Faction Gods and Monsters (Pantheon of Zaathru)

[Ishani Dinn]

Sky Temple, Zaathru

Normally Rhi would gather everyone together in the throne room, but in this case she felt they needed a more open space. So she requested that the Pantheon meet in the Sky Temple’s gardens.

Rhi stood near a bush with white flowers, baby on her hip as she waited for the others to show up. She kept an eye on her prisoner, Theryn Hearthfire, who was permitted to sit or stand so long as he remained within the circle of guards preventing him from trying to escape.

Once everyone had arrived, Rhi cleared her throat. “I apologize for the interruption, I’m sure all of you are very busy. But this particular problem is urgent, and we must all agree on the solution—because whatever we decide to do here will set a precedent for how we deal with any similar situations in the future.”

She gestured to Theryn. “This is Theryn Hearthfire, High Prince of Aurum. He claims that the currents of the Force brought him to Zaathru. His ship was shot down by a weapon on one of the planet’s moons. We have the means to repair his vessel and send him on his way, but because of his actions, the people of Zaathru now have reason to believe he is an incarnation of Lysius, the Autumn God. They will not honor him as part of the Pantheon until we determine whether he is a true god or not.

“I brought you all here to decide Theryn’s fate. If he is exposed as a false god, the penalty is death… at least, that is what we did with Kolinahr.”

Theryn didn’t pose an immediate threat to them the way the Trickster had, but that didn’t mean he could be trusted. Rhi turned to face him. “Now is the time for you to plead your case.”

Arcturus Dinn Zachariah Conway Chernsemie Forrest Dinn Darien Cordel Theryn Hearthfire​

 

[Theryn Hearthfire]

Theryn sat, or more appropriately knelt, within the center of the circle. Guards remained around him, and beyond them a series of thrones which formed a ring. He could not keep his heart from fluttering nervously, could barely even think at all in fact. The Force had led him to this point, it was She who had whispered in his ears, and sent him on this fruitless quest to find Divines made flesh.​

​

Fruitless?​

​

Had it been so bad? Sure he'd been locked inside one room for Force knew how long, held against his will, interrupted at any moment's notice, his fate hanging on the edge of a great summit, but it hadn't been entirely without its merits. As the grouping of Gods, the Pantheon of Zaathru, waltzed on in and he could see them through the small gaps in the Shaal guards, his heart leapt and skipped a beat. Just a brief glimpse of Darien was afforded to him, yet it helped to get his lungs working again.​

​

Forced them to function, so that he could say he shared his last breath with someone worthwhile.​

​

Then he hung his head, glancing down at his lap, as Rhiannon stated the reason for their meeting. Then it came, that dreaded word: Death. "Grandpa, await me on the other side" he whispered to himself, "Papa, hold mother tightly." Poor Kära Hearthfire she had suffered and lost so much. Would she survive the passing of another babe? One she'd been able to watch bloom and grow?​

​

His lower lip wobbled before he caught himself. Death is an awfully big adventure he reminded himself, And I have missed my Father's face so. It would be nice to see them again, to gain their forgiveness for not properly saying goodbye when father passed. He could deal with death if it meant walking into their embrace... Couldn't he?​

​

For a moment those rose tinted glasses cracked, and his head shifted into a deeper bow. "I don't want to" he found himself whispering, so silently that he was almost certain it never came from his lips at all.​

​

He felt the icy Goddess' eyes upon him, and then she was pushing him to plead his case. His case for what, though? Life? Godhood? He didn't even come here to play at Divinity. Theryn did not look up as he spoke, but nor did he allow himself to entirely come apart. He seemed strengthened where he knelt, even with the state of submission he was in.​

​

"I am a good boy, I swear," he began, voice soft, "I did not come here meaning you any harm, nor hoping to proclaim my Divinity. I have my faith, and hold it true. I also know what it is to run, to find a place to hide and a sanctuary within it. I would not put you or yours in danger, blessed Adamanthea, if I were permitted to leave I would go and never speak of this place to another living soul."​

​

His heart twisted in his chest when he said that, and the facade surrounding him began to crack. He even reached one hand up to brush over the spot which most hurt. He knew what that would mean, knew that his heart might never recover, but if it meant keeping these people safe, Darien safe, then he'd do what he had to. ​

​

Death, though?​

​

"I do not know who this Lysius is, nor what it is they expect of me, but I do know that my life means enough to me that I will try and placate all. I will do my best to live in his image if that is the only way to avoid the executioner's block. If not..?" His shoulders sagged, though his back tried to stiffen. He was barely keeping it together, but he had to at least try. Theryn drew in a long breath, quieted his mind, and then pulled his shoulders back and his back straight. Head still hung, but all in all he still looked far more regal now than he had moments prior.​

​

"If I must face death, then I will suffer through it. All I ask is that one of you finds a way to return my body to my sister. Make up whatever lie you need to make concerning my demise, just... Please do me this one thing."​

​

Nothing he owned was really here with him aside from the clothes he'd crashed in. There was nothing else to pass along, except for his remains.​

​

Ishani Dinn Arcturus Dinn Darien Cordel Forrest Dinn Zachariah Conway Pharus Dystra ​

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: Arcturus Dinn | Ishani Dinn | Theryn Hearthfire | Chernsemie | Forrest Dinn | Darien Cordel ​

It had been a fairly interesting morning.

Until Rhiannon sent for him, again. It was becoming a trend now, being summoned. He supposed it came with the territory. The people of Zaathru had declared him a God and he was expected to act like one at times, despite being a young boy who was focused mostly on his studying and his powers. Powers he was finally starting to understand.

He took his chair, and sat with one leg on top of the other. He listened to Rhiannon introduce the situation and he listened to the defence offered by the accused, by the man known as Theryn Hearthfire. He remained quiet through it all, eyes scanning not only over Theryn but over the rest of the gathered, looking for any indication of their thought process.

"I also know what it is to run, to find a place to hide and a sanctuary within it."

It was a quote that resonated with the boy. Sanctuary was something he had been offered when he'd arrived on Zaathru. He'd been taken in and provided everything he could ever want by both Rhiannon and Arcturus, he'd been invited to join their famiily and had been declared Hyperion by the people of Zaathru. On top of that, he understood what it was to run and hide.

Zachariah had a hundred questions he could ask of the accused, but he decided to hold his tongue for now. He assumed that the rest of the Pantheon who had gathered would ask questions and they would save him the need. If they failed to ask the burning question however, it was in his back pocket and ready to go, for remaining on Zaathru should always be a choice.

At that moment, Zachariah realised it was the first time that the entire Pantheon had been together. Though the majority had all joined to be introduced to Forrest Dinn , Darien Cordel had not been present. This was the first time they had all been together and they were all joined together to decide the fate of Theryn Hearthfire.

Zachariah waited his turn, he let the others speak first before he spoke. He let everyone else get their points across, for everyone else's opinions were important, not only to him but to the fate of their guest. Only once everyone else had their say did he chime in, did he ask the question that to him was the most important. Only once everyone else had their say did he speak.

"And what do you wish, Mr Hearthfire?"

 

[Pharus Dystra]

“Clearly he doesn’t want to die,” Pharus muttered. He sat with the other children, Zach on one side of him and Eloise on the other. She and Marcus were munching on candy—an incentive to get them to sit still, at least. Though they were very young, they were still technically part of the Pantheon and thus were expected to participate. But then, so was Star, and he was just a baby… Would his vote count?

“As long as we don’t have to deal with dozens of Force Users crashing on Zaathru and claiming to be gods, go ahead and let him live. Unless you have some other reason to kill him…”

“I do,” Rhiannon said. “He’s the heir of Aurum, and that means he has power if we let him go home. I don’t know much about Aurum, but if we make him a god and let him come and go as he pleases, what’s to stop him from returning here with a fleet of ships?”

“Maybe we should start building our own fleet, then,” Pharus remarked dryly.

"We can't. Not unless we bring in people from outside Zaathru to manage those ships. The natives don't know how to operate them, and if we teach them how... it would open up a box that can't be shut." If the Zaathrians were given space travel, they would learn the truth about their gods and monsters.

"Why don't you just make the crews to pilot your fleet, like you did with Chernsemie and Forrest?" Pharus retorted. "And has anyone told you lately that you're extraordinarily paranoid?"

"I—you—" Rhi's face flushed with anger. "Has anyone told you lately that you're a spoiled brat?"

"Sure, Mom," Pharus mocked. "Like you aren't spoiling your kids..."

Arcturus Dinn Zachariah Conway Chernsemie Forrest Dinn Darien Cordel Theryn Hearthfire​

 

[Darien Cordel]

Darien had to swallow down his worry today of all days. He had to be his father's son. An expert political manoeuvre and orator who could talk the birds from the sky. If he didn't well who knew what would come of this meeting of 'gods' He had just found Theryn. He didn't know what exactly they felt for each other or how it would work but he had felt seen by the Prince of Aurum in a way he had been seen by no one else. He was also acutely aware that he needed more voices in this Pantheon who were not Dinns. Arcturus had told him from the off that his wife ... who seemed to run the show ... was warier of strangers than Arcturus. If she took it in her head that he had to go ... well he could not see any of her family talking in his defence so he needed some neutral parties to even up the tables.

He had no desire to trouble their ambitions. As he had told Arcturus he had a vested interest in them succeeding but he also had no desire to die nor to lose the city he had pulled together with his own sweat and blood. He had landed on this planet with nothing and he had made a city. He'd be damned if he lost it. He'd be damned if he let them kill Theryn for the crime of existing in the wrong place. After all the man had never claimed godhood so the charge of false god did not work if they did not act purely on mad paranoia or blood lust.

He had been to see Arcturus after his meeting with Theryn. After all, it had been the Pharoh who had first asked him to see the prince. He had reported on the meeting, leaving out some of the ways in which he had been compromised but leaving in his genuine impressions of Theryn as a man worthy of trust. A man who could be a god. He had also reminded Arcturus of the promises he had made when he asked Darien to pledge to play his part in the pantheon and to give up his city as a protectorate of the Dinn's growing empire. He'd already found his position weakened by the creation of new children each given vast swathes of land that could swallow his independent city up. He could never win a war against the Dinns they both knew that but they also both knew that at such an early stage Darien could probably make the war he would lose so destructive that the Dinn Victory would be pyrrhic.

He made no threat but he did tell Arcturus that if he let Theryn be killed Darien would consider that he was not a man of his word. He had promised not to harm Darien after all and as Darien told him "Killing him, would harm me" Arc had three options to keep his word to Darien. Theryn was named a god, Theryn got to leave or Theryn lived on Zaathru but not as a god, Darien would even take custody of him if desired.

He had explained to Arcturus that he understood if Rhiannon could not stomach the man to live off-world or to be a god but Theryn had never claimed godhood so what would stop her declaring simply that Theryn was not a god and would live his days in service to the Pantheon?

Darien had been amongst the first to arrive and it had broken his heart to see Theryn knelt encircled by guards and looking so exposed and small in the centre of the ring of thrones. Darien had tried to select one in the man's eye line. He hoped he would bring comfort at least as Theryn pleaded for his life. Darien was the first to speak after Rhiannon, given that Zachariah waited until last, his heart was in his throat as he did. Poor Theryn looked so fragile, subdued and alone amongst the glaring eyes of so many and Darien longed to give him comfort.

"I have spoken with this man," he said in basic "I have seen him sprout fruit from barren land and weave flora that surpasses any I have seen before, we have spoken on what this place means for the people who live here and I trust that he will prove worthy of our trust," he said "So sure am I of him that I will stand surety for him ... as a god or If he is not a god then so be it, he has not claimed to be" Darien shrugged "I would have him as my citizen if not my brother"

He would say more when the rest of the pantheon had given a view but it felt important to set out from the start the strength of his feeling and the reason for it.

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

His debriefing with Darien Cordel following the man's introduction to Theryn had been quite akin to a rollercoaster. It was good to hear that he found the stranger to be trustworthy on the surface, however Arcturus was no fool and he could feel the swirling of emotions drifting through Darien. Arcturus would not be so bold as to say he had compromised his pacificity, but this certainly did muddy things. One could not really help how they felt, Chaos knew he and Rhiannon were paragons of such. They had fallen in love in what had effectively been a battle royale of children, a battleground, complete with bloody noses, broken bones, and man-eating trees.​

​

Still... It had left him with a lot to think about. He could make no real promises to Darien besides that he would do what he could... Provided Theryn made a good enough plea for himself. It was hard to justify the opposite of what others likely wanted when there was no defense to be made.​

​

The idea of losing Darien to this bothered him more than he could admit. He'd found the man to be rational, a good mediator and leader in general, and it would not be in their benefit to see him gone. He was making waves with the natives under his watch, and right now they could use all the help they could get in bringing together the warring tribes of these lands.​

​

He remained quiet for some time, perched upon his seat. Then he turned his head toward his beloved, after hearing Darien speak. "Is it true that he never claimed Godhood for himself?" he inquired, ponderously. "If this is simply a misunderstanding, the natives grasping at straws to see a prosperous God emerge for them, then we could find a way to write it off."​

​

That still left the question of what to do with him exactly.​

​

"He does seem like Lysius though, even they could see that. Created grapes, and plant life on a whim? For no reason other than he wished to? There are worse representations for a God known for his mischievous ways." That Darien would take control of him definitely helped matters in Arcturus' eyes. God or mundane, Theryn could be kept on a tight leash.​

​

One thing was clear, talks had not exactly gone in the way of letting him go. No, even Arcturus knew they could not do that. At least, not until such a day as he had proven himself trustworthy. Until there was no doubt in their minds that he would never dare bring others here.​

​

Arcturus fell silent again, and his brows pressed into thoughtful frowns. It seemed as though his eyes glossed over, as though for a little moment he wasn't even there. There was much to consider, and even with days to do so he'd still found no answer which could benefit all.​

​

Ishani Dinn Darien Cordel Forrest Dinn Pharus Dystra Chernsemie Zachariah Conway ​

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest sat listening to the bickering and back and forth of the pantheon. The beings he was created to protect and serve. That last part didn't sit well with him but until he was able to venture forth on his own, strike his own domain, it was what needed to be done.

There were two points batteling against his senses as everyone took their turn weighing in. Even the children had a say, but that was the way and he was born for this so hmit made sense all 'Gods' could weigh in. The points that clashed against one another were split factors. One: None of them were actual gods. The question of the "false God" was a hard one to refute. They were all false gods, yet it seemed only Forrest would admit that. Two: he was born to protect this family, this planet and it's inhabitants. He was asked here as Anhur but Forrest so the ladder win out.

Forrest stood confidently as was befitting his position. He didn't care what the others thought of how long he had been around, his purpose was made crystal clear the moment he took his first breath. "I see no point in a vote here. He has said himself he has not claimed godhood. That in itself makes him a false god. He has sewn disorder and chaos among the people showing them the powers of one of their deity's with no claim to be one himself. Where does that leave us should we allow him to stay? It proves we are not as we are portrayed to be if a mere stranger can land here and do as we do. I was sanctioned to protect this family, this planet and all the people who inhabit it. Literally born for no other purpose than that. Allowing him to leave puts out entire existence I'm jeopardy, allowing him to live proves us weak and mortal. There is only one clear course of action. I choose death for the captive."

Forrest looked at each one of the older pantheon waiting for their rebuttle. His words were matter of fact, without callousness or malice, but he spoke with authority. Who was he to protect them all if they refused to protect themselves? The farce they all had begun to believe was in jeopardy along with everything they had built on this planet. It was in their hands to protect that. To him there was only one clear answer.

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Rhi was about to offer a stinging retort to Pharus’ muttering, but stopped herself. Why was she trading insults with a fourteen year old, let alone her own son?

Pharus did have a point. Many of her fears were unfounded, born of paranoia. She was afraid of the unknown, of uncertainties that she couldn’t control. Her fear had created an artificial image of Theryn, painting him as cunning and deceitful. But all that she saw here was a terrified boy, desperately clinging to life.

Her gaze flicked toward Darien as he spoke. “Something tells me brotherly love isn’t what you have in mind for him,” she said with a smirk.

Rhiannon could tell there was something going on between the two—it was a little hard to miss. She suspected Theryn had seduced him out of desperation, hoping for an ally who would argue on his behalf. Maybe he was craftier than he seemed.

Or maybe he just wanted to go home, as he claimed. Force, she wished she could send him away and forget any of this had ever happened. But that was the one option they couldn’t take. Too risky.

She had sympathy for Theryn, who had come here in good faith and gotten caught up in something he didn’t understand and didn’t want to be a part of. But her sympathy wasn’t enough to keep him alive. Not when letting him live would run counter to her own interests.

Forrest was the last to speak. As expected, he chose violence, immediately condemning Theryn to death as a false god. Rhi breathed a sigh, then turned to her High Priest, a Shaal by the name of Pushan. “Is it possible for an incarnation to be unaware that they are a god?”

“It was so in the days before your arrival, Goddess,” Pushan replied. “There are those among the desert tribes who will take infants and children suspected of being incarnations and raise them in their temples, so as to avoid such uncertainty. But I confess that I have never heard of one of the Starborne Gods not knowing their true nature.”

“How would you determine if he is Lysius?”

“He has shown many signs already. But only he can uncover his godhood. If he is not Lysius, another will come who is a true incarnation.”

Arcturus Dinn Zachariah Conway Chernsemie Forrest Dinn Darien Cordel Theryn Hearthfire​

 

[Theryn Hearthfire]

He felt his nose twitching as though preparing to sneeze, but all that it heralded was tears brimming up. It all felt so callous, to be talked about as though he was not there, to have a handful of strangers deciding whether or not he got to live, or whether he would die. It left him feeling sick and nauseous, this whole thing was so surreal. Like it was happening to someone else, only that someone was him. Disconnected from the majority of his body, he could still feel the stinging trail of warmth against his ever-cold cheeks as the first of the tears dared to spring free.​

​

Theryn had not cried since confronting his past and seeking the statues laid in honour of Thyrian Hearthfire back on Midvinter, a pilgrimage which had been hard to make, which he had suffered through until his Uncle lifted him back up and set him on his feet. Before that? Well... Simply put, he wasn't the sort to cry. He hid his emotions well, passed them over for merriment and joy. Here there was little in the way of joy, little at all.​

​

From behind his back he produced a very dog-eared old teddy, as subtly as he could while the others were talking amongst themselves and not looking at him, and pressed it to his chest before hiding it beneath his hands in his lap. He could not afford to show them that he was weak, that he needed comfort in that moment, he had to cease the tears, hide Stuffty, and face what was coming head on.​

​

His lips didn't fully get that memo though, for the more people spoke the wobblier they became. The younger children, who appeared too old to actually be Rhiannon and Arcturus', just a couple of years younger than Theryn himself, seemed to be somewhat on his side. At the very least one argued that he should be permitted to leave and the other wanted to know what he wanted. What Theryn wanted.​

​

He found no real room to give an answer, but it was nice to know that the query had been asked.​

​

All felt utterly hopeless until Darien spoke, as even the blonde boy had been shot down at every turn. Reminded that Theryn could not be permitted to leave by Rhiannon. Which meant...​

​

He could barely focus on anything at all in that moment, his ears rang, his eyes unfocused, and his head span, but through it he could just about make out what Darien was saying. Stand surety? He'd put his own skin on the line to ensure Theryn fell in line? A tiny little hiccup of a gasp escaped him then, eyes darting toward the man, before Rhiannon's response joined the ring. At that the boy's head hung. His cheeks burned, and heart ached, to be outed so publicly. It was almost enough to have him rise and run, to find a way out of this circle of toxicity, but he couldn't. Because that meant death outright.​

​

Just as the God of War wanted.​

​

Theryn had kept his mouth shut up until that point, but Forrest's claim of him being a false God simply because he denied being one left him suddenly swept into indignation.​

​

"That doesn't even make sense" he stated, trying to remain as calm as he could. "To be a false God, surely you must proclaim yourself to be divine? I did not make any such claim. Those centaurs who found me miles from here, and saw fit to bring me barefoot to your door, assumed me Lysius. The men and women in your throne room made the same assumption, but I never did. Is that how justice works here? You kill those just turned men because of what others believe? Would you do this if I were two years younger? If I was a boy of 16, 17? Would you do it to him, or him?" He gestured first to Pharus, then to Zachariah, "Just because you can? I am a person! I'm not a God, I'm not a Monster, I'm Theryn... I'm... I'm just Theryn."​

​

His shoulders shook at this point, with Theryn having reached the point in which all of those emotions he was so diligently fighting to keep back boiled over. He couldn't even look in the direction of Darien, in fact his head hung once more as his internal fire sputtered out.​

​

"My mother won't take another loss, her heart is already so weak. I have so much left to give, so much left to do..." Theryn had expected he would die young, he had been a sickly babe, and a sickly child, and even these days he was far from the strongest. His Father hadn't been that old when he passed, either. But this young?​

He fell silent again as Rhiannon and the High Priest spoke. He had to convince them, didn't he, convince himself even, that he was Lysius. It was the only way forward that didn't end in his death. But how did one convince themselves of something that was not true? He held Stuffty tight against his chest, wishing that it was as alive as Darien would have it. That it could speak some words of wisdom. But it couldn't.​

​

"I will do whatever it takes, Adamanthea" he said, voice much more whispered and tender now, as though all of the energy, all of the fight, had wicked away from him. "Whatever tests, or trials. Please... Don't take my life so far from home. I don't know if Papa can find me all this way."​

​

So much for being strong, so much for not pleading for his life. If that really was their decision he'd stand and face it, but he didn't want it to be the outcome. He did not want to die. In fact the mere notion left him utterly terrified.​

​

Where would a Valkyri go if they did not die in the snows of home?​

​

Ishani Dinn Darien Cordel Pharus Dystra Zachariah Conway Forrest Dinn Chernsemie ​

 

[Pharus Dystra]

"Is that how justice works here? You kill those just turned men because of what others believe? Would you do this if I were two years younger? If I was a boy of 16, 17? Would you do it to him, or him?" He gestured first to Pharus, then to Zachariah, "Just because you can? I am a person! I'm not a God, I'm not a Monster, I'm Theryn... I'm... I'm just Theryn."

“You really think any of these people care?” Pharus said. “They’re Sith. They have no morals, no decency—”

“Pharus,” Rhi warned. “Don’t.”

But Pharus only seemed to grow angrier. “You helped the Sith to conquer my homeworld, and then you dragged me here to watch you lord over these people you’ve tricked into thinking you’re gods. Just because I don’t speak their language doesn’t mean I can’t tell what’s going on. The feasts, the rituals, the sacrif—”

He was cut off abruptly, one hand reaching up to clutch at his throat. His face turned red as he was choked by an unseen hand, then just as suddenly released, coughing and gasping for breath.

Rhi looked away, and found herself facing her other children. The twins stared at her, confused and frightened. For a moment it looked as if she would run away, but she did not. Instead she adjusted her hold on Star and said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Pharus. But you are right about one thing. We are Sith, and we are ruthless.”

She glanced at the others. “I don’t want to start a war within the Pantheon.” Not yet, anyway. “If letting Theryn live is what it takes to maintain the peace, so be it. I will give him to you, Mercurius. If he does prove himself to be Lysius incarnate, he will have his own domain. But I don’t think he’s ready for that. By his own admission, he may be a legal adult, but at heart he’s still a child.” And perhaps from now on she had better bar the children from participating in these matters.

Her eyes met Pharus’. His were icy and full of hate. She shook her head, her gaze firm and unyielding, her meaning clear. Don’t say another word.

Arcturus Dinn Zachariah Conway Chernsemie Forrest Dinn Darien Cordel Theryn Hearthfire​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Arcturus had heard enough even before Theryn spoke and Pharus followed suit. Before Zachariah Conway rushed from the room, face flushed red and green simultaneously. To hear the choking coming from their adoptive son, to see it when he blinked and stared his way, was the final straw, nay more than the final straw, it went further than anything he ever thought possible.​

​

Standing to his feet, Arcturus raised a hand and suddenly the air seemed choked of its ability to facilitate soundwaves. Any who tried to speak after that moment would find their lips moving soundlessly. They could still breathe, of course, he just wanted zero interruptions for what was to come next.​

​

"Now, that is enough. All of you. Darien, take Theryn to my office and ensure he remains there until I arrive. Forrest, Semie, take the twins please. Far from here. And do check in on Zachariah." He crossed the room and plucked Starlin quite effortlessly from Rhiannon, and held him close. "For the record," he said as he turned to face the circle, looking each and every one of them in the eye before he bid them to actually leave, "This? Will not happen again. Guilty until proven innocent is not how this realm operates. We are not mad, rabid dogs. And we do not sit idly by discussing whether or not to kill a child. Frankly I'm disgusted."​

​

He did not care if Theryn was 19, if he was by age alone an adult. He would strike away that line every time if he had to, that which separated boys from men, for there was far more than mere biology which rendered one a full adult.​

​

In his mind he felt the pressing frustrations of Darien Cordel requesting, nay demanding, that he take Theryn back to Mercuitie with him once they were all given leave to exit. Arcturus nodded in his direction, but did not speak openly. Instead he retorted with mental words of his own.​

​

Very well, he's under your watch now. Arcturus would seek them out once things here had begun to settle. He had apologies to make, after all. To Theryn, but also to Darien.​

​

Starlin was propped up against him, resting soundly and held in place by both Arcturus' arm and his hand set against his head.​

​

"I stand surety for Darien, and have done since the moment he was unearthed. That means this boy is now under my command, and the rest of you shall not lay a hand of ill or malice upon him. Is that clear? Try to kill him, and I will lead him right back through the gates of the Underworld. You talk about this being some game, some falsity" his eyes settled on Pharus and softened for the first time since he'd begun to speak. "You know first hand, son, that I will circumvent death where I will it. I am Death." He was looking between the rest again now.​

​

"Until such a time as I deem you all fit to make sound, rational decisions, you're to bring any unearthed Gods and Goddesses into my realm. Is that understood?" ​

​

Only then did he slacken his hold of the Force and make it so that voices not his own could speak. With a tender kiss and a brush of the babe's fluffy hair, he handed Starlin off to his nanny and then sent her on her way too.​

​

"Out" he demanded of all, including the lingering staff, only he held a halting hand toward Pharus should he try to rise. And Rhiannon too, of course.​

​

Only when they had left, and he presumed they would even if they had something to say first, did he turn to his wife and adoptive son. Gaze soft toward the latter, and harsh toward the former.​

​

"What the kriff was that, Rhiannon?" he snapped, once he felt certain the others were far enough away so as not to hear him. "Are you crazy? He's our Son, we promised to protect him! That was not even remotely okay, frankly as of late you've been worrying me more and more. When will this paranoia end, Rhiannon? Will it be Zachariah next time, should he say something you don't wish to hear? Marcus? Eloise? Starlin if he won't stop fussing?"​

​

Fire had risen up within Arcturus and he could not hold it back. "CHILDREN, Rhiannon! They. Are. Children. Our children. You will never lay a hand or the Force on them like that again. Do you understand me? I will not stand for it, I will never stand for it."​

​

All at once he turned from her, as though whatever she might have to say in her defense was deemed unworthy before it could even be uttered, and sank down to a knee before Pharus.​

​

"Please forgive me" he begged, "I know that you do not like me, that you wish to be anywhere else in the Galaxy right now. What happened there was not okay, you did not deserve it. Is there anything I can do, Pharus?"​

​

Some might argue it was unwise for him to have chewed out Rhiannon in front of Pharus like that, that he should have tended to the boy first then let him go, but Arcturus refused to let him think nothing came of it. That he was not loved, or protected. Arcturus needed him to hear it all said, needed him to know that someone would stand in defense of him.​

​

Even if the boy hated the man who did.​

​

Ishani Dinn Pharus Dystra Darien Cordel Zachariah Conway Forrest Dinn Chernsemie ​

 

[Pharus Dystra]

Pharus coughed a bit, his vision blurring as his eyes teared up. He heard Arcturus' words and the footsteps of the others as they departed, one by one, until only Arcturus, Rhiannon, and Pharus were left.

Rhi didn't resist as Arc took Star from her. Out of sight of the others, no longer required to at least appear strong, she withered under her husband's anger, her expression crumpling.

Pharus wanted to gloat in silence. Wanted to watch her fall apart, barely hiding his glee. See the power I hold over you. I can make you do things that will turn even him against you. But as Arc knelt down before his chair, something inside the boy seemed to snap.

"I'm not your son!" he exclaimed, standing up. "She's not my mother! And you are not my father!"

His voice was rough and raspy. Screaming like this after being choked wasn't doing his vocal cords any favors.

"You took everything from me. For as long as I live, I am going to hurt you," he growled. "I will do everything in my power to make you suffer. I'll turn you against each other and destroy you from the inside. Your children will grow to hate you, just like I hate you!"

In a way, he was offering them a strange sort of mercy. He could've played up his victimhood for Arcturus, let things continue to fester between him and Rhiannon. But the damage had been done, and rather than feeling good about it, he felt sick. Like something inside him had shriveled up, growing twisted and gnarled.

"Either kill me or send me away," he said. "You can't do anything by halves. You can't destroy my life and then try to rebuild it in your own image. The more you try to change me, try to make me love you, the more I will despise you. I've hurt you, and I'm going to keep on hurting you."

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Rhi sank to the ground, sitting with her head in her hands, wondering at how it had come to this. As easy as it would've been to let Pharus take the blame, she couldn't quite bring herself to do it. After all, this had long been her fear - that all her Sith training, her dabbling in the Dark Side and the corruption which had brought her back from the dead would infect even the things she held most dear in life.

"He was going to tell them," she whispered. "I couldn't let that happen..."

She felt even more like an idiot after seeing Arc use the Force to silence them, painlessly and harmlessly. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind that she could do that. It was probably a simpler trick, too. Easier. But it wasn't a power she knew, and deep down yes, she had wanted to hurt Pharus. She was sick of him.

Sick of all of them. The strangers falling to earth, the rival gods, the random children Arc brought into the house like stray puppies and expected her to treat as her own. Children who admitted to hating them and tried to harm their siblings. Arc didn't understand. He thought Pharus was like him, just wanting to be loved. But he had been younger when the Sith enslaved him. He couldn't even remember his family. They had burned it all out of him.

"You haven't been fair to either of us," she said, raising her head and looking Arc in the eye. "You expected both of us to just accept each other. Well, this is the result of that little adventure. Send him away, Arc. I'm begging you. If not for my sake, then do it for Marcus and Eloise. Do it for his sake."

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Forrest Dinn]

Forrest fought a smile as he watched his mother choke the insolent child who dared speak against them all. It wouldn't do to show his glee in the fact that his own mother attacked another of the Pantheon mere hours after the harsh words she had used to discourage him doing exactly the same thing. Truth be told, even though he was the newest and technically youngest of the Dinn family, his body and abilities were older and built into him. If he was being honest he didn't mind the children. Instead of meeting his family and immediately thinking of ways to gain favor over them, he had found himself endeared to the young faces and innocence they all possessed. That weakness for children had to have come offhand from his father's essence. As he would find out momentarily.

He didn't try to speak as his father ushered forth the silence the force allowed him. Forrest paid close attention to everything that was happening to bring up tomorrow during their sparring session. That ability was one he could use when he struck out on his own and began creating his own warriors. He listened as his father pardoned the prisoner. So easily they forget the type of god he was being accused of being. The childish act and words succeeding to endear the man to his father. Forrest scowled at the man as he got up to gather the children and leave. He would watch carefully every opportunity he had to see if this was a facade or the real actions of a man child.

As he held the babes hands walking out of the court he bent down, hands on his knees and looked at them each. "How bout we find Zacharius, and then we'll go cause some trouble eh?" Forrest smiled at them as the smiled back. Taking their hands once more he set out to find his younger brother and try and see if he could calm the storm in which had made him flee. That was his domain after all.

 

[Zachariah Conway]

Location: Zaathru
With: N/A
​

It was like his airways were being constricted. He felt the Force close around his throat.

Only it wasn't his throat. It was Pharus being choked with the Force. What he was feeling was just a memory, the reminder that Brunas Drace used to choke him daily. He felt just as helpless in those moments as he was sure Pharus was currently feeling. He knew exactly how it felt to have your throat forcefully constricted, preventing oxygen spreading through your body.

Zachariah didn't stick around. He walked away from the group the moment Rhiannon let go of Pharus. He was red and shaking. He was ready to start a fight and he knew now wasn't the time. He wanted to be somewhere quiet, somewhere he could think. He wanted to be somewhere he could be alone to process how he was feeling, the memories that Rhiannon forced back to the surface.

He took a breath, and kept walking.

(Continued in a future thread with Arcturus Dinn )

 

[Darien Cordel]

Darien's eyes did not leave Theryn. he watched him intently even though it was agony to see. Theryn was shrinking in on himself. It was clear to Darien in the brief time he knew Theryn that the man was somewhat emotionally elastic normally. Bouncing from negative emotions back into humour and smiles. The fact that he could not do that here demonstrated the depth of his upset. Darien felt a longing to go to him as he knelt there sniffling and hunched over. He couldn't, not without destroying any pretence he might otherwise maintain that he was impartial. So he could only sit and listen. Hoping that his words might save Theryn and convince him to trust in Darien.

The emergence of Darth Stuffty taken from behind Theryn's back to be hugged to his chest and then between his legs went some way to making Darien feel better. At least he had provided some comfort. Perhaps that had helped him as he spoke his piece. Offered up his life alongside Theryn's if the boy proved unworthy of trust. It had been a foolish move but Darien felt foolish. He trusted Theryn. Felt seen by him and if he was let down by him after this then maybe death would be the preferable outcome in any event.

His head turned and a glare found his eyes as Rhianon joked that it was plain that he sought more than 'Brotherly Love'. Darien didn't know what he sought from Theryn but he certainly wanted the chance to seek it. The jape hurt Darien, embarrassed him and made his whole body feel strange like he weighed nothing and his very soul was being tugged on but that was nothing compared to what he saw in Theryn. The torment shattered him. He looked ashamed and Darien now shared in his nausea as he sat. Knowing he should stick up for himself ... for Theryn but too fething weak to do so. Then someone had actually put it into words. The new god Forrest ... A Dinn by all accounts but plainly not one born ... the word he had heard from the staff gossip was that Arcturus and Rhianon had made him ... a golem then, Arcturus' speciality.

The train swiftly came off the rails after that as Theryn exploded first in defence of himself calling out the ridiculousness of naming him a false god when he claimed not to be a god. If it were not Theryn stood accused Darien might have seen the brutal logic in Forrest's stance. He could not see himself ever favouring killing someone in these circumstances but he could see how they could not let the matter stand without explanation. This wasn't a theoretical exercise in jurisprudence and statecraft though, This was Theryn.

And Theryn was breaking down. Sobbs wrenched his shoulders up and down as he begged for life. Watching him cling to Stuffty Darien's shattered heart gave him trouble again and he reached out in force to Theryn's mind "I am here, I won't let them kill you, I will find a way to get you home"

What else could he do, He was emboldened as Pharus began his rant. He rose from his chair and crossed to a guard by Forrest though before he reached out his hand to have the guard follow him or to refute what Rhianon's priest claimed choked noises ended Pharus' latest jab at his mother and the pantheon more broadly. He turned in shock first to her and then to Arcturus as his voice boomed over proceedings and compelled silence. Darien tried to speak when Arcturus suggested ... nay demanded he take Theryn to the study. Finding he could not speak his words he put them into Arc's mind.

Forced them in and made them felt. Frustration making them hot and sharp. "I would sooner cut out my heart with a spoon than see he spend another second in this temple ... we will be going back to Mercuitie" It was perhaps good he had done that mentally. He might not have managed out loud. There would be no wait for leave. Arcturus insisted Theryn was under his command but Darien would not permit that. If Theryn had to be a captive still it would be Darien's and no one would command him.

Guards parted as he approached and he knelt by Theryn. A hand moving in the poor Prince's curls. "I am going to look after you now, my poor prince"

Gods were leaving the garden at a lick and the natives stood confused. Unsure of what they had just witnessed. Unsure of what was happening in relation to the gods they set their lives by. They left all the same though. Darien did not rush. Arcturus was in no position to bark orders at him. This was as much his fault as Rhianon's and Theryn would not be put through further suffering, he would rise in his own time. "Theryn can you stand for me?" he whispered to the man no permitted voice again "Just a little walk and then you will be resting for the next few days".

Only when Theryn was back on his feet and fully ready did they begin the walk out of the temple and to a comfortable carriage that would see them drawn home. Away from this madness and suffering. His speakers rushed after him but he did not speak to them, all his attention was on Theryn and his comfort. It was only when the prince was safe in the carriage that he spoke into the minds of his speakers "I shall explain more later but for now, you will gather the belongings I brought and bring them to Mercuitie ... have them give you anything belonging to Theryn too, invoke my wrath if you must"

Then he was into the carriage and they were underway.

Theryn Hearthfire

 

[Theryn Hearthfire]

Chaos fell over the room, and in the overwhelming din he felt himself pulled further and further from his body. He was somewhat alert for Rhiannon's assault of Pharus, but after that? He just pulled away. A state of shock had consumed him, and his bowed head remained downcast, eyes vacant. He was no longer on Zaathru, no longer in a room of people vying for his death. Frankly after what had just happened to one of the Dinn's own children he believed that the end was swifrly coming for him.​

​

He didn't want to go out thinking of this. Though he continued to cling to Stuffty the rest of his body seemed to slacken. His eyes glazed over, heart rate slowed, and he found himself envisioning home again. Aurum first, but just brief snippets of the lush jungles, and then that fell away to snow and ice instead. To warm hearths, and evergreen woods, to his tiny little Tejdóru, Tsun, hidden away in his gilded cell, who loved so dearly to fly around his sister's Frír, Felix, and curl up with him by the fire.​

​

To days long preceding his crowning, back when his home city was still in one piece. When his family was in one piece... Father, Mother, Sister, Brother... Tiny twins just stretching into existence. Safely tucked away, nestled on his Father's lap as stories were told into the dead of night. If he was to die, he would do so thinking of them. Maybe it would herald him toward his Father's afterlife. Maybe it would bring him face to face with Odiir, Runa, and the other Gods of the Valkyri Pantheon.​

​

There was a measure of peace in that. Acceptance. It was likely going to be Forrest who lopped off his head, especially in the midst of the chaos, for why not take advantage of the moment? Forrest... Such a soft face for one so bloodthirsty.​

​

At least he wasn't entirely alone. He had Stuffty, and through that he had Darien. His scent if nothing else, the boy inhaled that even within his fantasy he could smell tea, bergamot, and just a small undertone of smoke. He clung to that, to the teddy, and blocked everything else out. Not even Darien's words broke through the fortification he'd placed around himself, his mind, whispered directly into his head as they were.​

​

He was gone. Shut down.​

​

Then he was touched, and his breathing ceased. He waited for the blade to follow, would the wound be cauterized with a lightsaber or would it bleed at a mundane blade? He felt Stuffty slipping from his fingers. He did not want his blood on something Darien cherished. He pushed it away from himself, to where Darien had been sitting, then hung his head further.​

​

Only the headman's axe never fell. The hand upon his head soon caressed through his curls, and there was no doubt in his mind who it was that knelt beside him. Darien... He slackened those steadfast walls, and was met with the sound of Darien's voice in his head. Confusion was wrought across his expression, he did not understand in the slightest.​

​

Are they... postponing my execution? he wondered deflated and still largely out of it. Perhaps they meant to make a public show of things. See him put in the dungeons for a while, or...​

​

Darien had asked him to stand. Theryn tried to summon the strength but his legs were jelly. Thankfully the man supported him with a hand on his arm, just a small offer of assistance which proved to do the job and get him to his feet. He found himself walking in time with Darien, head not lifting even an inch, and the further through the Temple they walked the more convinced he was that he was being sent to the dungeons. ​

​

Until, quite unexpectedly, they were outside again, this time not within a closed off garden but beyond the Temple itself. Bundled into a carriage, and handed the bear which Darien had swiped from the floor before they left, Theryn curled up on the seat beside Darien and soon found his head settled down into the man's lap, hair softly stroked until exhaustion caught up with him and he drifted into a very tumultuous sleep.​

​

He wasn't even sure if any of this was real, or just an extension of the fantasies he'd tried to lose himself in.​

​

Darien Cordel ​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Arcturus was left with just a sickening emptiness in his chest. Both had said their piece once everyone else had left, and now he sat with those words ringing through his mind. Pharus wanted out, he hated them and wanted nothing more to do with them. His only response was to nod his head. After a few moments he finally spoke. ​

​

"So be it."​

​

He stepped aside to let Pharus leave the garden, then turned his gaze to Rhiannon.​

​

"I'm sorry I was blinded. Unfair. You had been quick to agree to bringing him into our home, but I see now that I took even that too far. At the same time, none of this excuses how you handled the situation. You should have come to me, Rhiannon, trusted that I'd have your back on this. To say nothing of your methods for silencing the boy. That was inexcusable."​

​

Where did they even go from here?​

​

"Go and get some rest. I have children to check on."​

​

Then he, like the others, turned to leave.​

​

Ishani Dinn ​