Dral of his own choosing, and then Aurora and Antioch marked him. Last I checked: Aurora doesn't share, and you bet your little ankle wings that Antioch won't allow him anywhere near the chaos that the Ladies are." "Okay, okay," Hope smiled good-naturedly, knowing the argument was lost. "So then, in the North... who would you suggest?" Iawen leaned on her cane, her face all serious as her brow furrowed. "...I don't know. I guess that will remain to be seen." ----- |
Created by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 10-29-12 01:31 PM
Last Modified by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 10-29-12 01:36 PM