Serpents And Bluebells

<> Demiurge says "I'll assume that you've just got back to Heaven, and left the others behind."

<> Hitherby nods. Okay.

Hitherby heads, naturally, for the Savannah. She needs to find a few relievers and a decent quantity of construct (as opposed to 'living') flowers.

The Savannah is as it ever is, welcoming, comforting, natural, wild, home. On a green and mossy woodland bank, three serpent-relievers hiss among the bluebells, weaving among the flowers.

Hitherby brightens as she rolls through the sunlight and then descends towards the bluebells.

Hitherby says, "Good day!"

One reliever looks up, tongue flickering from its coral-scaled mouth, and hisses, "Dominationnnnnn."

Hitherby says, cheerfully, "I have a report that needs delivery to the Great One. Are you otherwise engaged?"

The serpent hisses, "No. We are practiccccing stalking. We can do that later. It will be our honour."

<> Pat says "Clearly, they're Elohim in training."

<> arcangel agrees with Pat.

<> Demiurge chuckles.

<> Pat thusly cheers them on.

<> Pat says "Be objective, little relievers! Follow the law! Judgment is your friend!"

<> Daimon baps Pat, and gives him a pennywhistle.

Hitherby beams. "Good. Stalking is useful. As is your help. I will sing the first part in harmony; then the last part, which is most important, as a single melody line. I can repeat either part if necessary, and do not feel at all worried about mentioning it if I need to do so. Are you ready to hear it?"

The first reliever hisses, "I only have one mouth, Domination, so I will not be able to repeat it in harmony."

Hitherby says, "Oh." She blinks. "I thought you spoke for all three of you; you said that it would be 'our' honor." She blushes slightly. "If only one of you will carry the message, then I will sing it in a single voice."

The second serpent hisses, "Forgive us, Domination, but we could not give it the full nuances of a Domination."

The third adds, "We will repeat it in unison, but we are not yet sufficiently skilled with harmonies."

<> Zebina says "Plus they'd probably get the sibilants wrong, although Jordi would undoubtedly cope."

<> Demiurge | Jordi blinks. "Oboth has developed a strange accent during this escapade."

Hitherby smiles. "You are forgiven, of course. And unison will suffice; I simply wish the Great One to hear it in a shorter period of time -- not because it is *that* urgent, but so that *he* will have more time himself for other things."

The first serpent hisses, "Surely it is a virtuous thing to serve the Great One efficiently. We will do our best."

Hitherby proceeds to recite her report, in celestial.

The three serpent-relievers tilt their heads as they listen.

Hitherby finishes up her initial recitation, singing, "Your servant," and then, "Oboth."

The relievers glance at each other, then the second hisses, "We will take your report to the Great One."

Hitherby sings the celestial note for 'the end', and adds, "And 'Oboth' is also me, the one it's from, which he should probably know at the front end."

<> Zebina says "Slither off, my pretties!"

Hitherby beams. "Thank you! You are pleasant folk."

The relievers duck their heads, and slither off into the bushes.

Hitherby looks at the flowers, verifies carefully with an eye low to the ground that they are scenery and not the souls of virtuous dead bluebells that Novalis loaned the Great One, and then carefully begins picking them, removing them very gently and carefully from the Earth. She works thoughtfully to make a circlet from the flowers, using longer flowers of other sorts if bluebells are tiny.

<> Hitherby doesn't remember if bluebells are big or small :)

<> Demiurge says "Hm. Smallish flowers, long stems, sticky white sap."

<> Hitherby says "Long stems are good :)"

Soon, a circlet of bluebells is formed.

Hitherby uses flowers with longer stems mostly for structure, and the shorter-stemmed bluebells as color, sized for an average Malakite or Mercurian head.

Hitherby studies her creation, weighs it thoughtfully, and smiles. Supporting it with four hands, she floats off towards the Wall.

Nobody attempts to stop Hitherby as she floats across Heaven, coming in time to the great Wall that girds Heaven, where the Malakim patrol.

Hitherby floats up and hovers next to the Wall on the Heaven side, waiting for a Malakite to come near.

Shortly enough, a female Malakite approaches, seven oath-chains girding her and a mace at her side.

The Malakite says, voice like harsh oak, "Can I help you, Domination?"

Hitherby floats in the same direction as the Malakite, so that the Malakite doesn't have to stop, and says, softly, "I recently directly encountered the horror of Hell. That horror which, of course, you patrol to keep away from this place -- from all who dwell here or come here for peace."

Hitherby says "So I felt like I should express my gratitude to all of you. Well, to *somebody*, and you on the Wall seemed the best idea."

Hitherby says "So I made this."

Hitherby extends the crown of flowers.

<> Zebina just adores Hitherby at times. This is one of those times.

The Malakite is silent a moment, then says, "We do our duty, Domination, and do not require thanks for it. However, it would be discourteous to reject your kindness."

The Malakite reaches out and takes the crown of flowers.

The Malakite says, "One of us will wear this until the flowers are dry."

<> Zebina says "So, who lost the 'gift' pool this week?"

<> arcangel pbpbptts to Zebina.

Hitherby beams. "Thank you," she says, quietly, and closes her eyes for a moment. "Thank you and all of you." Opening her eyes again, she adds, "I don't know what a good phrase is. I guess -- patrol well. Walk with God."

Hitherby bows, floats along with the Malakite for a moment, and then drifts back into Heaven's interior.

The Malakite calls after Hitherby, "Go with God."

Hitherby heads towards the Savannah first, to go by the bluebells and her usual home -- if Jordi wants to talk to her, there will be evidence in one place or another. If not, then she'll rendezvous with Aron and Azalea at the Tower of Dreams.

As Hitherby approaches the bluebells, one of the relievers slithers from a rabbit hole beneath the bank, lifting its head. It hisses, "Domination."

Hitherby bobs. "Hi!"

The reliever hisses, "The Great One commands you to the Council Fire."

Hitherby says, "Oh." She blushes. "Well, hopefully that's good. Actually, even if I'm not in favor, the news was good, so hopefully he looked pleasedly on you. And I'm babbling. Thank you."

Hitherby scurries.

It does not take long to reach the Council Fire, where it burns on the twilight plain. A spiral of moths dances through the smoke, turning in a white-winged helix, and an old alligator lies half out of the river that - today - winds beside it.

Jordi himself is an owl perched on a branch above, fierce-eyed, smoothing his feathers.

Hitherby whirls down to float an appropriate distance below Jordi, all but a few eyes lowered.

Hitherby, if no one is talking, says, "Great One."

Jordi spreads one wing, flexes it. The firelight glints on his feathers.

Jordi says, "You do well. Continue to do so."

Hitherby brightens. "Great One," she says, with an inflection for gratitude.

Jordi spreads the other wing, folding the first one against him again.

Jordi says, "Use what the Warrior has given you as you wish. He will not be offended in either case."

Hitherby bobs, and says, "My concern is with your pleasure, of course." Unlike a demon in a similar situation, she means it.

Jordi clicks his beak, then murmurs, "My concern is for those under my care. Continue your work. Go in the freedom of the wild, Oboth."

Hitherby beams, and bobs, and zooms off for the Tower of Dreams.

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Fiat Justitia