Rain Harlow
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(Vol 5) Chapter 9: Culmination
🕑 Added 2024-04-30 15:26:57 +0000 UTCOrswyth received quite the education on the functioning of a train, including numerous specialized terms and concepts he’d never thought about. Communication and teamwork were critical. Sometimes the ‘fireman’ had to be the eyes down the track, such as when the tracks went more left than straight or right, where the engineer could see. And keeping an eye out was imperative in general considering how long it took to brake.
It was certainly more detailed and realized than the snippets in books he’d read. He really couldn’t be grateful enough for the knowledge. Further useful was Uriel there, who listened and absorbed more than a mortal could, perhaps.
If we ever want to try some sort of magitech analog, this first-hand knowledge deposited to him could be instrumental.
When he was told ‘That’s about as good of a basic rundown as you can get,’ he thanked Azure and headed alone to the caboose past many empty rows of passenger cars. The caboose was quite different. Leisurely, compared to the front. There was a stove, a work table, and various odds and ends.
Alfred was there, sitting on an upraised platform open to the sky, looking forward, with a wheel in front of him.
A brake.
Orswyth passed on through it all, to the very back end, which was just a low, observational platform. Samantha was there, watching as the terrain and the tracks sped by in the train’s wake.
Orswyth stood next to her, his hands going to the metal guard rails. “Thanks for all this. If I’m allowed to break character, now… it’s handy that Azure had such intimate knowledge.”
The goddess and ‘conductor’ nodded. “She is the jackiest of all Jacks of Trade after hopping through oogles and oogles of past lives. That’s in addition to her unique specialties.” She turned to him and smirked. “So, when can I expect a replica in the real world?”
Orswyth chuckled and held his hands up helplessly. “Don’t look at me, I am but a humble priest. Perhaps Tashome can invent your new miracle power source.”
She put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in with her expression insistent. “We will usher in the new age, Hierophant. Together. Your role is already high, but I know that we have only scratched the surface of your potential.”
It was passing strange in a way, to have such a young woman say something like that to one of his age. But that was a primitive viewpoint. She was far more than she appeared or even was a month ago. “I’m not sure what you mean, but I will serve in whatever capacity aids our great order and its proliferation across the world. As for leading, well, there’s already plenty of delegation built into it.”
Samantha grinned and shook her head at him. “Too humble to see, suspect, or desire it, huh? Orsy, after the next reset, it’ll be your turn to receive a vision of the future. We’ll likely come to know more about… who you are. Who you’ve been and what your destiny is likely to hold.”
He blinked, needing a few moments to process that. Inwardly, bubbles of both intrigue and trepidation surfaced. “I… see. I’m sure that will be instrumental for us, yes.”
The conductor’s brows drew down as she studied him. “Don’t you want to know, Hierophant?”
Orswyth had to take a breath as his eyes shifted to the moving sandy terrain behind the train. Fake mountains in the distance made for a lovely vista. “I don’t know that I want to change that much from who I am now. Other than the obvious weakness, I have never felt more fulfilled. More… in place. I feel as though I have an outlook and role that functions well both for those around me and for myself. The purpose in front of me is not full of doubts as my life once was, depressed and ineffective as a baron. This is an order I believe in.”
Samantha was thoughtful as she turned back to lean on the railing. “I believe the choice is inherent, Orswyth. You’ve already made it. It’s in your soul. This won’t expose you to anything other than what led you to that.” She glanced at him and smiled. “But when the time comes, I’ll ask. If you aren’t ready, or if it’s just not for you, I’ll direct it elsewhere. Just think about it, hmm?”
Nodding slowly, Orswyth replied, “I will, Goddess. I will think on it a great deal. And thank you.” He turned his head, looking back toward the great length of the train on its forward track. The turning of the wheels. It was making a left turn. He could see the ‘fireman’ at the front, leaning slightly out of a window, being the eyes of the engineer.
Only one way down the track for all of us. To reach the destination is the supreme purpose, to not reach it could only be a disaster. I helped lay the tracks, didn’t I? I cannot undo the responsibility nor dodge the consequences. Embrace the role or crash the train. That’s the reality before us.
Suddenly, the train’s horn blared. In the distance, some grand shape was materializing, almost like a mountain. But… it wasn’t.
Samantha tapped his shoulder. “Come on, man! Let’s hop up to the observation stand, cause you don’t want to miss the full glory of this!” She ran ahead back through the door, turning to wave her hand to him insistently, eyes and flashing teeth shining in the light.
She was full of pure, child-like glee at that moment, excited to show an elder her work of art.
A father, even — no, let’s be realistic, old boy. Grandfather. Ha.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the bloody world, Conductor!” He called behind her as he hurried to follow.
Alfred had already hopped down from the upraised platform. Samantha took Orswyth’s hand to help him up the steps — hardly necessary in the spirit world, but he wasn’t going to balk at the gesture.
One could sit and see down the length of the train’s cars, but standing gave an even better view. A moment after their eyes turned to the distant shape arising out of the fog, it became totally clear, as low-hanging, thick clouds seemed to move to either side and reveal it. He gasped immediately.
A city rose high and suspended in the sky as if sitting on the clouds, golden, bronze, and silver towers stretching tall, with one central one spiking above them all, the sun behind it making a beautiful silhouette. Buildings of unique, varied architecture lay under it, some of them just visible over glittering walls sparkling like diamonds. Shapes were flying through the air, apparently magic-powered vehicles.
“Incredible,” Orswyth breathed.
“Yeah!” Samantha agreed, with pointed satisfaction.
A road led to a golden gate, but the tracks they were on seemed to be headed through the wall directly. Tall arches awaited them. Orswyth could see another train winding through the central buildings, curving from under a giant clock face.
“It has a train system?” Orswyth asked, marveling, still a bit in shock at the extent of the wonder he was seeing. It was massive and active. Alive.
Samantha positively bounced as she answered. “Yeah! Isn’t it cool?!” She suddenly cleared her throat and smoothed her face to something more serious, as she cast her hand out and declared grandly, “Welcome, Hierophant Orswyth Maglion, to our final destination: The City of Tomorrow, The Metropolis of Progress! Heaven.”
With the train chugging along and blowing a loud whistle ahead, Orswyth laughed once in glee, and for reasons he only half-understood, tears came to his eyes. “So it is. The end of the tracks. The culmination… of a journey…”
A journey…
He turned his head all the way around, looking back at the ever-fading terrain, losing its definition to the fog. Desert and mountain, sand and rock. Pretty yet barren.
A wasteland, and my way for so long, wasn’t it? I was lost and adrift in it, a wanderer who forgot to look up. Forgot everything to surrender to the obvious, natural fate, and… give up. The mitigation of pain the best way I knew how — isolation. As much as I could stand, anyway.
He turned back to his goddess and saw a beaming, beautiful face looking back up at him, sharing in his wonder and joy. The one that had created it all, the one who made the way, the conductor of many moving parts locking into a grand design — the maestro of many singers and players of instruments.
But it is not just your dream. We have accepted the required parts once before. We accept them again. We must, because…
Orswyth smiled at her and blinked away the tears as he turned back and beheld the City of Tomorrow looming on the approach. “Very cool, Samantha. Very cool, indeed.”
Only unity can prevail against destruction.
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Sammy left the boys to go explore the city on their own after they arrived at the ‘train station’ built into the central plaza of the city, with nearby excellent viewpoints and various other types of transportation available as needed. They all collectively liked the idea of the magitech ‘flybikes,’ so took them for a spin. There were lots of built-in failsafes, which was a good thing considering their yelp-inducing first attempts… and falls.
Eventually, there were probably constructive things they could start brainstorming and doing, but Sammy was more than happy to see them cutting it loose and having some fun for a while.
Orswyth was really touched by the train, but even more by the simple existence of this city. Something… awakened in him then. And it feels like it’s going to be a good thing. I’m glad for that after everything went to rancid shit with Glae.
‘Well done.’ The Fortuneteller popped into her head quite suddenly. ‘His alignment comes quickly and sets up the vision perfectly. A shoo-in, now. The next may be more difficult. And the next after… problematic.’
“For sure that isn’t Glae, though, right?”
‘The wild card does not factor into either, no.’
Sammy breathed a sigh of relief. It was likely impossible to ‘get him in line’ or any such thing. “Can I really just ignore him? I feel like I’ve asked this before…”
‘None of us can ever shut up about him.’ To one of the rare bits of something approaching humor from the FT, Sammy laughed, if bitterly. ‘You cannot factor him in, for now. Focus on the host of other things worthy of attention. It is your hour to grow, to cement, to expand. Take advantage, but be wary of blindsides.’
“Uh, understood. I will. So, if… any other Players fall within my first ten, I’m not seeing who. I have Canmore, who I don’t think is, Dax who is also tied to Canmore anyway and likely isn’t, and then Galynth and Carlisle. Galynth as a genuine Transplant is out. I guess Carlisle, enigma doing his own thing as he is, is worth considering. He was kinda dubious and standoffish of me originally, too.”
‘Make your choices carefully. You have deadends to waste for a spell but not forever by any means.’ With that, the FT vanished.
Looking out on the city from an observation point, Sammy drummed her fingers on a stone wall top as she pondered who else could be a Player. Alecto? Lucky? Janius?! Steve?! “So, Carl, huh? Ole Rockpile Carlisle. Eh, it’s worth a shot. But Orsy first, for sure…”
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The Pantheon ‘Celestial Horizon’ has all requirements fulfilled and has been created at level 1.
The quest “The Forging of a Deific Alliance” is complete. 55 FE gained. 7 exp in [Goddess], 3 exp in two sub-classes of choice. Pantheon access granted.
Level 7 Goddess obtained. +4000 Maximum FE added.
The Power [Fated Knot] added.
Consecration, Create Phantasms, Deific Pneumamancy, Grant Invisibility, Light Absorption, Light Manipulation, Mirror Maze, Mirror Sense, Mirror Walk, Spirit Armor, and Split Prediction upgraded. Your ‘Bound’ weapon may be upgraded.
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