TRP: Gavi, Iomedae and Mask (Divine Spark)

[SETTING: Day 280. Gavi goes to sleep for the night and is visited by someone in her dreams.]

Gavi found herself floating in space-- then on a field-- then space, again. Then, finally, she settled in a strange place: an enormous, empty feast hall.

A woman sat by the fire. She was young, only thirty or so, with scars crossing her face, and short-cropped mousy blond hair. Despite her plain appearance, the woman seemed to exude a strange force and charisma.

Joan lay in the woman's lap, her eyes closed, her expression peaceful, as though sleeping.

A young man stood to the side, fidgeting. He was small and unremarkable, only fifteen or so, and wore the dirty clothes of a street urchin. He seemed nervous and uncomfortable in the hall. His eyes roamed the room as though he didn't like it there.

The boy checked his pocket watch and grumbled, as though he'd been waiting on Gavi and she'd taken her sweet fucking time.

ABBY

Huh. This was weird. Gavi pinched her arm-- yeah that hurt. Huuuh. Well, she wouldn't figure things out by standing around. Little on-edge, without her weapons, but she wandered over to join the others by the fire. "Fuck's up with this?" she asked, gesturing around at everything.

COYOTE

The boy snorted. He looked pissed, for some reason, eyeing Gavi.

The woman unfolded from her chair. Joan sighed in her sleep and settled down in the woman's place as the woman stood up and came to inspect Gavi. She reached out to touch Gavi.

ABBY

Gavi took a step back, shooting a look at Joan. She looked okay but... why was she asleep in Gavi's dream. "Look, lady, no disrespect but I don't know what's going on here, and what's up with Joan. I'd appreciate some answers."

COYOTE

"Joanne is fine," the woman said,. Her voice sounded like a legion people speaking at once, harsh and strange. "It's exhausting and painful for mortals to speak with us. I limit my contact with her. She is not... receptive. She's resting. I am Iomedae, new child."

This close, the woman's eyes were like molten gold. She regarded Gavi.

"Who do you worship?" she said.

ABBY

Iomedae. The name was like falling into icewater. Gavi dropped to one knee, resting one hand against her chest and bowing her head. "You, my lady," she said. Could feel her heart racing in her chest. Fucking Iomedae. Was talking to her.

If this turned out to just be a normal if weird fucking dream Gavi was gonna be so disappointed.

COYOTE

The boy scoffed loudly from over by the fire.

ABBY

Gavi twitched. She was starting to dislike that fucker. But he might be another god, and Gavi didn't see no reason to pick a fight here. She stayed how she was, head bowed, waiting for Iomedae to acknowledge her.

COYOTE

Io reached to touch her face again.

ABBY

Gavi stayed still and let her, this time.

COYOTE

As Io touched Gavi’s skin for the first time, a light exploded in Gavi’s chest, like a spark igniting oil. A light seared Gavi, aching in her arm.

“Well,” Io said grudgingly. “You... weren’t lying.”

“See? Fucking see? What do we do now? She’s on the other side of the fucking Gate.”

“What do ‘we’ do? We?”

“Yes, we,” the young boy said. “I came to you. At least I know you’ll keep your fucking word. I have zero interest in another fucking apocalypse.”

“The mortals called it a Calamity.”

“Apocalypse, Calamity. Whatever.”

ABBY

Gavi winced as the pain flared up again, rubbing her arm as she looked up. Glancing between the two she knew one thing. She was very, very confused. "Uh. Scuse me?" she said, waving a little while still kneeling. "Look I didn't catch a lot about that but I know you were talking about me and about another Calamity and uh. Well that's ain't exactly reassuring."

COYOTE

The young boy and Iomedae exchanged glances.

“I say we kill her,” Mask said. “Prime opportunity. We could get someone else.”

“She has the spark. It’s hers, Mask. Those are the rules. I like this one.” Her fingers were molten on Gavi’s face. “My Bhahati liked her, too. She will be good for orcs.”

“Right, right. Orcs. What about you and me, though? We could get someone better for you and me.”

Iomedae didn’t dignify that with a response.

“So do we tell anyone else?” Mask remarked. He glanced at Gavi. They continued talking as though she wasn’t there.

ABBY

'Kill her'-- yeah Gavi really didn't like that fucker. She started to pull away-- but Iomedae stuck up for her. She trained her eyes on the floor so her smirk was a little more hidden. She knew Io'd been a good choice. Really put a warm glow in her, hearing her goddess say she'd be good for her people.

She still didn't know what the fuck was going on, but she was doing her best to remember as much as possible. She'd have some digging to do later.

COYOTE

“We need to get her on this side of the Gate before Anny or Rexy find her,” Mask remarked. “They’ll fucking eat her. Anny’s got a new fucking minion. Did you see that?”

“That’s wise.”

“Yeah, of course. Hey, lady,” Mask said. “Stay away from the dark-haired elf for a few days. Chastain.”

ABBY

Chastain-- Raef? "What for?" she asked. Sparks... Divine sparks? Had Gavi somehow gotten ahold of a fucking Divine Spark? "Hang on--" Gavi lunged to her feet. "Are you two talking about what I fucking think you're talking about?!"

COYOTE

Mask and Iomedae exchanged another look.

Io folded her arms. “Child... Luthic, Cavemother, Mate of Gruumsh, is dead. Like many gods during the Calamity.”

She touched Gavi’s face again.

“Gavi, Doda, Earthmother, rises,” Iomedae said.

ABBY

Gavi took a shaky breath. It made sense. Which was kinda the worst part. "So that wasn't you," she said quietly. "When... my magic came back."

COYOTE

“No.” Io let her hand drop. “That was you, little child.” She rested her hand on Gavi’s stomach. “You have a seed inside you. But you’re on the wrong side of the Gate, Gavriella. I apologize. I... do not know much about your education.”

ABBY

Right. Her own power. Fueled by the orcs now at her back. Fucking terrifying. "I don't know how much of it I trust," she said wryly. "This... Gate. It's... a gate between where you live and where I... am at, isn't it?" she said. "Separates gods from mortals and shit. Uh, stuff?"

COYOTE

Mask looked up, suddenly. “Hey, Meddy...”

Iomedae narrowed her eyes at him.

“No no,” he said. “Listen. Listen. This is an opportunity. You know we normally can’t talk to, y’know, fucking mortals that long. Makes their ears bleed. But this one.” He pointed at Gavi. “We can get a message through her, if we want. She can talk people for us when she wakes up!”

Iomedae glanced at Gavi. “Yes, that’s correct. About the Gate, I mean.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mask said. “Listen, lady. You wanna pass on some information for me?”

ABBY

Gavi narrowed her eyes at Mask. "Depends on what the fucking information is."

COYOTE

“Yeah, don’t get testy with me,” Mask said. “I could’ve told Anwyll about you ‘stead of Io,  then you’d be fucked. So, listen. We gotta wrap this up before somebody notices you’re here. Here’s the short version. There’s a thing called the Divine Gate. It keeps the gods out of the Mortal Realm and the mortals out of the Divine Realm. Three hundred years ago, somebody busted the lock open and left the door ajar, so to speak. First evil gods like Gruumsh went through to conquer their people— then gods like Luthic followed to stop him. Bing, bang, boom, dead gods. Sitting in the Mortal Realm. Mortals got no fucking idea what happened or what was going on, they just knew monsters started wrecking shit. Once the war was over, we fixed the Gate, and now we got a treaty. Everyone stays on the right side. A god on the wrong side of the Gate is a serious fucking problem.”

“Except you,” Io said quietly. “You need to cross.”

ABBY

Gavi gave a short, jerky nod. Made a lot of sense. Meant she'd be living a lot longer than she'd thought. Also meant she'd be giving up what little time she had left on this plane with her family. She'd kinda been looking forwards to falling for Josiah again.

"How do I cross?" she asked. Couldn't be just as easy as walking through. If it was then there should be more'n one fucking Calamity going on.

COYOTE

Mask drummed his fingers on the table. “You gotta come to the Dragonspine Mountains. The peak of the volcano there. We’ll open the way.”

“If you’re sure,” Iomedae said. “You can cross through. Or we can... take the spark from you. This doesn’t have to be your burden. I can rip the cancer from your bones, Gavriella. And take Luthic’s divine spark and incorporate it into my own. And I can look after the orcs for you. And you can live out your life with your family. Your son. What would you prefer?”

ABBY

Take the cancer. Gavi felt her mind whirling. Racing through the life she could have. Being there with Timur while he finished growing up. Maybe getting to hold her grandbabies-- hell maybe having another kid herself. Guiding her nation in their new ways, brokering peace with the tribes they'd been warring with. Showing the world they were more than fucking animals.

Ruth saying 'I'm not following a human god' with a scornful look on her face. Knowing she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Nights of tearful prayer for her nephews, family, for Zahra. Begging that they be given a chance to reincarnate rather than stay in Gruumsh's hell. And Gavi wasn't even sure if she believed in reincarnation.

Gavi felt a laugh tearing out of her chest. She dropped to her knees, burying her face in her hands and shaking her head. "You got a way of giving some real hard choices y'know that?" she said.

COYOTE

“Yeah, yeah. Oh no, I thought I was dying, but now I have to choose between a long and happy life with my family and becoming a god. Pft.”

ABBY

"S'fucking harder than it sounds all right?"

COYOTE

Mask looked amused. He sat on the table, kicking his heels. “Yeah. I got you. Like starving to death, then getting offered a turkey dinner or a roast ham.”

ABBY

Gavi huffed a laugh. "Yeah. Something like that." A long, happy life, or godhood? Gavi'd given up a lot for her people. Even if she gave up the spark, she'd made a difference. They'd be happier now. But they could do even better. There were those that didn't know who to worship-- who's souls Gruumsh still had a claim on. If she ascended... she would be on more level footing with him. Could maybe even think about helping those who'd died.

Griffin. Levi. Ezra. Her daughter. Gavi ran a hand through her hair. As much as she wanted to be selfish-- she'd never forgive herself for it. Knowing she was resting easy, while out there others were suffering, and she could have done something about it. "Well. Guess I'll... meet you at the gate."

COYOTE

Io looked pleased. Mask looked annoyed.

“You won’t be able to talk to your kid,” Mask reminded her. “We can’t talk to mortals more than a minute. Makes it hard to establish touchy-feely relationships with anyone. You sure?”

ABBY

Gavi rubbed her scarred arm. "He's got his father. It... fucking sucks, yeah, but he doesn't need me. Not like the others do."

COYOTE

Iomedae nodded. She shot Mask a look as if to say, See? and Mask rolled his eyes, still looking displeased.

"Alright, well,  your funeral, lady," Mask said. He hopped down off the table. "Hey, tell Goro I'd like to help with the Gruumsh thing, but I got no fucking clue how, yet. I'm on strict no-god-killing probation since, uh, the last incident." He peeked at Iomedae, who shot him a filthy look. Mask smirked.

ABBY

The last incident? Sounded like a can of worms better pried into not-here. "I'll tell him," she said. "I'd 'preciate the help too, whatever it ends up being."

COYOTE

"Eh. You're welcome. I'm not exactly a huge fan of One-Eyed Willy, anyway," Mask said.

Iomedae rested her hand on Gavi's arm again. "Wake up, child. I'll talk to you again when you reach the Gate."

ABBY

Gavi snapped awake, back in her bed at home. What the fuck. "Josiah!" she said, sitting up and smacking him on the arm. "Wake the fuck up. You ain't gonna fucking believe what just happened!"

[END]