~ chapter one ~
In the temple tower gathered around the now silent bell ~
Nameless - Walking up behind her, then view on the rest, "Nemesis."
Pipsiveya behind her mother's arm, observant.
Nemesis - Speaking as the room is observed by their view, "Nameless ... still ?"
Hippolyta slips her a sweetbread, sneaking, snatched.
Nameless - "I kind of liked 'Mr. Not'. Did you hear that one ?"
Samal appearing as an immature warlord grown too quickly massive. He glances around impatiently, more interested in the gathering tribute armies seen below.
Caught in analysis.
Nemesis - "I think it was meant as an insult."
Nyx looks up at Nemesis, a stare exchanged before she returns to her boot.
Samal looks angrily distracted by Nyx, adjusting her boot and stomping the heel, reaching in to yank at her sock.
Nameless - "Still liked it though."
Gabril glances from her noise annoyed, then about the room in analysis of the attendants. One to the next, following the targets of their eyes then back, then on to the next.
Nemesis - "Careful ... it might stick."
Lucifer watches Samal and Gabril as one, amused, ignoring Mikal who watches him from the side.
Nameless - "Hm. What are we doing here ?"
Pipsiveya watches them all while nibbling ...
Nemesis - "It's about Asherah."
Nameless - "They're late."
Nemesis - "Shhh ... they're here."
Maiden, Mother and Crone ~
Attendants stares at their movement as the three spin silently into existence amongst each other, in a weaving dance of thread, ribbon, and vine around them, spinning, spinning, and cut.
Maiden - 20ish years old, "It did not take so long for the bell to ring, nameless but for all present to hear it,"
Mother - 45ish, "Be born and the proper bell invented."
Crone - 80ish, "And you nameless, were the last to arrive !"
Lucifer - "The ... 'proper' bell ?"
Maiden - Glancing slyly with a pause in her weaving, threads and ribbon spinning around her still, "Yes Lucis."
Lucifer - Narrowed eye and thin smile, "Define ... 'proper'."
Mother - "History's correct period, Lucifer."
Crone - Croaks "Examine it !", with an abrupt ! snip ! of her scissors.
Nameless - Doing so, "Renaissance catholic, post reformation ... not marked. Nothing special."
Pipsiveya - "! Reverberations ! Get it ?!" Calming at the stares, "I get it ..."
Gabril - With a voice of bamboo flutes, "We don't know that She's dead." Eyes then piercing toward Hippolyta, "You were allowed to bring an oracle ?"
Hippolyta - "She heard the call and it's she who is allowed to bring me."
Gabril - To the oracle, "And why then are you allowed to bring her ?"
Pipsiveya - "I'm an oracle. Pro-tec-ted. And you don't even want to know how this story ends for you !"
Hippolyta shoots her a glance.
Samal in background seems suddenly suspicious of the room. Looks to his left, then around to an empty space, Nyx gone.
Lucifer smiles watching him.
Gabril - "Interesting. And you nameless." Turning to him, "Why are you here ... ?"
Nameless - Walking directly to, "We're the investigators. I'm investigating. Where's God ?"
Mikal - "Missing." Turning from a short glare to his brother. "His presence is felt and His power intact, but His substantiation is gone."
Nameless - Still looking angrily into Gabril's eyes, "Hiding ... ?"
Mikal - "Missing." repeated firmly.
Samal - Having grown visibly impatient, "Who is fallen ? Who is it we seek ? Whom do we judge ?"
Maiden - "Asherah's gone ..."
Mother - "And now so is God !"
Crone - With a snip, "So figure it out !"
Hippolyta - "Asherah disappeared thousands of years ago. They destroyed her temples ... murdered her followers ... we were there. But it was the living who did this, not the gods or any god. This makes no sense."
Samal - "If the living did burn the temple, then the living shall burn next to it."
Lucifer - "I agree with brother Mikal. It would be unwise to presume anything at this point. This ..."
He strikes the bell with a knuckle causing yet another ring to the discomfort of all but the maiden's giggle.
Lucifer - Continuing, "... is interesting. A simple church bell ..." He looks at nameless coldly, "and an investigator who chooses to walk around on his people parts in public. I think we should assume nothing and no one at all."
Nameless - "You love people parts. You're humanity's biggest stalker."
Lucifer - With a perfected straight face, but an eye turning to the oracle, "They invented ice cream."
Pipsiveya - From Hippolyta's shadow, "! Yay !"
_____________
To Nyx's feet walking down the street, the heel of her right boot occasionally flopping sideways. She stops and looks sideways at her reflection in a military surplus store window.
To her pensive eyes. Closed before a roll then an angry sigh she smashes the glass and takes a pair of combat boots. People stare, she keeps walking, shoving a rude walker into traffic.
! Thump !
_____________
Samal arrives in Heaven first, watching Nyx walking in a sphere of light in his hand, turns to look over his shoulder inquisitively to watch the other angels argue as they appear.
Mikal - To Gabril, "Why do you provoke them ? You know the penalty of interference. I won't be able to protect you."
Gabril - Hissing through clay pipe tones - "And if He's found guilty ? Do we fight our own brothers ?"
Mikal - "If necessary, yes. There is no substantiation present to order us otherwise. His last orders were to support the investigation to the fullest, at any or all cost. You were there."
Gabril - "And if He returns and then orders it ?"
Mikal - "Then we follow our heart."
Gabril - "We will betray one or the other."
Mikal - "You will follow my command."
Gabril - "And if my ... heart ... tells me not to ?"
Mikal - Stops their walk abruptly to stare through his brother's eyes, considering the nature of his blade ... "Gabril. What is wrong with you ?"
Gabril - Glowing brightly, eyes first "I don't know. I can't. I can't ... " with tears streaming down golden hued cheeks " ... I think I have to sing now."
Mikal - "! NO !"
Cacophonous sounds, like an orchestra warming up inside of a hollow gong, a golden white blind, fade with the mild sound of ringing ears ...
____
Pipsiveya - Scene still golden white, "Was he in the temple ?"
Hippolyta - Resolutely, "No. Stop asking."
Fading the bright sun over the plains of Har-Megiddo ~
Amazons unload gear and set up canvas shelters, matched to the plains ancient soil. Others sparring, drinking, etcetera, in front of those already built.
Hippolyta practices with her daughter.
Pipsiveya - "You have to tell me who he is ! I'm an investigator and you're not !"
Hippolyta - Annoyance and admiration, seeing herself, "I only have to answer questions pertinent to the investigation, little Pip. Now pick back up your sword."
Pipsiveya - While the tiny oracle drags the tip of the blade along the ground, "But is he handsome ?"
Hippolyta - "I've told you before, your father is very handsome." She defends against a low swing at her knee. "You have my nose but your beauty comes from him. That's his hair you're wearing."
Pipsiveya - She flings herself in the air against her mother's shield, "Your nose is pretty too !" She bounces off frustrated, back to her feet and one hand, blade forward in the right.
Hippolyta - "It must be, my princess." She bows, "It's the same as yours."
Pipsiveya tries her jump again, this time her foot reaching the top of her mother's shield. Leaping from it forward, forcing it down, she throws her arms around Hippolyta's neck.
Pipsiveya - "I want to meet him." She whispers in her ear as she drops her sword to the ground behind them.
Hippolyta - "Of course you do ... and if he survives long enough to fight in your same field, you will."
Pipsiveya - "But how will I know its him ?"
Hippolyta - "You're not supposed to, my Pip. But in secret, many do. Tell no one, not him. Not even me." She drops her sword and shield to hug her daughter properly. "Well done. You'll be soon a terrifying warrior, prey climber."
Pipsiveya - "Grrr !"
_____________
Nameless watching the Amazon camp through an extending scope from the temple over the plains, then over to the tribute armies, focusing on the keepers of the book as they turn pages.
Nemesis watches him from other side of the small temple, leaning against a pillar, arms crossed.
Nemesis - "Mr. Not."
Nameless - Closes the scope without turning "Nemesis."
Nemesis - "I think you should be careful".
Nameless - "Why ? Because it's a trap ? But for whom ?"
Nemesis - "Because if it is, it isn't a question of 'for' but of 'by'."
Nameless - "A game in which the Fates themselves are pawns ?"
Nemesis - "Or worse. Do you really believe Asherah's gone ?"
Nameless - "Missing."
Nemesis is no longer there. He extends the scope again to view the tributes.
Nameless - Whispering barely aloud, "... so many ...", scanning across beast after myth.
Focusing more closely ... at the very base of the hill near the first stone of the incline is a pile of toys.
Nameless - A short laugh, "... the oracle's tribute ..."
Distracted by a near swoop he looks up over the scope.
The sky is dotted with angels and their flight patterns suggest they patrol him as well as the field. As he focuses on one, the angel looks back immediately and angrily.
Nameless - "Lucretia !"
Lucretia - Behind him a woman much like a plant appears in flowing vines sprouted to form, cracking the stone floor. "Yes ?"
Nameless - "Something is very wrong with this." A pause as he tries to zoom back to view the army's total ... can't and lowers the scope. "Fortify Sanctuary and raise the full standing army. Close all gates. Orders are to protect against this council."
Lucretia - "Against you."
Nameless - "Yes ..." He returns to the scope to find that angel, "... and I need a black powder gun with a loading kit." He looks through the scope at an angel who immediately looks back. "... angels hate black powder ..."
Lucretia - Grows an apple and starts eating it, vaguely bored, "How about a blunderbuss ?"
Nameless - Looking back down to the tributes, "... yeah ... blunderbuss ..." He fades to muttering then "Look at them ! They're still coming ! It's just what I've always wanted. And they're getting what they've always wanted. To conquer the living world."
Lucretia - Tosses the core between the pillars and off the mountain. "Father ?"
Nameless - "For the duration of this trial, my interests are to be considered compromised. You're in command. Look at them. Prepare for that. Prepare for me."
Lucretia - "Would you like your gun before or after I kill you ?"
Nameless - "Before, please. I'll shoot you, you know."
Lucretia - "No you won't. You'll find a way around this. That's why you're here."
Nameless - Looking back to the tributes, "I'd take it all on my own terms, but I won't give it to them on theirs ... just look !"
Their manoeuvres appear poorly blended but individually impressive as they continue to arrive in full fanfare and demonstration, cheering and jeering alike as new and greater beasts accompany them.
Nameless - "They bring their most destructive forces to play at the start. All that anger at the living for the things they've done ... I wonder ... "
Lucretia - "If the trials are wrong ?"
Nameless - "Or right in a way we don't understand ... I don't know ..."
He meanders his words while gazing upon a battle formation performed by the Sidhe among their dragons which stare with calculation at those of the Xinhua guard.
Nameless - "... it's a perfect hit on the living ! With this army we could destroy them all ..."
Lucretia - "Yes. We could. It's all perfectly very wrong. I'll make preparations and I ever so officially relieve you of your duties."
Nameless - "Thank you Lucretia. Protect them."
Lucretia - "Your duties ?"
Nameless - "Well." Closes the scope. "Look at the smart on this ass. You've been in charge for approximately forty seven seconds and you're still standing there. Get to work."
Lucretia - "You're not my boss any more !" She shrinks back to her roots in a ruffle of leaves.
Nameless - Opening the scope again and looking back to field, "... she never even looked at the damn armies ..."
_____________
Persephone's eye, smoke to the side, amplified exhale. Sublime focus. "You smell much better now than alive, my love."
Amplified inhale, exhale.
Persephone - "Charon !"
In a broad cave with the dining room carved out smoothly with high pillars, rugs between, pyres hanging from pillar sides. A decorous and bloody sword lay casually on the table.
Persephone sits across the long table from her dead husband, both in high backed wooden chairs at either end, Hades clearly bled through at the chest.
Persephone - "Reverse the waters !"
Further to show the greater cavern to the side, the river Styx with many dead on the other side.
Persephone - Her mouth, smoke as she talks, "A tribute for the trials."
...
Persephone - "! Charon !"
