The war within Aidan was tumultuous.

On the one hand, he was thrilled that Amelia had managed to derail everyone within earshot. It was an amazing feat to throw this many people so hard. They all stood milling around, carefully looking around in the way that suggested they didn’t know what was going on, and so, were waiting for someone else to make a move. It was the most fantastic thing he’d ever seen. Aidan was so proud.

Vienne was turning into a lady nearby and didn’t even wager the attention. That’s how great it was. Nice! He had the urge to flash her a thumbs up, but that didn’t seem appropriate.

Which, brought him to the other thought he had. If his amazing Amelia was standing there screaming at them to all get their crap in gear, then things were about to get heavy with speed. The next thing she did cemented his impression that this wasn’t the time to be laughing.

“What’s the matter?” Amelia yelled, apparently gobsmacked that no one was moving. She turned around in a jerky halting fashion and grabbed a wide-mouthed Raven, turning the girl around to face..? What? Aidan looked around, trying to get a feel for where Amelia was turning Raven.

Amelia began smacking people on the helmet and pointing insistently to the south. There was a vague handwaving upward, but for the most part she seemed to be shoving people she recognized closer to Vienne in a sort of line. There was no formation, she was just placing bodies between Vienne…and what? Aidan straightened and once again looked in the direction she was gesturing. She and Vienne had come from up? But that rift or portal or whatever it had been seemed to be stabalizing.

[Ominous Energy Detection Increase. Shield Projected Over Blutonsi Inadequate]

[Shield Reinforced - Local Deity Reinforcement: Half, Silf, Human]

Aidan’s brain blanked. He began to smirk. A god powered shield? Where was that crap when they were fighting Void?

Then, as things often did, they happened all at once.

Vienne struggled with the images and words that began appearing in her mind.

They had begun in the star corridor as he, no, she, had been running desperately across space to get buy time. The creature had pursued them with an ease that made Vienne conclude with dread that it had been improved somehow. Perhaps it was a skill or manifestation that now had an increased mana capacity? Dark hands appeared from nothingness and tried to tie them down while that demon followed them, it’s same emotionless smile never falling off it’s face even once.

Vienne admitted that at that point she had decided that they were both going to die. In an act of petulance and a fit of anger she had swung around while they flew backward and tried to cut the hands that reached toward them. With arms and wrists that acted like snakes, the hands themselves flowed around the strike and grabbed her arm. Vienne felt her soul being attacked, and with nothing else to do but take a gamble she had flung Amelia in front of her in the direction they had been heading and immediately set herself on fire, using the highest form of immolation spell she knew. The cost had been great but the hands had receded in shock, for a moment. Greedily they reached back out and Vienne had no choice but to grab Amelia and fly faster!

When she heard the song, it was faint. A distant beating of drums. It resonated with her chest. There was a brief moment where she feared it was a trick. She looked behind her and her face paled. There was no need for trickery, the demon would outpace them in a matter of minutes. Vienne fled toward that noise, nearly weeping with joy as it grew louder and she finally felt the familiar touch of Aspiria.

The worst part was the Empress of Elysium. Amelia’s eyes were a galaxy of emotion, a facial expression of dread that didn’t break the entire way. There was a worry for Vienne that made each step she took away from righteous battle more and more shameful. The Mortal’s naked concern for her was a dagger in the breast.

Weakness. Flight once more. So many years and it is the same. Just… flight.

When Vienne burst through into the open air and swung around, all he, no, she, could think of was catching Amelia. Then a wary look had revealed that they had fallen into the midst of … some sort of predicament.

Vienne felt the shadows of evil stretching fingers of oblivion toward them. It was making it’s way in this direction.

Vienne grimaced as the other half-step gods demanded to know what was going on.

Vienne explained that she had broken the rules.

She had poked something bigger than herself, on it’s turf.

She grimaced hearing the horrified responses. Somehow she didn’t think an apology would do it.

“I have to start immediately,” Amelia nodded when Vienne said it, a kindness perhaps since she didn’t seem to know what Vienne was talking about.

Vienne sat down crosslegged. There was some sort of weird magic that the human had cast before their departure and it was attempting to resolve around her. She had no time for that. She didn’t feel ready, but there was nothing to do but face godhood or oblivion.

Vienne began pushing all her experiences and time and power to one place in her soul and immediately began to condense it. She tried to push the energy in on itself. It grew more excited with each press. It became wilder and stronger the smaller it became. She hoped this was right. There wasn’t exactly a manual, just a hint of instinct. Compress. Compress more.

Vienne turned her attention to the others and felt the valorous steed raise on its legs to the west. With it were the hound and the great serpents. The wood of all lands started to creak and groan as all in Aspiria trained their eyes toward the Square. Every greater power was stirring, showing concern. With the evil of Void there had been expectations and preparation. This was unscheduled. Whether they liked it or not, they would be involved.

When Amelia called out for protection, Vienne closed her eyes in shame.

Amelia was correct.

Vienne called for the same.

She could feel the disbelief. The great Vienne, calling for help. She chuckled wryly and admitted to herself, yes, things are that bad. The belated reaction to start shielding the space around the planet by the other half-gods began.

Vienne’s eyes flickered briefly when she sensed the explosion of power coming from the distant coliseum. She had already suggested to Amelia that this was where the creature would breach.

There was already an entrance, after all.

It wasn’t a huge surprise to her then, when the Coliseum began shaking to the south. The golden portal rose in the sky and then increased in size until it was huge, nearly covering the horizon. Black hands began to reach through and pull the edges further apart. Amelia’s demon, B-3, stepped through and her gaze cut through space to fix directly on Vienne.

“Pursuit recommencing. Detecting several half-god signatures.” B-3 looked around for a long moment and then returned their gaze to Vienne. “No others detected.”

The words, when they came, were unsurprising but no less awful.

“Irrelevant. The Rule of Non-Interference from Superior Forces - bypassed. [We Were Attacked First].”

Muddling in someone elses space was indeed, a threatening maneuver. Now this creature was technically in the right. No one would save them.

Vienne had probably killed them all.

With that cheerful thought, Vienne finally recommitted herself to her task. Only godhood would save them now. Only that would right this wrong. The words that had been appearing faster in her mind had made no sense, and continued to be gibberish to her. She swiped at them, having no time for them.

Final Authority Vote: 1-0

Final Authority Vote: 1-0

Blinking words over and over. Meaningless!

The portal was dripping dark liquid from the sky. It oozed toward the ground in the distance. A sign of nothing good. In addition to that hands were beginning to appear from the portal and they started reaching down toward the Coliseum. Screams of terror started from that direction.

Final Authority Vote: 1-0

Committee uses ability [Don’t Be A Sore Loser White Wyrm]

Committee uses ability [Suggest You Shut The Hell Up Wolf]

Final Authority Vote: 1-0

Committee uses ability [Fine Tiebreaker]

Committee uses ability [Fine Tiebreaker]

Committee grants guest pass to ID Vienne - Limited Authority Granted

Committee grants guest access to Computational Time Dilation

Everything that was happening too fast slowed. Vienne, already stretching her power to the max, found that she had lost all control of it. It wasn’t gone, it was just… stuck. Channeling so slowly that Vienne couldn’t believe it.

Confused, Vienne looked around.

Nearby Amelia and the rest of the Transients looked like they were in slow motion, moving at perhaps 1/100th speed. A look upward and toward the portal with the demon revealed that the sadistically smiling creature was also moving at that speed.

A flash of green caught Vienne’s attention. She tried to turn her head but felt it turning much slower than her will, too slowly. The moment passed, then she had no trouble keeping up with the motion.

[Computational Time Dilation Activated - Guest Access].

A large green wolf the size of the dragon statue was slowly moving back and forth in the throng of people, taking great care to step around them each. Judging from the fact that no one was freaking out, Vienne guessed that it was invisible to them. A shadow passed over her, startling her to look upward with a cringe. She fully expected to see the demon above her, hand raised for a deathblow.

What she found instead was more horrifying.

A white wyrm stretched out across the atmosphere high into the sky, as if it were doing it’s best to circle the planet to keep them in view. The wyrm was too big, and looked to be having a hard time with keeping track of something so small. It cocked it’s head when it noticed her expression and gave a toothy grin.

Too big! Madness!

Hello Vienne. The wolf was directly in front of her, sitting calmly on it’s haunches as it gave her a knowing look. Quite the day.

Vienne tested her voice. “I do not understand.”

That’s okay. The wolf’s tongue lolled out of it’s mouth.

“Are you a god?” Vienne asked softly, already knowing the answer. Or at least, thinking she did.

Vienne. In the words of another immortal, if someone asks you if you are a god, you just say yes. Vienne heard a snort coming from the Wyrm far above as it followed the Wolf’s words.

“Are you here to save us?” Vienne didn’t have high hopes. Even half-gods did their best to stay out of the way of things. Why these two were here at this critical juncture was unclear.

Who is us? The wolf asked. It didn’t seem like the Wyrm was doing anything other than observing at this stage.

“The others. I made this mess myself. If anyone pays for it, let it be me.” Vienne said quietly.

So us, in this case. Is anyone else. Also, this has Amelia’s big fingerprint all over it. Do not be quick to take on THAT guilt.

“The Residents. Save them. The Transients will somehow survive.” Vienne struggled for a moment, and then made the big ask. “I don’t know what it wants, but I think it won’t leave without the other half-gods. Can you save them?”

Are you trying to turn into a god?

“I didn’t want to,” Vienne protested. “I have so many questions.”

The wolf stepped in closer, sitting once more on it’s haunches, and then it leaned in and stared down with eyes as black as any nightsky she had ever seen. Such as?

“No time…” Vienne muttered, casting her eyes around helplessly. Time was still moving, even if for Vienne it was a lifetime. Each moment brought death.

Then, you had better prioritize your questions. The wolf’s mouth opened slightly showing teeth that could rip worlds apart.

What did it mean? Vienne stared blankly.

Insistently a line of words formed in front of her face.

Final Authority Vote: 1-0

Decision Pending