Takeda BW XXXVI

BWXXXVI Takeda’s Vision

“Thoth himself has warned against this my old friend,” stated the half-dwarf. He was similar in stature to a dwarf but with a broad, round, bald head that sported a long plaited white beard. He was dressed in a mushroom coloured, ermine- trimmed coat, fastened with jet buttons and loose fitting, white, woollen trousers, tucked into high, soft leather boots. His care-lined face was far from youthful and he bent heavily on staff of oak, entwined with all manner of mystical devices. He was undoubtedly old, but how old Takeda could not fathom.

“Yes, Orodruin, but you know that neither of us is strong enough to control time permanently.” Takeda looked into the clear blue eyes of a wizened half-elf, whose face was heavily care worn, marked with the deep furrows of one who has lived too long and seen too much.

“Even with Bahamut?” asked the gnome disbelievingly.

“He will not help, for the same reason as you.” The old half-elf had produced a pipe from a deep pocket on the outside of his long white robe and began jabbing it at the gnome.

“That Anubis has banned it,” Orodruin interrupted, “and for good reason my Lord,” clearly, Orodruin was unperturbed.

Packing his pipe with weed, the Mage’s retort was a little harsher than he had intended, “Not for good reason, for selfish gain,” he snapped. Turning away from the gnome, holding his pipe in one hand and pouch of weed in the other, Lastar considered the situation. “To be frank,” he announced, “I thought more highly of our Gods.” The old mage finally lit his pipe, sat down and leaned back in his chair, regarding the gnome carefully. They obviously knew each other well and both seemed to be arguing good-naturedly enough, though the subject matter was of great concern to both.

“Do not think yourself better than they, Lastar, that will end in disaster.” It was Orodruin’s turn to produce a pipe, light it from the end of his finger. Take a seat opposite Lastar and puff away deep in thought. Eventually the gnome broke the silence, “Look, my old friend, Anubis is right, dead things should not be permitted back onto the Prime or onto any other living Plane for that matter. How long did it take us to banish Dispater? Nothing would stop them if they knew death were but a temporary abstinence from the Prime.”

Even before his friend had finished his argument, the Mage was shaking his head, “But to control time would banish all evil, surely you can see that.”

“Unless the controller failed to understand his responsibilities,” came the swift retort – perhaps too harshly put, but it was clear to Takeda that Orodruin had significant concerns.

“What are you insinuating, Orodruin?” Snapped the half-elf.

“Nothing Lord,” appeased the gnome swiftly, “just that I think some things should be left to the Gods.”

“That is precisely why I want to do this!” exclaimed the Mage, jumping out of his seat and striding up and down the richly carpeted floor. “I want to show them that I am their equal and should be allowed to pass freely into the next world and beyond, as they do.”

“Did,” corrected Orodruin.

“Sorry?”

“Did…Anubis has banned the Gods – all Gods – from travelling between the planes reserved for the dead and those reserved for the living. Should they try, their form is instantly moved to a positive or negative plane and is destroyed forever.”

“That is madness!” shouted the Mage, “how do we better understand the afterlife unless we can pass knowledge back to the living planes? How do we prepare for judgement?”

Adopting a somewhat petulant tone, the gnome responded, “Maybe Anubis does not want that knowledge to be passed in either direction.”

Ignoring the gnome, it was clear that a thought had just popped into the Mage’s mind. He turned ashen, “Oh my,” he breathed eventually, “What of the Book?”

“He wants it back my Lord.”

“Who told you this, Thoth?” asked the Mage disbelievingly.

“Yes, and Ptah.” Realising rather too late that this was very bad news, the gnome became more contrite, “I’m sorry my friend, Anubis wishes that you take it to him.” He let the blow land before offering the Mage a route to get there, “The new Gate at Locklastar could make that possible.”

The Mage took a long draw on his pipe and returned to his seat. Still white from shock, he seemed utterly defeated. “I doubt if that will be a return journey my old friend,” he whispered. Gathering himself together, Lastar’s colour returned as he appeared to Takeda to be thinking his way out of this trap, that had been so easily sprung. “Look,” the Mage began, “I need for you not to give up on understanding how we might control time. It is even more important now.”

“Alright,” said the Gnome, drawing on his pipe again, “but I do not see how I can hide it from the Gods.”

“Take Bavarik with you,” snapped the Mage impulsively, “he will gain an audience with Athena. She will know what to do; if Thoth will not help, then we will ask for aid elsewhere.”

Orodruin paced and shook his head, “Bavarik will not like this. He agrees with Anubis.”

“Of course he would, but he has a mind and knows Zeus is not beyond shifting time – his father was Cronos after all.”

“Who tried to eat him…” chuckled the Gnome inappropriately.

“Orodruin, listen,” Lastar’s tone was serious enough to gain the Gnome’s attention, “if things go badly with Anubis, I have so many things left to do on the Prime. I want you to bring us back to this point in time and space, so that I might take a different path.”