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"Blackwash…." she paused, pondering the name. "I went there once, long ago, when I was young. Much has changed since then." She thought for another moment, then turned back to Pluto. "Never mind that now. Where are you and your companions going, that requires a pass through my realm?"
Pluto gave Mike a questioning look. "Should I tell her?" she mouthed
Mike shrugged like, "I guess it can't hurt".
"We're on our way to free someone. I believe you would know him by Lord Zhan," she told the woman
At last her face shifted: the delicate eyebrows lifted a fraction of an inch. "You would undo the banishment?" A moment later the eyebrows lowered. "Whatever possessed you to attempt this? Only a handful of mortals even know of Lord Zhan, let alone the fact that he is in exile. All of them rejoice that he is gone. Why not you as well?"
"First off, not mortal," Pluto said, gesturing to her wings. "Second off, he said he'd help us with a little problem involving Lucifer."
"Lucifer." Nattra curled her lip. "That uncouth, barbarous fool. If you are acting against him, then you cannot be my enemies. But….Zhan is no friend of mine. I'm not sure I want him poking around on Earth again, not when I haven't finished tidying it up yet."
Mike spoke up. "Ma'am, we had heard that you were allied with Zhan. Is that not true?"
"We are not allies. Merely business associates." Nattra looked away disdainfully. "He's not quite as bad as the others, therefore I tolerate him. But I still say he's a meddling, childish prankster who likes breaking the rules a bit too much."
Pluto chuckled a little. "Wow. Ya mind telling that to half of Molhaven? Especially Lova, or Damascus."
She smiled wryly. "Would they but listen, I would gladly mend the error in their ways. However, they are not prone to admitting that they are wrong, any more than I am. Wisdom, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder."
"Never heard something more true," Mike muttered.
(I gotta go have supper, back later)
(K)
(Back again)
"My lady," Kaiser said, careful to keep his voice respectful. "We humbly ask that you do not hinder us on our journey. We do not seek to disrupt the order in your realm, nor do we wish to bring about the destruction which you believe Lord Zhan to be so eager for. If you grant us safe passage, we will implore him not to instigate mischief upon his return."
Nattra drew herself up, toying with the idea. "Hungarius," she said eventually. "You have proven yourself to be a very intelligent, well-mannered guest to my archives. I will grant you the benefit of the doubt, and not keep you here as my better judgement insists. But I will not assist you either. You will either succeed or fail on your own, and then we will see where the chips fall….to use the popular phrase. That is my final word."
Kaiser bowed again. "My deepest thanks, my lady. We will go now."
(never have I talked so fancy in my entire life)
(Oh man, I think like half my important characters talk fancy lol) Pluto nodded. "Thanks for not killing us I guess."
"You are welcome." She walked past you, bringing a chilly draft along with her. "Hungarius, you know the way to Teppa. The first elevator on your left is a shortcut, take it and you will reach the door in much less time."
"Yes, my lady." Kaiser turned and continued down the hall, away from Nattra. "Let's go. We still have two realms to traverse before we reach Lord Zhan, and they are significantly more dangerous than this one."
"Oh, lovely. Where's your unreasonably enchanted truck when you need it," Pluto muttered
"I hear ya," Mike said. "This is getting too surreal for me. "Sky islands, Sphinxes, chill savage goddesses….I'll be glad to get back to the normal world."
"Then you will enjoy the next realm," Kaiser said, entering the elevator and pressing the button for the lowest floor. "Teppa is the realm of Urth, the nature god. Generally he does not pay attention to the affairs of mortals, so we may not be troubled on our way through. But it is still a deceptively treacherous place, and the creatures there will try to separate us if they can. Do not lose sight of each other."
(I gotta go to bed now, seeya tomorrow! ^^)
(good morning)
(hello) Pluto nodded. "Got it."
The elevator door opened, and they entered a small, empty room with slightly dimmer lights than the rest of the realm. There was something different about the air in this room: it was fresher, tangier. A slight draft whispered from a door on the far wall, which wasn't as sleek and shiny as the other doors they'd seen. A small crack in the door had a bright green seedling growing from it.
Kaiser carefully opened the door, revealing a wall of darkness. "Do not touch anything, do not speak loudly, and above all, do not make eye contact with anyone." So saying, he ducked through the door out of sight.
Pluto followed him, nodding. She went through the door after him, immediately staring down at the ground
The ground was soft, earthy, and covered with a layer of dead plant matter. It was soft, like a thick carpet. Faint shafts of sunlight were dappled here and there, but otherwise it was quite murky. The only sound was the chattering of a stream somewhere in the distance. Otherwise, it was deathly quiet.
Mike took a deep breath from beside Pluto. "Old growth forest," he murmured. "But there's no animals. Or at least, none that we can see."
Pluto's eyes flickered, and she looked up a little to see around them. Usually, if she was trying to look at something's soul, she would be able to see right through other objects. But for some reason her sight wasn't working properly, almost as if something was interfering with it. "I can't see anything, and I hope it stays that way," she muttered
Kaiser waited to make sure they were all there, then spoke quietly. "There is only one safe road through Teppa, and that is this one." He pointed at the narrow deer path ahead of them. "It is not marked, or maintained, and at times it will be hard to follow. But we must be extremely careful not to lose it. If we do, we may never find it again, and fall prey to Metsanpeitto. Does anyone know what that is?"
"Mestan…no?" Pluto said quietly
"It's what happens when you wander too long in an unfriendly forest," Kaiser said. "You lose touch with reality, and time, and even your own identity. Sometimes your body becomes paralyzed, and the forest covers you with flowers. Those affected by Metsanpeitto become invisible, and rescuers will only see trees or rocks where they lie. Some have been lost for decades this way, and some never return."
"Oh," Mike said. "I know what you're talking about. When I was younger, I walked across the country all by myself. I'm pretty sure that happened to me at least once, out in the Rockies."
Kaiser turned and began walking down the path. "However dangerous it is on Earth, in Teppa it is ten times more so. Do not fall behind."
Pluto nodded. "Happens a lot to people who try to search for Cassiel. They get lost looking for his lake, and they're never seen again. Cas insists he only lets it happen to the wicked who don't deserve to find the lake, but I'm not sure that's how it works," she said quietly
"From what I have gathered, Urth holds a generally low opinion of mortals, and does not wish them to visit his lands. Heaven help the human who threatens Urth's sacred forests and mountains."
As they walked, the light gradually strengthened, and some fresher green began to appear among the ancient trees. A bird called out, breaking the eerie silence at last. The stream came into view, as clear and shining as liquid glass and fringed with mossy stones. It was more beautiful here, and the air felt less heavy. High above, it was possible to glimpse a bit of the clear blue sky.
Mike walked more confidently now, his back straight and his gaze sweeping the forest on either side. "This is completely different from the last realm. I like it a lot better."
"Then perhaps," Kaiser remarked, "You will return here when you die."
That shut Mike up, and he continued to walk in silence.
Pluto frowned. "Is this…Are these realms like afterlives?"
"In a sense," Kaiser said. "Generally only those that are born in one of these realms returns to them. Hapbringers go to Uarilon, Earth demons go here, and so on. But there are exceptions. Humans have been known to go to any of the five realms after death, and many choose other afterlives of their own creation. We don't know how or why."
"Sounds a bit like the meltwood. There's different rings that represent different realms within the meltwood. Different creatures go to different rings, but a lot of things can happen when you're in them. I once heard about some cursed kid who used the purgatory ring to turn himself into a demon and wreck an entire city."