~ two

Sanctuary airships circle the tallest buildings of a city in our world, the last of the prior battle.  Warring beasts clinging to and swarmed from above.  Their hits appear excruciating to the hissing and roaring creatures as they begin retreat.

Some leaping off and flashing elsewhere, some return to another position before hit again and clearing.

A gunner on deck fires away, then blocking off a darting flier to the deck, putting his sword through as it turns to smoke.  He returns to his gun.

Gunner - Voice over as he resumes fire, "When I died, the first thing I didn't get was gravity."   He shoots a large one down as it tries to board.  "Why the hell am I walking ?  Why do the dead ... 'walk' ?"

Deck cheers as the tower is cleared in final flashes.

Gunner - "Why the hell does gravity work ?"

The captain - From his command chair on the open deck beneath a simple rooftop, "Ammo's dry ! We turn in."

The airship turns before a flash to over the gathering field of returning soldiers, deck crew leaping off as he joins.

Gunner - Midair, "Why don't I just fall through ?"  He lands on all fours, then rises, joining the celebrations.
________

He's sitting on the shore with a woman, both looking pleasantly off to the distance, departing ships on air and water.

Grainne - Smiling at him, "Did you die every time you shaved your head, soldier boy ?"

They look across the water.
____

Captain - Walking the line of soldiers, "You all lived soldiers. And you all died soldiers.   And it looks like you're not done because here you right up back for more !   I like ... "

Some on the line smile and nod with grins, other stay attentive.

Captain - "Your first stupid ass question is ! 'Why am I here ?'."

Gunner - "No sir !"

Captain - Walks and stare at him, "Way down the stupid ass question list is, 'can I still feel pain ?' "

He returns to walking the line.

Captain - "And that my friends is why we win every single fucking day. Because the answer is yes," he walks back to the gunner, "we have learned how to hurt a ghost.  Now what's you're first stupid ass question ?"

Gunner - "I really want to know why gravity still works sir !   I want to know why I walk through walls without falling through the Earth !"  He hops and lands, the soldiers staring, "I want to know why we don't fly off when it moves through space ... sir !"

Some start to giggle ...

Captain - "! Up fuck Shutting your Stupid ass faces because That ..."  He looks around until seriousness, "... is not a stupid ass question."
____

Back on the beach ...

Grainne - "You didn't die.  So why wouldn't gravity work."  She laughs ... "Why wouldn't the sun feel warm ?"
____

Captain - "There's nothing different about the world, kid, and physics didn't die with you.  You're just a different part of it now."

He walks the line with announcement.

Captain - "We're all just a pile of ... walking, talking, steaming pile of ..." he spits, then sarcastically "... 'dark matter,' is what they say now."
____

Grainne - "When we were alive, in that other place, do you think just because you couldn't see me I wasn't there."

Gunner - Holding her close with a roll in the sand, "I know you were. I dreamed you."  The first kiss (awww ...).
____

He smiles blankly staring at nothing while the captain stares annoyed.

Captain - "Something on your mind, soldier ?"

Gunner - Smiles, "Getting married, sir."

Captain - Staring at him as though the concept confuses him, then slaps a gun to the gunner's chest, "Here's how we hurt 'em."

He puts a blade to the gunner's throat.

Captain - Grinning, "And here's how we kill 'em."  He flips the blade and grabs the gunners hand, puts the blade's handle in it.  He claps his hand over the gunner's holding the blade, "I've heard of you."

He returns to walking the line,

Captain - "And the reason why you're here is because you all died in True Battle !  With guns in your hands shooting, and my boat is called The Dirge. Dirge chooses you !  Means you all died fighting for something you believed in ! Something good !   Don't care what !  But that's why you're here."
____

Voiced over by the gunner as they make love on the beach, a gentle first time for them.

"I wasn't lying.  I did dream this."
________

Grainne stares around the fire at the people surrounding on stone benches.  All ages, all in their pajamas and underwear.

Grainne - "Well."   With a giggle, "You're all in your underwear."

The range of response from horror to giggles.

Grainne - "Welcome to the first day of school.  Ever."

The dreamers look around with a bit of confusion ...

Grainne - "I'm Ms. Grainne.   The teacher.  Or at least the first to ... suggest it to," rolling eyes of sarcasm, " 'nameless guy' ..."
____

Grainne - Walking behind nameless and Aedera as the go over her ledger, "Hey ! You need to build a school for these refugees.  They don't know what's happening."

They stop walking and turn back, looking confused, Aedera as though she may kill, Grainne with her arms crossed staring back.  They look at each other ...

"Refugees ?"

Aedera - Closes her ledger and continues the path while nameless drinks from his cane and turns to talk to Grainne, "Now there's a word ..."
____

Grainne - Smiles, "... and got stuck with it.  So let's skip to the real questions, yah ?"

The gunner's hand waves into the air from the back.

Grainne - Controlling her laugh as he's the only one not in underwear but a uniform, "Yes ?"
________

On the field ~

Further down the row a soldier asks, "What about Heaven ... sir ?"

Captain - Walks directly over, "What was that ?"

Soldier - His nervousness joined by the rest, "Heaven, sir ... why aren't we in Heaven ... then ?"

Captain - "Heaven ?!  Well ... you were just there, soldier !  Shootin' demons off it's ... 'high towers'."  He spits.  "That's what we're fighting for !"  He laughs loudly and slaps him hard on the back, "Something Good !"
________________

Ms. Grainne and Aedera stand at the base of the falls, beneath the tree topping it. The roots grow around and into a cave behind the falls, edificed with pillars, and passages smoothed.

Aedera - "You are to use the library, so long as you keep it clean and organize the loot.  Sign."

Grainne - "Loot ?"  She looks over the document, "In the library ?  Is this a dump ?"

Aedera - "No.  The nameless maintains looting rights over his conquered territories.  This is a pile.  No one sorts it."  She smiles.   "No one comes here at all."

Grainne - Looking past the cave's pillared entrance beneath the falls, then up, "And the land above ?"

Aedera - "Public, as is to be the library.  The temples will be under the school's care as well, the paths between also then, your responsibility."

Grainne - Looking up across the structures, piled atop another with crossing paths to a bridge across the falls, "... that's fine ..."

Aedera - "Sign ?"

Grainne - Looking across the falls with a sigh, then back, "Agreed."

She signs.

Aedera - Taking the page with a smile, "This is appreciated.  Truly.  No one knows what's in there.  There was too much too fast, and we're not a greedy people.  This includes what Yaltabaoth stored here as well."

Grainne - "What sorts of things ?"

Aedera - "Artifacts, mostly. I suppose if Excalibur went missing we'd have a look.  A mundane egg was found here, probably more still.  Things dead gods once considered important, the treasuries of ruptured hells, scheming things and keys to unknown locks ... you understand."

Grainne - Looking in smiling, "I definitely don't but I look forward to it all.  Thank you."

Aedera - "You needn't thank us, you're at the table."  She hands her a book.  "If you would please catalogue ?"

Grainne - Taking and opening to the page held by the quill, "Of course.  And where are the books ?"

Aedera - Smiles handing her a scroll, "The deed."

Grainne - Taking the scroll before it turns to smoke in her hand.

Aedera - Continuing her smile and a cleared throat, "The Autobiography of Malcolm X !"  A moment passes and the book flies to her hand.

Grainne - Laughing, "So ... that's all ?"

Aedera - "You only need know it's name.  Though sometimes one has to be very specific.  As far as books, they come through the same channels as the dreamers.  Such things come together at the nexus in the tree's roots, growing into the caves.  If the book has been read by the living, it is here."

Grainne - "Then that's what's special about the artifacts.  The magic focuses there instead of dreams, yes ?"

Aedera - "A theory.  But also to be remembered that if you were to call for 'Excalibur' now you would get the sword from dreams which is already well catalogued.  But if you were to call it's true name, and if it happens to be in the pile, it would come to you.  But none of it leaves the library.  Deemed impossible."

Grainne - "The school.  Nothing leaves the school, but knowledge."

Aedera - "Indeed.  Know that anything stolen however will never have left, and neither will have the thief."

She turns walking, joining her waiting guard.

Grainne - Calling after, staring across the temples, "He knows who I am, doesn't he ?   That's why he trusts me with this, yes ?"

Aedera - "He likely does, and likely doesn't care.  I do not."

Grainne smiles across the structures, opens the book and sees it handwritten, a preparation of notes, some referring to meetings with 'Alex' (2018 Malcolm X's notebook was found immediately after writing (true and seen).