The Silver Sphinx

 

“May the river's flow wash away your worries and grant you peace."

Elysian greeting

 

 

Third Guild Day of Savorus, 126 HR

After receiving the Gem of Harmony from the phoenix, they descended the Oreb Hills again until they once more stood on the shore of Lake Serene. According to Cebulon, they had to turn back to the Ornwood to reach the Labyrinth of Accord. The forest stretched around half of the lake, so if they kept walking along the shore, they should come across the first trees sooner or later. The Lake Serene lived up to its name. It lay there as smooth as glass and reflected everything that grew on its shore, like a perfect mirror. The sun was high, but the weather was still pleasantly warm and mild, not too hot for a longer walk. Soon the Oreb Hills flattened out and they reached their foothills. The lake on their right was also receding, and they came to a bright grove. Hundreds of orange trees grew here, about half of them bearing fruit and the other half in full bloom. Under one of the trees, a horse with majestic white wings was grazing quietly.

Morânia immediately noticed that it was saddled. “We are obviously not alone here,” she said thoughtfully.

Lereia nodded. “It seems to be serving as a mount for someone.”

Jana plucked an orange, took out a long and thin knife, obviously not made for fighting and peeled the fruit while walking, at the moment apparently completely relaxed and carefree.

But after a short time, Sgillin paused and pointed ahead. ” Abaia is over there.”

They could indeed see the bebilith under one of the larger orange trees, with its now bluish-white chitinous shell. Morânia felt a deep sense of relief that Abaia had apparently not let its cruel side get the better of it this time and was meeting up with them as promised. As they approached, however, she noticed that it had become significantly smaller. The bebilith had shrunk from the size of a horse to that of a pony. Apparently, the deva spark caused further physical transformations. Next to Abaia on the floor stood a glass case, the shiny panes held together by elaborately decorated gold strips. Inside, Morânia could see a curled up snow fox, resting on a velvet cushion.

 

 

“It brought Ybdiel with it.” Lereia's face brightened when she caught sight of the glass case.

Naghûl nodded in acknowledgment. “I told you everything would be fine.” Then he turned to the bebilith. “Abaia, are you all right?”

“Yes,” the telepathic reply came immediately. “Deva here ... But deva weak. Abaia placed deva in magic vessel so that deva may survive longer.”

Morânia's gaze wandered to the glass case in which the fox-shaped Ybdiel lay softly bedded. She sensed a clerical-magical aura filled with light emanating from it, so it was obviously a blessed artifact. Wherever the bebilith had gotten the sacred object, it was clearly capable of protecting the enchanted angel for a while longer and keeping him alive.

Meanwhile, Sgillin's gaze wandered over to the winged, white horse. “Do you know who this pegasus belongs to?” he asked.

“Per,” the fiend replied.

Jana let the orange drop. “Which per?”

“Per?” Lereia raised her eyebrows. “Aren't they the guardians here?”

Morânia nodded. “Yes, that's right. The per guard all known portals to the Upper Planes to ensure that no one enters who means us harm.”

“But I don't see any per here,“ Jana stated, taking another bite of her orange.

“Per guards labyrinth,” Abaia explained.

At this remark, Sgillin immediately turned his attention back to the bebilith. “Where is the labyrinth?” he asked. “Can you lead us there?”

It was clearly noticeable that the demon hesitated, and Naghûl raised his eyebrows slightly alarmed.

“Abaia ... you haven't done anything to the per, have you?”

“No, Abaia not did anything,” the fiend assured. “But per doesn't like Abaia.”

Naghûl nodded with a sigh. “I can well imagine that. He has not yet been able to look into Abaia's heart. But we will convince him.”

“Are they so reasonable, those per?“ Sgillin raised his eyebrows doubtfully.

“I rather doubt it,” Jana replied immediately. “I find them rather creepy.”

Morânia contained herself from making a sharp remark when Jana once more expressed her mistrust of heavenly beings. While she had initially stood up for Ybdiel so strongly, even though he served a deity, she was now hostile towards other celestials. Where did that come from? It couldn't just be the philosophy of the Athar, which she recently adhered, much to Morânia's regret. The per were creatures of the Upper Planes, but they were neither gods themselves nor in the service of the gods. The same applied to the Guardians of Balance. Whether Jana, in her sometimes confused way, was unable to distinguish between this or whether her strange dislike had other reasons, it stuck in Morânia's craw and she realized how Jana's behavior was beginning to irritate her despite the soothing influence of the plane.

Lereia seemed to feel the same way, but she replied diplomatically. “We will try to convince the per of our cause. Let's see it as a challenge.”

“Right,“ Morânia agreed. “We must have hope.”

“Exactly.” Naghûl nodded. “Be positive, guys.”

Sgillin shrugged. ”It was just a question, with the per.”

The short exchange of words unfortunately didn't seem to have helped Abaia's peace of mind, but the fiend now turned to the glass case and stretched out its front claws towards it. “Deva must go into the labyrinth. Abaia carries deva.”

Sgillin eyed the demon skeptically. “Do you think that's a good idea? If your alter ego gets the better of you again, it could end badly for Ybdiel.”

“Abaia carries deva!” the fiend replied energetically and gently lifted the glass case with the curled-up fox.

Sgillin spread his hands in defense, indicating that he would not interfere, but Morânia could see that he was not pleased about it. She couldn't blame him; she, too, had not yet abandoned a certain vigilance towards the demon that was just ascending. But as long as Abaia showed no signs of its dark side breaking through, she thought it more expedient not to let it feel any mistrust. That could have set it back on its path. So they continued walking, with the orange trees growing a little thicker and the area becoming more difficult to recognize. They did not know exactly where the Labyrinth of Accord was supposed to be, but they hoped for the power of the travelers' way to ultimately lead them there. For a while they walked in silence, surrounded by the scent of ripe oranges, while the white petals swirled around them like flowery snow.

Then suddenly Lereia stopped and raised her head slightly, as she often did when she sensed something. Even in her human form, her senses were sharp enough. But this time she seemed to perceive something different than a scent. “Over there by the trees are the Guardians of Balance. I can actually feel their soul signatures all the way over here. Perhaps because they are quite strong.”

Jana stopped abruptly. “I don't trust them.”

“They are avatars of Neutral Good,“ Morânia replied irritably. “I do trust them.”

Sgillin couldn't help but give a mocking grin in Jana's direction. “You trust a blade-armed, half-demon spider, but not these four?”

“I don't know,” the sorceress replied. “I think they want to harm Abaia.”

“I don't think so,“ Morânia replied with annoyance. “They gave us the Water of Serenity and revealed knowledge about the Prophecy to us. Besides, there was nothing impure in their aura.”

Lereia nodded in agreement. “And I don't think they're interested in Abaia at all.”

“Yes, I think they are,” Jana explained without changing her expression.

“I don't have any concerns either,” Naghûl said, taking Morânia's and Lereia's side.

Jana waved them off. “Doesn't matter. We'll see and hear with our own eyes and ears.”

“Why do you Athar always have to be so paranoid?” Morânia sighed deeply. ”Granted, if I were so at odds with the gods ...”

Jana put her hands on her hips. “I'm not ... I'm not paranoid! I just don't trust them, and those lions are hideous!”

“What?” Morânia shot Jana a look of profound incomprehension. “The lions are beautiful.”

Lereia raised her eyebrows, too. “Yes, what's wrong with the lions?”

The bal'aasi could well imagine that Lereia, who transformed into a white tigress, was particularly offended by Jana's remark.

The sorceress shuddered demonstratively. ”Yes, beautiful, and then one bite and you're in two pieces.”

Sgillin grinned broadly. “Well, everyone prefers something different.” He pointed to Abaia's twitching mandibles and hissed at Jana.

Even Naghûl, who was usually not averse to casual joking, just shook his head at Jana's remarks. “Let's just keep walking …”

They approached the group of orange trees where Lereia had sensed the soul signatures of the Guardians of Balance. They thickened into a blossoming grove, but quickly thinned out again, and in the middle of the clearing, the Chosen now saw a whole group of heavenly beings gathered: devas, lillendi with iridescent scaled snake tails and colorful wings, aasimar paladins, winged animals, guardinals, but also simple petitioners, it seemed. In their midst stood a tall man in shining armor. They all eyed the newcomers, not openly hostile, but skeptical and alert. Above all, they looked sternly at the bebilith with Ybdiel in its claws.

Jana slowed her pace. “Well, I'll stay a little behind with Abaia.”

In this particular case, Morânia could understand the sorceress' caution. They were moving through Elysium with a fiend and might have to account for it to the beings gathered here. The bal'aasi approached the assembled celestials, Naghûl at her side, while Sgillin and Lereia fell back a bit. Kiyoshi had stayed with Jana and Abaia. Vesperis of the Guardians of Balance now nodded kindly to them, and Morânia noticed that the four guardians were the only ones who did not look at them doubtfully. Lereia hesitated, looking from one to the other, and then bowed deeply before the crowd. Naghûl and Morânia did the same, even Sgillin bowed, while Kiyoshi got on his knees. He surely regarded the assembled heavenly beings as kami, and indeed, he wasn't wrong about that, Morânia thought to herself. Only Jana remained rigid and uptight, her chin jutted forward. Now a woman with brown complexion and dark hair emerged from the crowd, dressed in white fabric and light, soft leather. A stately unicorn was walking at her side. Morânia smiled at the sight of her. The woman must be a beloved of Valarian, a member of a sisterhood dedicated to the unicorn god. These women swore a vow of chastity and formed a close, inseparable bond with a unicorn that carried them and only them on its back. It was a blessed sisterhood that represented the purity of the heavens.

 

 

A few steps away from the group, the beloved of Valarian paused and nodded at them gravely. “Greetings. But I must ask you directly: Why are you the companions of this evil being?” She pointed at Abaia.

Morânia bowed again. “We can explain,” she replied calmly. ”We do not accompany an evil being. We accompany a being that was once evil, but is now willing to change and ascend.”

The follower of the unicorn god frowned skeptically. “How can you be sure? What if it's a trick, a deception of evil? We heard what the being did at the inn near Conclave Fidelis. How many died.”

“That is unfortunately true,” replied Lereia, who had sided with Morânia after some initial hesitation. ”And we regret it deeply, as does Abaia itself. But the longer it carries the spark, the more it changes. We want to support this change and, above all, help Ybdiel.”

The bal'aasi nodded affirmatively at these words. “We can neutralize the evil in this being. We could even make it do good. And isn't it Elysium itself that teaches us to have hope?”

The unicorn rider appeared pensive and gently shook her head. ”There is some truth in what you say. But the danger is also great ...”

“Only by facing the danger can we achieve great triumph,” Naghûl replied firmly.

The beloved of Valarian exchanged a brief glance with her unicorn, then nodded. ”Very well, I will take you to Dargus. He shall decide.”

She beckoned them to follow, and the crowd of celestial beings parted, many dozen paladins and aasimar, devas and guardinals making room for them. Although she had grown up equally in Elysium and in Sigil, Morânia felt deeply moved by the pure presence of all the heavenly beings. A solemn, even sacred mood lay over the grove of blooming orange trees, and they all passed the assembled celestials in silence and reverence. Even Sgillin seemed pleasantly touched, while Jana, always close to Abaia, walked with a slight tension, but with determination, her back straight. The bebilith seemed intimidated and was apparently trying to make itself even smaller than it already had become. Aurora made a blessing gesture in the direction of the group as they passed her. The beloved of Valarian now approached the armored man in the middle of the group and talked to him quietly. It had to be Dargus, and the appearance of his armor and helmet indicated that he was the per guarding the labyrinth.

 

 

He nodded and then took a few steps towards the group, scrutinizing them. “Obviously you don't want to attack,” he finally stated.

“Never, my lord,“ Lereia replied respectfully.

Sgillin, on the other hand, frowned questioningly. “Why should we?”

Dargus pointed at Abaia. “After all, you're protecting a fiend.”

“We're helping it,” Lereia quickly explained, but the per's expression darkened even more. “Yes, exactly.”

“Not just a fiend, my lord,“ Morânia replied politely, but with a certain emphasis. She knew that the per were the guardians of good and hoped to convince this one of the sincerity of their request if they only presented it openly and honestly.

“Speak, child of the Morninglord,” Dargus urged her.

“We protect a fiend that is willing to ascend,” the bal'aasi explained. “But we also protect the spark inside it that belongs to the deva Ybdiel. Thus, we also protect the angel.”

Dargus’ expression remained stern. ”However, the bebilith carries something precious that does not belong to it.”

“Yes.” Morânia nodded. ”But this treasure offers Abaia the possibility of choosing a different existence. It wants to do this and also help Ybdiel. Do we merely take a creature from evil or do we redeem an evil creature and save the deva at the same time? We think that the second way is most beneficial to the cause of good.”

“Can you do that?” the per asked earnestly. ”Save both of them? I can see that you believe in your cause. But I am not sure if you are following the right path.”

Now a woman emerged from the crowd whom Morânia remembered well: it was Kria, the fisherwoman whom they had met together with her husband at the very beginning of their journey to Elysium. Her long, red hair swayed in the wind and under her green dress, the belly in which her and Romar's child was growing, bulged visibly. She smiled at the Chosen, then went to Dargus, bowed and spoke softly to him. The per listened attentively as she pointed at Abaia, nodded several times, then pointed at herself and her husband Romar, and finally stepped back into the ranks of the celestials.

Dargus looked at the Chosen, sighed a little and then took off his helmet. “Are you really sure about this?”

Surprisingly, it was the usually quiet Kiyoshi who now stepped forward and spoke. “I know the oni better than some here,” he explained, pointing at Abaia. “This creature was once an oni. Now it is something else. I cannot say what it is, but it depends on your decision whether you gain an ally or lose one. I cannot tell whether this creature is already good. But I believe it is truthful.”

Dargus nodded contentedly. “You speak thoughtfully,” he stated, then looked at Abaia. “And what do you say yourself?”

“Abaia wants to help deva,” the telepathic voice of the bebilith sounded. “Wants to be different ... wants to keep what Abaia has ... wants to find peace.”

The per examined the fiend closely, seemed to think again, and then looked from one to the other. ”You believe in what you say. You stand by your actions and take responsibility for what you believe in. I respect that.” Then, for the first time since the beginning of the conversation, he smiled and pointed at the gathered heavenly beings. ”Who would we be if we didn't give good its chance? You may enter the Labyrinth. We will stay here and watch. We will know what is happening inside.”

Morânia felt a deep sense of relief flowing through her. Part of her had been sure that the heavenly beings, the inhabitants of Elysium, would never deny anyone their chance of salvation. But a little tension and excitement had still remained.

Naghûl also breathed a sigh of relief. “I thank you,” he said to Dargus. “With all my heart.”

Lereia put her right hand to her heart and curtsied slightly, and Morânia bowed in thanks. Even Jana smiled now and had visibly relaxed. The bal'aasi took a quick glance at the Guardians of Balance. Aurora and Vesperis smiled warmly at them, while the two lions, Lumen and Skía, bowed their heads majestically. Those gathered behind Dargus now parted and revealed the entrance to the Labyrinth: the blossoming orange trees formed a passageway to a large clearing, where tall walls of green hedges rose. Dargus nodded encouragingly to the group and pointed at the entrance. As they approached the clearing, Morânia gave Kria and Romar a grateful look. The two smiled and waved as they passed underneath the trees and approached the green hedge wall. At last they had reached the goal of this journey: the Labyrinth of Accord. A silvery light lay over the place, a crystalline sparkle everywhere in the air gave the clearing a magical aura. A few steps from the hedge, the companions stopped. The lush green shrubs were about five feet high, covered with thousands of roses – and seemed to be absolutely impenetrable. Where might the entrance be? Nowhere was a gate or passage to be seen, only the dense hedge that stretched many paces to the right and left. But then they saw the leaves of the nearest shrubs moving. A glimmer and sparkles flashed between branches and blossoms, and a woman of breathtaking beauty emerged. Numerous flowers were woven into her green hair, and her scanty clothing seemed to consist of living leaves, vines and blossoms. She had to be a nymph.

 

 

“Welcome to the Labyrinth of Accord,” she greeted the group, and her voice sounded like a sweet melody. “I am Nya, the Guardian of the Gate.“

Morânia bowed her head in greeting, smiling. She could almost feel the group's men staring at the fae, and she couldn't blame them. Nymphs were the epitome and embodiment of feminine beauty.

“That's a good start,” Sgillin said quietly.

But the women, including herself, were also eyeing Nya with fascination, Lereia smiling rather discreetly, while Jana stared at her quite openly and with unconcealed interest.

“You are wearing the Regalia of Accord,” the nymph stated. “So are you here to follow the path of peace?”

Lereia nodded. ”Yes, we are.”

Nya pointed at the chalice Morânia still held in her hands. “A chalice for the peace of the soul and water for the serenity of the mind.” Then she looked at Naghûl. “And a vessel to hold what cannot be held.”

Naghûl nodded gently and opened his fist to show the Gem of Harmony the phoenix had given to them.

The nymph smiled. “Very good. Carry kindness in your hearts and you will find the way. Of course, you still have to pass the three trials.”

“Can you tell us something about them?” Sgillin asked without taking his eyes off her.

“Yes, I will have some advice for you,” Nya replied. ”I'll see you inside the Labyrinth.”

“I certainly hope so,” the half-elf replied with a smile.

A knowing smirk played around the nymph's lips, then she stepped close to the hedge, which opened and stretched out its branches towards her as if to embrace her. Within moments, she had merged with the foliage. Shortly thereafter, the branches moved again and the hedge parted right in front of the group, forming a round archway.

Jana let out a slight sigh. “What happens if we don't pass the trials?”

“According to the Envoy, it won't cost us our lives,“ Lereia recalled. “But it's likely that we won't reach our goal then.”

The sorceress nodded and straightened her shoulders. “Well, then ... let's go inside.” She marched resolutely towards the entrance, but then stopped at the archway and let Morânia enter first.

 

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played August 18, 2012