7th May 2013
14:19 GMT -2
The… Bleeding has mostly stopped.
The burns are mostly cooling.
I really didn't appreciate how messed up that looked from the outside until I watched it myself.
"
I don't know how long this will take."
Gamemnae is actually leaning on me as we head back towards the portal, Despair following on behind at a waddle. Their grin is starting to get annoying.
I don't really know what Despair
does, or how they got the job, but I am slightly mollified to know that they'll die before the end of the universe. I mean… Really, I'm getting out of this lightly.
Just me; Gamemnae is having just about the worst thing possible happen to her, and while she's definitely earned some time in the Punishment Fields this is… Something I actually wouldn't wish on a supervillainess.
"Does it end when we destroy the stones, or are you stuck-?
"
She's shaking her head. "
I mutilated my soul to accept this power.
Pray that the portal is still open, because I can no longer open a new one."
"Does it get less bad when we destroy the-?
"
"
No." I glance back at the cheerful-looking Despair. "
Not with those magics."
"I will not lift a hand against you, but I can't deny that I'll experience an
unseemly amount of pleasure when you finally die.
"
"
I just want to see if I get both of you."
"Gamemnae, is there anything I can do to make this less terrible for you? Suspended animation, perhaps?
"
"
Once... Once the stones are destroyed and the networks collapsed and Atlantis rests on the Atlantic floor once more, only
then will it be safe to allow me to sleep."
"Okay, that's an improvement. And then we can work out a way to unmutilate you. I know a man who can cut runes into souls directly, so… Maybe he can undo them… Or reroute them-.
"
"Why..? Are you being… Nice? You
know what I was doing."
"Because you didn't have to do this, and a lot of people are going to get to live sane lives because you
are. I know plenty of people who'd just shrug and then save themselves. You could have done.
"
"I
didn't even last a year. I
just… Just wanted to make Atlantis
great,
and…"
"And you got over confident, didn't check your work and didn't trust anyone enough to check it for you. And you decided that you were the only way Atlantis could become great. Atlantean magicians have never been in more demand than they are today. Atlantis was becoming richer and more socially dominant. But… I.. guess I understand if that's all that kept you together in Mictlān and you got a bit fixated.
"
Despair
claps. "
Touching.
I might cry."
"So as I said, I'll do whatever I can to help you. But while you're coherent, I'd very much appreciate it if you could tell me where King Orin and Koryak are. Because it's going to be a lot easier to convince other people to help me if I can give them that.
"
"I sent Koryak to Venturia, with a few spells to make him obedient. They won't.. find it strange that he's there. Not until you recover King Orin."
"Okay, that's an easy fix once the mental confusion ends. And King Orin?
"
"Heh. Heh. HehAHheh. I'm, Sooo hEArtleSS."
We're not out yet and I don't like the sound of that laugh.
Do I still have..? Yes… There it is in the depths of subspace, the… Third? Production model.
A little nightmare talisman from the Goddess of Nightmares and Madness. I raise it to my forehead.
"Melinoë, please bless this woman with your forbearance. She will know more than enough madness and has lived more than enough nightmares. Shield her, I beg you.
"
And then I put it over Gamemnae's head.
She
gasps, and her eyes are a
little more focused. But she's leaning on me more.
"Better? Worse?
"
"W-what..?"
"It's started, whatever it is. You're currently wearing a charm blessed by your new goddess of nightmares and madness. I don't know how long or how well it will work.
Better or worse?
"
"It's-.
Worse, but it's forcing me to be coherent. The horror is all there, but I'm forced to feel it all rather than hide in delusion."
Sounds about right.
"King Orin. Where?
"
"The easiest way to hide the body."
"Make sure there isn't a body.
"
"The site where Oceanus was bound was already tied to the royal line. An Aztec spell using his heart as the focus… Was a part of all this."
"And he's not dead?
"
"He's immortal. I made him like Oceanus. We keep fish in him now."
"I.. saw the pool. Do I just put the heart in it?
"
"No, that's
asinine-. You'll need a magician. Nommo Balewa should be able to make the bridge. It's not that complicated once you can perceive the shape of the bindings."
"Rightoh. Will he need anything when he becomes human again?
"
"I don't know. I've never used that spell before."
"That's fair.
"
And
there's the portal.
"Nearly there. The teams will need an hour or so, then I'll put you-
"
A grey-robed figure with a heavy book in his arms walks through the portal.
"-under. Destiny!
"
I
think he's looking at me, but his hood covers his eyes. "
You aren't in my book. You never were."
"Almost certainly true. But I've got something that I
really need to take care of right now. Can we put this off until Atlantis has sunk again?
"
"I suppose that it doesn't cause
more disruption." He steps aside. "Be on your way."
"
That's it?"
"Despair. You aren't supposed to be here either. I consider myself even-handed in these matters. Do you wish to complain further?"
Despair's smile fades. "
No, brother."
I turn away from the frankly terrifying superbeings, and half-carry Gamemnae through the portal.