Time to talk

Darkeye

Nine strikes

"Yes I see that but instead of condemning her for it, you could help her kill and eradicate these monsters. Working together for one cause. She is young, yes, and makes mistakes, but in my eyes, she is also desperate because her help has always been rejected. She wanted to help, you said. I understand that the gods rejected her help, but she could have directed her efforts in a different direction. Now she is trying in her own way to become master of the situation." Darkeye tried to walk in Voice's boots. It seemed to him that she was a child with too much power and had not learned to deal with it.

"What would be who to go to Caido himself? The test to reach him is doable with enough preparation. There are enough strong people with knowledge and skills to achieve this goal, and dragons are easy to kill if you know-how." Darkeye has long wanted to talk about the creator God.

"But for that, I need to find out if everyone deserves to be saved." Darkeye didn't want to be portrayed as a fool.

"But another topic Remi. I heard that you can turn into a manticore. The manticore is the beast of my god. Have you met other such animals?"

each for one sin

This scar I can't reverse, when the more it heals the worse it hurts

”We did do that. Year after year. All of us together, we tried to kill them.” Remi interjects. “She is not young. She is centuries old now. Old enough certainly to have learned from her mistakes.” He counters with a shake of his head. “Once a friend described it to me this way: If you have a flower garden, you pluck away the things that make it hard for your flowers to go. You remove weeds and certain bugs. Perhaps those things have their place in other gardens, but if you decide they do not belong in yours, you remove them. This is the garden of the Old Gods. If they consider her a weed, then defending the things she can do is of no use.”

Raising a brow to hear of how one might reach Caido, Remi leans back in his chair. “How do you know? No one I have ever spoken to knows how to reach him. Especially not with dragons that could kill even one as strong as I am in a single blast.”

Talk of manticores has the alchemist smiling again, though he shakes his head no. “So far I am the only one I have seen. I can become other things as well, but the manticore is my favourite.”

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Darkeye

Nine strikes

"But the world is unfortunately not a flower garden Remi we are all different plants and grasses if you want to see it that way. We are too different and forgive me for saying so, but the so-called ancient gods are not without their faults. Safrin demands to be worshipped from what I have heard. The story you told me about Ludo doesn't make it any better. Frey is the only one I've heard either very positive or negative. If you want to judge Voice so strictly, do the same with the heralds and the old gods. That's right, no more and no less." Darkeye wanted equality to prevail and for many to see only the mistakes the Voice had made. Yes, some of them were unforgivable as the plague, but he couldn't make that up now.

"With me, there was a dragon of the gods who set his tests in similar white. He had his dragon nest on the highest mountain surrounded by dragons and beings whose task was to kill everything that tried to reach him. It can be done by playing the dragons off against each other and making sure they can be distracted with other things. If you are attacked you have to find the weakness of the dragons and kill them quickly. That's how it was for me. We went on foot not all of us made it but we were able to reach the god dragon and got our reward. I think it is very similar here. If Caido didn't want to talk, he would have completely withdrawn from this world and not tried to make himself comfortable behind dragons. It's just a guess, I would say." Darkeye took a deep breath as he said this. Darkeye laid out his plan openly. He wanted to talk to Caido.

"I see, I was just thinking if you've seen another one, it seems Kor is not in this world. He would have reacted differently to me than you. You are not Kor. I had little hope that you were, but now it is clear that you are not. Forgive me for saying this. I did not mean to compare you to a god." Darkeye looked dejected. That a child and Remi were slaves and Kor was not here made him sad and angry at the same time.

each for one sin

This scar I can't reverse, when the more it heals the worse it hurts

"It is for the Old Gods." Remi says, of the garden metaphor. 'For better or worse, right or wrong, this is their world. They created it."

As for finding Caido? Remi exhales wearily, glancing at Darkeye and shrugging his shoulders. "I suppose time will tell." Whether anyone would be able to best the dragons and make it to the top of the mountain was yet to be seen. No one knew for sure that Caido was even up there; it was possible it would all be for nothing.

Smiling sadly, the alchemist shakes his head. "No, I certainly am not Kor. And I am sorry that your god is not here." He says. "And I hope you find the answers that you are looking for. I am not sure that I can be of any more help, but if you have any more questions I would be happy to answer them."

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Darkeye

Nine strikes

"But we walk on it and now it's up to us to shape it and change it. We build houses, temples, and plant gardens. They created it but it is our world. It is now up to us to make something out of this gift. Of course, they can still try to influence us, but not like before. They can steer us, yes, but I haven't seen or heard much about them intervening."

"Are you not interested in facing this test? I understand if you can't do it as a leader you have a certain responsibility." Darkeye did not want to accuse Remi of anything. His first plan was now open.

"I plan to get as much information as I can before the war starts. It will start soon. My concern is for the innocent people of all of Caido. I want to create a place where they can come and be recognized by your leaders as neutral territory. No killing, no attacks, no intrigues, very clear words. Is this possible or are you saying that your empire will not allow it?" Darkeye put his second plan on the table.

each for one sin

This scar I can't reverse, when the more it heals the worse it hurts

Straightening, Remi fixes his gaze on Darkeye and gives his head a shake. "I do not think that is true. This is their world, it is not ours. They have made that very clear. The longer you stay here the more you will see that they do intervene. A lot." Unsure if it was optimism or ignorance on the part of the other man, the alchemist can only bite the inside of his cheek and remind himself that setting the record straight on every single matter was not his job.

"I am not interested in pretending to be a hero." Remi corrects. "Nor in saving the world." He adds with a frown. "I am sorry if you came looking for my help, but...that is not..." Trailing off, Remi exhales.

Darkeye's plan has the alchemist sipping in a breath and running his tongue across his teeth. "I cannot say. The Greatwood does not interfere in the politics of other lands, so if you are looking for an alliance, the answer is no. But if you try and keep the ascended safe, I am sure Ludo would have something to say about it, and should it tell me to do something about it..." Well, they'd already covered that.

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Darkeye

Nine strikes

Darkeye smiled. "Then we have a different opinion Remi I hope you can accept that. If it's their world, they wouldn't need us to solve the problems." Darkeye tried to argue. He tried to be open and honest without being too rude.

Darkeye's look became serious after those words. "The world doesn't need heroes, it needs people. People who are willing to do what is necessary not because it is right or wrong. You're trying to protect your people, I get that." Darkeye nodded several times but continued writing.

Darkeye shook his head. "I don't want to have you as an ally. I want to know if you could respect it when I found a new town or village. I want to bring people there to talk to them without violence and weapons. Good arguments and a clear head are necessary. I want to create a city where all people are welcome if they follow the rules. I ask you in this regard. Ludo let my worries be. There is a reason why I still want to talk to all the gods." Darkeye was very convinced of this, but he needed all the leaders to respect it.

each for one sin

This scar I can't reverse, when the more it heals the worse it hurts

"What you are describing sounds naive, if I may speak so plainly. I wish you the best of luck if you can create such a place. But until you have a firmer foundation, I cannot say what my response to such a place will be." Remi replies, offering the other man an apologetic shrug.

"Neutrality is a luxury that I do not possess when it comes to this war, though I do not wish to see any who are innocent caught up in its violence. That said..." Remi shakes his head slightly. "I am the demigod of death." What Ludo might have to say to Darkeye and what it would say to Remi would likely be two very different things, and Remi could not commit himself one way or the other.

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Darkeye

Nine strikes

"That's right. I ask that you speak frankly with me otherwise the whole conversation here is just a waste of time. I realize that it sounds naive to try to achieve this, but it is necessary to think of the innocent people in the war. It was and still is my duty to take care of them. I disclose my plans so as not to step on anyone's toes. I can then at least say that I have informed you in a timely manner."Darkeye smiled. Remi spoke carefully and probably wanted to see action before he acted.

"Then I likewise now ask openly. What is innocent in your eyes? Especially as the demigod of death, you are guaranteed to have a good answer. Death should be neutral because it takes from all sides. If death concentrates too much on one side, it disturbs the balance. That could then have worse consequences than this war Remi." Darkeye thought about how many people he knew were already sleeping the eternal sleep. How many he could have saved if he had acted sooner. In a new world, you make the same mistake only until you learn from it.

each for one sin

This scar I can't reverse, when the more it heals the worse it hurts

Well, if Darkeye was alright with Remi speaking frankly...With a sigh, the alchemist leans forward. "Then here is how I see things. Though it might have been your duty in the world you came from, it is not your duty here. All your good intentions will not get you very far, not with how things currently are. Were I you, I would seek out Phoebe, or Sunjata. They are the demigods of Frey, and of all the heralds Frey seems to be the only one who will listen to thoughts of neutrality." Fixing Darkeye with his green eyes, Remi gives his head a single shake. "You would be wise to learn that Kor is not here, and these gods are not so easily placed into boxes and understood. They are fickle, as is this world."

As for innocence? The alchemist can only shrug. "I take the lives of those who would otherwise experience an excruciating death. I kill those who are innocent and those who are not. It is not for me to decide." It is very likely not the answer the dwarf had wanted. 'Though I think you will find in this world at least, other than the very young, no one here is innocent."

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Darkeye

Nine strikes

Darkeye listened carefully and wrote down the names of Phoebe and Sunjata as well as Frey. "The difficult thing here, Remi, is that we also disagree on this point. An oath is an oath no matter where I am it still stands. I know that I have sworn this oath with the full intention and good conscience. I am aware that my intentions seem reckless and naive. But I will try to protect the innocent. No matter whether it goes against the gods' herald or their demigods. I know that I will probably die in the process. But my soul will not go to Ludo or Voice. It will go to Kor and then I will have to justify myself to him. I can only do that if I act to the best of my ability. As soon as I know that these people are safe, it is something else whether I then remain neutral depends on the circumstances. I know that Kor is not here but that does not mean that I cannot act according to his will. As far as the gods of Caido are concerned, I will only form a final judgment after I have spoken to all of them." Darkeye realized only now that he had spoken for a long time and nodded to Remi as a sign that he was finished. At the same time, the nod was also an apology for his brash choice of words.

"A young lady said that innocence is a matter of perspective. You serve the dead you do what is necessary. The question is, the human part of you, how does it feel about all this without you being Ludo's servant?" Darkeye knew he was playing with fire. But this was an open conversation and he wanted to hear Remi's thoughts, not Ludo's servant's. "Bastien was innocent," Darkeye said firmly. "As well as the people of Strombreak who could not defend themselves. Only Ronin was able to defend them, but even he could not prevent it." Darkeye knew nothing about the connection between Remi and Ronin and spoke the name. It was useless to keep the attack on Stormbreak from a leader. It would soon come to light anyway.

each for one sin

This scar I can't reverse, when the more it heals the worse it hurts

The other man was quite right; on this they absolutely did disagree. Were Remi to be swept away into another world altogether once again, his loyalties to Ludo would vanish in an instant. But then, Remi hadn’t chosen Ludo quite the same way that Darkeye had chosen Kor.

As for death, though? “Your soul will remain here. It will go to Mort, no matter what vows you have made. You are in a different world now.” Remi argues with a shake of his head. “I have seen it myself. No matter where you come from, all who die here go to Mort or to the Voice.”

Taking a breath, the alchemist can do little but shrug and sigh. “Death comes to everyone. Death is indiscriminate, so is what I do.” He replies. “Those that I take would otherwise die horrific deaths. I appear before that time to ease their pain so that they needed experience the harshness that dying can bring.” As for Bastien? Raising an eyebrow, Remi having once been quite good friends with the man, he can only shake his head again. “Bastien was eaten by a land shark. Not murdered. Innocence had nothing to do with it. What happened to Stormbreak was an atrocity.” Leaning forward, his eyes glittering darkly, the alchemist tilts his head. “That was an act of pure savagery. Of the ascended trying to throw their weight around and leaving nothing but senseless death and destruction in their wake.”

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Darkeye

Nine strikes

Darkeye just smiled. "That may be, but Kor believers greet the dead with a smile. We strive for a sincere death on the battlefield. I believe that this is what awaits me in the coming war. But I can die only when I have fulfilled my task and my vow. I wish you were wrong on this point, but who am I to contradict death?" He continued to smile at Remi. He didn't want to start a fight, but he was convinced that he would go to Kor.

Darkeye hesitated for a moment."I have other reports in this regard Remi." He flipped through his book, looking for the entry of Amun and their conversation. "The attack first came from the Stormbreak side. They killed Sam a bookbinder from the Grounds Gideon had attacked first and Sam was able to kill him. Both were found dead which was considered by some as an act of war but not by Mrs. Lockwood who knew nothing about it. It was the act of a few. It should not be considered as the act of the Ascended ones. According to reports, Ronin himself also tried to bring down the tower. He was one of the fewer defenders and must have been very desperate. But these statements are isolated reports. I will investigate this matter. But if this is true, Ronin is also partly to blame for the defenseless in the tower." Darkeye didn't know what really happened, but he had to tell it to find out where Remi stood. He told it neither aggressively nor indifferently. He tried to bring light into the darkness.

each for one sin

This scar I can't reverse, when the more it heals the worse it hurts

“I am not death. Just…the bringer of it.” Remi says in a low voice, though whether there is actually any difference between the two even he doesn’t know.

Raising a brow as Darkeye flips through his notes, the alchemist leans back in his chair. “Gideon and Sam are dead, yes. But from what I have heard, no one knows quite what happened other than they seem to have killed one another.” However as the details of what Darkeye had been told turned drastically less accurate, Remi huffed out a sigh and shook his head abruptly.

“What you have been told is wrong.  It is true Isla knew nothing of what happened between Gideon and Sam, or between the ascended and Stormbreak. But it was the ascended who attacked Stormbreak. Ronin never tried to bring the Tower down. At worst, he collapsed a very small portion to try and keep an enemy trapped within. Wessex’s actions killed dozens, all innocents. The bottom floor of the Tower is a hospital for gods sake. Ronin even offered to take the fight elsewhere. Somewhere neutral where no one else would be hurt, but the ascended declined.” Through heated cheeks Remi tenses his jaw and gives his head another shake.

“The Order, who actively opposed the ascended, is gone. There was no reason for them to attack Stormbreak other than for petty violence which is precisely what they got.”

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