Zes' Temple hovered above Delor. Drifting on the winds, it was constantly in motion. From the world below it appeared as a drifting star. Bright at night time, and dim during the day. The Goddess of Healing and Rains was as distant and unreachable by the people as her Temple. The ivory and feather halls were home only to seven Divine Maidens. Two of which happening to be male. Even they rarely saw their Goddess as they tended to her needs. But her worship did not falter. Though Zes did not make public appearances, her works were undeniable. Her avatars roamed Delor in their unicorn forms, dispensing blessings of healing upon those whose prayers were heard, and selecting rare individuals to be taught the mysteries of healing personally.
From a certain perspective Slypanthy had no reason to question or bother Zes. She did her job and provided the world of Delor with a responsible Goddess. However, from another perspective, Slypanthy could not continue to ignore the standoffish female any longer. Even Slyph made time for her husband and children. She did it by manipulating time, this is true, but she made certain that she remained content and healthy. Besides... shepherding the other Gods was her unofficial duty. It did not take much on her part to ensure that time kept ticking away forwards and that the world of Delor remained in existence after all. Those things really did take care of themselves.
So it was that she visited the temple. Alighting upon it's outer steps, she walked slowly through the lush and well cultured garden to the center building. Slypanthy felt the uneasy settling of entering anothers domain of power. She disliked it, it made her feel a little too overwhelmed and vulnerable. She would have preferred to speak with Zes on neutral grounds. Sadly this could not be arranged, as she was certain Zes would not have accepted the invitation.
Zes choose not to meet Slyph, thus forcing the Goddess in her Elry form to seek her out in one of her inner chambers. The rooms seemed so...white... scrubbed clean and devoid of any sort of artistic decoration beyond the plant life that flourished in their pots and bowls. As Slyph searched the inner sanctum of the temple, she caught a few brief glimpses of the Divine Maidens. As Slyph understood they were all virgins, and spirited away by her unicorn avatars as young teens to serve the Goddess in the sky. They were all quite beautiful, and Slyph had a hard time telling which one may have been one of the rare males. She had wondered if the choose were really as honored as they were made out to be, she could not believe that these Maidens could be completely happy with no contact with their Delor bound family and friends.
Slyph finally found Zes. She knelt in her normal white gown next to a potted plant. A pair of small clippers were in her hand, and she seemed quite intently searching the curling vines of the plant. Slyph paused inside the door, and waited patiently to be recognized. Yet Zes continued to clip away at the plant. Taking off tiny buds and small vines with a very careful hand.
Slyph cleared her throat softly. Zes jumped, the clippers in her hand snipping through half a leaf in her startled state. Slyph blinks with some surprise as Zes turned to look at her with equal surprise.
"Slypanthy!" She exclaimed in a voice that was both accusation and wonder.
"Hello Zes. I was hoping that we could talk for a bit today?" Slyph replied with a small nod of her head. She found it hard to believe that Zes would truly have been surprised. This was her Temple after all. How deep inside of herself must she have been to be utterly unaware that another God had entered her sacred place?
But that must have been the case. As Zes stood and shook her dress free of the tiny green clippings, she let her gaze dart towards the door searchingly before she turned back to Slyph. "I suppose I have time to talk. Did you...just arrive?" Zes questioned as she set her clippers down upon the pots edge. Turning she walked a few steps to Slyph, her form towering over the small female.
"No Zes." Slyph replied. "I've been here for a bit..looking for you in fact. I had thought you were perhaps busy...or being avoiding still." The annoyance over the fact Zes had ignored the call for conference the past two times had faded in light of the information she had uncovered through her time echoes. Slyph watched as Zes faced her down with her usual cold mask. Perhaps it wasn't so much of a mask that Slyph had thought though.
"So then what is it that brings you here?" Zes replied in her short tone. She felt irritation at not noticing the intrusion into her temple. One of the few places she should have had no excuse for not being aware of the activities within.
Slyph did not step back, as she suspected was Zes' intention by standing so close to her. Instead she bent her wings about her body. Fusing together, her form rapidly expanded in a misty manner. Her wings reshaped to reform into a gauzy sort of gown that was not quite, but terribly close, to being transparent. Zes was forced to take the step backwards as Slyphs gravity defying bust threatened to brush against her. Now, standing at eye level, Slyph no longer had to crane her neck upwards to speak with Zes.
"I was sort of hoping to..well.." Slyph had not used her echo's to properly prepare for her meeting with Zes. Perhaps she should have... Zes crossed her arms over her chest and arched a eyebrow impatiently. Slyph made a slight hand gesture helplessly.
"I was hoping to just talk Zes. You seem like you need it."
Zes's other brow joined the first and her lips puckered into a tight pursed expression. "I was unaware that I had been giving anyone that impression. I assure you that I do not--"
Slyph lifted a hand to stop Zes mid-sentence. "You do. You can't hide something like this from someone like me Zes. I'm the representation of Balance in Delor and you..your not..." Slyph trailed off. Zes's features had darkened at the pink haired woman.
"Are you Spying on me Slypanthy? Checking up on me? I find this unacceptable!" Zes uncrossed her arms and made a gesture to point Slyph towards the door. However, much to Zes' surprise, Slyph crossed her arms over her ample chest, and shook her head quite firmly.
"I am not leaving until we talk a bit Zes. I understand a bit about what is going on but... I want to help you Zes." Slyph watched as Zes lowered her hand. She still had that dark look on her face, but...as far as Slyph could tell, she was listening.
"I do not think there is anything you can do to help me Slyph. There is nothing to help. I am handling things just fine." Zes finally replied after a strained silence followed.
"Zes..." Slyph slowly replied "Your in agony."
Another strained silence followed where neither woman spoke. Zes was the one to turn her gaze away, and Slyph could tell from the gesture alone that it could not have been a easy thing to do.
"Why haven't you asked--" Slyph began to speak again. Just to break that silence. But before she could finish Zes had snapped her head up and cut her off.
"I do not need his help! I am handling this on my own fine!" Her words were rife with anger and her expression was quite...aggressive. Slyph found herself blinking owlishly for a moment.
"I hate to contradict you Zes, but you are not fine." Zes's look of anger and aggression faltered. Slyph could only remember one time in the past when Zes had seemed so easily unsettled. Back when she had first come to Delor. Clutching her child and looking ragged, worn, and fearful... Slyph's heart fluttered in her chest as she saw echo's of that time here in Zes's features.
"I do not know what you want from me Slyph." Zes finally conceded. Slyph's features faded into a relieved look for a moment.
"Just tell me what is going on. Let me try to help you." Slyph began. She stepped towards Zes, but was dismayed as the other woman stepped back an away from her. "Your miserable." Slyph pursued her with her words since physically she could not. "You are in pain and frightened."
"How would you know all of this?" Zes choose to ask as she crossed her arms over her chest. Slyph could see that Zes was attempting to rebuild her isolationist walls again.
"Because you tell me as much later on." Slyph took another step towards Zes, then paused as the other did not step back this time.
"Then why are you asking me what is going on if I have already told you?" Zes questioned her, and was rewarded with a faint smile on Slyphs part.
"I didn't say you told me strait out. Just from our conversation I have gained a bit of understanding of your situation. I'm asking you though to explain things further to me." Slyph waited for a few moments, and it seemed to her that Zes would not say anything at all to this. However, Zes sighed, a small sigh at that, and raised her arm to run through her hair.
"I don't understand what it is exactly Slypanthy." Zes began, her white haired head shook from side to side slowly. "Nothing like this has happened in the past. All I can possibly...." Zes paused, her features turning downwards into a small frown. "All I can possibly surmise is that Zeus's genetic code is..well.. His species are a far superior one to all others that I've come across or learned about."
Slyph tilted her head, her brows furrowing a little as she attempted to follow the conversation as best she could. She understood a bit about what 'genetics' were supposed to be. But she did not understand what Zes was speaking about. "I don't...I don't understand Zes."
"Of course you don't." Zes exhaled. She turned to look at Slyph with a slightly pitying expression. "My species are a parasitic type of creature. We are born with..deficiencies. Until we couple with a creature of another race, we have severe limitations. Normally I would not speak about such things but I am beyond caring about protocol." Zes made a small gesture and continued as Slyph blinked.
"I was a incomplete creature until Zeus took me and mated with me. Normally this would have resulted in a perfect hybrid. but..." Zes glanced down at one of her hands. Her fingers flexed before her eyes slowly. "The Imohian species is a very powerful race. Far too powerful. I thought at first that the result would be a slightly uneven hybrid. I was wrong though...I began to incorporate more of Zeus's species coding into my own. Particularly when we coupled. The more often we laid together the stronger the imbalance."
Slyph tilted her head, and parted her lips. "Is that why you have been so standoffish with him?" she questioned. Zes nodded her head slightly.
"Shortly after we settled into Delor I began to feel discomfort. It grew gradually into a pain though. It's effects became more pronounced and painful after I had been with my husband. I used my powers to sort myself out, to ease the pain and this is when I realized what was happening..." Zes fell silent, and Slyph waited with a clenched stomach.
"What was happening?" Slyph finally prompted her when the waiting dragged on for more then a minute. Zes looked up and gave Slyph a half smile.
"I was wrong. That is what happened. I was not incorporating more of Zeus's genetic code into my own. I was not a unbalanced hybrid in the least... Zeus's coding was, in short, destroying my own. Destroying it as easily as sweeping a broom through sand. My essence is no where near equal to his own. So...the essence that I had gained from Zeus was obliterating me in little bits. Each time we coupled all I did was lend more strength to whatever was already inside of me. Giving birth to our children has only hastened the breaking down."
Slyph's mouth had fallen open at this point. When Zes switched from speaking of genetics and codes to speaking of essences she had found it far easier to understand. It sounded utterly terrible to her, to have oneself being destroyed from within. "What...what have you done to stop it?" Slyph innocently asked after a moment of gaping.
Zes responded with a rare smile. Her hands opened and spread out to her sides in a helpless gesture. "What can I possibly do? I have been healing myself of the damage and keeping my distance from Zeus."
"Healing yourself...but! That would mean your always in a state of healing?" Slyph felt simplistic and foolish as she spoke. Zes shook her head at the pink haired goddess.
"I am. Conscious I am able to focus more of my healing energies on my body to repair the damage that is being done. When I slumber though the healing ceases for a time and I awaken in..well... As you have stated already. In agony."
"There has to be something that can be done. Surely your God essence?" Slyph began. Zes though waved a hand to cut her off.
"Is only a delay. Your quaint little godling essences are nothing more then babes likened to dragons when compared to the Imohian. The essence gives me the strength and power to repair the damage in part. But it would never be enough to undo whatever it is that has been done." Zes's words, though they were rather dry, lacked the traces of hopelessness that Slyph would have expected from another. Despite the acceptance on Zes's part that she could do nothing herself, she did not seem weighed down by the knowledge. Though she was frightened, and this Slyph could tell in part.
"You should speak with Zeus." Slyph began, and pressed on as Zes began to interrupt her.
"I do not--" - "You should speak with him!" - "..want anything--" - "If anyone could understand it would be him." - "..from that man!" - "He loves you!"
Zes turned, and in a surprising show of anger, toppled one of the ivory pots over with a well placed kick.
"He does not love me! He has never loved me!" Zes's heated words were a strange and frightening change to her usual icy demeanor. "He only loves what I could become! Nothing more! His interest in me is based solely on his inflated ego's perception of superiority! I would be nothing more then a pet for his sexual appetites still if I had been a completed hybrid before I landed on that damned forsaken planet!"
Slyph's features drained in part as she listened to Zes. During her rant she had watched as Zes had dug her fingers into her own hair and pulled until rare tears beaded into the corners of her eyes. She hovered, uncertain how to proceed at this emotional display. Zes carried herself so often as a emotionless and cold creature that this was...utterly out of character.
"Zes..." Slyph slowly spoke. She was not having a easy time dredging up just what sort of response to follow. "I think that...perhaps this is just...you... You may not feel that he loves you, but I am certain that he at least does in part. You just... I am not certain what sort of history you two share but..whatever it is... Don't you think it matters very little when you consider what is happening to you? You talk about his ego so often, but what about your pride? Your letting your own body destroy itself and you refuse to talk to the one person who would probably understand better then anyone else in Delor."
Zes had her gaze turned away from Slyph due to her embarrassment over her display. She choose to remain looking away as the elry spoke. It was so rare for her to allow her emotions to rise, and she struggled to keep the anger and frustration in check along with the tears that kept trying to spill from her eyes. She choose not to speak to Slyph following her words, and as a result heard the small sigh from behind her.
"Fine then. If you won't then I---"
"Shall not!" Zes was now quick to rise her head, she turned to face Slyph. Her pale cheeks faintly colored pink.
"Your stubbornness is damning you!" Slyph drew herself up stiffly against the wet eyed glare of Zes. "As the Goddess of Balance in Delor, Zes... if you do not agree to seek what help you have available I will strip you of your position and-- Ah!!"
As Slyph began to speak her damning words, Zes crossed over to her. Her hand lifted and she snatched at Slyph, grasping her up by a arm in a tight grip.
"You can not take that from me! It's all I have to bolster my powers with!" Zes's words reflected her fright. She shook Slyph in her grasp until Slyph reached out and grabbed Zes by by the shoulder and began to struggle a bit to hold the other woman.
"Which you have already stated is not enough. It is ineffective and all you are doing is slowing down the process. You have allowed your pain to effect your actions Zes. When did you last spend time with your children? When did you last laugh? I remember when you first arrived in Delor you had at least some warmth to you. But you've let that go in your hard headed stubbornness to suffer through this alone. Your making poor choices. And I can not allow this to go on. I will strip you of your essence and imbue it in one of the Maidens before I turn a blind eye to this." Slyph's words grew a bit more forceful as Zes switched from shaking her to pulling away.
"You have no right! This essence was given to--"
"Yes it was. It was given to you to give you a place here in Delor. A safe place where you could hide with your children and live your lives together." Slyph cut off Zes as easily as Zes had done to her in the start of the conversation. "But if all your doing is prolonging your death then you have basically surrendered the gift we gave to you already. Your abusing the essence."
"As if I really wanted it!" Zes snapped, once more startling Slyph into silence. For a few moments the two females stood and looked at each other. It was Zes who looked away first again.
"Zes... There is a lot more that your not telling me isn't there." Slyph stated more then asked. Zes reluctantly released her arm, leaving behind faint red marks where she had gripped her.
"Slyph. There are far too many things you do not know. It is too long a tale to share and I have little heart to go over it with another." Zes was attempting to reclaim herself. Slyph could see this easily enough as the other purposefully avoided meeting her gaze.
"I'm the Goddess of time." She reminded Zes. "Why don't you just start at the beginning."
Zes though shook her head. She did not care to begin her tale and she honestly only wanted Slyph to leave her be.
"I'm not leaving if you have more to speak of Zes. You keep trying to pull away from everyone and everything. You keep trying to shut us all out. You can't be all ice that you seem to be all the time. Just talk to me." Slyph implored Zes. She had threatened to take her essence away, and her place as a goddess. While that had served to stir her up, Slyph feared that it was hardly the threat she had thought it would be. Zes did not seem concerned with losing her place as a Goddess nearly as much as she feared losing the power to heal herself in counter of whatever was happening to her.
"Why do you seem so set on being unhappy Zes?" She tried asking. Perhaps if she focused on another tactic..
Zes knelt by the pot she had kicked over, and gently lifted it upright. She began to scoop the spilled soil back into the center, her features troubled as she worked. "I do not want to be unhappy. I have reasons enough to be happy. I just..."
Slyph waited for Zes to sort out her thoughts patiently.
"When I landed on Faerune..." Zes continued without any verbal nudging while she kept cleaning up her mess. " I was running away. My squad... My clan I suppose you could call them. We had been designated for disposal. Some superior officer or official had taken offense at my group. For some obscure reason. Someone didn't score high enough in a test, we didn't have a approved success rate in our missions, or they just decided they did not like how my group had been trained together. It was one of those reasons I think. I disobeyed orders with two others in my group. We decided we weren't quite ready to just lie down and let them end our lives. We split up, to better improve our chances at successfully escaping. We had agreed to seek each other out later on though, once we felt it would be safer. I don't think we had any other plans beyond that." Zes shrugged her shoulders lightly and patted down the soil around the re-potted plant.
Slyph tilted her head, waiting to see how this would all tie into the problem at hand. Zes brushed her fingers against each other to clean off the loose soil and obliged her by continuing. "When I landed on Faerune I was disoriented. I personally think there was something about the planet that muddled my thoughts, ruined the technology of my ship, and made me weak and sick. I won't go into great detail about what happened though. I will simply state that my first encounter with Zeus was not as pleasant as you may nieavly think it was. I felt like I was once again in a situation where my worth and value was determined by the whims of others."
Zes picked at her fingernails as she stood, her eyes fixed on the small gouges of dirt she was removing rather then on Slyphs waiting features. "I harbor anger towards him for stealing what should have been my moment to choose my own life path. I had the possibility of freedom and learning more about myself and it was taken away from me like a flower plucked from a tree branch. Everything that I have now..my powers...my children...even my followers here on Delor. It is all because of what he decided. He decided to take me. He decided to marry me. All his choices and I had little option save to accept."
Slyph could see that Zes was tasting something bitter in her words, but she shook her lead slightly at the other woman.
"I think your fooling yourself Zes." She spoke. To which she gained a expected ugly look. Before Zes could speak, Slyph continued on.
"I think your blaming Zeus for more then is his share. Sure, maybe you two did not have a great start. But I am certain there were times in the past where you made choices all of your own. You can't blame him for everything in your life, particularly for the things that happened before it. It seems like your using him as a scapegoat for all the anger you feel towards these other people. You simply keep hanging onto all this bitterness and it's ruining what life you currently have. If you keep clinging to these horrible memories then the one who has really taken away your freedom and choices is you Zes. All that I have ever seen of Zeus is a man that is doing his best to make you happy. Your the one choosing to reject his efforts." Slyph tilted her head and attempted to peer at Zes's face. Mid speech the white haired female had turned away from her and crossed her arms over her chest.
"This is also no excuse to force yourself to continue suffering. Zes...you have to do something, you have to change things. This is a choice you need to make...or you'll force me to make it for you." Slyph paused and waited. Zes remained with her back to the pink haired woman, and for a bit Slyph feared that she had failed to breech the icy wall that Zes often surrounded herself in. It was only after a small sound escaped from Zes and she noted the slight shaking of her shoulders that Slyph realized the real reason Zes had turned away.
She was crying. Hiding her face from Slyph, she wanted terribly to deny all that the elry spoke. But when truth was spoken so plainly it was hard for her to truly ignore it. She placed a hand over her eyes, her head shaking in tiny motions until she felt Slyphs hand upon her shoulder.
"Zes...why don't you go and sit down for a bit. Think about this. I mean...really think about it. What you really want and what you really need. When your ready to talk...just let me know. Okay?"
Zes shook her head a little and dropped her hand. Slyph was relieved a bit to see that emotion truly was reflected within her eyes rather then the steely protective glare. Perhaps this would change things a bit...maybe...
Slyph withdrew, allowing Zes to exit the room through a door opposite the one Slyph herself had entered through. She lingered, uncertain if she ought to just leave outright, or wait to see if Zes would come to her senses quickly...