The Dawn Watcher's Insight
Eoparatiratis stood above the world of Cradle, far, far above it. He looked down at the massive orb that floated below, yet above him, looking down from the rough, uncarved surface of the yet unnamed Void-Fortress. Well, yet unnamed but still Fated, the light of the navigator's star shown upon the gray surface, but it was the light of the Albatross' Wing that framed the new embodiment of Citlalee. He had foreseen the shape of the debates, and found it unnecessary to participate, not when there are much more interesting studies to embark on.
The purest light of the Sun he'd yet experienced scintillated off his Shattered Mirror Mask flitting tiny butterflies of light on his surroundings as his head moved to survey. What sublime a moment.
Unfortunately he wasn't meant to simply bask in it, he had a task to complete.
"Brother Dawn Watcher, stop burning your eyes in the light and come help me with these measurements." Bender of Bronze, a fellow from the Sundial Tower beckoned him. He was a short fellow, his head filled with numbers and equations, with no room for anything he can't take a ruler to. He was invaluable for the precision needed to carve this floating mountain efficiently, but he needed constant, meticulous instruction.
Bother.
Eoparatiratis did not, of course, have to measure the angle or width of the chisels needed for the Mundanes to cleave off large chunks, or how hard they must strike to widen the cracks properly. No instead he must decide where they must hit. He saw in the pure light of the Sun the Phantom of the Goddess Fated to Be. She was beautiful. Not nearly as much, was his companion's voice.
However, he wished to go far and beyond. The construction didn't just require precise measurements, but proper timing.
"Not there." He said with a glance. "Five steps over and every ten steps after until you reach the dell. It will give her alure the proper width." Wide enough to ferry supplies to the archers without disrupting their draws, or to have two men stand in queue against besiegers. It would also make the parapets shine, the light of The Clarion Constellation would grace them from around Cradle's horizon just as the chunk would cast away.
Bender of Bronze, as is his wont, questioned him, "Five steps in which direction? And how large are those steps?" It took him little time enough to stop questioning *how* he knew, of course, after the fifth time Eoparatiratis answered 'such it is Fated'. It was the quickest path to make him stop.
That he was irritated by it was merely a small... side effect.
"87 degrees left from your current heading, at your natural pace." He acceded just a tad to Bender of Bronze's need for direction.
"I hate it when you say 'natural pace.' It makes me self-conscious." Bender of Bronze stood, turned, and started walking, taking five, studiously unmeasured steps to his left.
"Self reflection is a keystone of our Order, Bender of Bronze." Eoparatiratis replied glibly, "Perhaps you'll learn to take measure of the world from your swagger."
Bender of Bronze scoffed at the remark, letting it wash over him. if there was one thing Eoparatiratis liked about him, it was that he took things as impersonally as he saw the world. "Who would measure the world with feet?" He asked as he made markings at the correct spot.
"The world is merely a reflection of that which we see in it. Or perhaps they count with their toes."
"I've known Supplicants who came in doing that, it's beaten out of them quickly. If you can't keep track of numbers in your mind, you've no future with the Sundial."
"But Brother Bender of Bronze, you're keeping track of your steps on your hands."
"Short cuts are for those with experience, Dawn Watcher."
"As you say." Eoparatiratis deferred. He pulled out his star charts and trailed after Bender of Bronze. The plan, the timetable, the schedule was important for the construction of Citlalee. The White Tower had taken into account the stars, but Eoparatiratis foresaw an error in their divinations. They had taken into account the star's light which would shine on the Fortress, but only from the limited perspective of their home on Cradle.
But they did not see the stars as they were, they are different even up here on this asteroid, their meanings slightly changed. The Sun shined just as much as the stars did, purifying the surface, yet at the same time the stars shown. They were not hidden by the sky, they were a constant just as much as Cradle above them. As well, half the night sky was not hidden by the ground below, a simple walk could take one to the other side of Citlalee, and the stars shined were completely different. The calculations were done from of the surface of Cradle, and divined the Fate from there, too, but that was not what the Fate of Citlalee was to be.
The Art of Divination wasn't wrong, far from it, but it did not take all into account! Citlalee was currently trapped in Cradle's Fate, the light from the stars colored by its lens, yet that Fate was still Citlalee's own. It hurtled around the sky, separate from Cradle still, the Divinations could not be properly done from the ground, but on the Goddess herself!
This, of course, complicated things, as he had to follow the schedule, while making the proper adjustments and calculations in real time. He currently only had a year to: determine Citlalee's orbit around Cradle and add in Cradle's orbit around the Sun to that, read and adjust Cradle's star charts for Citlalee to determine which stars would be where at what time, divine the change in effects the slight realignment in the star's light would have, adjust the schedule and order of construction to take into account the affects and imbuements the additional star's perspective would have, and hopefully, somehow, on top of all of that, use this phenomenon to enhance her abilities. All while properly planning out the construction right now.
But he saw the steps, the Path Forward rose before him, just as the Dawn always would. Citlalee would not just be the first Void-Fortress, it would be The Archetypical Void-Fortress, superlative in its construction, the one to which all others would be compared and found wanting. Prideful, yes, but he knew he could achieve it, would achieve it. It Was Fated.
He was extremely fortunate that he was given control over the project as a whole, along with some others, this would be even further Hell if he'd have to convince his superiors of the worth of this arrangement rather than just some compatriots. Being the highest representative of the White Tower gave his words and suggestions much heavier weight.
he did some more offhanded simple guiding while trying to figure out the orbits of the planets and Citlalee, the frustration of keeping the angles and charts in track vexing him before his thoughts stumbled upon an idea. Perhaps he needed help with the math. Nonchalantly, not even looking up from his charts, he asked, "Brother Bender of Bronze, you said that your order's Supplicants are taught how to deal with large numbers and keep them in their mind."
"Yes, they are." He replied, himself not looking up from his task of laying out the chisel marks.
"What methods would those be? I do not imagine that you would simply whip them until they can recite equations by rote."
He scoffed, "Of course not." Bender of Bronze was mildly offended by the idea, and goaded into at least some sort of explanation. "The problem most have is that they keep numbers as either words in their head, or an undefined 'amount,' the trick is to instead have symbols drawn on a board in your mind and remember what it looks like."
"Like how we have to remember the stars positions..." The Dawn Watcher looked down at his charts, and it was as if a door was unlocked in his mind.
"Yes, I suppose so." Bender of Bronze replied absently. Eoparatiratis continued to guide him, though less to Bender of Bronze's taste than usual, for his mind was someplace else.
He could already see it, the Sun in the center, Cradle's orbit around it and, far closer to it, Citlalee, he already knew the charts and visages from Cradle's point of view, yet now he flew far above it, and could see the stars in his mind change. He Knew the star charts not by heart, but by soul, why would that change when he stood far above Cradle's surface? Why sit and calculate when he already Knew?
It made much more sense, now, that he could already see the Phantom of Citlalee, he had all the tools he needed to bring her into being, he just needed to use them properly!
Bastions and their arrow slits carved carved while embraced by the nock of The Hunter's Bow, while light shown on from behind Cradle by The Viper's Fang. Battlements founded under the auspice of The Architect's Hammer, beside The Sculptor's Chisel, and at the Point of the Warrior's Sword. The Gate and Portcullis installed in the soft light of The Warrior's Shield.
And the steps needed, the order taken, it was like a dance. Not a straight forward path, but a winding trail in the star's light.
It, the path, the construction, the actions, the Fortress, would be beautiful!
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