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[Sutoratosu Akira]

Yava
As the fires of faith left her mind, abject horror took their place. So this was what she meant back when they first met, about how there were 'no other goddesses'. Oh if only she had known just what she'd gotten into that day. She'd suspected something was off, but this was... completely and utterly beyond the pale. It took her a moment to push the terror down long enough to formulate an intelligent response, one less likely to get her roasted than screaming would.
   "V-very... well then."
   What was she about to do? Commit murder? Cold-blooded, unadulterated, unjustifiable murder? Well technically assassination, but the difference didn't fucking matter. Executing heads of state, especially the one she was supposed to be working for, was not what she signed up for. And yet...

No.. no no no... why? vot eto pizdets... vot eto pizdets... Fear and self-preservation worked to undermine her and moved her hand unbidden to her key. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt as she met the Chancelor Supreme's eyes. The sorrow reflecting in Yava's own was but a fraction of the regret she felt for what she was about to do. I knew something was not right. Why didn't I listen to instincts? Too late now, if I do not obey, she'll probably just kill me and do it herself. I save no one by refusing. I'm sorry Sola. I wanted to tell you before something like this happened...
    She pushed down the guilt as she drew her weapon and sprung for the Chancelor Supreme's neck, thrusting the bladed shaft of the key up to meet the old woman's jugular. The moment her weapon would make contact with Valdati, she would activate her power and rig the chances of her instantly dying from the wound as high as she could.

If she was damned to stain her hands with blood this day, she would at least make it as merciful as possible.

Eilyth
Eilyth looked on in complete confusion as her lady's psychotic break continued. She stared up at the air where Leah was apparently shouting to, but saw nothing there but empty sky. One of her eyes twitched ever so slightly as the tirade went on, and her brow and neck alike were marked with several veins that began to bulge under the mounting pressure that threatened to break loose.
      So it's all meaningless huh? If it's just a fucking cosmic game of chess, then maybe she shouldn't have fucking revived you. Afterall, you're the one who told that bitch that it would be 'fun' to play again, whatever the fuck it meant. Let me guess, even if she had just let you bite the dust, you'd probably come back wouldn't you? What a nice luxury compared to the cold oblivion that gets preached for those of us down below...the same cold oblivion she chose to cast off into for your sake. Are we all just playthings to your kind? Little mortals running around like ants, to be used as discarded as pawns whenever you please? Ha, of course. It all makes sense. After all, you never really asked whether I wanted to become whatever the fuck I am now. You tricked me into it. Even then, I still stood by you, gave you the benefit of the doubt, my friendship and my loyalty. And when the chickens came home to roost, I gave everything I had for you, and I didn't expect to come back from it. Fucking hell, how I wish I hadn't come back from it. Maybe then that bitch would be dead and my sister would still be alive. And I'd finally have some fucking peace from this world, wouldn't be standing here listening to this absolute...

Her eyes again fell on Brigitte's grave. It was hard to continue the rebuke forming in her head as she recalled the genuine happiness she had glimpsed between them. Was it all really fake? Just a cruel ruse? She didn't want to think so. The implications hurt too much. Even if it was an act, surely it was a damn good one if Brigitte saw something in there that made her want to spend the rest of her life with the trickster goddess. Surely...
    She felt a firm tug around her neck, not unlike a master pulling her dog's leash. He was right, of course. She was losing her head here, and if she didn't stop, she was going to completely lose control of the situation. As the only one who both had even an inkling of what was going on and wasn't currently melting down, if she lost control then Kallisto would win. Ruse or no, there was no way in hell she was letting that bitch win. She stared at the steward for a good long moment as she forced herself to calm. First the veins receded from sight, then her eyes back to normal. Finally she took a breath, her patience seemingly resetting in spite of everything. It was still teetering on a razor's edge of course, but giving in right now would get her nowhere.

Looks like all those months spent grooming herself to deal with military politics still had a use even in these insane times. How ironic...

"...what are you talking about, Allia?" She finally asked, forcing her voice to be much softer and calmer than she felt right now. "Who were you yelling at just now? What is this game you keep mentioning? Tear what up?"

[Takosher]

Cath-Helel

Allia chuckled dementedly and hung her head. "You already know about the game, Cath-Helel." she lied. Eilyth did know, the Truth game was a part of her very identity now. But that wasn't what Allia meant, it was plain as day that she was talking about something else. "I don't care about the rules anymore, I wasn't made to follow them anyway. She'll understand, our existence is the same. Kallisto took what mattered. The rest is junk. I don't care how much trash I have to burn, Kallisto is going to die."

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Cath-Helel
She sighed internally. Nothing good was going to come of this mess. She was dealing with not one, but two mad goddesses now. Even so, she needed more information. The only way to get it was to keep her talking.
   "And yet I have the feeling that's not the game you meant." Eilyth said firmly. "What are these rules you don't care about anymore, then? Who created you, and what do you mean that your and her existences are the same?"

[Takosher]

An unexpected result, but not an unwelcome one. She smiles to herself as she watches, taking pride in her work. "You idiot." she mutters wryly. Earlier than anticipated, it looks like it's time to pierce the veil.

Eilyth

Allia shook her head. "You shouldn't have asked that." she said, "Now you know."

Eilyth doesn't hear the words however, instead she reads her own actions chronicled in the glowing window before her. Her minds is free of her body, although now she can't help but wonder if her body exists at all. Before her very eyes, the truth of the universe unravels. Imagined reality, something even deeper than real. The words liken it to a sort of reality marble, although Eilyth has no idea what that means. It wasn't meant for her anyways. As she reels in confusion, they etch onwards, slowly revealing a simple question:

What do you want to know?

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Monika

"Alright, then it's settled. Miru, just stay out of sight until you finish with your conversion, then get to scouting out the area. Kira and I will keep touring the place ourselves" Monika stated, resting her Holy Weapon on her shoulder before beginning to walk down the path ahead of them. So far they seemed to have been doing good with not drawing attention to themselves, surprisingly enough, and with any luck a proper uniform would show up soon.

... She really was getting sick of skirts at this point.

Astarte

"Sure you are" Astarte instinctively thought when she was told that the Esteemed One was 'busy', glancing to the book in his hand but ultimately staying quiet about it, "I'm sure you've heard about the recent events regarding Dame Supreme Solamon. How an Esteemed One managed to not only fight, but survive against someone of her standing" Astarte began, narrowing her eyes as she focused on the Esteemed One in front of her, "As an expert in the field, you're the best lead available to find them."

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Eilyth

Cath-Helel pondered the question. Pondered many things, in that space between spaces, reality between realities. Things that had before been so ubiquitous, so basic to her, she had never thought to question them. And yet, they were nonetheless things long overdue for questioning. How long had this game gone on? With so many cycles and rewrites of the Truth, she had genuine difficulty keeping track of time. All she felt certain of was that they had fought, maimed, and killed each other over the Truth for eons. It had been that way for so long that she was no longer certain how it began, or why it began. Perhaps it was always like this. But the more she thought of that idea, the more it didn't make sense. It couldn't have always been this way. She was not sure why she felt so certain of that in particular, but she knew one thing. Something she had once told to a young warrior who chose to bear the mantle of a dragon, despite her heart still being more human than she ever wished to admit. Something she had likely told to many warriors before her.

I am but a humble servant. Milady Leah is a steward of the grand estate which I am sworn to serve.

Yes. Yes. That was right. She repeated it over and over again in her mind, each time giving more emphasis to one specific part. That part that mattered most here.

The grand estate which I am sworn to serve. The grand estate which I am sworn to serve. The grand. Estate. Which I am sworn... to serve.

She may not have been human, but she of all creatures remembered. After all, how could she forget what she was sworn to? Her entire purpose? She was tasked with protecting Allia, yes, but that was merely an extension of her true duty. It was then that she finally realized something. It didn't matter how long this game had dragged on, or how or why it began. It was most certainly not what the true master of the Estate had desired for this world.

And as a humble servant of his Estate, there was only one answer she could rightfully give to this question before her.

"I want to know how to fix everything." she answered. "How to end this broken game, and restore the world to what the true master of the Estate originally intended."

[Glass]

Silvia

"If you- what? How could somebody think that reality isn't... isn't real? That's- that's literally the definition of reality!"
Silvia's mind was churning, trying to work through the apparent paradox of whatever the hell these cultists believed. But if you started from that apparent starting point... it started to make sense. A horrible, evil, abhorrent sense, but one you could reach through logic, nonetheless.

A tinge of green reached Silvia's cheeks.


Jessie

Every time. Every fucking time she felt like she had some sort of read on the kid, they did something to tear the goddesses-damned rug out from under her. Ugh.

Jessie started scaling one of the buildings where she could get a good vantage point, to keep her watch on Hellia and Farore. As she was doing so, she contacted Lali.
"Hellia has the girl. Her name's Farore. You probably knew both of those already.
Could you keep reminding me about her? I'm still a bit worried that she might be using my power, and I don't want us losing her at this point."

[Takosher]

Cath-Helel

Reading her own thoughts as they're spelled out for her is an interesting experience for Eilyth. The glimpses into other people's lives are strange as well. She thinks she might even recognize one of the names, although Monika is common enough as a name that she can't know for sure whether it's that Monika or not.

Of course, none of that answers your question, does it?

You are not alone in wanting to fix this world. That is the goal of the very goddess you stand against, after all. But since you're asking me and not her, I'm sure you've already realized that her path is empty and pointless. Winning the right way is off the table, obviously. Perhaps the path of destruction my fear has taken would be more suitable? No, don't answer that, I know you don't want to win that way. You've been through this world too many times to let it end in destruction again. You solved the riddle and came to me for a real answer, so I'll give it to you.

To fix the world you need only two things: Faith and Love.

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Cath-Helel
... She was never going to get used to this. Seeing everything literally spelled out in front of her. Even this very line. Was she even the one writing it? Was she even the one who had controlled her own actions this whole time, or was she and everyone else in the world simply the proxies of beings they could never compre-
    "No. I should know better than to contemplate that here of all places. Later."
    The answer given to her question made sense in a way, she supposed. Humanity had lost Love when it turned on each other. And it broken the Faith when they turned on the spirit himself. How ironic that the two things most needed to fix the world were embodied by the being she hated most. But she still needed more clarification before she could put that knowledge to use.

"I see..." she...said? thought? wrote? whatever... "and once one has Faith and Love, what must they do with them in order to fix the world?"

[Takosher]

Eilyth

Cath-Helel immediately bursts into tears at the stupidity of her question. Of course, she stops just as quickly, knowing full well that she would never do such a thing. Yet this does not actually answer her question the way she is led to believe. Perhaps her actions are not her own to record, but this does not mean she does not have an identity or will. She is reassured, knowing that--at least as far as the words are concerned--she exists.

As for what you have to do, well, you know I can't say too much. It wouldn't be any fun that way, after all. But... I suppose a little hint can't hurt. Bring them to the place where this world meets the present. Do that, and everything will end as it should.

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Eilyth

That sudden experience was... odd, to say the least. She puts more focus on the words that have just appeared however, knowing full well that this is likely the best response she's going to get here. How she knows, she cannot say. Nor can she say why the words since she arrived here have shifted to present tense. But the sense of certainty that she'll have to figure out the rest herself is strong enough to dissuade further inquiry on the matter.

"Noted," Eilyth responds, "Now...how do I get back from here?"

[Takosher]

Allia

Patty tried shaking Eilyth out of her stupor unsuccessfully. She looked more than a little worried by her friend and comrade staring off into space and talking to an unknown entity.

"It's pointless." Allia said, "There's nothing we can do from here." She cast her empty eyes downwards, resigned to the reality she faced. The one she cared for was gone and the one she trusted was lost. I'm sorry, Eilyth. I shouldn't have tried to be human. she thought, A monster like me didn't deserve love. I just thought it would be fun to try being happy. I'm not even real, I'm just a thief who happened to fit the template. I wasn't even supposed to be a part of this story, avoiding it was all I was ever good for. Yet here I am, fucking it up all over again.

{   }

Eilyth Hutton

It finally dawns on Eilyth: she never left.

But that doesn't mean she can't return. There is still a place for ignorance if she wants it. Only one thing remains to be answered. A question that can't be answered by anyone else, not Cath-helel, not the Dragon of Katria, not even the skyborn librarian. This is a question for Eilyth Hutton, a woman who exists of her own will.

"Do you think the story of Eilyth Hutton is over?" Lexi asks her.

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Eilyth Hutton
New text appears before her eyes. She feels a pang of regret at her earlier unspoken tyrade against Allia. Despite her chaotic nature, she really had cared. And in the end, she was just another poor soul trying to get out of the cycle of misery. Something else catches her attention as well though. The description of Pat trying to shake her.

"I never left, eh?"

"I'm fine, Pat." She said, placing a reassuring hand on her old friend's. She then turned to Allia, the resolve in her eyes unmistakable. "Stop, Leah. You didn't ask for this. None of us asked for this. And that's why I'm going to figure out how to fix it. I refuse to let us remain as playthings, pawns to be moved around and sacrificed."

She feels... genuine relief. It is true. It worked. Before she can bask too much in this realization however, she realizes there is yet more she has yet to address. Another question, under a heading with her full name. She doesn't even need very long to process the question.

She didn't come this far, struggle this hard, or overcome so many impossible odds just to let it end here. What kind of a bullshit ending would that be, if it all just stopped before she'd even gotten the chance to enjoy the fruits of her labor? She knows this is no fairy tale and that happy endings are few and far between in this miserable realm of existence. But she also knows full well that she's tired of suffering. If this might be the only shot she has to break the cycle, she has every reason to go ahead and see it through to the end. 

Because Eilyth Motherfucking Hutton does not quit a challenge half way though.

"Hell no." She answers firmly.

[Takosher]

Eilyth

Although Cath-Helel still sees the world through her new, text-based lens, she senses something has changed. Rather than scrolling by freely, the words seem restricted to those that impact her directly. Her sight is now that of a Steward. She finds that if she focuses, the world returns to the way it once was, although the words remain in the back of her minds eye, ever-present for her to read back if she needs a reminder of her place in the world.

Allia sighed, her face awash with relief. "Welcome back." she said quietly. There was certainly more to be said, but this crater wasn't the place to do it. All gathered looked to Cath-Helel for guidance.

A distant wind reassures Cath-Helel that she still has a story to tell. Hopefully a pretty damn good story.

Yava

Hands drenched in blood, Yava turned to face Kallisto. What she saw would surely make her heart fall. A metal collar ensnared Sola's neck, a couple links of chain falling from it. A matching bracelet adorned Kallisto's wrist, making it clear what the collar was for.

"Thank you, Keyhole." Kallisto said, "Your help has proven instrumental in getting me this far. This game enters twilight today. I will no longer suffer the whims of forgotten glory and inferior fakes. This time for sure, I'll win."

[Sutoratosu Akira]

Yava
She stood there in silence. Pure, utter silence. crushing, cruel, vicious silence that threatened to break her mask of calm. Silence that twisted and gnawed at her heart, mocking everything she knew was right and decent. Silence that condemned her for the role she had already played, and the roles she had yet to play. Before long she cast her eyes to the ground and knelt before her new goddess. The act for all intents, appeared to be that of a devoted peon, thinking themselves unworthy to stand or gaze upon their overlord. In reality, however, it served the dual purpose of also keeping hidden the shame, guilt, and rage Yava could feel boiling to the surface.

I deserve fate worse than death for what I have just unleashed upon this world. I will not ask your forgiveness, Sola. Nor forgiveness of any other person who will suffer in days to come. There is only one way I can atone. For that I cannot let her suspect my allegiance, even slightly. If I fail, there will be no one and nothing who can stop her.

"I am glad to have been of service, my Queen," She said. It was a lie, a horrible, terrible lie that clawed at her gut and made her feel ill even as she uttered it. But years of having to talk her way out of hairy situations against terrifying people helped the words to be delivered just as believably as pure truth. "What else must be done before hour of your victory arrives?"

Eilyth
The wind she feels at her back gives her even further resolve. She was no longer that little misfit who trudged off into that dreary summer heat one fateful day. No longer the little girl who only dreamed of vengeance as she rode the wheel of an endless cycle. No longer a propaganda hero who would help to perpetuate millennia old lies. She wasn't even a dragon anymore, though she still wielded the form and power of one.

Now she was simply Eilyth Motherfucking Hutton, the woman who would finally fix this world and break the cycle, or die trying.

"Thanks." Eilyth nodded in response. "I never really left, though. Speaking of leaving, we need to get the hell out of here before someone's comrades show up to investigate. I've gotten the first clue on how to fix this whole mess, I'll fill you guys in on the basics as we walk. Jane, if you know a place reasonably nearby where we can lie low and prepare, that would be appreciated."