(CONTINUED)
----------------------
THE SCIENCE:
Rock pinnacle.
The sky about you is alive with the day-time. Sitting on the snow-crowned tip of the rocky spire, you survey a cloudscape of a truly wondrous splendour and beauty. Rock-snow mountaintops rise up, adrift on a smooth white cloud-sea, sparkling in blazing sunlight. Against the whiteness below, the dome of the sky is a deep blue hemisphere atop the horizon, the sun a bright disc shining down through stray
streamers of mist. The air is bitingly cold, but to you, a mortal privileged to visit what is surely the realm of the Gods, it seems merely invigorating. To your left, casting dancing watery reflections against the surrounding rocks, is a deep pool of mountain water, while at the foot of the pinnacle is the mountain village of Archangel, sacred village of Genesis, the god of time. Flurries of thick snow issue from the clouded heavens above. There is a distinct feeling of privacy
here.
Narissa releases a pent breath as the steed crests the rise and pauses, surveying the rock pinnacle before her.
Someone releases his grip from your waist and falls backwards off of the golden eagle, landing firmly on his feet. He stretches and looks around curiously.
Narissa cautiously slides down from the eagle, one arm extending to grasp your shoulder in a vise-like grip. Her gaze darts about the peak, assessing every craggy face of the cliff.
Someone crouches and traces a finger in the dirt as he thoughtfully takes in the scenery. "Not even a week has passed since Kodiak ascended and you'd never know it. This place is immaculate, as if no one has ever stepped foot here." he muses.
Narissa releases your arm, her hand sliding down to stroke the ancient rocks. Her breath draws in quickly in a sudden gasp, and, slowly, she approaches the divine pool, shimmering reflections from the surface dancing across her face. "Not quite," she whispers, an odd, strangled note in her voice.
Someone raises an eyebrow and walks over to where you are standing. "What do you see, Narissa?" he asks, as he peers into the divine pool.
Narissa carefully leans closer towards the water, her eyes growing hazy and unfocused as they watch the hypnotic skitter of light across the surface of the pool. An eerie glow colors her face, swirling in twisted streamers across her features - a shimmer from the depths of the water, one of iridescent, vibrant light.
Narissa extends a hand, tentatively skimming the surface of the water. "Essence," she breathes, watching the knotted clot of luminescence slowly undulating in the deepest hollows of the pool.
Someone blinks and furrows his brow, staring more intently at the water, the flickering patterns dazzling him as his lips curl upward into a curious smile. "Essence..." he repeats as he reaches to touch his reflection.
Narissa shivers as she touches the water, nodding in a daze. Leaning closer to the pool itself, her eyes widen. "Can you see him..." she whispers, staring transfixed at the very bottom of the small lake.
Someone shakes his head, pulling himself away from the pool's spell. He turns toward you and frowns. "Kodiak is no more, Narissa... What do you see...?" He turns to stare back into the depths of the water and grits his teeth in concentration.
Someone's jaw drops in astonishment, his breathing becoming rapid as puffs of steam punctuate the air before his wide-eyed face. "My... God..." he stammers.
Narissa continues to reach downwards, plunging her arm into the waters. Shuddering at the icy touch of the pool, she reaches, a perfectly preserved body resolving from the maelstrom of essence. Rigid features form in the water, so still and quiet, peacefully set into a noble countenance - the man might be merely sleeping.
Narissa lets out a pained gasp, her hand clutching a thick lorerobe which suddenly swirls outwards from the essence, ravelling into existence within her grasping fist. One finger snags on a sharpened shard of gem, delicately sewn into the garment, and the gash spills a bright cloud of crimson into the waters. She stares numbly at the blooming ribbons of blood, watching silently as the scarlet is quickly sucked into the swirling essence.
Someone gasps and chokes on the frigid air. "By the gods..." he mutters under his breath as he plunges an arm into the icy depths of the pool to aid you. After a few attempts he wraps his fingers around a bejewelled hand and pulls back, attempting to find leverage on a nearby rock.
Narissa limply attempts to assist you, though her face is growing wan and her movements sluggish. The cut, instead of slowing in bleeding, appears to be widening, spilling more of her blood into the warped and twisting clot of essence.
Narissa shivers violently, her body convulsing unconsciously. "The power....is draining..." she whispers, one hand still tangled in the corpse's clothing.
Someone shudders from the bitter cold and between chattering teeth and heavy breath, he manages to stutter, "This is madness...". He releases his grip on the frozen corpse and grabs for you, pulling you away from the water and breaking your fall as you collapse onto him.
Narissa gasps loudly, color rushing back to her cheeks. "Get the body," she manages to hiss through clenched teeth, as she holds her hand tightly against her chest.
Someone grabs your hand and examines the deep wound. Acting quickly, he takes his long knife and cuts a strip of material from his great cloak and tosses it to you.
Narissa tightly wraps the cloth around her hand, her eyes trained on your movements.
Someone launches himself toward the body which slowly begins to sink back into the swirling essence and with cat-like agility, wraps his fingers once more around the stiffened hand of the corpse, gripping firmly by the wrist.
Someone clenches his teeth in preparation for the task ahead of him. He digs his feet into the ground and shifts his weight as if falling backward, allowing gravity to handle the lion's share of the work. With a loud, primitive grunt, he begins to step back slowly, his hands gripping the frozen body, inching his way to land.
Narissa staggers to her feet, lurching forwards to help you. Gripping the other arm of the body, she pulls with a surprising amount of force, her arms locked beneath the armpit of the corpse.
Someone nods quickly and exhales sharply in gratitude for the assistance. Shuffling backwards the corpse slowly emerges from the pool, his hands now free from the frozen water. Endyamon adjusts his grip and begins to hold the corpse from the opposite armpit as his cohort.
Narissa helps you begin to lever the body towards the ground. As she steps backwards, she quickly glances at the face, and her hands shake suddenly, nearly dropping the body. "Gods, Endyamon," she murmurs in shock. "He looks....ALIVE...."
Someone emits one final grunt and using his remaining energy, takes large strides backward, the frozen body carried by his momentum. Now upon dry land, Endyamon releases his grip on the corpse and collapses onto the ground behind him.
Narissa stumbles forwards, her grip on the body tugging her downwards. Tumbling across the rocky floor, she lands near you, her eyes wide with disbelief. Turning to look towards you, she shakes her head in incomprehension. "What..." she whispers faintly.
Someone pants heavily, the chill wind freezing the sweat on his brow. He nods silently to you. Gulping heavily between breaths, he finally manages to mutter, "Yes...".
Narissa forces herself to swallow, her mouth dry and her eyes slightly frenzied. "Is he...? Have we...?"
Someone shudders and nods earnestly. "Not alive..." he gasps, and continues, "... Just a shell. But it's ours now..." he smiles weakly.
Narissa slowly nods, a strange smile creeping across her face. "This is true," she murmurs, lightly prodding the body with a slippered toe. "I wonder....If we peel away the skin...?"
Someone's breathing begins to catch up with him and he clears his throat. "... Is there anybody in there?" he continues.
Narissa laughs sharply, breaking off the giggle with a hiccuping cough, eyes darting about nervously as the sound echoes off the surrounding peaks with the harsh, deafening crack of a bowstring's shot.
Someone removes a skin of wine and a handful of wood from a hessian sack. He offers the drink to you and begins to stack the kindling into a neat pile in the middle of a rocky clearing on the pinnacle.
Someone winks at you and says, "Drink up, Narissa. There's work to be done.".
Narissa takes the wine, her brow furrowing into a puzzled frown. Taking a deep gulp, she coughs, gasping at the sting. "Dwarven," she mutters, forcing a swallow. Pausing, her eyes shift to you. Suspiciously, she quietly asks, "What are you doing...?"
Someone lights the wood and stokes a modest fire that remains ablaze despite the chill winds. He regards you unblinkingly and shrugs. "Just trying to keep us warm is all!" He returns to stoking the fire as he chuckles to himself.
Someone smiles, satisfied with his handiwork as he holds his palms outward to the fire and rubs them together for warmth. Standing up, he stretches near the fire, the glow from the flames seemingly absorbed by his cloak as he closes his eyes and momentarily enjoys the heat.
Someone walks to the corpse and with one swift motion, lifts it up like a sack of potatoes and lumbers back to the fire before unceremoniously dumping the lifeless body onto the rocky floor.
Narissa edges closer to the fire, taking another swig of wine. Frowning, she peers at the corpse. "Burn it?" she mutters.
Someone motions for you to sit beside him, as he continues to warm himself. "You can't properly experiment on a frozen body, you know."
Narissa reluctantly nods, the enormity of the situation dawning on her. "He's a GOD," she giggles, sipping from the wineskin.
Someone prods the body. As he removes his hand, an indentation is left behind signifying that the body has begun to warm up and is no longer frigid.
Someone shakes his head and replies, "He..." gesturing to the body, "... Is a corpse.".
Narissa watches with a mixture of revulsion and fascination as the body slowly thaws, the firelight casting life-like color across the corpse: a rosy glow springs up on the cheeks, reflecting the burning embers, while an array of twinkling sparks from the robes and rings glitter in response to the bright flames.
Narissa tilts her head, regarding the body. "Not just a corpse, though," she slyly grins. "He did not....die....per se..."
Someone strokes his chin and says, "The God who once inhabited this body now resides in Olympus as you know and no longer needs this shell. It's as dead as it's going to get, no?".
Narissa snickers, nodding. "Fair point," she laughs. "Though....some of that Divine touch is surely to reside? What we have is the body at the exact moment of transition from mortal to God!"
Someone smiles and nods. "Which is perfect for what you had in mind. To see what resides in the flesh that makes the mighty what they are.".
Narissa watches the body with a disconcerting gleam dawning in her eyes. "What we have is a key to Divinity - the truest answer we'll ever find to what makes the magic!"
Narissa lets out a crow, taking another deep sip from the wine, as she inches even closer to the fire - and the motionless body.
Someone smiles and nods as he polishes the blade of his long knife with the tattered fabric of his great-cloak.
Narissa silently pulls her knife from the scabbard at her hip, tilting the weapon to regard the inverted image of the body as it is reflected in a warped scrawl across the polished blade.
Narissa leans forwards, dropping into a crouch, as she tentatively rests a hand on Kodiak's chest. "So warm..." she murmurs, "Yet so still..." Her hand traces upwards to skim against a fire-heated brow, before letting her fingers pause at the creases of the eyes.
Narissa lightly pulls the lids open, revealing a blank, deep stare, gaze fixed upwards at the night sky stretching above. The dying flames flicker in an eerie reflection across the orbs, as Narissa's mouth twists into a warped smile. "I think the body should be able to witness its own greatness," she laughs, her voice raising into a high-pitched, muffled giggle.
Someone watches you expectantly and beams broadly. Wide-eyed and mouth agape, he regards the tip of your blade as it begins its descent into the flesh of the freshly thawed corpse.
Narissa lets her other hand descend suddenly, the knife biting into the hollow of the throat. Gently, she eases it down the chest, the razor-edged blade slicing through both flesh and cloth. Reaching the sternum, she pauses, staring at the corpse with curiosity, withdrawing the knife, an unexpected thick layer of blood slick and bright against the silver.
Narissa frowns, murmuring in interest, "How odd..."
Someone smiles and kneels over the body, his eyes following your every move as he witnesses the handiwork of your first incision. He tilts his head and regards you with a puzzled look. "What is it? What's odd?" he asks.
Narissa returns the blade to the body, slicing downwards again, slashing through the torso. "How many week-dead corpses," she asks in a conversational tone, "Bleed?"
Narissa pulls the loose flesh away from the chest, exposing a ribcage, bones bright as snow against the darkened night. Absently turning one hand towards you, she displays a sticky, near-black palm, before returning to the explorations.
Someone furrows his brow and examines the deep incision and then looks back to your blade, stained with crimson. "Bleeding... Amazing. But, it is not beating." He pulls away the flesh from the chest and points out the stillness of Kodiak's heart.
Narissa begins to delicately cut at the ribs, her fingers leaving stark streaks of crimson on the bones. Chipping away at the sternum, she nods in agreement. "As I said, merely odd..." Trailing off, she highlights a section of fused bone, circling it with her knife point, the blade leaving a bloodied circumference.
Narissa leans closer, staring at the unusual formation. "That spur is not human," she says in a perplexed tone. "I've only ever seen bone shapes like that in animals."
Someone strokes his chin, a smear of blood unwittingly left across his cheek, as he examines the breast bone and pulls back a flap of loose skin with the point of his blade to allow you easier access to your task. He lifts his head and turns toward you with a perplexed look in his eye. "Animals?" he asks.
Narissa nods slowly, her attention riveted by the odd structure. "Cougars, lions, bears..."
Narissa raises her eyebrows, her jaw going a bit slack. "Ah." she quietly says, as comprehension dawns.
Someone nods, comprehension playing across his features. "The Onyx... It literally changed his bone structure. That's... that's unbelievable" he gasps.
Narissa bites her lip, a pensive look creeping into her eyes. "I wonder if all the gems touch the body like that," she murmurs beneath her breath, as the knife gently skims the flesh, scraping away a layer between muscle and skin.
Narissa slowly begins to peel the skin away from the corpse, long, ropy segments pulling away from the muscle in sheets.
Someone leans into the chest cavity and chisels away diligently on the breast bone, completing the task. Jabbing the knife into the snow-capped ground, he frees his hands to remove the bony structure.
Narissa deposits the skin in a pile next to the body, leaning back onto her heels to regard you. "It's as if it was always there, isn't it?" she quietly says. "It's a perfect part of the body..."
Someone nods to you as he removes the chest bone in its entirety, revealing a host of organs. He discards the bone behind him and peers into the assemblage of innards with childlike curiosity. He picks his knife back up and smiles to you.
Someone asks, "So where do you propose we find the magic, Narissa?".
Narissa lets out a giddy laugh, as she leans forward again, staring down into the yawning maw of the exposed cavity. Slick organs shine from the depths of the body, light from the banked fire licking across their surfaces with an oily gleam.
Someone plunges a hand into the abdominal cavity of the corpse and lifts the stomach up. He turns it in his hand and examines it from many angles before touching the point of his blade to it and pushing inward, puncturing the organ.
Narissa watches, enthralled, as you dissect the stomach, a slimy mess of deflated organ dripping across your hand in a gory wreath.
Someone winces as nausea creeps across his features. He leans back and gulps loudly before saying, "No magic here, but we've solved another mystery, I think...".
"The dangers of an all apple diet?", you say.
Someone adds, "Smoked Haddock was his last meal.".
Narissa allows herself a nervous snicker.
Someone wretches silently and mutters, "Gods, I hate fish... Dumb bears.".
Someone lowers his blade to the viscera attaching the stomach to the remainder of the abdomen and slices it free before chucking the stomach and its fishy contents with a grunt.
Narissa tenderly reaches into the chest, lightly plucking the delicate, gauzy lungs away from the body. Unpreturbed by the stench, she smirks over at you. "After the sewers, I'd think that would hardly phase you," she taunts, returning her gaze to the organs.
Someone smirks at you and adds, "I much prefer the smell of sewers to week-digested fish.".
Narissa spreads the lungs across her palms, leaning across the body to splay her hands before the fire to better examine the organs.
Someone sidles next to you and peers into the lungs as you hold them exposed to the fire, the mucus and fluids glistening as the light of the fire dances across them. "Boring." he says.
Narissa stares at the delicate network and spiderwebbing of the veins across the lungs, mesmerized for a moment by the intricate interworking, before dumping them onto the fire. "Nothing special there," she grunts in agreement.
