< Tale Of Two Lunars | Legends | Destruction Of The Tepet >
The shock was totally unexpected, when the Exaltation came. Yet even with the glory of the sun, the memory came as well! Pure and strong, like she was there holding the mad thing in her arms as the world twisted and fell into itself. She could feel herself falling with it. Every breath she took was a gasp, her body was wracked by sobs and a large part of her knew that what came next was death. Most would fall with it into nothing, but Marthia pulled away, resisting with all her will until quite suddenly the sensation stopped.
Through tears, she glanced over at her mentor and friend, the Right Hand of Power. Slowly, her own memories returned. Her life as a Nurse to the Exalted and their followers, the horrid battle that had flooded the Field Hospital with casualties and forced her to go so long with no sleep. The... death... of the Greatest Hero of the Primordial War. When his Exaltation struggled home, even Marthia could tell there was something wrong with it.
She blinked; there was a glowing presence over her. Lytek smiled, extending a hand to wipe away some of the blood that had welled out of her Castemark.
. . .
Most clearly, she remembers the fear. It was a fear with intent, a fear that lashed out at the one who held it here against it's will. A fear that tried to burrow in through the Man's skull and, once within, do unimaginable things. Denied such by the power burning within, it turned the air to blades of stinging quicksilver and the wind to a barbed whip for the soul. Voices faintly heard whispered the thousand never-ending torments that awaited after death, things so unimaginably horrid that Marthia literally couldn't imagine them but was still shocked and sickened. He could have defended himself against these attacks, Marthia knew, but that would have defeated his purpose of being there.
The Solar's had learned that when slain, their Primordial Enemies blighted the world and made it immeasurably lesser. Many plans had been voiced, regarding this facet of their nature, but when the fortunes of the Exalted had suddenly shifted there had been little time for experimentation. The death blow had been struck, the Creator was slowly dying and there was nothing to be done.
Thus did the Zenith, Rhean, lock the jouten into a hold from which it couldn't escape in its weakened state. He whispered calming platitudes to it as its essential nature shifted from Be to Not and endured the things fear even though it ultimately killed him. The last memory Marthia held of his death, before Lytek's hand was forced and the memory cut off so suddenly, was of an contracting black and a sickening sense of vertigo. It was poignant enough that, remembering it even now, Marthia couldn't resist the tears that came unbidden.
. . .
There was nothing of accusation in Marthia's voice as she asked the gathered Exalted, "Is this the only way?"
"That is what we're here to discover," said Black Riotous Thunder, one of a handful of Zenith's present at this Council. Merela and Ignis Divine himself had gathered only the best and brightest of the Solar Exalted to this meeting, to discuss the proposition put forth by Gaia and supported by the Silver Lady. "But, I think it might be a better solution than any of the others we've discussed."
"I still think we should discuss coexistence a bit more," Desus replied, to the annoyance of most everyone present.
It was Sol that spoke up this time. "As much as I would like that, Desus," he said, "I think we've firmly ruled it out as a possibility. Even if we were willing to risk the possibility of later betrayal, which is an almost certainty, the Maiden's have made it very clear that any attempt to establish a new order that involves the Primordials is doomed from its very roots."
One of two Sidereal Exalted present at this meeting, Hadeon, nodded severely and spoke as simply as ever, "As they seldom speak in such absolutes, it is best to take them at their word on this."
"I agree with Marthia," Gorol added, finally. "Surely imprisonment is solution enough; must we butcher them as well?"
Though that wasn't what she'd actually meant, Marthia let the words stand without comment, searching for reactions and letting her own opinion solidify.
"You would lock them away at the height of their power? Empyrean alone would break any seal we could lay, given enough time, to say nothing of the others." It was Aeas that spoke spoke this time, her voice cold and hard, her emotions raw and on display. She found what she proposed distasteful, Marthia could tell, but found the only other possibilities even worse and so she offered what she did. "I also object to referring to this as 'butchery' or 'mutilation'; one need only to look at Adorjan to see the possibilities here. This is surgery."
"If it's surgery, why do your proposals suggest we need alter the Dragon's Shadow least of all?" This time it was Kali-ma, the representative of those Twilight's that objected to this course of action and the one who had used the word 'mutilation' earlier. "Your goal is not to improve the lives of the Primordial's, despite how pretty a picture you try to paint. You aim to maim them, deprive them of any possibility of contentment or hope."
"The only other alternative is standing guard over a prison for all eternity, with no guarantee that they won't break free at some distant point in the future, when we're no longer prepared to fight them or simply better prepared to fight us in ways we've not and cannot possibly be ready for. Given time, at the height of their power, there's no limit to what they could dream up," Aeas commented, with the passion of one who believes that she knows the truth and is merely seeking to convince others of this fact. "It's as pointless a risk as coexistence."
Desus immediately frowned at that remark, but said nothing.
Finally breaking her silence, Marthia asked, "So, to answer my previous question, this is necessary? They'll escape if we don't do this?"
Kali-ma frowned at this. "If you frame it that way, yes, there's a constant possibility that they might escape if we don't--"
"I've heard your points, already," Marthia noted again, enhancing her words so as to minimize any offense she might give. "In this, I sadly must agree with Aeas. It is irresponsible of us to put Empyrean and his fellows in a Prison from which - without constant vigilance on our part - they would most certainly one day escape and take out vengeance on Humanity and the Gods. If another option is available that does not require their murder, it's our responsibility to take it."
"So you're alright with this... With this abomination?" Gorol asked, clearly disappointed in her.
Marthia took that in stride. "I am not alright with it; if we do this, it will affect us always and the crime will linger on all of our Exaltations forever more. We'll be taking the brilliant designers of the world in which we live, our admittedly negligent and uncaring Creators, and cauterizing their souls until they assume shapes that are too weak and pathetic to be a threat to us in the Future. However, that doesn't mean I'm not willing to see this done, in the end. Assuming," she said, looking to Ignis Divine, "You cannot see a better solution, my Lord, that escapes your Chosen."
Though it clearly pained him as much as it did Marthia, the Unconquered Sun only shook his head.
"Then, we have reached a consensus?" Merela asked.
Most of the gathered Solar's nodded. Eventually, Kali-ma sighed and nodded as well. "With my noted objection, yes, I agree as well."
"So be it," Merela said. "Marthia, I want you in charge of this matter. You're to work with Aeas' Circle and whichever Dawn Caste's are willing to volunteer to commit the murders Aeas' and her fellow Twilights outline. Allow me to be the first such volunteer."
"I'll be the second," said Saeleris. He'd said nothing the entire meeting, only listened, but the intonation in his voice made it clear that he found this as disgusting and unconscionable an act as anyone that had spoken.
"Of course," Marthia said, bowing low.
...
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