Act 3 Scene 6: Clarity, A Clear Mind, and an Open Vessel
Kailvan grabbed the arm of the girl bringing her down the path. “Is this my home?” she turned around and face him.
“You truly know nothing, Kailvan,” and continued walking along the path.
“You DO NOT understand. The green light enveloping this world. This was the only clue to my home that I could remember as a child. This is my home, isn’t it.”
“It’s not my place to tell you. You don’t even know what you truly are. You don’t know what I truly am. As I said, you know nothing.”
They kept proceeding along the path in silence. He grabbed her arm one more time and pulled her to face him. “Are you my sister?”
She looked at him, with sad, but honest eyes. “Yes and no at the same time. It is quite difficult to explain. He would be better suited to explain it to you.”
“Who? Who are you taking me to?”
“The vanguard of this world. The protector and the one that was entrusted with saving us all.”
Kailvan looked down, clearly confused by all of this. The girl put a hand on his arm. “Listen, I know things are confusing right now. But you are going to need to talk to him and make your own choices from there.” She looked at him with sad blue eyes. You could tell she has seen a lot in her lifetime.
They arrived at a tree at the end of the pathway. “If you stand under the tree, you will be teleported to bedlam.” She looked at him. “Good luck, and whatever choice you make, it is not the wrong choice. Understand that now before you head in there.” She gave him a nod, and proceeded back down the path.
He stood under the tree, and was beamed away to bedlam.
----
Back in the city, the remainder of the group headed into the hotel. Once in the room, Keke decided he wanted to sleep, while the remainder of the group decided to explore. They headed throughout the city, and they noticed one trend, all of the people they interacted with had tails like Kailvan, and they all seemed weird. As if they knew nothing of the world, and were emotionless, without souls.
After being weirded out for a long period of time, Biek and Sheath started to return to the hotel. On the way to the hotel, Biek questioned Sheath, “So, we haven’t had any alone time for girl talk…. But….. I must ask you.”
“What is it Biek?”
“Do you….” She started twisting her foot back and forth on the floor. “Well, do you….” She turned red in the face. “Do you love Kailvan?”
“Wha… I…. Why are you asking Biek?”
“Well… I…. I think I am…” she paused. “No, you tell me first.”
They entered the room. “I will be honest, I….” She looked over at Keke and screamed. Keke’s head was separated from his body, and a small amount of smog had filled the room. There was nothing that could be done, he was dead to the world.
Dead is Johnnaboo, Keke, VILLAGER, who could ability seer one person each night, obtaining an ability
----
Back on Gaia, specifically in Bilundeam, the king was within the castle working on his newest invention. He was so invested on his invention, that he did not hear the ship fly overhead, or the associated evacuation of the castle. In fact, he died quite happily from the explosion, after finishing his latest invention!
Dead is Dinashadow, King Alv, VILLAGER, who could create items on a variable number of nights based on whether he was a bug, frog, or human.
---------
Kailvan arrived in beldam and saw an old man standing there. “Who are you?”
“Twelve years ago, I lost one of my most prized vessels. You Kailvan…. You are that vessel. I am glad you have finally returned to me.”
“Shut up, NOBODY tells me what to do! I didn’t come here to answer to you. In fact, you are going down, right here right now. After you’ve told me everything.”
“Everything?”
“Why did I grow up on Gaia? Why do you want to destroy the Vale?”
“You misunderstand my intentions completely. I do not… at all… want to destroy The Vale. I simply wish to make The Vale into Firma.
“What did you just say?!”
“You see, not everything went according to plan. The best laid plans as they say. For example, you growing up in the Vale. There is another who is built just like you. It is he who may be the one who threw a wrench into my gears, looking back.
“Who in the world are you talking about?”
“Come now, it is not cute for you to play dumb or to feign ignorance.”
The old man started walking. “If you are worried that The Vale will become Firma soon, it won’t be happening today or in the next couple of days. But…. I may need your help to convert the world.”
“NO, STOP! TELL ME EVERYTHING. I still do not understand.”
And I shall tell you everything then. The town that you arrived in front of, is composed of beings called vessels. They are essentially humanoid-like beings without souls, where I can place souls within them to allow the people of Firma to awaken within.”
The old man paused and looked at Kailvan, sadness in his eyes. “But 24 years ago, I gave life to a vessel that was very much like you. However, his will was far too strong to be a proper vessel. It’s funny, I had never imagined there to be personality without souls, but alas, I digress. I had considered discarding this vessel, but I could see strength within his resolve. So I sent that vessel as my servant, in order to disrupt the cycle of souls on the Vale.”
Kailvan remained quiet, realizing now who the old man was referring to.
“He may not look like you, there is no tail there, but I know you can feel the connection there. He does deny his own identity. He rejects the meaning of his existence, and does try to assert his own individuality.” He laughed for a moment. “Almost like another certain vessel that I have come to care for over the years.”
The man clears his throat. “His ambition was unbecoming of a vessel, but it was perfect for the mission that I gave to him. I just needed there to be war and chaos in the Vale. That’s what I sent him to do. To induce an unnaturally chaotic flow.
“But why?” Kailvan sounded exasperated. “Why is it necessary to bring war?”
“Ah, the disruption of the flow of souls can best be done through war. And what he did for me… well to be completely honest, it far exceeded what I thought would be even possible.”
Kailvan interjected. “But this says nothing about me, how did I end up on The Vale.”
“When I had given you the gift of life, the gift of a soul in the city you saw before you, he could not bear it. He could not bear to see a vessel with more power than his own, and he felt threatened. You were discarded on the Vale, dropped onto the world that he was tasked with throwing into chaos. Hoping that you would become a casualty in the process.”
“I think I understand…. So I was supposed to be just another slave to you. I was support to start wars on The Vale.”
“That is correct. I did not expect you to be abandoned though. And if he could cause the disruption of cycle without you or worse, in spite of you, that would prove his superiority over you. In fact…. The reason you are likely still even allowed to live now is due to his desire to justify his existence.”
“So THIS is why the bloods of tens of thousands had to be spilled?”
“What are you referring to? His ambitions or our plan to disrupt the cycle of souls?”
“BOTH! And what do you even get out of the disruption of this cycle of souls.”
“Well… its complicated. We must sort the souls. I want to disrupt the Vale’s cycle and drain its souls, filling the void with the souls of Firma instead. To speed the cycle of souls is to speed the work as a whole. So how do you create more souls entering and leaving the cycle? War. And in time, The Vale’s souls shall be gone, and the Vale shall become Firma.
“I still don’t understand how this works!” Kailvan was clearly getting frustrated.
“Kailvan, my child, you have seen this with your very own eyes. Remember the Efil tree, and the smog it emitted. The role of the tree is that of the Soul Divider. The smog you see comprises, the remnants of the stagnant souls of The Vale.”
“Well too bad for you, we killed The Encloser and stopped the smog for good!”
“My child, your naivety is showing. All you saw was the back of the tree, the portion that you were allowed to see. Even now, the Efil tree blocks the flow of the Vale’s souls, while it lets those of Firma flow freely. Come, I shall show you the planets true form so you can better understand.”
They walked over to an observatory-like area. Kailvan spoke up, “What is this?”
“Think of it as an observatory. A place to measure the radiance of both The Vale and Firma.” Kailvan brought his eye to the lens.
“What are you talking about? And what is this weird light.”
“What you are seeing is the center of the planet. This is where the cycle of souls both begins and ends. The light, as you can see is a deep blue. But once this blue color changes to green, then the Vale shall become Terra, and the restoration will be complete. This is exactly why I wrapped up the light in the Efil tree, to prevent the cycle of the judgment of souls on The Vale from inside the planet.”
He paused for another moment, catching his breath. “Such is the Efil Tree’s true purpose, it’s true form so to speak. All you saw was its material form. The flow of The Vale’s souls cannot be changed simply by stopping the disposal of smog.”
“So essentially, he is just an angel of death who sends souls to the tree of Efil.”
“Exactly… Except…. Only until you came of age.”
“What do you mean?” Kailvan looked even more confused at this point.
“His soul…. It’s not eternal, even if he would like to believe it is. I was going to create you next after all…”
“So what you are saying is that he is disposable, especially once my soul grows stronger than his.”
“Precisely… and we do not have long to go before that happens… You now officially know the meaning of your existence and your true home. Was it everything you had wished and hoped for? Or do you wish it to have been different?
“What I know of… is all of the laughter, all of the tears I have shared with the people I grew up with on The Vale.”
“My little one… It is time to forget all of that. You are destined to live among the stars for all eternity. Not whither away on a planet that shall no longer exist soon. You have the power, the position, and even the motived to do it.”
Kailvan sat there, thinking of how to even respond. “I wouldn’t want that kind of power, if I only had a place to call home…. My brothers in the Band of Bards. All of my travel companions. Isn’t my home with them on The Vale?”
“Only you can decide that. But remember, there are consequences in your decision. Consider your choices carefully….
(TO BE CONTINUED)
There are 14 players remaining in the game. 14 people are eligible to vote and 14 people can be voted. Day deadline is set for 10 PM EST.
Bigantria:
1.
@dolphin106258
2.
@StayingPositive2017
3.
@cubsrule4e
4.
@Stagg737
5.
@Animal Midwife
6.
@mizchiefmanaged
7.
@Ms Procrastinator
Uropt
(ABANDONED FOLLOWING DEVASTATING ATTACK)
Bilundeam
(In anarchy/chaos following death of King Alv)
Lubertia
(abandoned until reconstruction is complete)
Outer Continent
Firma and Bedlam
1.
@StartingoverVet
2.
@Coopah
3.
@Trilt
4.
@PippyPony
5.
@PrincessButterCup
6.
@Melchizedek
7.
@WildZoo
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