COUNCIL WITH THE KASTRONS
Trina objected, "But the Kastrons! They are so--"
"There is method in my madness, lady Trinadon. Please listen with care for there IS NO TIME. The Kastrons--once the worthy relatives of Rhea herself--have grown petty over the generations. They will not allow a threat to their regency, they will not even let a baby live that might do so. For your safety and the safety of your child you must marry and make Gomert Kastron the father of this childling."
Trina shuttered in disgust.
"They will accept the arrangement thinking it will elevate their regency to a sovereignty. There is not a moment to discuss this, you must do. Now, lets get Deebit out of jail"
"Jail!?", Trina asked.
Ghaedus crashed the gondola through Deebit's prison window. The Gondola began to dissolve into smoke, revealing a disheveled Deebit.
There was dust and great commotion. Deebit was flustered and blushed when he saw Trina.
"You have come to rescue me?" He asked.
"No, but I need you... and she needs you. Deebit loyal servant of the Kastrons... Do not ask questions for our time is little."
Ghaedus, from his coat produced a mask and handed it to Deebit. "Wear this.
The guards and staff will not make notice of you so long as you don't speak or
touch anything but her."
"Take Trina to the thrown room and have her petition Vallus, master of the Kastron family for council. Now the two of you must go to the throne room and request council with the Kastrons. Be persistent because Kastron guards will refuse any request, of course don't overdo it, Trina. And Deebit you must NOT speak whatsoever. Trina will be there to buy time until the Kastron's bound Whysan Advisor Bey arrives. I will have spoken to him by that time and made him believe that your baby is something the Kastrons must have."
"Baby" Deebit looked at Trina.
"Don't speak or think, Deebit." Ghaedus reminded. "Just show her the way and act
as her anonymous escort."
Ghaedus opened the cell door without force or key.
"How?", said Deebit.
"Deebit, really, if anyone else is in the room, and you talk again the illusion will
break, and they will run you through. And if you try to think again I'll run you
Through."
Guards were frantically approaching.
Now for some more smoke. Ghaedus exhaled a torrent of thick black smoke. The
shade made nothing visible. "Grant Them the Sight of Ghaedus" Ghaedus commanded and all three
escapees could see through the smoke like it was no more than a darkened
haze. They ran past three sets of confused guards shouting "Sight!, Sight! the
Sight!" but Ghaedus' enchantment was too strong for their weak magic.
"Fulfill your mission kids. I will meet you in the throne room AND don't drop
that baby!"
The great conjunction was nearly upon this world and all in the house of the
Kastrons lingered on the balcony waiting to see the celestial artistry of Rhea
Unfold.
Villus Kastron addressed his family, "She really was quite the artist our
Ancestor"
Lady Roleta his wife added: "someday a Kastron descendant will be born from
this land and create works and worlds the likes even the previous life would be
in awe to witness."
"Well, it's not going to be Urksa or Aylia's year to produce an heir what with what
Deebit did with their hair and clothes."
Roleta asked, "what do you think of that, my son? Could it be you? Could you be the heir? Technically luna can select any child born during a lesser conjunction so long as it was not before a previous conjunction"
Vallus, “That’s somewhat of a stretch of the rules… who knows”
Gomert relished the praise from his parents. "I will be the greatest artist of
any universe one day.... I will make the first super rift between worlds, a planet
rich in oriculoum--"
Some inappropriate noise from the direction of the thrown room bothered
them a little.
"I want to make the first planetary ecosystem where each species comes from
a different pla--"
More disturbance.
Gomert annoyed: "Whysan what is this commotion?"
A flustered Whysan servant entered and reported: "A commoner and her, uh ... escort thing,
wish to speak to the Lord"
"At this time!" Villus snarked, "The conjunction is about to happen.... we could
have a new queen"
At that instance two door guards were parted. They fell to the ground and their
mighty halyards crashed and clanged. Villus spit out his wine. Gomert pissed
his pants the conjunction party was officially ruined by this final event.
But the ruiner was Chief advisor Bey.... Villus's Whysan companion, respected
by all in the house of Kastron. If he felt the need to do some guard tipping
people thought there must be a good reason and there was.
My lord, I speak quickly for opportunity and time.
"I will explain, and you must decide quickly: Outside I have discovered an
extraordinary woman. She has modeled a living stone baby from the forbidden
clay. And moreover this baby is a Tricorpus."
"I needed remind you of the
greatness of the last Bringling Tricorpus who still changes our world to this day. The baby lacks paternal breath and the mother is mateless and unmarried.
"I do not deceive in saying that a Tricorpus in the Kastron family would surely give
you the throne of Rhea you so desire. I also cannot deceive in saying that
breathing life into a tricorpus is tricky and the child may die either way. But we are not completely out of our depth… for our alchemist has recreated the unction of binding…. The same unction that saved the infant lives of Calcus and Kashic, the two greatest minds of this Bringling universe."
"So here it is: Make this woman a Kastron. Mary her to your son Gomert.
Give this stone orb your family's breath and make it into your grand child. The child will be the greatest asset to the Kastron name if not the Rhea’s successor herself"
Deebit fidgeted with his mask, but said nothing. The masks enchantment made
him seem an uninteresting whatever that wasn't worth looking at.... but the
slightest attention would break the illusion.
The conjunction ticked ever so closer... time was almost up.
"There you have it my lord. Choose wisely, but choose quickly."
Vallus acted with religion. “Woman your name?”
“Trinadon” she replied.
“Lady Trinadon you and your baby are now a Kastron and Gomert here is your wedded husband (Bringling courting rituals could be very terse)"
“Take it Gomert.”
Gomert pensively walked to Trina… his urine filled pants made a squishing sound.
I will say the words, you will copy me, and you will fill the air.
Lord Villus took the orb and examined each face in turn. He spoke to all: We
need a warrior, a wizard and a great leader to succeed just as our ancestor
Rhea.
He handed the orb back to Gomert.
He turned to the first face. Her eyes slowly opened. "My child take from me
my talents, my ability to lead and protect the things we hold dear.... fulfill that
which I cannot and make the Kastrons a greater name than ever before..."
Her eyes slowly closed and her mouth opened.
Gomert then kissed the mouth and slowly exhaled a baby's volume of air. The course grains of the stone became soft and a little flexible... then the mouth exhaled and closed.
Gomert turned the stone to the next face. This one a male, His eyes slowly opened and viewed
with sleepy suspicion. "Take your marshal inspiration from the moon
Mikkatra .... make its power our own. Fight the defend house Kastron and fight
those that stand in the way of our wants...." His eyes slowly closed and his mouth opened. Gomert then kissed his mouth and slowly exhaled a baby's breath. The mouth closed and The face twitched a little and a fleshy color started to flow into the orb like blood was pulsing for
the first time.
Gomert turned the warm and softened stone one more time. Another female, her eyes opened
very little. "Look to the sky and see our ancestor Harkus Kastron, the wizard
companion of Rhea herself. Many a Gudite contrivance did he foil. Be the wit
and winning tactician of the Kastron family."
Her eyes slowly closed and her mouth gently opened. Gomert pressed his lips
and forced the last bit of life... but then... nothing happened. The mouth did not close
and no change could be detected.
"What is this, Bey. What has gone wrong.", Vallus demanded.
"Wait sire. Wait. Give it a moment."
Gomert handed the baby to Trina like it was some type of a deceased toad. And made some distance.
Nothing like this has ever happened before.
The Klaxon began to sound… the great conjunction was soon to be upon Rheashan.
A little sound came from the mouth... like a burp.
And this caused Gomert's curiosity to grow so he came in for a closer look.
Tiny arms started to sprout from every angle six in all.... and they began to move in little baby like jolts. Still the last baby's mouth was open as if it had not yet accepted the breath.
"Will it be normal? Gomert asked showing a little buyer's remorse"
"Uhhh...." Bey answered rubbing his neck line.
Urksa and Aylia summoned by the commotion joined the family on the balcony. Urksa wore a very concealing hat. They were accompanied by a Whysan servant who had clearly briefed them.
The baby grew a little more and the three heads started to differentiate a little. And still the third baby's mouth remained opened
“How revolting”, Urksa gave her editorial.
"The baby will split into three, I think, give it time.", Bey encouraged
“It will not.” Trina said… she knew it to be true, but did not know how she knew…. Still to her the process was going normally except for the 3rd head which worried her greatly.
And yet the blob seemed to be trying to divide into three…. And tension eased the more the unusual baby seemed to be splitting into three normal babies.
"Wait a minute. I know this girl! She is the commoner from house Plumper." Urka blurted.
"A servant! We cannot accept a servant into the Kastron family!" Aylia added.
"Give me that baby" Urka took the baby from Trina's meek and frightened
Hands…
"Begone commoner, you have no claim to this baby", Aylia commanded. Gomert laughed.
Tears flowed from Trina's eyes, she looked to Deebit for support which drew Urksa's
attention to him. "Wait a minute! It's Deebit...they are servants of Ghaedus! Cast them out!" She charged the guards...
But distraction superseded expulsion: the third baby's eyes opened again
and quite widely.... the other two seemed distressed and writhed as if in pain. Gomert took his newly forming child and looked at the third face closely .... they
made eye contact for sure a very unusual thing for a proto baby to do and
then a deep belch emitted from the mouth exciting laughter at first until the mouth began to spray black vomit... lots of it all over Gomert. At the same time the baby became more like stone and Gomert dropped it spewing black vomit all over the floor, walls, ceiling furniture and the Kastrons themselves.
The volume of vomit waned and halted and then the baby closed her mouth
and eyes. The little hands were reabsorbed and all seemed like the orb had
completely returned to stone save for disturbed expressions on the other two
faces. Expressions that Bey said meant they were trying to live but being
suppressed by face number three.
Urksa said, "It's the third head.... cut it before it kills the other two. " She lunged
for the head which slipped from her hands because of all the black liquid
Everywhere.
Trina rushed to recover her baby, but was subdued by Aylia.
And that was it for Deebit. With great passion on rage, he doffed his disguise with intent to use his
every subpar skill in his arsenal to save the child he now felt a cosmic connection to. He lunged on the floor and collected the stone baby. Then waited to fend attack.
Passions don't actually give a person any advantage in a fight. Rooms filled with slippery goo help a lot if your instinct is to stand still because
you are too terrified to fight. .
Guards and family alike attempted to take from Deebit but were equally stifled by the slipperiness of the black liquid. And then it was upon them.... the final klaxon of the great conjunction.... This baby would be brought to life in the next few seconds or remain stone forever.
Trina screamed!
Deebit remained still and pondered his options at light speed: He couldn’t fight because he was a legendary weakling, He couldn't run because he would slip and fall. He couldn't wait because eventually they would get a polearm or something and beat him to death.... He couldn't slide
because... wait a minute. He COULD slide, and he did slide right off the railing
of the balcony. He was a bringling after all and would be safe falling 10 stories
and tumbling down a thorny hill. It wasn't fun but that's what he did to escape.
He crashed in a thornbush and lost the baby stone for a few moments he
frantically felt around and spoke the command "Seek!" and pow, there it was.
Far above him, he could hear commotion... most likely Vallus and Gomert
commanding some Whysan guards to sacrifice their lives to punish Deebit, but
they would be too late.
Deebit composed himself for a moment... he looked at the defiant face that had
rejected Gomert and her eyes opened for him.
Then he spoke HIS words: "I give you…. MY heart. I give it to
you so it will be YOUR heart. You will do what you will with your own heart and
I will love you whatever you become."
The baby's eyes closed and mouth opened.
Nervously, Deebit leaned over and pressed his lips to the infant’s face. He gave his breath and withdrew.... She closed her mouth and her cheeks puffed and flushed a little red.
The stone became flesh and the flesh began to transform.
The two other heads retracted into the babies innards ... they looked content ...
not to be reabsorbed, but somehow they were being made into one being
instead of three.
A plump little torso began to balloon from her neck and golden hair curled from
the top of her head.
Everything else on a baby eventually sprung to life including 2 arms 2 legs ,
fingers, toes and naughty parts. It was a little girl, pink and perfect.
Deebit wept.
Then in an instant the baby transformed into a completely different child.... this
time a slightly larger boy with white hair.
And again the baby made a third transformation and was a completely new girl
with platinum hair and a pixie cut.
It seemed no magic spell could rid them of the black goo which had gone from slippery to sticky.
Vallus released his rage on Trina, "How DARE you make a fool of my family. You are no doubt bound to this Whysan trouble-maker Ghaedus!"
"She bewitched me into marriage" Gomert lamented.
"That can be fixed, but we can't let her or that child--if it lives-- ever lay claim to
the Kastron name." Urksa posited.
"I say this with authority--" this was the way official documents were created amongst the bringlings--"You are no Kastron and never have been. It is official and unbreakable that neither you nor your abomination shall ever carry
the name Kastron. My words are final."
Vallus gave Urksa a look... she prepped her knife and approached Trinadon…
But before she could slash her throat the loudest klaxon of all sounded and
exotic lights of all kinds flashed into the insides of the castle.
"The Conjunction!" Vallus gasped.... All ran to the balcony careful to avoid the
black goo in which two Whysans seemed permanently stuck.
A moment of awe passed over all on planet Rheashan. Luna's shine
was different this time.... light spilled from the celestial body
and seemed to wind and weave all over the planet a light that was not only
pretty but a kind that seemed to add something to the very soul of the
observer. The experience of the light is not something that can actually be
described in words.
To many it was an explicit sign of the first SELECTION moon.
Typically, During this experience, all parents held their new babies to the sky as
they wailed in fear... it was believed the crying was good for the lungs of new
babies even the ones that didn't become the rulers of the universe on the day
they were born. But mass fear caused mothers to hold their new infants very
close to their breasts.
And then the sound stopped and all heard the voice of Rhea speaking to them from Luna. "You have spoken the words, and you have spoken them rightly." The one moon exploded back into its three component moons and the
two largest returned to their orbits... but small and red moon Kardia seemed to be making planetfall. if anything it got larger and.... it was actually tumbling to the planet.
Bringlings are robust but no creature in the universe is unafraid
objects dropping from heaven directly on his face. Mass hysteria broke out.
Trina--moments from having her throat slit--suddenly felt gravitational pull
of her heart change. Her worries lifted and her body itself began to favor the
approaching moon. She started to be pulled to the falling moon and on the way
a tiny thing flew from the thornbushes and into her arms... it was her new baby!
Alive, fully formed and perfect to her! Happy water gushed from her eyes as they
spun in a circle on a date with whatever.
Trina held her laughing baby to the sky just as they intercepted the small
moon, which was not solid, but a soft and cool plasma that enveloped them... like a red heart shaped bubble
that absorbed mother and child and then squeezed something into them. And from one sprung three babies that orbited Trina each billowing happy laughter. To them and only them Rhea spoke one last time: "Listen to others and vanquish your foe. Listen to YOUR heart and have no foe to vanquish. Now say your names:"
Trina's voice was magnified so that all Bringlings in the universe could hear her words: "I am Trinadon Wusk of the lost Wuskians... And here I present Tres, Dyad and Monoli of the Wuskian Tricorpus!"
From Rhea: "Lady Trinadon, my throne and my gifts are yours for safe keeping for a while queen regent
Wusk, choose wisely when you choose my successor"
Then the red membrane of kardia swelled, and finally it burst like a gooey souffle and disappeared from sight.
The three babies recombined into one and nuzzled themselves, now sleeping, in Trina's arms.
Gravity reestablished its old relationship with Trina, and she fell slowly like the planet itself cradled her and her baby with gentle and loving hands. But when she touched the ground a burst of wind and energy emanated from Trina for she was now blessed with Rhea's gifts and no thing, person or object could hurt her. She was the most powerful thing in the universe. They all were Lady Trinadon, Tres, DyAd and little Monoli.
As each Kastron struggled to comprehend what had happened an agitated Bey scuttled into the room shouting "master! Master! a successor has been chosen"
Then all paused for a moment as they realized there were now two Bey's staring at each other. In a violent flash of smoke the first Bey transformed into Ghaedus.
"Well, that went better than I expected", Ghaedus said and then in a second puff he disappeared.