LXVII.

The Fox of Blunder perched on a boulder and puffed cold air

Into the darkness before her, letting out another rasp:

“Come out child, us two wish but speak!” Quickly, the Maven would grasp

Attention from all, shutting down the Fox with a detached glare

Of patience. There lied an uneasy tension between them.

The Orb Maven spoke: “Silence your wretched grating. This mayhem

Without doubt scares the child.” His voice a slender silent prayer.

“We wish no harm, but thou wouldst not know; of this I am aware.”

LXVIII.

As if controlled, Ríona came out from her hiding place

While Aurianne tried to pull back on their frame to no avail.

The Maven murmured to himself: “As foretold, she is unveiled!”

Soon raising his voice from a whisper, he added: “To not abase

One’s petty prides, are greetings not usually in order

With you people-folk?” He seemed to toy with the girl but did not harbour

Any expression which would signify that on his blank face.

Finally, Ríona could see the divines with her eye’s embrace.

LXIX.

Fiery eyes adorned in purpurate flames shone in the dark.

An ever present aura hovered among them, signifying

The godly presence was not to the corporeal complying.

It was entirely possible, Ríona thought, she’d mark

Her entry into a realm between both worlds. Her senses tingled

In the embrace of the macabre flow, which tugged and wrinkled

Voraciously about her frame, spiralling with a spark

Of wonder and eeriness, yet blind to eyes without remark.

LXX.

Zalith Rouge was a hooded figure, clad in alabaster.

Only now did his four, upper extremities become

Apparent; three clutching and caressing the orb in humdrum

Motions, while it was being held close to his chest. The forecaster’s

Innerwordly gaze seldom ceased staring into the sphere.

His remaining hand held onto an ornate staff which the seer

Used for support. The god of time, always looked for disaster

Within his artifact, absorbed into passage ever faster.

LXXI.

His companion, the goddess of famine, always erratically

Shuffled about, her animalistic habits never stopping.

Nahesia’s head was adorned with a monstrous skull which horns were weaving

And curving slowly backwards; its sharp fangs reached bestially

Past her forehead. Around her eyes were large, blackened circles,

Which brought even more contrast to the manic gaze of her pupils.

Her long flowing hair was dotted with feathers, emphatically

Placed fetishes and many other peculiarity.

LXXII.

By virtue of her incessant shapeshifting, she often turned

Between her forms partially, maintaining heaps of feral features

Of her fox-like shape: the vestiges of fur and whiskers

Lining her face, her ears bore the shape of a vixen – upturned,

As did her tail and hind legs, tying together her two forms.

Nonetheless, her most prominent feature; one which most alarms,

Was the absence of her left arm; and just as any book-learned

Scholar would know, a sacrifice in exchange for power yearned.

LXXIII.

As impatient as clever, Ríona answered the Maven:

“No need, for I know who you are, just as you know of me!”

She began connecting the dots. The storm that had her flee

Inside this cave was not natural in its sensation.

“I know of all your tricks, Zalith; to use the Candlekeep’s

Storm and lure me here! My attention no longer sleeps-

Our attention, that is!” She tried to keep a calm haven

In her mind but was in awe before the figures so graven.

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LXXIV.

The Orb Maven barely expressed it but was glad of her wit:

“Thou art quick, indeed! Alas, I sense some Outerworldly restraint?

Ah, but yes…” he gazed at his orb as if it were a saint,

Ever so keenly. “Thou art lost, no? Thy heart does so admit.

Thou seekest him but thou knowest not where thou mustest go?”

His eyes focused on the orb which now sparked the nearby flow,

His irises rapidly went to-and-fro, all across it.

“Many a path do I see in thy plethora of outcomes which you could commit.”

LXXV.

“One where thou end thy path short? Or perhaps this other one?

Where thou shalt thy destiny fulfil? Or some of these which even

To me, are obscured?” the god meandered. She perceived this in

Aurianne as well, this annoying tendency that to her was no fun.

In fact, she hated it the most. She took a receding stride

And ‘fore she could express herself, Nahesia jumped in and denied

Her the chance, crying out the obvious: “Of all, bar none,

She must hate this toying! Better not act. Too late to run!”

LXXVI.

“Better yet, stand thy ground and be bestowed upon a boon!”

Now the girl’s hair stood on end, as she felt Aurianne tug at every limb.

Uncertainty now filled all the pores of her body to the brim.

Ríona replied anxiously to the goddess’ taunt: “If your tune

Did sing of aid, you’d step aside!” Disquiet grew inside

Her heart, yet before she could even think to make a stride

The Orb Maven hovered over her left shoulder to prune

Out further recess. She felt utterly alone and marooned.

LXXVII.

For this brief moment, the essence of Aurianne dispersed,

And the ghastly gaunt features of the Maven’s bearded face

Became more apparent, his hooked nose carving a dark embrace

About his face and his eyes, though flaming orchids, dead and cursed,

Empty of all emotion. He gazed past her into the void,

Continuing his inhuman act which gave him such utter poise.

Slowly he moved his eyes to meet hers. He spoke with his well-versed

And astute qualities. His words, though cutting, without bloodthirst.

LXXVIII.

“Did the Great Arabæl ask for the Price when the Godly Grant

Bestowed upon him his boons? He did not! Did the eloquent Queen Zora

Deny all modicum when all she possessed was no more in her aura

To exchange? She did not! Did even Chief Audar ask for pittance scant

In exchange for thy life when he sensed power? He did not.

He had seen and he had taken what was to be his onslaught!

Divines find recompense in manners thou envision can’t.

So, do not ask but bowest thy head and accept this flow’s implant!”

LXXIX.

This was, she noted, the only time he ever gazed away

From his artifact. The expression blank, as he calmly raised

His orb before them with his gaunt hands. The sphere by light glazed

And ever brightly shining. Ríona looked towards the display

Inside the sphere. At first cloudy, then suddenly she saw

A route – no; remembered it. This was as if the orb could draw

These pictures from memories of something alien and relay

Them into hers. She now had the scent of a safe pathway.

LXXX.

An exit appeared on the other side of this dark cave

And then… a plain? Covered in ice and snow; and further still

Up the foothills through which the great river flowed down the kill

From the base of a vast lake. Skipping across every wave,

The path climbed only a few hundred paces up the shore bank,

Until it reached a towering keep, extending into the blank

Sky of the Guardians. Just as quickly as this vision’s rave

Began, it ended. Ríona’s path was now surely paved.

LXXXI.

Thus, Zalith spoke a few words of closure: “To summon into the open,

While thou art of people-folk, thou art also kin-in-kind,

And while thou shalt surely atone in due time for thy bind,

When the time comes, we ask that thou keepest this promise unbroken

For our terms are surely merciful.” As soon as Ríona opened

Her deep blue eyes, she found herself alone and abandoned.

Without a trace the two gods left, as a silent wind unspoken,

While Aurianne was still reshaping her form, yet to be woken.