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thank you @krillking for commisioning me!! Have Mekh from dice's underground boxing au. Screenshot redraw from arcane :3
IF YOU WANT SWAG ART YOU CAN CHECK MY PRICES HERE!!!
A season of exploration, whose cosmetics lean heavily on helmets and instruments and light on capes. The spirits can be found through out the different realms like Solanum on the sixth floor, Gabro on the Sanctuary, Prisonor in the hidden forest, Rieback under shattering ice, Feldspar in the graveyard etc. etc. (and of course each of them will have new emote relate spirit name but I canât think of any yet)
Also the last quest will be eden quest again because of course.
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âI mean, I know some things about them,â the child continues, âIâve heard people say that they were a bad person, that they killed light creatures and started a war, which is a bad thing, too, but Iâm not sure what exactly it is... But I- I donât really understand much about them. Could you explain to me who they were?â
With the reaction elicited from other Elders, Daleth probably should have expected this kind of question. They did, in a way, anticipate that the Ruler might be brought up, but it did not make them feel any more prepared for this conversation.
âI can try,â Daleth says, âbut it isnât an easy thing to explain. Or a happy one.â
___
A young moth seeks answers. Daleth gives them what they need.
Read the fic here or below the cut
Daleth is feeding the birds when someone appears behind them, quietly, almost shyly. The Elder feels the warmth of a flame before they see it. They do not turn around just yet, nodding at the birds to explain their meal may be disturbed â even the quietest of children can be loud. Not to mention how many of them are still too young to understand other creatures and their need to be left alone, from time to time. Daleth does not blame them: kids are supposed to not understand things â otherwise, how would they learn?
The birds chirp and fly away through the back door when the newcomer finally speaks.
âUhm⌠Can I ask you something? Sorry.â
Daleth looks at them fondly.
âNo need to apologise, little one. Do you need to go to Prairie? The gates are open.â
âNo, I just⌠I wanted to talk,â the child says, their bright eyes looking at Daleth.
There is something in that stare that makes their heart ache, but not necessarily in a bad way. Maybe it is the trust they put in Daleth so willingly. Maybe it is their genuine curiosity, not yet dulled by the time they have spent alive. Maybe it is the fact that, despite everything they have gone through, the little moth remains, essentially, a little moth: not growing bitter, not closing off. There is beauty in their charming naivete, and this beauty both gives the Elder hope for the future and fills them with regret. It was them, after all, who took part in the actions that led to this child having to battle darkness since a young age, and it would be impossible for Daleth not to feel guilty over being unable to give them a chance of a better childhood.
So, the least they can do is keep the moth company.
âWhat is it that you want to talk about?â the Elder asks, a soft smile on their face as they get on one knee.
âI have some questions,â the child replies, a bit less nervous than before.
âIâll be happy to answer them. Let us sit down somewhere.â
They look around, and the temple suddenly feels so empty, with no furniture to properly sit down and talk. Maybe they should get some? They have been having quite a few guests lately, after all.
As Daleth ponders what seat to offer to the child, the latter settles on the edge of the stone floor, their feet dangling above the clouds below the temple. The Elder is not sure whether they approve of such recklessness or not â the kidâs ability to fly does not really calm them down, â but right now, they find it rather endearing.
âLook what a nice seat you found!â they say sitting down next to them. The process takes them some effort, but they manage, in the end. They may be old, but they are also an Elder, and one does not become an Elder for nothing, âAsk whatever you want, Iâll tell you everything I can.â
A small smile creeps on the mothâs face, and they start swinging their feet as they talk.
âI really didnât want to bother you, but I asked all the spirits I know, and I still canât figure some things out. I- I tried asking other Elders, too, but they didnât tell me anything.â
Daleth hates to see the disheartened expression on their face and puts a tentative hand on the kidâs shoulder. They do not back off, so the Elder leaves the hand there, squeezing a little. The child raises their eyes to look at them.
âWhat exactly did they do?â Daleth inquires.
âThey just⌠didnât answer my question. Lamed said itâs all in the past and thereâs no point in talking about it anymore because itâs too late to change things. The twins told me Iâm too young to know and wouldnât understand. The Wasteland Elder also said Iâm too young and the truth is too horrible for me to hear. Teth said they were busy, but I think they just wanted to avoid the topic,â they look away again, rubbing their arms slowly, âand Ayin⌠Ayin admitted they donât want me to know because theyâre ashamed of what happened,â they finish sadly.
Daleth understands. Despite all their differences, Daleth understands. All the Elders have been â and still are â going through a lot of guilt and remorse. But this is not about them. It is about the child, the child that was not there when everything happened and does not get why the Elders act the way they do.
âThey were honest, at leastâŚâ the kid mumbles bitterly.
âThey didnât mean to upset you, little one. The past â which, I assume, was what you asked them about, â is a⌠complicated topic. We all did bad things â things weâre deeply sorry for. We â they â arenât really ready to discuss those things. Besides, they are trying to protect you,â they add and immediately realise that their last statement did a poor job clarifying things, confusing the moth instead.
âHow can they protect me by not telling me stuff? What if- what if I do one of those things? What if I do something bad because no one told me itâs bad?â they ask, an expression of horror on their face.
The Elder cannot help but laugh a little at this idea. Oh, sweet child, they think, you would never.
They do try their best to stop as soon as they can. They would not forgive themself if their guest began to think they cannot count on Daleth, either.
âI apologise for my outburst,â they clarify when the child starts eyeing them with suspicion, âTrust me, itâs highly improbable that you repeat our mistakes. Believe me with this one.â
The moth looks uncertain but nods slowly.
âThey donât want to scare you. Or you to think less of them. I donât necessarily agree â I think youâre allowed to know the truth, however horrible it might be. But I do understand why theyâre hiding things.â
âBut youâll tell me, right?â
Those bright eyes again. Daleth suddenly regrets their promise and then reproaches themselves immediately: the moth is no ordinary child. They have seen death and destruction, they have fought darkness â they have died, for the starsâ sake â all because of the Eldersâ failure to keep the kingdom safe and sound. They deserve to know the answers more than anyone else. Besides, it would be extremely unfair to betray their trust like this.
âI will,â they reply simply.
There is a pause as the child thinks in silence, weighing the different questions they could ask. Daleth can hear birds chirping and a wind blowing in the distance and looks out of the window. There is not much one can see from there nowadays, just endless white clouds. They have grown in the Elderâs absence, it seems.
It is baffling how much has changed, and it is even more baffling how long it takes them to notice all the tiny details. Did the time spent in the void make them forget what their own realm looked like? Is it their age starting to show? Or is it how it has always been, things shifting and moving behind their back without them ever realising until it was too late?
âWho was the King?â the visitor asks after a while.
Daleth is immediately brough back from their thoughts.
âI mean, I know some things about them,â the child continues, âIâve heard people say that they were a bad person, that they killed light creatures and started a war, which is a bad thing, too, but Iâm not sure what exactly it is... But I- I donât really understand much about them. Could you explain to me who they were?â
With the reaction elicited from other Elders, Daleth probably should have expected this kind of question. They did, in a way, anticipate that the Ruler might be brought up, but it did not make them feel any more prepared for this conversation.
âI can try,â they say, âbut it isnât an easy thing to explain. Or a happy one.â
âItâs okay. I can handle it.â
The childâs words sound reassuring, yet they do not change the fact that the moth has no idea what they are going to hear, which they may, in fact, not handle. They have faith in Daleth now. Will they keep it after the story ends?
The Eder sighs and begins:
âThe King â or the Prince, as they were called at the start â was the Ruler of our kingdom for some time. They were not above us Elders â but it didnât feel like they were below us, either, especially when they became the King. They started off by doing⌠good things, mostly. At least with good intentions. They tried their best to improve lives, and, I would say, succeeded.â
âAnd what happened then?â the moth asks when Daleth pauses.
âNo one really knows. Some say they spent too much time in contact with darkness and became corrupted by it. Others think they lost their mind. Some even claim they had been evil all along and the good things were just a ruse to make us trust them â but I never believed in this conspiracy and still refuse to.â
âWhy?â
The child beside them looks genuinely intrigued, and Daleth cannot deny them an explanation.
âBecause by separating people into inherently good and inherently bad ones, you overlook the complexity that there is in all of us. Weâre all capable of doing bad things and good things, intentionally and unintentionally. If someone does more good than bad, it doesnât make them perfect, and vice versa, if someone ends up harming people more than helping them, it doesnât automatically erase all their good deeds. People are complicated like that.â
They tear their eyes from the clouds below, where they have been avoiding the childâs gaze, and turn to look at the mothâs face again. They are eyeing the Elder with curiosity, listening attentively to their words. Taking their silence as an invitation to proceed, Daleth continues:
âIâm sure the Princeâs acts werenât a ruse. At the beginning, at least. There was a face they would make when they were excited, talking about and seeing the improvements that were being made in the kingdom. Their eyes would light up, as if reflecting their happiness, even if they tried to hide it sometimes. I know they didnât always tell the truth, but that expression couldnât have been a lie. It would be impossible for anyone to fake that shine.â
Dalethâs guest cocks their head, their own eyes as bright as the sun, and Daleth prohibits themself from looking away.
âAnd were the bad things a ruse?â
This is not something Daleth would even consider, but the simple-hearted child does. They know so little about the world, the Elder thinks to themself, despite everything theyâve been through.
âI donât think they were,â they respond with a sigh, âBut weâll never know.â
âDid their eyes still light up when they did harm to people?â
âThey wore a mask that covered them,â Daleth answers simply.
The moth gasps.
âOh. Why?â
âNo one knows this, either. There can be dozens of reasons why a person would hide their face.â
Silence falls once again. The moth frowns and purses their lips, thinking. This information â or this interpretation of the things they have already heard â must be new to them. Daleth does not interrupt their stream of thought. The child might be reevaluating their whole worldview, for what it is worth.
They expect more questions, but what comes out of the kidâs mouth catches the Elder off guard.
âPeople say you were close to the Prince.â
It takes Daleth a few seconds to formulate an answer.
âI was.â
âThen why do you say you donât know?â the child proceeds.
âBecause I was close to the Prince, not the King.â
âWerenât they the same person?â they ask, perplexed.
There is no right answer to this question, but Daleth tries to find the best one.
âThey were, in the purely physical sense. The Prince grew up to be the King, but they changed so much in the process they became unrecognisable to those who knew them,â they clarify, âthey became unrecognisable to me.â
There are no more birds outside, and the wind has calmed down. The sun is setting, painting the temple bright orange and pink. Rays of sunshine entering through the temple windows make the room seem different, almost enchanted. The little mothâs hair seems darker now, glowing as if it were fire.
The child looks down at the peach clouds below and starts swinging their feet again, but a lot slower this time.
âThatâs sad,â is all they say.
âI told you it isnât a happy story. But it is what it is.â
Daleth is afraid they will not understand, but they do. Judging by them not leaving, not moving away from the Elder, they understand. Perhaps the Elder was wrong to doubt them. Young or not, this child â and many others â is willing to accept things the way they are. Maybe it is because of what they have been through. Daleth forgets sometimes how different the sky children are from the kids they have encountered before.
Well, from most kids they have encountered before. There was one who was almost the same as them. But that child is gone. Has been gone for a long time.
âCan you tell me more? About the bad stuff they did,â the guest speaks again after a brief pause.
âAre you sure you want to know?â Daleth inquires.
The child does not hesitate.
âYes.â
Daleth looks at the sky outside.
âThe Prince didnât change overnight. The process was long and gradual. Perhaps I shouldâve noticed the seeds. Perhaps I shouldâve talked to them. But I didnât, and thereâs no use talking about what ifs. So, little by little, they started changing. They spent more time with people who only wanted entertainment and didnât care about nature. They expanded the darkstone industry, greedy for money and power. Their good intentions started fading â at least, this was what we could see. The King didnât listen to those who disagreed with them, cutting off their opponents instead. But people began to see the damage the Ruler was doing to the world and rebelled against them. Some of us Elders remained loyal to the King. Others opposed them.â
âAnd you? Which did you do?â
âNeither. I donât tolerate armed conflicts,â the Elder explains, suddenly feeling ashamed and guilty, âto be honest, I thought they all wouldâve calmed down by themselves and solved the problems together. Turns out, I was mistaken.â
They fall silent, their eyes fixed on the wall. If only they had interferedâŚ
Daleth feels a hand on their arm and looks at the child by their side.
âIt looks like everyone was mistaken,â the kid says, âif the world⌠you knowâŚâ
And this is true. It does not necessarily make Daleth feel better, but it helps the rational part of them to stop the stream of accusations in their head.
âYouâre right, little one. Going back to our story, that was how the war started. A war,â they continue, recalling the moth admitting they do not know what a war is, âis not a nice thing. In a war, people try to kill those who disagree with them instead of trying to reason with them.â
The kid scrunches their face in confusion.
âWhy?â
Of course they cannot understand why. All this time, they have been dealing with the consequences of death, desperately trying to bring back life. How would they comprehend people doing the opposite?
âWell⌠Because if thereâs no one who disagrees with you, you automatically win the argument, I suppose. Although if the argument can only be won by eliminating completely your opponents, I donât see how it proves your point. If anything, it just highlights that either you or your enemy is stubborn and unwilling to negotiate. Which is usually something that canât be solved by taking other peopleâs lives.â
There is no satisfaction on the childâs face. If anything, they look even more upset than they did before. But instead of voicing their thoughts on the matter, they ask one more question:
âWhat does it look like?â
Daleth does not want to answer.
âHorrible. You donât want to know. But,â they add, noticing their interlocutor is about to start protesting, âyou can try to imagine it. If you walk into Wasteland, you will see some⌠traces. That the battles left.â
âLike the giant holes in the walls and spears and shields lying around?â
âYes, like those. Maybe even things that are more⌠subtle.â
Children are not particularly adept at noticing subtleties, but it is better this way. The moth would benefit more from uncovering details layer by layer as they grow older than from being shown everything at such a young age. They do not yet have the capacity to understand the cruelties of the world, and Daleth is glad they do not. The Elder does not want to hide the truth, but they do not want to expose innocent kids to the information they are not prepared to hear and process, either.
They hope they are doing the right thing.
âYou said that in wars, people fight their opponents,â the moth sounds a little unsure, âbut⌠what about people who donât have any opinion about the argument? What do they do? Do they just go on like usual?â
âYou mean, those who are neither politicians nor warriors and just try to live their lives?â
They nod.
âThey are not directly involved, most of the time, but theyâre never left unaffected. They suffer the side effects â the destruction of their homes, the instability⌠the loss of loved ones.â
The child makes a funny sound and their eyes go wide.
âOh, I have some friends who went through this!â they say with enthusiasm â too much enthusiasm, perhaps.
Of course they do. Daleth mentally reproaches themself for not considering this before. With so many spirits still trapped in the realms, there must be some who witnessed the war, civilians and soldiers alike.
No wonder the moth knows so little about it. It is not something survivors would enjoy talking about â not directly, at least. And children do not always pick up on what is implied, especially if they do not have a broader picture to associate it with. They may be acquainted with things that are part of the war, but not with the concept itself.
âIâm deeply sorry for them,â and they are. They really are.
âI think theyâre alright now,â the child says and does not elaborate further. Daleth wants to coax them into continuing, but ultimately decides to leave this conversation unfinished.
âDo you want to know what happened after the war?â they ask when no question follows from the kidâs side, âor is this enough for you?â
âI do!â the child replies, âWas the King still bad when it ended? I mean,â they correct themself, âdid they continue doing bad things?â
It is a good question. Daleth needs a while to recall that time and to give a decent answer.
âI wasnât near the King during that time, so I canât tell you this. But then again, no one was close to them after the war. Even their most loyal followers. They stayed in Eden all alone, not really doing anything, good or bad. Things were the way they had been for quite some time â no noticeable changes. This is what people used to say, at least⌠The King didnât care about their people, but they didnât torture them, either. It was rather stable until the Shattering. But you know about the Shattering far more than I do.â
The ending of the story leaves a better taste on their tongue, but they could not enhance it even if they wanted to. It is no fairytale, after all â with no happily ever after.
But with some hope, perhaps.
âIs this all?â the kid sounds disappointed.
âIt is. For the King, at least.â
They sit there in silence until Daleth adds:
âYou can try asking other Elders. They might know details Iâm not aware of. Itâs always good to know different points of view.â
âBut they donât want to talk about it!â
The sky is dark-red outside, and the childâs eyes shine like a beacon in the dark. Which they probably are, in a way.
âThey need time,â the Elder says, âtime and reassurance. They will tell you, Iâm sure of it. When they know you better. When theyâre ready. Give them a chance. Do you think you could do this?â
The kid reflects on this question for a while.
âI think I could.â
It seems that the conversation has reached its conclusion, but neither of the two stands up. Daleth does not move, giving the child time to speak up in case they have anything else they want to discuss.
When the Elder starts to think they will not and prepares to get up, the figure next to them turns to ask one last question.
âIs the King gone?â
The Elder is ready to say yes, they are, but the little moth hurries to clarify:
âI- I know everyone who lived before the Shattering is dead, but you all arenât completely gone. Spirits are trapped in the realms, the Elders are trapped in the Temples, and we can talk to every spirit we know if we call them in Orbit. Can the King be trapped somewhere, too? Waiting to be found?â
This is not something Daleth has never considered before, but they have not allowed themself to dwell on this thought, either.
The thing is, they do not know if they want this to be true or not. They do not know whether it would be better if the King stayed gone forever. They do not know if there is a chance things would improve if the Ruler came back. They do not know if they are still preserved somewhere. They do not know if they can be redeemed. If they can be changed. They have no idea what the King was like right before they died. They have no idea how their death went. They cannot even say they know for sure the King actually passed away. They were not there when it happened. No one was.
There is no right answer to this question, Daleth realises. There cannot be. But they have to give one, regardless. Because this is what their guest needs. Answers.
And who is Daleth to refuse a person in need?
They look at the child and smile.
âI donât know. Nobody does. But, if they are still here,â they get on their feet, âitâs up to you and your friends to find them.â
The child smiles back.
âAnd if we find them? What do we do?â
âDo what you do best,â the Elder replies, âbring them home.â
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