Sigmafly, Lo-Nine

Soltana

Her processes trembled in awe.

She had no words to describe what she saw. A strange amalgamation of matter and reality, merging and twisting into itself. She witnessed it all before the viewscreen went black. She stood in silence, processing what she saw. There were many things she recognized, but couldn’t pinpoint or organize any one thing.

“So this is a Tesseract. For many Eons I have been curious about the Watchers and their mysterious ways.”

She turned to Diniel, as did everyone. As soon as the vessel was caught in the pull of Lo-Nine’s anomaly, everyone rushed to the bridge.

“Oi Diniel, what’do you expec’ of these sprids, eh?” Basil asked as he adjusted his bowler.

“They are by no means enmintous, but their ways are transcendental.”

“But are you not both divine beings made by Adonai in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

“We are. Angels were made from Adonai’s desire to serve. Watchers were made from Adonai’s desire to protect. Two different elements or pieces of the body of Christ.”

“Mm, scanners are fluctuating. I cannot get a reading.”

“Diniel, what must we do?” Soltana asked as she marched to him.

“Fear not, little Soltana. It is providence we have arrived and based on your dreams, others will arrive. We must prepare. Come with me.”

He turned and left down the main hall. Soltana stayed behind and waited for L’yophin to exit the piloting egg. He scooped her up and skittered down the corridor, following behind the others. The hangar door opened, revealing Phela and Maw in the middle, huddled together.

Diniel reached the middle of the room and turned, clasping his four hands.

“We must prepare. You all have your gifts I gave you?”

“Aye, I have my fae lantern shiel’, boyos,” Basil began as he called the fae abstract artifact to appear in his hand

“And my pulse rifle,” L’yophin replied as he focused his eyes on the angel. It suddenly appeared in an outstretched limb.

“I do have Grzel’s heart, but I have not interfaced with it yet,” Soltana added.

She had little idea what that would entail. Her curiosity was strong, be she felt it was safe to try it out when they landed due to safety reasons.

“I only have the locket you gave me, Diniel,” Ruth replied sheepishly.

Diniel opened his hands and filled them with light. In his right hand was a long adamantite lance that almost scraped the ceiling. In his left hand was the admanatite katana he had taken from the slain Glorified One. In his third arm, was a necklace with a spiked armored horse emblem. The Throne of the fallen angel Barthin was tossed aside by the evil god Genius Loci; the spoils of battle Diniel took for himself.

“Go!” Phela barked as she gently flapped her wings against the floor and ceiling.

Diniel put his empty hand onto her hide. His flame flickered as he spoke.

“Little one, you and Maw must remain here. It is very important that you two remain safe.”

The moth’s head bobbed and bounced, as if trying to process what he said.

“Go!” she barked again, “Go with!”

“Oi, the lassy said two words! She’s serious, Diniel!” Basil chided.

Diniel’s head flame flickered.

“Regardless, they must be kept safe here while we fulfill our assignment.”

L’yophin skittered to Phela, scratching her head as she chirped.

“Phela must stay here and watch Maw. She will need you, alright?”

“Okay…” the moth sulked, before grasping and pulling the large worm close, gently flapping her wings as her eyes gazed back at them. Soltana felt she could see the disappointment in that stare.

Soltana marched up to them, patting them both.

“Everything will be fine, Phela. We will return soon and with more people to meet!”

The Rhomoth let out a chirp before nestling down. Soltana placed her good hand on Maw’s hide and whispered.

“Everything will be fine.”

“I know. Please hurry back.”

She stepped back and turned to the group.

“Are we all ready?”

“Almost. Need supplies and some fabrication,” L’yophin announced. He gestured to Diniel and Basil.

“Ruth, we need to make sheaths for Diniel’s weapons, straps for my rifle, and perhaps a padded armor for Basil.”

He began pulling thread from his abdomen, weaving long flat cords. Ruth perked up, using her shapeshifter powers to emit thread from her fingers and weave a plane grey square stitched gambeson in a matter of minutes. L’yophin skittered to Diniel, retrieving the angel’s weapons and rushing to the Assemblage in the corner, typing into the console and waiting as scans of green light began to study the spear and katana. It began to print material over the katana, forming into a sheath. L’yophin weaved and wrapped the blade, finishing the sheathe and creating a looped belt. Ruth completed her garb for Basil, having him fit and armed.

“Aye, now’tha’s armor! Dugrum silk weave, aye! Couldn’ ask for better!” he moved his shoulder, testing the flexibility of the gambeson. He donned a silk cap with ear flaps, nestling his bowler atop it.

L’yophin handed the weapons back, watching intently as Diniel adorned his new weaved belt sheath and spear strap.

“Masterfully done, good Dugrum. I believe we are all ready?”

Ruth’s outfit changed in seconds, creating a plain grey gambeson, padded pants, flats, and cloak. She donned her locket, wearing it around her neck. Her golden hair was done up in a simple ponytail.

Diniel nodded, his head flame danced and flickered.

“Are we all ready?”

“Oh! Just a second!” Ruth replied as she cantered to Soltana, putting something on her head. It was soft and durable.

“There, Now Soltana has a hat!”

She took it off, scanning the beanie with a small tuft at the top.

“Oh. What protection does this bring?” she asked.

“Nothing really, it just looks cute!” Ruth laughed.

She put the tiny beanie back on, her processes felt warm at the kind act. This was her first piece of clothing. It hopefully wasn’t her last.

“Now, let us go meet these Seal holders,” Diniel announced as he turned to the hangar’s exit.

L’yophin skittered to Ruth, grabbing the strap she made for him and then made his way to the console. A couple of taps and the door clicked and hissed with a pressure differential. She scanned ahead, keeping just beside her spidery friend.

“Shesh, it’s darker than a Trow’s lager in here!” Basil muttered.

“Stand back, everyone, I need to confirm this Throne will submit,” Diniel announced as he grasped the horse necklace. He marched off the docking pad and onto the black shiny surface of the strange cube they inhabited. L’yophin willed his rifle to existence, grabbing it and strapping it to his back in a smooth, deft gesture. Basil adjusted his lantern shield, dagger ready as he looked on intently. She heard him mutter a strange rhyme.

“Let this stead be headstrong, always brave and headlong, our instincts never dead-wrong, and that it be a friend all along.”

Diniel readied his spear and dropped the necklace before stepping between the Throne and the crew.

It grew in an instinct, shifting and coming alive. The necklace chain became the reins, flopping to the saddle as it reared up, letting out a terrifying bellow. The spiked armor clattered and shrieked as it stood there, eying them with fury.

“Diniel’s mercy!” Basil cried out as he took a step back. The rest of the crew had their weapons ready. Soltana gazed on, unaware of the potential danger as she had not fought against the fallen angels. Diniel’s voice took on a commanding and blunt tone.

“Throne of the Almighty, cast down low in ages past, do you not remember the green pastures of the Kingdom of Heaven? Do you not wish to return to mercy and grace? Will you submit to the most high Adonai once again and return to the glory you were made for?”

The horse shook out its razor mane, as if contemplating the request. The air was thick, the atmosphere tense. They all waited for the answer. It then knelt down, one leg extended. Diniel put his hand upon the Throne’s forehead, nodding in satisfaction.

“Bal’trix Throne of the Stead was never in agreement with the fall, forced against his will to serve Lucifer. No more. Welcome home, new friend and ally.”

Diniel swiftly mounted the stead, taking the golden reins.

A glowing blue aura washed out from him, glowing intensely like the sun for a brief second.

“You now look up Diniel, Angel of Lineage, Angel of the Faeward, and now a Fae Ridire.”

“He-hey! Now’were talkin’! No-one’ll mess with us!”

They all took their first steps into the unknown off the hangar platform. Soltana stood there, pausing for a moment.

“Soltana, what’s wrong?”

She knew right away why she hesitated. Her mysterious past was one step closer to being revealed. And with that, the reason she was buried deep under the earth of a strange planet. The traumatic moment, which while terrible in its own right, did bless her with the adventure and friends of the Underrealm.

“I believe it is because once I leave this ship, things will change forever.”

“But it'll change for the better! It has to!” Ruth replied as she held out her hands for Soltana to take.

She grasped Ruth’s hand and allowed herself to be taken and lifted down to the floor. It was as if a threshold had been crossed. She knew there was no going back. Her new adventure began.

“Come on Soltana, let’s go,” Ruth encouraged.

She marched beside her friend, going with the group as Diniel led first. The way forward was perfect darkness, cut through only by the glowing aura of Diniel and his stead. Soltana bent down, feeling the strange stone. She felt a pulse in the strange matter, it was unlike anything she had ever seen or sensed before. She scratched at it, trying to shave at least a molecule up for inspection, but it wouldn’t budge, even against her adamantite. She heated up her spiked utility arm, sending a thin line of solar energy. Hot as the sun, the beam struck the stone. And it absorbed it completely.

This is odd. I cannot extract the material. I can only surmise this bedrock is alive and is preventing me from harming it. I will respect it as a living thing.

She could hear someone speaking. The words were too faint to make out, but she could feel power in them.

She stood up and looked around, her eyes flashing in sudden confusion. She was alone. She scanned outward, sending out the barest of solar energy to shine red light into the darkness. The Sigmafly was nowhere to be seen. She was well and truly by herself.

“Hello? Ruth? L’yophin?”

She spun around, searching for an answer as her fuzzy bobble beanie wobbled about. She scanned in every known visual and audible range, seeing no more than a few feet ahead, and hearing only that heartbeat pulse of stone she stood atop of. That fear of loneliness from an eternity spent trapped under the earth crept back into her Theonware, posing as cold logic that her friends abandoned her. That she was isolated. That this was the same hopeless situation as before. That she needed to prepare for the worst. She rejected it utterly.

Something must have separated us. I shall not fear. My God is with me. This is my new adventure and I will see it to its conclusion.

She moved forward, determined to find the others again.

Soltana spotted a long shadow moving towards her. Curiosity and concern filled her processes as the dark being began to move closer. She readied herself for what was to come.