Part 3

From the point of view of the other Gods, several very confusing things happened all at once. First, Sargon found himself seated on a chair with a beer in hand. Second, the psychic pressure had vanished, and in its place was a feeling of tranquil peace as Vordea was sitting in the lounge chair next to Zalas, in her formal black dress. Thirdly, all the ice had vanished and the room had returned to normal, doors and windows intact, with the patrons of the Inn were looking around quite confused at the series of events. Finally, Eigengrau was suddenly in front of Agbus, who himself was surprised to find his hands empty and his sleeves full of broken sword.

"What-" Agbus began before being interrupted.

"We’ve had a talk. I regret that I had to use All Stop but I didn’t have a choice." Eigengrau answered, cutting off Agbus. "But first, Vaust?"

Vaust looked up and acknowledged Eigengrau but did not speak.

"Thank you. Patrons, you did not see anything here today. It’ll be very bad for your life if you did, understood?" Seeing some looks of confusion, Eigengrau continued. "I’m not saying this to scare you, the blabbermouths here have weeks to live. The Innkeeper is just that, the Gods were not here, and so on. Vaust, if you would?"

Vaust nodded and snapped his fingers, pulling the Gods into the space between the planes, leaving the mortal patrons alone and confused.

"I must first begin with an apology." Vordea said, her voice smooth and musical. "I made a rash decision to mantle Insanity, and it did not go well. As Agbus correctly surmised, the Dawn was approaching, but it was Eigengrau’s intervention that brought it to a halt." Vordea stood and walked to the centre of the room. Her dress flowed like water as she moved smoothly through the tangle of tables. "However, it worked. Eigengrau, if you would?"

Eigengrau nodded and walked over to Vordea. "My goal hasn’t changed. We can discuss my appearance in a few minutes, but the topic at hand is much more important. Sargon, what say you?"

Sargon sat in silence for nearly a minute before speaking, much more softly than usual. "In light of recent events, I think any objection I could raise would be quite ridiculous. The two most powerful Gods are in agreement of a course to be walked, and both are contrite for their actions. Eigengrau, you’ll get your cure."

While Sargon was speaking, Eigengrau was looking at her hands. She could tell something was very wrong, but wasn't sure of what. It was when Sargon finished speaking and she looked at the vial, she understood.

"Vordea, this cure will no longer work, a purview is missing, death." She said, completely sure of what she said yet still baffled by what she said. One of her purviews is death so how could it be missing? Yet missing it was.

"How can one of your own purviews be missing?" Vordea asked, equally confused.

"I think your dispel did something much worse. The explanation is about to arrive." Eigengrau replied, pointing at the door as it creaked open and a normal looking Eigengrau arrived.

"Ah." She replied, seeing herself already here but looking like a blend between herself and Sirene. "I assume there is an explanation for this?" She asked.

"No, this is entirely too much." Vordea said, pinching her nose. She pointed at the Eigengrau who just arrived. "I'm calling you Gray for now. As for you, you're Sirene." Vordea said, pointing at the Eigengrau who was already present.

"Here's the short version, Gray." Sirene began, walking up to her. "Vordea mantled Insanity, she dispelled my Eigengrau personality, which resulted in a merger between Sirene and Eigengrau, and also seems to have resulted in a split of our purviews. What's the last thing you were doing before you got here?"

"I was on my way here when I felt the psychic pressure building, then release. Then I arrived." Gray responded in a perfect monotone. "Vordea, I seem to be unable to access the shape. Fix this." Gray continued, walking up to Vordea. "This floor is entirely too warm."

Vordea looked down and noticed Gray was still barefoot but the patches of ice normally under her feet were absent. "Well, that answers a question I've always had about them."

"Stay on topic. The vampirism cure." Sirene urged Vordea. "Gray, we've come to an accord, but you umm... need to add your part again."

"Fascinating. Very well."

"You know we can't just leave it all at this, right?" Agbus said, finally speaking up.

"Well yes. This is wrong." Gray stated. "That is the next topic on the agenda."

Vaust sighed. It was going to be a long night.