{Ishkur | Pantheon}
This had been a day.
Bones wanted to soak in some hot springs while eating a slice of Colton’s famous cheesecake with Cheeto’s on the side. Maybe some Yun nectar.
Yeah.
That sounded like the perfect remedy.
Instead, Bones was standing in a bare Pantheon-looking landscape. Identical, even. He wondered if he went far enough in any direction, if he’d find stacks of books like in Enki. The trouble with a barren tundra was determining which direction to go. If this was a perfect mirror to Enki, maybe he should go through the Torrentus conduit. But what if the conduit didn’t go to a continent housing the bridge?
What if something lived there? Unknown life forms with ferocious appetites.
Surely not. Bones and the others had been watching too much Sci-Fi.
He reported, “We got Caedes, Pehton, Pehton’s long-lost children, the Lyriks, Tumu, Lamassau, good ol’ Iuo who owes the Chef some money, Colton, Cypher, Tempest, Dolor, X, Legir, Kombuchi, and I already mentioned F8—”
The Queen nodded at him, consulting with her Mon3 forces.
“—No sign of our Generals here either.” Bones sighed before continuing, “I want us to centralize for when the Seamswalkers return, but I have no idea which way to go. Stay put until then. Over and Out.”
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After working the Chorus magic, the Lyriks were resting off to the side. Razor’s generosity in sharing the spectacular event with Ishkur over the screens meant the movie would be more accurate when Bones was finished with it. A truly fantastic explosion. And there were no two more deserving souls in the entire Vast Collective.
Caedes hung out with Iuo, Lamassau, and Tumu. The cheeky Icarus kept sparing glances at Pehton, who was sitting on the ground meeting her kids. Tears were in her eyes the entire time. Bald and smitten looked good on Caedes.
Bones was waiting to see Para himself. He was so relieved to hear she’d survived and escaped just fine. Their team, in particular, had endured enough.
Tumu came over to Bones, suggesting, “We could try sending flyers to circle out.”
“Yup. That’s what we’ll have to do. You can take your sixty-five foot ass out and search, too.”
The old Primary—the only Primary—chuckled.
Wow. “Tumu, I don’t mean to be rude or bring up any negativity, but are you really the last Gargantuan?”
More cavalier than expected, Tumu shrugged. “Perhaps it depends on your definition.” He nodded toward Pehton’s kids. Riiiiight. The Tritan continued, “They’re new. No compression orbs required. But they’re still Gargantuan. I’m proud to call them Primary.”
“They need more clothes, though.” Lamassau prowled his way over and circled his arms around his taller partner.
As someone who saw up Torch’s white loin cloth more than once during the fight, Bones had to agree—
T.a.o. Seamswalked into the clearing near Pehton’s circle.
Bones flagged her down. “Hey—Whoa!”
She popped right in front of him with her permanent Atramentous eyes, sharp and avian—Hey, were her cheeks tear-stained?
“Now.”
The Afflicted One’s cryptic speech rose the hackles on Bone’s collar, so he was grateful when Tumu pressed for more information in a gentle voice. “What do you mean, T.a.o.? What’s happening ‘now?’”
“Enki’s last words.”