"Umm no sir, it’s about my dreams again."
"Ah. Oh dear. Still dreaming of Joy, are we? Take my advice lass and come to terms with your loss in your own way. I don’t think you really want that Lady representing you to the gods; I doubt she’d make a good impression."
"I’d worked that out myself actually, sir."
"Well then, what’s the difficulty?"
"Ummm, I’ve actually been getting help elsewhere. I’m pretty sure that it’s Kami, the God of Nihon."
"Well now, that is interesting. Tell me all, and omit no detail; an accurate report will save me hours of scrying."
"Well, I had been with Joy that night, but I became tired of ‘contemplating her beauty’ and so wondered awhile. I found myself in a neat little garden; all neatly trimmed bushes and raked pebbles. Noble dragons tended it all and it seemed ultimately tranquil. There was a pagoda there and the god within bade me join him. His maidservant, a geisha I suppose, brought us tea and we talked about... things until I woke. I cannot remember what was said, but I feel more at ease now."
"Tsk. Joy and Kami vie for Lovers then; I wonder what drove him to raise his ambitions beyond merely defending Nihon..."
Terrors and horrors, marvels and puzzles. Black oceans and raging islands and a dying in men's hearts.
- You bring me so many tales of tragedy and woe of late, Dolfod. Is all gone to ruin?
Who can say, brother? All I know is the tale I have to tell is strange indeed and I do not know its meaning.
- Tell your tale that age may discern what youth cannot fathom.
Very well. Acquaintances of mine in the Upper Air...
- Romantic acquaintances?
Never you mind. Acquaintances of mine in the Upper Air had told me of a curious mystery: a mist arising in the sea, the realm of Abyss, had come inland and obscured their view of Australia...
- Is that what used to be called in the prime of the Old Gods the Great Isle of the South?
As I said, their view of Australia, although the mountain which arose there some years ago jutted through the mist tall and proud. I decided to travel to Australia to see what transpired there.
- Did you travel over the ocean, Dolfod?
That I did, and the ocean has grown exceeding strange.
- I had heard that it had. What is the new nature of the sea?
No longer is it sometimes blue and sometimes grey - no, for now it is black as the night. As one travels over it one sees great luminescences within, lights which wax and wane and sing songs one can just barely hear of their mystery. I looked closely at some of these lights, and saw that they were alive - the only life left in the ocean. They are shaped like the merfolk, and they beckon to all that see them. They were strange... but what I found beneath the veil of mist was terrible...
- What did you find?
The island of Australia is alive. It grew great legs as I approached, and stood up out of the ocean. I could see the god-made mountain on its back - it seemed curiously out of place, like a mole or a scar. The creature Australia has become... it would be wrong to call it a spider, but that is what it is most like.
- ...
Brother?
- Such things I have not heard of since the First War. I know of no power that could have done this save a God or the Unreal, working either directly or via proxies. I fear what is to come. I take it you fled?
That I did, brother, for there was naught to be done against the spider. It is not my place to act, merely to see and to say what I have beheld. And I have beheld another thing.
- Another?
The force of love wanes in the world, brother. What was once the prime aim and sole motive of many is now merely a passtime, a hobby on a par with collecting shiny stones or playing meaningless games. It is something tinkered with on rainy afternoons, not pursued with heart and soul. It is not gone from the world, but it is weak.
- Truly an age has passed. Where do you go now, Dolfod?
I go back to the road - until the next time, brother.
"Harry Cale here, reporting from our broadcasting tower several miles above Manhattan - thanks to the K group for the improved office space - and things have been pretty calm this side of things recently. Apart from the Cockroach Gang - we know who you are, you trash eating vermin. There's been a swarm of bees over the city just recently, but I'll be damned if I know what they're for still they don't seem to be doing any harm, and there's only one lot of bugs that had better not show their faces around here.
"Guys, gals, loyal listeners. I'd just like you to take a moment to remember the hardworking folks here at KNNY, and remember that our little show doesn't run itself. So we're running a special promotional offer - official KNNY `What Do We Do Now?' teeshirts are going onsale in all major department stores priced only NV$15, and guys if you've not yet taken up the New Vegas Dollar, I'd start right now, because money makes the world go around.
"Coming up next, we go live to the Upper Boardroom for the Chairman's statement on the Second Amendment, after that narrow vote at the shareholders' meeting."
News has been flooding in from as far afield as Finland of the fantastic growth of trees in the past year, from forests to copses, it seems that green is spreading like wildfire! Even on previously barren and drought aflicted land forests have been springing up, and saplings have been shooting up faster than ever before! It's been suggested that it could be something in the water, but this source remains sceptical until further facts are discovered about the strange new tone our oceans seem to be taking on these days. Don't miss our special supplement 'There's something in the Water, and we don't mean the Fish!' out next month, to find out more.
Rapid growth isn't the only oddity concerning forests though. Previous to the start of the floushing spread, there were reports of strange flickerings and a reddish glow emanating from the heart of the Black Forest, which locals were worried might be a forest fire. Sure enough, the smell of burning was soon carried on the wind, but there was no sign of the fire getting closer, in fact no obvious flames or any kind were seen, though residents of the area kept watch for over a month.
Over the last few months the glow seems to have faded, but the charred smell remains. Baring in mind the terrible tales of what happens to those who wonder to deep into the forrests, locals have not ventured in very far to find out more, but the smell has caused several of the nearer households to move out and seek accomodation far from wooded areas.
Geez, foreigners, eh? Word is those folk came across from South America on some little dinghies or something. Nuts the lot of them, with their stargazing and their dumb calendars. 'course things have been pretty crazy around here since the Empress died. What?! You didn’t know? Where’ve you been man? Typhona and her husband, that king of grace guy... Aeber, yeah; they’re both dead. Some kind of accident apparently; a mirror fell off the ceiling and crushed ‘em both while they were in bed. They were probably shakin’ the walls too hard, ya know? Those folks really knew how to live.
Anyhow it seems their son has taken over the Empire. Last thing I heard out of the capital he had been throwin’ some kinda funk, mopin’ round the palace, but now word has it that he’s really givin’ it his all. I guess death takes people in different ways, ya know?
He takes a shearling ram by the head and slits its throat, left to right. Illisozt manifests.
I attend. What would you know?
- Illisozt. The Goddess Destia, longtime enemy of my people, has been greatly embattled this past year. Tell me how she fared.
Against Madness she stood stoic, caring nothing for his taunts. And he did bop her on the nose, as one might scold a naughty puppy.
- And her duel with Time?
Again the lady was defeatd. Although both were well matched the lady Destia could not provide a satisfying answer for time's final riddle.
- And what was... wait, no I don't want you to get me on that "three questions" trick before I find out what happened with Abyss. Tell me, Illisozt.
The duel of Thrones was fought, and in dribs and drabs, and then in droves the Startouched turned away from the Lady of Mirrors. What Abyss and his agents can have offered them I do not know but it must have been tempting indeed. Even now those that remain loyal to Destia gather in the south, thinking to strike at him. Now if you will excuse me, three questions have been asked and answered and I will take my leave.
Illisozt vanishes, and as th sorcerer is cleaning up his paraphernalia and mopping up the ram's blood a figure steps out from the shadows, knocks and looses an arrow without a word, and turns away - but not before arranging the body and cutting it with his hunting knife. The sorcerer lies dead in his own circle, his throat slashed left to right.
Enrico starts to cry softly.
...What was I saying?...Eight feet, eight feet high it was I tells ya! Huge great thing, not a tree extactly, more like that... wossname.... asparagus.... yeah, with a big bristly top, like a thistle, yeah. Where was I? In the valley? Yeah that's it, that's a nice place, lotsa people to talk to, don't mind listening or not, very polite folk... and I look in the waters and I see the stars. They are all becoming as the mirrors. All the pools and the lakes and the scrying pools. The camel she knows, the lady she knows. The pretty silver girl she tells me.