DIVA: A Fateful Discovery #1

[Scott Eiler]

On 2018-09-12 06:59, deucexm wrote:

> All was peaceful - as peaceful as things ever were. And then, in an instant,
> they were not.
> 
> The Temple of Fortune shook to its very core - the main column, every
> compartment, every private chamber; all shuddering as if struck a mighty blow.
> 
> Dio's throne room was filled with a sudden nauseating aetheric pressure as the
> Deities crowded in all at once - but the God of Time himself was staring aghast
> at the Speaker of the Source, a three-headed sinuous serpent that was frozen in
> midair; parts of it were missing, glitching in and out of existence with
> digitally ravaged edges.
That's a good introduction to a cosmic crisis, even if I never heard of 
Dio before.

...

> One of the satellites smashed into a golden pillar at full tilt, splintering and
> then sublimating into nothingness. "Consider," the Speaker repeated, with what
> might have been the tiniest bit of emphasis. "Who else among you is missing?"
> 
> The God of Time took a deep breath and rose from the throne, his regalia
> glittering as they twirled and spun, drawing in the excess aether in an attempt
> to stabilize the Temple. "Miranda, Siguna, Freyja, Hekel," he began, naming the
> Deities as he counted them one by one. "Bethany, Eris, Tieria. Counting myself,
> eight, and the erstwhile Rosewood, nine; apart from her the Pantheon is
> complete."
> 
> The Speaker's satellites suddenly burst into searing white flames, scoring angry
> lines through the air as the central crystalline core vibrated with a shrieking
> sound that caused all the Deities - even Dio himself - to recoil.
> 
> "IT- IS- NOT."
> 
...
> 
> "Remember," the Speaker intoned, and it was a command. "Remember the name you
> forbade yourselves to say. Remember what has been lost. Remember why you strive
> - and what you strive against."

I'm guessing that Rosewood is not The Name The Gods Forbid Themselves to 
Say.  But maybe some True Enemy is.


> Dio glanced over and saw Eris's face pale, the Goddess of Chaos biting her lip.
> 
> "You chose the path of silence back then, and I did not object," the Speaker
> continued, the satellites by now having faded to a soft glow. "Your decisions
> are your own. But one of the Pantheon, one of mine own, knows naught of any of
> this; and now-"
> 
> Silence reigned again for a long moment, no one daring to speak before the
> thought came to its conclusion.
> 
> "-now she has learned the nature of the /true/ enemy."

Nice way to make Rosewood the pivot of the story.


> Dio looked at the puddle on the floor for a long moment, and let out a rumbling
> sigh. "I- I need a moment to think."

... and Dio is the God of Time.  He can *make* moments...  He must 
really be rattled.

This is a good opening chapter.


-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

When you *are* the leader... whatever goes wrong... whether you did it
or not... *you* are held responsible. - Barack Obama

I know. - Archie Andrews

- from Archie #617, March 2011, scripted by Alex Simmons.