(Soundtrack for this post :
Theology and Civilization)
"We shall start with the spell and its requirements. You must be of sufficient ability to cast the spell, have the material components, and have the subject's body whose death was not due to old age. The last, and most important requirement, is that the former soul of that body must be willing and able to return," Bahamut explained. "Also, in the not so distant past, I would have made it more likely to have granted the request for the spell if both of you had performed some outstanding service to promote the cause of Law and Good; the most good for the most people."
"Defend the weak, heal the sick, and provide refuge for those in need," Taylor said, repeating the words Bahamut had spoken to her when she'd been turned into a dragon.
"Indeed. On that basis, you have done very well, as did your mother," Bahamut stated. "We also saw this moment coming since February, and tried to prepare for the eventuality of you making the request."
"Your mother's body was cremated," Tamara continued. "That is not an issue, as her ashes are still accessible. Likewise,
any bodily remains would work, including hair in a brush or a lock of hair given to your father, although the more complete the body the easier the casting will be.
"That you asked the question 'Should I do this?' instead of just moving forwards and doing it means you have some foresight," Tamara continued. "You are aware of the consequences of casting that spell. The ones of least concern are the physical toll on both the caster and the one to be raised. You'd both be bedridden for a week, maybe more, which can be prepared for."
"Then comes the social consequences," Bahamut added. "Wars have started over less than the chance to bring a loved one back. You would be hounded day and night by people wanting
their loved ones back. Criticized for bringing your mother back, instead of someone 'important'. Threatening you through your parents to do what they want – and yes, we know how that would turn out. All concerns you yourself voiced.
"The most fundamental limit to this spell is if the spirit or soul of the person wants to return to life. You tried to use
Revivify on one man, Akira Fujiwara. He had already made his peace with his fate, and went on to his karma," Bahamut finished.
Taylor nodded. "I remember a voice that said he'd moved on, and didn't want to return. Kind, gentle, and sad," she said quietly. "When I thought about it, I realized that the cancer he'd had, plus the radiation poisoning, would have killed him the instant he'd returned to life."
"The question I have for you," Tamara said, "is this: Haven't you already made your peace with your mother's passing?"
"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't. As much as I still want her back, I've accepted the reality that she's gone, tried to keep her memory alive in my heart and pick up the pieces of my life and keep moving forward like she'd want me to. It took Dad a little longer – and almost losing me – for him to do the same."
"Despair is a subtle and insidious poison," Tamara replied.
"The question you must ask yourself, Taylor, Naurelin, is do you believe your mother would want to return?" Bahamut asked.
Taylor thought hard about the question. "She would want us to move forward," she finally answered in a quiet voice. "To not worry about her anymore, and continue our lives without her, as she's moved on to whatever awaited her."
Bahamut nodded. "Indeed, that is usually the wish of most parents who have passed on."
Tamara nodded as well. "You show wisdom beyond your years, Taylor. We would grant your request to bring your mother back…"
"Except for one small problem," Bahamut continued. "Her soul or spirit can't be found to be asked."
"Excuse me?"
"Your mother was either immediately claimed by some being, her soul lingered on your Earth or – and this is very unlikely – she was quickly brought back by someone else," Bahamut explained. "We think the first scenario is most likely, as the others would tend to leave detectable traces."
"The problem is we can't figure out
who," Tamara pouted. "Most souls in your world go off to whatever plane matches their alignment in life. What you call Heaven and Hell cover broad swaths of the outer planes. Our immediate contacts and allies, along with various magics, can't find her."
"And I didn't take her," a new voice said. The speaker was a girl a little older than Taylor in appearance, with pitch black, unkempt hair, wearing a very nice black dress. An eye of Horus was painted under her right eye, and she wore a silver ankh around her neck, hanging on a simple leather thong. Taylor's dragon senses told her she was much, much more.
"Naurelin, Lady Teleute, or Death of the Endless," Bahamut introduced the newcomer.
"Chronepsis managed to get hold of me, and I thought I'd stop by," Death said. "By the time I'd gotten to Atlantic and Broadway in Brockton Bay, Earth Bet(d), your mother's soul was already gone. There was nothing there for me to claim."
"So something took her before the accident?" Taylor asked in a quiet voice.
"Probably just as the accident happened," Death clarified. "Travel time isn't really an issue for me, and there was no sign of her soul being taken before she died. I just wish other beings wouldn't muck with my job."
"Now that is very interesting indeed," Bahamut mused. "Who or why is now the question."
"I honestly don't know," Death answered. "Not the first time it's happened, and it's getting annoying. Anyway, I've got to be going," she said, taking a couple of cookies. "Thanks for the cookies." And with that, she disappeared.
"Ugh, this has been an emotional roller coaster," Taylor grumbled as she leaned on the table and began to tremble. "First I'm happy because I could keep a promise to my father. Then worry because I considered the consequences of doing that. The despair because I thought you were going to say 'No', which is actually your prerogative. Then despair because I thought she was forever lost. And now anger, because someone took her, possibly before her time.
"I don't know what to feel." And with that, Taylor began to cry.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
"There are times, Taylor," Tamara said, "that getting answers to your questions is the worst thing that could happen." She had let the girl cry herself out, pouring out all her confused, conflicted emotions over several minutes. And then fussed over just a little by cleaning her face.
"There are times when not knowing is far easier on the soul than knowing the truth of a matter," Bahamut added. "That there are beings scheming beyond our knowledge is something that disturbs me. There are few who can do so."
"Suffice to say, Taylor," Tamara continued, "that while you have the power to bring your mother back from the dead, because her soul has been locked away somewhere by some power, you should not attempt it at this time.
"If Death does not know where her soul is, then she is beyond this realm's borders. Trying to call her back from there could be catastrophic. Or nothing at all could happen, and you waste the material components, spend the next week or two in bed, and maybe get saddled with a heroic quest to re-prove your worth." She fixed her gaze on her older brother.
"I have only done that once to any of my favored," Bahamut answered his sister's gaze. "And Etistar had been given ample warning. But that ignores Taylor's question. Despite all of our advice, the only answer we can give you, Taylor, is to do the right thing. Strive in your heart to do the right thing. Keep in mind what I told you when we first met – defend the weak, heal the sick, and provide refuge for those in need – and you should do just fine."
Taylor nodded, sniffling the last of her tears away. "I talked to Chidanul," she said in a quiet voice. "He mentioned someone named Falazure."
Bahamut's visage darkened. "Ah. He is, most likely, not responsible for your mother's situation. He has the power to do the claiming before death, but not the ability to hide it from Death herself, as your mother was not a dragon. If he had taken her soul to the lower planes, she would've known.
"The fact that his name has come up in several places means his schemes are still in motion," Bahamut growled.
"Despite being burned to ash, vaporized, chopped into very small pieces, vaporized again, and reduced to quark-gluon plasma," Tamara grumbled. "The one thing we've never been able to do is to track down his phylactery. Destroy that, and then destroy the body, and Falazure goes to the Far Realms."
"What's a phylactery?" Taylor asked. "I've seen references to a couple of wondrous items called that, but nothing that would return someone after being thoroughly destroyed."
"The one thing you have to keep in mind, Taylor, is that Falazure is an abomination called a dracolich. He exists in a realm between life and death, with his soul residing in a receptacle called a phylactery. His body gets destroyed, his soul returns to the phylactery, and he can inhabit another suitable body, usually another dragon, though any reptile would do. It's an imperfect form of life extension."
"The last time we took direct action against him," Bahamut recounted, "we took the top third of the Dragon's Eyrie and cast it into the lowest depths of Carceri. And that was myself, Sardior and Chronepsis. Tamara and Lendys were still recovering, hindered by a curse from Falazure. Garyx had been weakened to the point he was just an apparition. Hlal had not been seen for a century, Aasternian had been destroyed utterly by him. Tiamat had glassed Avernus and was discovering that her betrayal was complete. Astilabor had withdrawn from the internecine fighting and fortified her various lairs."
"And now he rises again, trying to destroy everything," Tamara finished.
"Your story in this, Taylor, daughter of Danny and Annette, or Naurelin, daughter of Chidanul and Tenneiss, is but a small part of a much larger tragedy, " Tamara said quietly. "One writ large in our arrogance, ego and blood. And one our children have paid the price for."
"I think,
Mirikixa, it is time for you to go back to your host's house. You have a busy day ahead of you. And yes, I could have easily provided a
Ring of Changes, but there would have been a price paid," Bahamut said. "And yes, I would have had Garyx pay, and asked Greg to perform a service."
"You may also want to find a place for these," Tamara said with a small smile. She held two small crystal teardrops, utterly perfect in their form, shape and clarity. "When a dragon is truly sad and moved to tears, these have a chance to form. They are called dragontears. Because dragons don't cry very often, they are exceedingly rare. And they make a far better material component for bringing back a loved one from beyond."
Taylor nodded and took the crystal teardrops in hand, holding them close to her heart before whispering "ℜ𝔢𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔫…"
The two sat and looked at each other for a moment. "That went about as well as could be expected," Bahamut mused. "It could have gone much worse."
"While some of her questions were kind-of answered, she still has her doubts," Tamara stated. "She will, however, try to do what you told her to do."
Bahamut nodded. "And we need to uncover more of Falazure's schemes."
"It may already be too late to stop whatever he has planned," Tamara said.
"Then we need to make sure we survive it. Varchaniel!"
The trumpet Archon appeared. "Yo, boss! What's up?"
"I need you to set a watch upon this place," Bahamut ordered. "I have some misgivings about how secure a refuge it is."
"On it, big B. Flo, Roma, and Baebe should enjoy some time in the wilderness."
And with that, Bahamut and Tamara disappeared, Varchaniel lingered a moment, taking the last cookie off the plate before vanishing.
