4.2.25 - The Weepers of Distant Forevers pt 2

Parable 2: The Blue Silk Descent

Inside the Kobring, the world became velvet silence.

The holoscreen activated with a mechanical chime:

"Sleek and modern, the Kobring SS2ii offers any feature a citizen of Zsolterra could dream of..."

Aillag lifted her hand. Around her fingers, a cup began to form—its shape adapting perfectly to her grip as a chilled mist snaked into it from the ceiling unit. The sound of dripping ice echoed inside the otherwise silent interior.

"Do you know this drink, Viumod?"

"I do not, my Moonya."

"Sapphire Oak Heart. Squeezed. Milked. Chilled."

Aillag passed the drink to her assistant, who sniffed it with a dazed reverence before sipping. A moment later, her posture melted, shoulders slumping, face slackening as the vapors did their work.

"You should dream with me, Viumod."

Outside the Kobring, the streets transitioned from the radiant core of Ghentsai to the soft, sloped corridors of the outer rim. The vehicle moved seamlessly across stone, then over water, then into the air.

They passed through shimmering barriers, the second frost wall groaning as the Kobring pressed into it. The sky turned steel-grey and glass-brittle. Snow that hadn’t melted in centuries floated gently outside their window, repelled by the heat aura of the car.

Aillag’s right eye blinked. Her neura-net lit up.

Congratulations, it read. Basilisk Corp has processed your royalty commission. Contract 488-B secured.

The reward message closed automatically.

"Should we eat at home or go bird?" Viumod asked, slurring slightly.

"I've informed the crypt keeper of our arrival," Aillag replied, reclining.

A caution chime sounded.

"Excessive use of vyp0r can lead to hallucination, erratic sleep patterns, dependency..."

She waved it off with a flick. The warning silenced.

They descended now, far from the clouds, into the frostbound region that held the Great Catacombs of Ghentsai.

From above, the gate shimmered like a buried cathedral. Aillag could already make out the rhythmic motion of Lyzair, the crypt keeper, dancing his invocation by the entrance.

The Kobring gently touched down.

Viumod tumbled out first, still intoxicated. Aillag followed gracefully, stepping over her with regal precision.

Lyzair bowed low.

"My Moonya, had I known earlier, I would have denied the King's Guard their entry."

Aillag’s gaze narrowed. "King’s Guard?"

But Lyzair was already weaving his hymn, spinning in careful patterns, his feeble form guided by supernatural rhythm.

"Gates of Memoria... seal of burden holds no weight... divine purpose... open for thee..."

Lights within the tunnel walls pulsed with each step. The massive gates creaked and then, with a final spin, unlocked.

Aillag stepped into the earth.

She walked slowly down the corridor, flanked by whispering walls carved from ancient ashen trees. The wood pulsed faintly with forgotten memories. Dust caught in sapphire light drifted like stardust through the air.

They passed an abandoned surveillance room. Aillag paused.

"Did you finish Mother's task?"

"Yes, my liege. The Sunya will meet with us soon," Lyzair said, not quite meeting her eyes.

They descended farther—into the heart of Zsolterra’s shadow.