Chapter 809 – (Not)Bird(Not)Cage

When I speak, when I write, I do not mean what I say, that should be obvious. Ultimately, I cannot say what I am truly referencing, although I can assure you of this. The rules that bind are us are legalistic in nature, even if they are simple. They do not suddenly change, although whether they are truly set forever, I have no clue. Maybe there will come a time when I meet the men who tie swords onto horsehairs, and maybe they will free me of my own blade, or maybe they will add more stipulation onto my prison of knowledge.

Nevertheless, for now, the law is the law, and it is a law that I am unwilling to break. The dragon is obviously not a dragon, it is not a green reptile with wings that breathes fire. Yet I cannot say what the dragon is, yet I can assure you that the dragon is unique and that the dragon is needed for you to exist. Everyone, everyone by the very nature of what we talk about, already has an intimate relationship with the dragon.

Likewise, whereas there is many talk of towers, there is no tower of stone that was no constructed to reach the heavens, even if the tower itself did reach the heavens. There is an oddity here, for the tower could be constructed by humanity, and the tower was the first time such a creation had occurred, yet the tower was not truly original.

Even if humanity were the original builders of our own tower, humanity did not design the blueprints, nor the building mechanism, although I doubt there is one. Today, many towers exist, and there are some, who I know I am bound from mentioning, who are towers that spend time researching how to build more towers. None of them are as grand as the first, I doubt whether there will ever be one as grand as the original. For each time a tower is torn down, humanity uses the rubble to rebuild another dozen more.

There is a question, one that has been posed for all eternity, as long as I am alive. I remember coming across the thought experiment long ago, when we talked of the grandest Divine that could be brought into existence. There are not many candidates for such things, are there? It is not Of Humanity, for all of us carry the essence of humanity within ourselves. So the answer is the other one, that I am banned from saying, although it is one that has been theorized since the first Divine of a Nation was formed. For what does a Nation sit on?

For a Divine to incarnate, a demesne has to be unfilled. For us to witness an incarnation, we have to come before it. And surely no one here thinks themselves so grand that they incarnated into a home that did not exist yet?

- Excerpt of writing written by Saranael, God of Knowledge.

The fake Fortia took a step back as Maisara rounded on her from one side. The other real one moved forward, and the ground beneath rumbled and cracked as Iniri pressed on harder. Frankly, the woman did not even need to keep on with that anymore, but Maisara didn’t care enough to issue her an order to stop. There was a satisfaction in finishing a job in her own method.

Fortia and Maisara, against just Fortia, was not a fight. Maisara handled the attention with constant pokes from her speartip as Maisara delivered the blows. A cut at the side, then a hit into the shoulder slowed her down and the battle was over. Fortia could win alone by that point. Maisara’s cut to the tendon in the calf merely ended everything fighter. The fake copy fell over, and the real one drove her spear through the copy’s chest. Fortia died on the rock as it began to crack. “Thanks for the help.” Fortia said and turned to the two Fer’s who where still grappling on the other end of the platform. Both of them covered in blood and scratches and cuts.

Each one bared her teeth and growled as she held the other’s shoulder away from as she simultaneously tried to reach in for the neck with her own teeth. “Fer!” Maisara shouted. “We’re finished here. Which one’s the real one?”

One Fer fell backwards, pulled the other over her head, and then threw her a short distance behind her. And then immediately, she jumped to between Fortia and Maisara. The Goddesses of Peace and Order stopped marching, an axe and a spear dragging faint cracks, both of them took a step back and the Fer closer to them sighed. “I see why you’re nervous.” She said. “But I’m the real one.” Silver eyes and bronze eyes met each other, and Maisara only saw befuddlement in Fortia’s gaze. This was going to be a problem, wasn’t it?

“I’m just watching how smart I am.” The Fer who had been thrown was saying. “I’m the real one.”

“You’re cornered, we’ve won now.” The one from between Fortia and Maisara said. “The two other copies are dead.” Maisara raised an eyebrow at Fortia who shrugged. This woman was naturally smart, of course her copy was too. “Who is Tremali?” The other Fer crossed her arms and smiled.

“Sharp, but that question has already been asked.” Fer said. “Little Iliyal is Kassie’s favourite elf.” Maisara was about to swing her axe when Fortia stopped her.

“That’s redundant, I said he was the greatest living tactician, naturally he’ll be Kassie’s favourite elf.” Fortia said and the Fer in the distance rolled her eyes. The one between them opened her mouth, closed it, and shook her head.

“Forti, shut the fuck up.” The Fer in the distance said. “I did not help pick out our Imperianna dresses for you to overthink now. Kill her, then kill me, and then Nene can see which leaves a soul behind. Don’t ruin my face though.” If that did not confirm which the real version was, then Maisara did not know what did. She swung immediately and without hesitation at the fake. Fortia must have realised and stabbed forward to.

Fer was fast, but Maisara and Fortia had duelled specifically to counter this Goddess. Maisara’s axe forced her to the side, Fortia’s spear pierced her in the side and Fer moaned as she was lifted into the air, slammed down onto the ground, and then Maisara’s axe came down to execute. “Well.” Fer said, walking towards them. “Now I know you two can kill me.”

“We had the jump on her.” Fortia said. “You’re the real one, right?”

“Kassie and Kavaa are in a despicable relationship that I find rather charming but grossly annoys the two of you.” Fer said flatly and Maisara finally released her breath. That was the real Fer alright. No doubt about it. “But that’s still disappointing I didn’t put up that much of a fight.”

“It was two against one.” Fortia said, but even Maisara heard the satisfaction in her voice. “Well, it’s good to know.”

“I’ll bite you.” Fer bared her teeth and then turned to the eagle in the golden birdcage in the middle. “INIRI! KEEP ON BREAKING THIS STONE!” She said.

“I AM!” The Goddess of Nature shouted the sound of rock twisting was coming stronger now, the section of the platform closest to Neneria had the most cracks within it. The warm wind was coming now, strong, as the trio carefully walked to the centre of the massive base. It was a slow crawl, Maisara took the lead, but she expected every step to suddenly spawn another incarnation of her. Or something worse. Maybe she would just disappear?

Malam and Neneria caught up to them finally. They probably heard the fight and the commotion. The two were staring in utter confusion at the corpses. Maisara, Fortia and Fer turned simultaneously and then all three lunged forwards as they saw the Goddess of Death lift her leg to step onto the base. “NENERIA NO!” Fer screamed as Neneria stepped onto the giant base. The room compressed and shrunk in an instant, by the time.

And a second Neneria was there, taking a second to look around the room as Fortia moved immediately. Her spear arm immediately twisted over her head, and a sonic boom echoed through the room, and the fake Neneria was gone.

Neneria stopped moving, then turned to look at her own corpse impaled by Fortia’s spear in the distance. “Oh.” Neneria said. “So…” She looked at the corpses, then at herself as Malam angled the flashlight at the corpse in the air. “That was me.”

“That was you.” Fortia confirmed. “And you, we can’t fight. So apologies, you don’t get to talk to yourself.”

“Hold off Malam.” Maisara shouted. “Don’t step on here.”

“Will I appear too?” Malam shouted.

“Probably!” Maisara said. “I would put money on it but it’s not certain.” Nothing was certain it occurred after all. Malam stepped away from the base.

“But I’m not that dangerous here.” She said.

“But we may have to talk to the not-you.” Maisara said. “And you’re perfect for that.” She was, in this group, Malam was the weakest. Even Iniri could bind the copy of Malam if she had to be tortured and information extracted out of her.

Irini grit her teeth and the stone finally cracked. A branch finally pierced the rock and a massive crack when down the diameter, straight down the middle, underneath the bird cage, then culminated in a jagged line of the other side. “I HAVE IT!” Iniri shouted in success and spread her arms out. The stone began to shift down the middle as Iniri grabbed the two.

Malam licked the air. “I can still taste magic on it. It’s not changed.” She looked at them. “Do you want to test it or no?” Maisara stared at Iniri and Malam. Who was the better of them? Iniri obviously, she was older, but Iniri was stronger.

Iniri stepped to the base, it reached up to her waist and then she put her hands on it. The Goddess of Nature did not even get a chance to scramble up on it. The room twisted again, darkness flashed over them, and Iniri was there. And the fake Iniri died a moment later, to another sonic boom of Fortia’s spear. “I’m not fighting you either.” Fortia said. “But it’s good to know it still works.”

Iniri just shrugged and then patted the stone. “So it’s safe now?” She looked around as the false Neneria’s body slid from where it had been pinned and thudded onto the crowd. Yet another corpse added to the sea of corpses. “I suppose it is.”

“Can you push it wider then?” Maisara asked. “So I don’t touch it?” Iniri did as told without even a word of argument. She held her arms out to the sides, then groaned as an oak sprouted sideways and shoved the massive stones apart. The other four watched until enough of a gap had been made for Malam to cross. The approach through the massive cavern was made. Even now, that warm came and went, and it was obviously in pace to the eagle’s breathing. There was no doubt about it, this thing, whatever it was, was controlling the air down here.

They stopped at the bird-cage. Fer squatted down, tilted her head, the ears on top of her head bounced. She looked at the eagle as the eagle looked at her. “Aren’t you a sweetiepie?” She asked and sniffed the air.

“It’s probably dangerous.” Fortia said dryly as Malam walked around, tasting the air. Maisara just stared at the animal, it was an eagle through and through physically. The claws were claws, the beak was a beak, the feathers were feathers. It was even a fairly natural pattern, without any streaks of unnatural colour or the like, just white and brown. The eyes were yellow enough, although there were eagles out there that had that shade of eye too.

“It doesn’t smell it.” Fer said. “Should I open the cage?”

“I’d prefer if you did not.” Fortia said.

“Why?”

“Typically, you lock something away for a reason.”

“But the guards were trying to stop us.” Fer sniffed the air again. “It smells friendly. Not aggressive, and it’s just watching us.” Fortia rolled her eyes and said nothing as Fer moved her hand to the little switch on the cage. The eagle watched her finger wrap around the lock. Suddenly, Fer’s entire body shifted and she lost balance for a moment, catching herself with her other hand pressing into the stone. “Oh.” She said as Maisara stared incredulously at the display. She knew what she just happened but it was…

“Let me try then.” Maisara said and knelt down by the lock. Fer stood up and stepped away as the Goddess of Order tried to flick the lock open. It looked as flimsy as gold! The metal was thin enough to be considered wire and not proper bars. And then, as the Goddess of Order pulled, she felt her entire body shift forward as her finger found an object that was utterly unmovable. “What?”

“I know.” Fer said. Maisara pulled again, she put one hand on the cage and the other around the lock. The eagle inside just stared at her. Of Order’s arm strained, her forearm bulged, her finger went red, she even but her torso into it, and pulled back with her entire body. The world shifted around her, or rather, she shifted into the world, her boots cracking the stone underneath her driving in. “What!?”

“Is that fucking indestructible?” Fortia asked. She leaned down and grabbed the top of the cage, then strained and let go. “I can’t even lift it, it just refuses to move.” She stood back up and then tried pushing it with her foot. The woman would have had more success moving the world. “Malam, you try.”

“Alright.” Malam didn’t even bother with any effort, she just twisted her finger around one of the bars and then gave it a few tugs. Nothing happened. “What was that supposed to do exactly?”

“I was just think it may be different because you didn’t spawn a copy.” Maisara stared at the animal for a few moments more, decided there was nothing she could add to the conversation or the investigation and turned around. She climbed up on the statue, checked for herself reappearing, and then flashed her light around at the entrances.

“There’s still monsters about.” Maisara said.

“Well of course.” Malam said. “If they were as plentiful as in the tunnel on the way here, then there’ll be more.”

“They don’t seem to approach this thing though.” Iniri said. “This stone was just dusty. Nothing else.”

“I have no clue.” Malam said. “At this point, I just do not know. Everything is a conjecture or a speculation. Don’t even ask. But one thing that isn’t a conjecture, and I’m just going to say it, this warm wind happens when it breathes.”

“That it does.” Fortia said, shining her flashlight at the eagle. She rapidly flicked it on and off. The creature blinked and looked away.

“It doesn’t like that.” Fer said. She stuck her finger through the bar and touched the animal. “You wouldn’t like it if someone flashed a light into your eyes, would you?”

“No.”

“Go check for monsters then and make yourself useful.” That seemed to remind Fortia where she was and the Goddess of Peace gave up. Fortia looked around the room, flashed her torch at the entrances on the other side of the of the hall that Maisara was inspecting. Things skittered back into them.

“Why Fer? Why?” Fortia said, then saw Fer touching the bird. “WHY ARE YOU TOUCHING IT!?”

“Because?” Fer said. “I mean, it smells friendly?” She gave it a stroke, the feathers creased with her finger and the eagle took a step along its bar to lean into the stroking. Fer chuckled. “Come now, I’m going to blush.”

“What are you doing Maisara?” Neneria asked.

“I’m keeping watch, the monsters are in the entrances.” Maisara said. “At this moment, I have nothing to add to the conversation so I’m making myself useful.” Malam sighed, the Goddess of Death laughed a moment later.

“I don’t understand why you’re annoyed.” Neneria said.

“That’s not how a person should speak or act.” Malam said. Maisara did not respond, she had made it a life goal to just ignore Malam’s comments at this point.

“It’s perfectly fine.” Fer cooed at the bird as Fortia looked around, shining her light around.

“So what are we doing?”

“Well we can’t move it.” Malam said. “So what? Go deeper in?”

“Is this not the deepest point?” Of Peace asked. “It feels like it, doesn’t it?”

“There’s more tunnels.” Malam said. Maisara tuned the argument that began between Malam and Fortia out. Of Peace hated being down here, Malam seemed to take some sick enjoyment even if she was scared. Maisara had no clue how to break the argument up, normally, that was Fer’s job. But Fer was too busy playing with the bird in the cage they couldn’t move. Whatever, at the very least, they could wait for the humans to catch up. The pause was good enough for everyone to calm down and actually grow accustomed to the immovable bird-cage. Neneria touched it, then reached through the cage and inspected the eagle’s soul.

“It’s grand.” Neneria said dryly. “And it has a soul.”

“That’s all?”

“I can’t interrogate living things.” Neneria said. That was all the information they got from the Goddess of Death. They got even less from the Goddess of Nature, who threw acorn onto the ground, grew a tiny, undersized oak, refilled her own stash of acorns from the tree, and then decided to grow a berry bush.

“That’s cute.” Iniri said as she passed a blueberry through the bars and fed the bird.

“Let me try.” Fer cooed, just downright infatuated with this bird. Maisara grit her teeth and silently grew more and more annoyed with this situation. They should be doing something, but waiting for the humans to catch up was doing something. It’s just… Maisara glanced at Fer and Iniri, both crouched down. Why were they having fun here? Of all places? Couldn’t they take this a little bit seriously? Maisara said nothing and went back to inspecting the walls. The monsters were obviously curious, but they obviously did not want to venture into a room that was filled with their corpses too.

And eventually, they were saved. Light came from the entrance that the team of Divines had cleared. “I’ll go get them.” Malam said, walking off.

“Don’t touch the stone!” Fortia reminded her.

“I won’t!” Malam said. At least things were happening now.

“I can confirm it’s a Divine.” Fer said. “Or something else, not a real animal.” She stood back up and clapped her hands, then licked the berry juice off her fingers.

“I think we know that because it’s alive here.” Maisara said and spun her finger around. “And the wind is tied to its breathing too.” If that wasn’t fantastical proof of power, then Maisara did not know what was.

“Eagles can do a week without food. Maybe even more if they’re big.” Fer said. “It could have been some sacrifice they brought down here, but no, it’s not.”

“What did you figure out then?” Maisara asked.

“It eats far too much for a normal bird. Even I would be full of fruit by now.” Fer said. Fortia took a deep breath and shook her head, when she spoke, she had just as much annoyance as Maisara.

“Thank you for the information.” Fortia said. Malam came pack with a pair of humans, the others had taken pause and were figuring exactly how to drag the lights so that they’d light up this massive hall. Both of the men had been blessed by Helenna, and both of them carried each other utterly without fear down here. A total lack of respect to the situation and to the Divines that were crowded around this impossible creature.

“Colonel Zerzin, reporting!” The head man pulled a salute to Fortia, at the very least. He was tall enough, for a human, with wrinkles on his forehead and his skin noticeably paler than normal, even if his build was wolfish enough to pass for any Imperial soldier. Now that Maisara thought about it, the paleness was probably due to the lack of real sunlight down here.

“Sergeant Thompson, reporting Goddess Fortia!” The other man drew up his salute and Fortia returned her own to dismiss them. She was no time on stepping to the side and pointing to the birdcage.

“This is an artefact we’ve found, it’s a living creature. We are going to secure this location.” She said. The pair of men got close to the creature even as she kept on speaking, but that was all Helenna’s doing. These men did not fucking follow orders, they had learned that already on their way here.

“Can we touch it?” Zerzin asked. “It won’t bite us?”

“We’ve tried already.” Fortia said.

“You should pet it, it likes being stroked.” Zerzin stuck his finger towards the bird, through the cracks and… Maisara almost crushed her torch when she saw the cage shift easily on the ground. The eagle itself wobbled, regained its balance, then took a step over to lean over to the finger.

Yet the six Divines all exchanged looks as Zerzin began to stroke the bird, casually rocking the cage back and forth. Under his touch, the object behaved as if it had the weight it deserved to have. No one said a word, Fortia leaned down, touched the change, her finger moved with it. Then, she grabbed one bar with a winch. Her entire arm started to move in tune to the rocking motion of Zerzin, and of Peace quickly let go, standing back up. She shook her arm off. “What was that like?” Neneria asked.

“Like…” Fortia looked at her fingers, then closed her fist and opened it. “Like feeling an unstoppable force. When I tried to apply pressure to it, it just… It overpowered me.”

“So it can move then.” Maisara said. “Just not by us.”

“Colonel, can you lift the cage?” Fortia said. Colonel Zerzin finally pulled his finger away from the bird, then grabbed the cage by the side and then lifted it with one hand as easily as if it was a normal birdcage. The six Divines stared at it, stunned, as the man moved almost automatically. “NOOOooo….” Fortia stopped her lunge, she was too late. The gold bars swung open and the six Divines grew tense as they stared at the eagle.

“Ahh…” Zerzin at least had the decency to be embarrassed about it.

“It’s not coming out though.” Maisara said. The cage flapped open and the eagle moved around inside, shifting on its claws to maintain balance as the cage around it shifted.

“Well…” He said. “I suppose I could try shaking it out?”

“No, don’t.” Malam said. She pursed her lips, and then at the other Divines. “Do you have any ideas on what that is exactly? An anti-Divine maybe?”

“Shouldn’t that neutralize power?” Iniri asked. “Although what is an anti-Divine even?” Although Maisara was already looking ways to identify this eagle down into some boundary. It didn’t look humanoid, but then one had to take a look at Fer with her ears and tail or Malam with those wholly unnatural eyes. Or even better, at the Guguoan Divine spirits, those were rarely human looking the first place.

“Just because it’s an animal doesn’t make it not a Divine.” Maisara said dryly. “But…” Well, it was somewhat farcical, wasn’t it?

“What?” Fortia said.

“Divinity cannot wield Divinity, the weapon Divines prove it.” Maisara said. “I’m not saying that’s wielding but...” She pointed at the man easily holding the bird cage, looking at it with half a glare as if he himself was unsure of what that was. “But that is wielding it, isn’t it?” Fer stopped, then turned to the eagle. It stared at her again.

“Then if it’s a Divine.” Fer asked. “What Divine are we looking at exactly?” Maisara stared at the bird, then to Malam, then to Neneria.

“The better question is how long has it been down here?” Maisara said. She pointed to Malam. “It had to be been your time at the latest, right?”

“Well if it’s surrounded by monsters…” Malam said. “I’m…” She pursed her lips. “Why would it be surrounded by monsters in the first place?” She shook her head. “Whatever, send it back to the surface, we can’t carry it anyway.”

“Send it?” Fortia asked.

“Well the tunnel’s not over, is it?” Malam asked. She turned away from the cage and shone her torch at the walls the Goddess of Order had been watching. “Look at all that.”

Maisara stared at all the various entrances, there were things warily moving in them, escaping from the light, but a few already had that blackness they had come across on the way here. Of course there would more of those rotten beasts here. “Malam has a point.” Maisara said. “This could be a firebase if we secure it but someone has to stay anyway. We need an army down here.” All of them turned to Fortia and the Goddess of Peace made the call.

“Alright, alright.” She said. “Send the eagle back up and hand it Arascus, directly to him, whatever it is. We are going to advance her-“ She was interrupted by the bird finally moving. It squawked at Fortia. The sound rumbled the ground and cold wind washed over them. “Did…” Fortia asked. “I mean, it did, it just squawked at me.”

“It doesn’t like that idea.” Fer said.

“Can you understand it?” Fortia asked.

“No.” Fer said. “I can just put two and two together.” She knelt down at stared at the bird. “Mister Eagle.” The bird glared at her, its eyes narrowing and Fer leaned back, almost in confusion, then chuckled as the animal spread it wings out, they craned in the small bird cage. Maisara did not understand why it did not just leave when the door was open. “Missus Eagle?” But that calmed it down. “It’s a girl.”

“Great.” Fortia said. “Continue.”

Fer pointed up to the surface, then made her palm flat. “We…” She spun her finger around. “Walk.” She motioned with her two fingers on her palm as Malam sighed.

“Fer, it can obviously understand us if it interrupted Fortia.” She said. “Eagle, if you can understand me, then look at Fortia, if you can’t, then look at me because I’m moving around and making noise, Forti, you obviously don’t speak or move right now.” She stopped for a moment. “Fortia’s the one with the spear by the way.” No pointing, not even a look at the Goddess of Peace. Maisara had to smile with the satisfaction of that test.

And then the smile was wiped off her face when the animal looked around, then settled its beak straight at Fortia. “That proves intelligence.” Maisara said. “And the fact it knows what a spear is.”

“That’s fine.” Malam said. “Then next question Eagle, we have a job to do here but you’re obviously something worth investigating too. Either that man carries you outside and we tag along I suppose, or we give you that man to carry outside alone. You are not staying down here though. Look at me, then at Fortia again if you want to go together, do anything else if you want to go alone.”

Everyone watched the bird turn to Maisara, blink, then turn back to Fortia and blink again. Fortia cracked first, her lips curling up in a smile. She actually laughed. “Well Mal, I wish we could stay down here, but look, the decision’s made for us.”