FINAL TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

FINAL TRIAL
(1 of Hekatombaion)


[When the time comes, Charon arrives on a boat, hrrhrrhrring a little tune as he rows. No need to worry about space, even with all of the shades coming with. Fluffles, unsurprisingly, doesn't go; he does see everyone off, at least, before he falls asleep.

With a final hnnnngrrrgh, they're off. Charon is the master of the Styx, in his own way, deftly avoiding roots and branches from the Qliphoth as he guides his charges up through the layers of the underworld. From the dark and gloomy green of Tartarus, to the lava-flooded Asphodel and it's giant many-headed bone snake, sadly snarled in demonic roots (without thinking, Zack waves to it), on through the lazy rivers of Elysium, and lastly through the pitch stink of the corridors of a temple separating the underworld from the living world.

Throughout, there is eerie quiet. No shades appear to watch their procession-indeed the few wisps around seem to be fleeing, hiding. No rats try to bite Zack's face off. Aside from Lernie, there's truly nothing but tree, tree, and more tree.

Finally, though, the surface air hits, and it is...not cold, but not warm, either. Though, as everyone disembarks, that's probably not what catches everyone's attention. No-it is the barren fields of ancient Greece, just outside the entrance to the underworld-and there is only one thing alive in the area.

It is late afternoon, and the silhouette of the new moon is the only thing that emits real light now in the grey. Indeed, if there is a sun, it is blocked out by the massive, massive roots in the sky, swirling into the stratosphere. The roots in the underworld were in fact more akin to greedy branches; the roots in the sky of the world of life, however, are far more massive, and it's clear the tree is fully grown. And-if the dead grass and trees and barren lands around the Temple of Styx are any indication-it isn't simply feeding on human blood-it's affecting the life of the earth itself, greedily lapping up what it can as it further embeds itself, further spreads, further grows. Further destroys.

It won't stop. There is obsession and power, and Delta is right-it will never stop unless someone intervenes.

Wordlessly Delta points to a Spire of blood in front of them. Yup-they need to enter it to get to where they need to go. Lovely.]

Through here is the core of the tree where the fruit of the Qliphoth is being cultivated. Come.

[Well, no turning back. With luck, the Catillac has some extra towels.



So, immediately after squishing into the...blood elevator?...everyone is schllllorped on a ride akin to w water slide, going up and down, left and right, up, up, up, then down, down, down....down.......


d


o


w


n



into the depths.

And when they emerge...]





[Bright flowers grow on the vines. There is distant birdsong, and the sun shines among fat, lazy clouds. But you can see the shine of glass in the corner of your eye; the air is too perfect to breath, too cold to touch. You don't feel the grass or dirt underfoot that you can clearly see The smell of blood is everywhere.

An illusion? A dream? A delusion? Something else? Who knows. There is a patio table laid out with tea, and four seats. It's almost as if the owner simply got up and left for a moment. It's all strange, all...wrong.

Still. You're finally here. You're in the core. You freed a possible god from the grip of forced ignorance. And you have-you hope-everything you need to end this. But there is still one question:



Who is the true Mastermind, and what is their goal in doing all of this?



It is time, Strangers. By the seas, the heavens and the earth, by blood and darkness, it's up to you.




Good luck.]

Comments

[superstylishsquid]

No, I think it was Dante and Vergil themselves, along with their namesakes.

I think...she hates how she feels when she sees images of them, or even of the people they were named for.

[somuchshipping]

[!]

DidWeBringAny PaperAndMarkers? ICouldMake ADrawingOfThem!

[godofblood]

An image? Do we have any of those?

[superstylishsquid]

I'm pretty good at drawing too, but I don't know that she'd give us time for that.

Has anyone found anything depicting kids with white hair, who look like they could be identical twins?

[onychomance]

I saw a photo of a family with twin babies... not sure if it was them, but shall I attempt?

[superstylishsquid]

Even if it isn't, it might stir something.

[onychomance]

I suppose we don't have any better ideas...

[Well, Kira will take whatever drawing implement is offered to him and try to recreate this image from memory.

It is the worst drawing you have ever seen.]

[superstylishsquid]

.....I think when I got here, I wrote in English better than you draw.

[onychomance]

[Kira groans. He's never tried to draw anything since kindergarten. What did he expect?]

From now on, I will be satisfied with merely appreciating art...

[exequte]

[Akane watches him draw this curiously.

After a moment she sort of walks around to get a different angle on it, wondering if this will in some way improve it.]

[onychomance]

Akane, you're good at... erm. Analysis. Why don't you use this to locate the real photo among whatever junk the rest of them brought along.

[He is trying to save face.]

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes will just gently try to take the paper and pencil from Kira's hands and set them on the ground.]

...Kira, I can give you some drawing lessons after this.

[onychomance]

That won't be necessary! [HE WILL NEVER TRY THIS AGAIN.]

[yesorwoof]

[Makima is watching this with her heart in her throat. And then she is watching everyone else like this text post.]

[onychomance]

[ズドドドドド]

[daxzum]

What are you doing.

[superstylishsquid]

Torturing a poor piece of innocent paper?

[onychomance]

[...why is this his life now.]

I realize it doesn't look like much, but it is supposed to depict a family photo I found.
I'm sure the others will find it soon.

[devilmehcry]

Damn, man. Even I can draw better than that!

[Surprise Dante!]

[onychomance]

[SHUT UP.]

Do it then! Find someone to possess. Why am I drawing for someone else's mother anyway?

MODS

[yesorwoof]

[Makima has been doing her rounds trying to intimidate the others into acknowledging Kira's drawing but it's clearly not going to work on Eva at this point. She slips off to the side. Closes her eyes. Opens them. Announces:]

If we need a substitute. Delta, I heard on the tape you might have had something that would suffice?

[15unknowns]

Are you talkng about my own family photo-

[Yes.]

[yesorwoof]

We are that desperate. You're a twin.

[yesorwoof]

I'm not much of an artist...

[Makima does have pencil and paper very often, as it so happens, and it can be available to Hermes now. But she speaks haltingly.]

But it makes sense. These shades of the two, they barely bear the image or scent. It could be possible to strengthen the effect further than what we've already seen.

So that she would have to leave? Alastor-kun, is the presence of Eva-chan's soul making this tree stronger than Nero believed?

[superstylishsquid]

She was a powerful Witch, so yeah, her soul would be incredibly potent as a power source for a demon.

And if we can incite enough conflict between her heart and the tree...maybe it'll be enough to let her soul pull loose. For her to be herself again.