71
GreggHL
Engaging hilarity engine/air intake
- Location
- Daejeon, Republic of Korea
Immaterial, invisible, Noedumari floats through the corridors of the manse. Somehow, she remains undetected- or at very least believes she is. So little time has she spent in Creation, so few her encounters with the transcendent brilliance of the chosen of the Sun, that she wouldn't recognize how she is being tracked.
The manse is a labyrinth. She has been in some over time- in Heaven, the celestial manses. She worked as an attendant in a couple. A cook in another. Some were mazes, some were alive. This one is obviously built by someone who is...aware...of dangers around him. Which she says because paranoid would be rude.
She measures the wind and finds him- it takes her some time. False leads, false hallways. She passes a kitchen, a garage, and several workshops. But eventually, she finds the masters workshop set aside for her employer- and finds him with one of the Solars. The bearded one.
"...so yes, that is more or less the truth. More or less." Autochthon paces. Hands folded behind him, three meter tall body hunched over, steam blasting out of his grill with every step.
Telion sits on a flared chair of brass and steel. It is twice his height, three times his width, and still cooling. "But I don't understand," he says, stroking his beard, "Why the deception?"
The domed head shakes. "Why? Why? Because they had to believe! They have faith, and the truth would shatter their faith!" Arms spread out, facet eyes shaking and shifting, the brass giant paces around the Solar. "They had to believe there was something left! And there was nothing left!"
The Solar only nods, face pensive and brow tight. Noedumari tilts her head, standing invisible and intangible in the workshop doorway. "And what about everyone else?" Telion asks. He props his elbows on the armrests, hands tented in front of his face. "I can tell the Vizier's not exactly happy with you, but he's professional. Your niece obviously loves you-"
"And I her," the brass giant says, shoulders slumping, "It is reassuring that not all of them resent him. Me. Us." A pillar rises, and he sits. "Even if it is because her mother doesn't remember who I was enough to hate me."
Telion waves his hand, faint smile on his face. "I don't think it's that. What about the god you were traveling with? She's obviously smitten with you." Folding his legs, he looks up at the giant, fingers tented. "What about you?" Fingers tap together. "What do you see for her?"
A faint puff of steam. "Her? What do I want for her?" Shoulders rise and roll back. "I want to make a new Yu Shan. Build it with my own hands. Christen it, craft it, and make it for her and those like her."
He rises. Hands clench and unclench. "Because I have seen the old Heaven. I've seen what it does." Pacing, stomping, steam flows freely from his grill. "Most of her superiors were scum! Those that weren't were outright rapists! All for something as trivial as a job!"
Telion nods, face impassive. "You'd build a Heaven for her?"
"Because she deserves it! Any of them do!" Waving his hand around, the brass giant continues, shoulders slumped forward. "I thought I was a victim! But they are! They feared him just as much as I feared my his their kin!" Hands clench hard enough to warp the brass. "I want her to be happy. I want her to be pampered and cared for. I want her to find true love, settle down with someone who will treat her like a queen, and be the favorite teacher of her children. Because she deserves it."
Telion nods, slowly. A faint smile, almost imperceptible crosses his face behind his folded hands. "Because she was afraid of you, and made you realize it?"
"She was afraid of Autochthon," the giant breathes.
Telion nods. "I am not Autochthon," the giant says, voice barely above a whisper, "My name is Tabernackle."
-End Chapter 8-
The manse is a labyrinth. She has been in some over time- in Heaven, the celestial manses. She worked as an attendant in a couple. A cook in another. Some were mazes, some were alive. This one is obviously built by someone who is...aware...of dangers around him. Which she says because paranoid would be rude.
She measures the wind and finds him- it takes her some time. False leads, false hallways. She passes a kitchen, a garage, and several workshops. But eventually, she finds the masters workshop set aside for her employer- and finds him with one of the Solars. The bearded one.
"...so yes, that is more or less the truth. More or less." Autochthon paces. Hands folded behind him, three meter tall body hunched over, steam blasting out of his grill with every step.
Telion sits on a flared chair of brass and steel. It is twice his height, three times his width, and still cooling. "But I don't understand," he says, stroking his beard, "Why the deception?"
The domed head shakes. "Why? Why? Because they had to believe! They have faith, and the truth would shatter their faith!" Arms spread out, facet eyes shaking and shifting, the brass giant paces around the Solar. "They had to believe there was something left! And there was nothing left!"
The Solar only nods, face pensive and brow tight. Noedumari tilts her head, standing invisible and intangible in the workshop doorway. "And what about everyone else?" Telion asks. He props his elbows on the armrests, hands tented in front of his face. "I can tell the Vizier's not exactly happy with you, but he's professional. Your niece obviously loves you-"
"And I her," the brass giant says, shoulders slumping, "It is reassuring that not all of them resent him. Me. Us." A pillar rises, and he sits. "Even if it is because her mother doesn't remember who I was enough to hate me."
Telion waves his hand, faint smile on his face. "I don't think it's that. What about the god you were traveling with? She's obviously smitten with you." Folding his legs, he looks up at the giant, fingers tented. "What about you?" Fingers tap together. "What do you see for her?"
A faint puff of steam. "Her? What do I want for her?" Shoulders rise and roll back. "I want to make a new Yu Shan. Build it with my own hands. Christen it, craft it, and make it for her and those like her."
He rises. Hands clench and unclench. "Because I have seen the old Heaven. I've seen what it does." Pacing, stomping, steam flows freely from his grill. "Most of her superiors were scum! Those that weren't were outright rapists! All for something as trivial as a job!"
Telion nods, face impassive. "You'd build a Heaven for her?"
"Because she deserves it! Any of them do!" Waving his hand around, the brass giant continues, shoulders slumped forward. "I thought I was a victim! But they are! They feared him just as much as I feared my his their kin!" Hands clench hard enough to warp the brass. "I want her to be happy. I want her to be pampered and cared for. I want her to find true love, settle down with someone who will treat her like a queen, and be the favorite teacher of her children. Because she deserves it."
Telion nods, slowly. A faint smile, almost imperceptible crosses his face behind his folded hands. "Because she was afraid of you, and made you realize it?"
"She was afraid of Autochthon," the giant breathes.
Telion nods. "I am not Autochthon," the giant says, voice barely above a whisper, "My name is Tabernackle."
-End Chapter 8-
