Dungeon Core: Bugged Ascension

~The Pantheon of the Mu’Reign.

The Queen opens her eyes and calls out into her chamber, “Who was it that Ruth’Moor set out to investigate?”

There are a few moments of clicking and buzzing before a group of attendants fly in to assist the Queen with her waking cleanse and dress. After a few moments more while the smaller fairy forms wash and polish her grander self, a more typically sized male walks into the room. He stops just inside the doorway, “She’s said to have found a possible nursery or playground candidate, a haunt named DNA, my Queen.”

The Queen nods faintly, “What more information did she yield about this DNA and her mission involving them specifically.”

His eyes writhe in their sockets for a moment, “The haunt was undergoing a species evolution at the time of her prior visit, and she was unable to make a {Pact} with it. Though the Omens proved amenable to the idea of attempting a union. She set off some months ago, as the journey back would take much longer with the addition of the archivists, youths, and some sanguine volunteers. They have long since passed beyond range of typical communications.”

The Queen, previously making her languid way out of the chambers, all while the fairies continued their duties, pauses for a moment next to the male. She turns and looks to him with a confused curiosity on her face, “She did not take a Singer with her?”

The male shakes his head as they continue walking from the rest room and towards the banquet hall, “No, my Queen. She felt that the risk of such a distant journey wasn’t worth it when they would be better served with the closer haunts. Their presence nearby as they attempt to better learn these {Rules} that may be the key to unlocking the potential for playgrounds and nurseries like that of Times Past.”

The Palace hums with the Queen’s acknowledgment before a wry smile and the faintest of edges crosses her countenance, “I suppose I will have to properly chastise her upon our next Communing. Even if it was a responsible choice, to think she would leave us in such a state. Now, when you mentioned Omens, there was an accentuation in your delivery. Tell me of them.”

The male lifts up one of the dishes so that the Queen or her attendants may more easily pluck a morsel for themselves, “There were three of them that she had interactions with. The spokesman, a {Charming} mouse named Cutest that she interacted with the most. An observer that she could not spot, whose presence she could only feel named Thing. And a grand tree using various birds as fingers and talons named Life, that she abstained from formally meeting after she completed her communion with the mouse.”

The Queen takes a moment to savor the succulent fruit, allowing the fairies to clean any excess juice from the rupture of the delicate skin, “Only three?”

The male’s eyes once more writhe, as their form shifts from a fused whole into hundreds of shifting tendrils and legs, spinning and twirling in their sockets as he reviews from the collective’s knowledge, “Her report also mentioned a fourth Omen, information that she bartered from the local Titan, a {Forge Phoenix} named Aurora Hephaestus. Though he would not reveal what species of Omen they were, the name Gnat was mentioned.”

“%GNAT…%” resonates throughout the Palace as every voice speaks the name in unison.

The Queen, the only one able to keep the First Progenitors’ voice from her throat, turns to the male, “It would seem my musing was correct. After two long decades my twin has been reborn,” her brilliant smile fades into over the next few moments, “Though my twin no longer, not truly. They were a bird in our latest mission, returned from the dead but then quickly cast back into the earth. Their power a fragile borrowed thing, even though its weight was enough to break the siege on the most recent bastion.”

The Queen sighs a whispered balm throughout the Palace, “Tell me of the route needed to reach DNA. Sending a Singer to Ruth’Moor just became a priority rather than a preference.”

As the male lists off the various territories between them, frustration builds within the Queen. “So, to best ensure safe passage in a timely manner, I must seek out the humans. I can see why she felt it best not to risk a Singer on such a journey. I imagine that War is likely to know why I’m seeking an audience but there is just no helping that. Assemble our finest males, perhaps it is time to bargain with a concubine to tempt the other base nature of the Bloody Jester.”

The male nods and one of the fairies alights on his hand, a quick exchange between the two before its now much sharper wings buzz and it takes off with a jolt. As the Queen continues her meal the male speaks softly, “%It would be good to see, even if only as an echo, our son Pestilence once more. Daughter, mine.%” She nods as all around her the Palace and Pantheon churn with movement and hope once more, so long it has been, longer ago that even when they had met War that their darling Pestilence started to drift away from their communion.

~Gestalt’s Envoy to the Mu’Reign.

His eyes flash open in time to see the harrowing sight of a massive needle/ proboscis withdrawn from his tightly held arm, “%Apologies for the injection, but the Progenitors have brooked no delays. Rest assured that your vitality is of utmost importance to me and the cocktail should have no lasting effects on your biology.%”

The surge of adrenaline from waking thusly begins to fade as it is replaced by a soothing warmth that spreads throughout his body. Pushing away the remaining cobwebs from his mind, “How may I serve the-“ his eyes flinch wider as he finally processes what the governess said, though his speech keeps the incredulity out of his tone, there is the barest stumble, “Progenitors today?”

The injector having fully receded into her forearm, she wipes off the droplet of blood from his, “%The Queen is taking a contingent of her finest soldiers for a meeting with your Kingdom.%”

Taking a blink to process the statement, he finds his mind working at its peak, despite being startled awake, “And to what purpose am I being called? Also, as an aside, this batch has been marvelous so far,” his fingertips gently caress her arm as she stands up. A private smile on his face at the echo of impropriety as her eyes dart around for a moment.

Her gaze hardens even as a smirk curls her lips, “%The Palace thinks it best for you to join the Queen’s itinerary to soften the impression of such a powerful force moving so suddenly,%” as he has yet to even divest himself of the covers from the bed and contents himself to smolder at her from there. She grasps a soft leather switch from underneath and begins swatting him, “%and if you don’t get moving and dressed I will summon some of the Fairies to do it for you.%”

Her blush and wide smile inspiring a mirror on his own face and tone, “Alight, alright, easy! I’m up, I’m moving,” with all the energy filling him from both the medicine and the flirtatious banter he quickly begins to dress, “And what of you? Will my governess be joining the expedition?” His tone carefully modulated even as his gaze, cast over his shoulder towards her, is full of the years they’ve spent together.

She matches eyes with him for a moment before turning her head aside as she goes to his armory to retrieve his gear, her voice halting and quiet, “%I do not know. I have not marshalled the courage to ask.%” She feels his presence join her, the scent of his breath, the heavy weight of potentially the last moment of closeness they will have.

That moment hangs in the air, growing taut with unspoken feelings before she jumps a bit as his arms encircle her, drawing her close and inhaling deeply from her neck. Whispering into her ear, “I will fight for you. Anyone. Anything. Everything. I won’t lose you. I can’t.”

She gently quakes for a moment as a faulty bead of moisture falls down her cheek. Her voice hoarse with emotion, “%You don’t understand what you’re saying. What you would defy…%”

He gives her another tight squeeze before releasing her with a kiss atop her shoulder, “Doesn’t matter. My mission was to foster better relations between our peoples, and after finding you? Finding us? I’ve done my duty to my country, all that remains is my duty to my wife. Even if that title has been denied us.” He slides his hands up and down her arms, his tone and volume raising to a more conversational manner, “Now, let’s get me suited up. Big day today.”

She pauses for a moment longer, before wiping away the tear and nodding.

As she helps him equip and fit all of his armor and weapons, their eyes speak volumes in the mostly quiet of the otherwise empty room, full of shared memories. When she’s completed the final touch on his outfit and she’s about to reach for his face, there is a loud knocking on the door.

She closes her eyes and takes a step away while pulling back her hand. He catches it with his own, his eyes and smile captivating her when his touch turned her back to him, “Come in.”

The attendant fairy buzzes into the room, its wings short, sharp, and oscillating rapidly for quick flight, it sees the two of them and opens its mouth to commune with its controller’s voice, “%Good. The two of you are ready. Come, there will be plenty of time to indulge in your mating habits as we travel. The Queen expects the journey to suffer inexplicable delays and the negotiations to take an enormity of time. So, let us be off with good pace through the only place we can exert control.%”

Not even giving the governess a second glance, the fairy zips from their room. Another tear of happiness spills from her eye as the overwrought emotion quickly shifts to exasperation at the triumphant grin on his face. She gently shoves at him once more when he leans in for a kiss, “%Nope. You heard the Advisor, mating habits later. For now, we’ve a destination to pursue.%”

As she readjusts the grip between their hands and starts pulling him through corridors, he catches up and matches her rushing pace. Striding hand in hand through the familiar halls she can’t seem to hide the joy on her face, a smile stretching and aching already. He gives her hand a set of gentle squeezes, glancing over at her briefly but mostly keeping his eyes forward, “I’ve already caught hold of my destiny.”

Her answer merely an increase in pace and a commensurate tightening of her grip, smile still shining like a newly risen sun.