2022-08-04 Infinite Possibilities (Part 2) - Gerhard
Aug 7, 2022 23:50:50 GMT
Jaezred Vandree, Derthaad, and 2 more like this
Post by Gerhard on Aug 7, 2022 23:50:50 GMT
The River Lapping At His Heels
Gerhard gasps, each breath ragged as his chest heaves under the effort. His back slides down the back of the bookshelf until he finds himself sat on the floor, the sounds of the continuing battle on the other side of the tomes echoing through the room.
His entire body feels as though it was set ablaze - each breath married to a bloody cough as the lingering pain of the black star that appeared in the middle of the room begins to slowly fade. The crushing weight of the void of a dying star begins to slowly lift off of his chest. The unending void of silence and shadow begins to clear, and as he blinks through his ordeal his vision begins to clear.
This is it, he remembers thinking, standing atop the shelf he now leans into. I'm sorry, Orianna. There was nowhere to run, no time to react, nothing even in Gentleman's great power that he could do to avoid it.
And then it was gone, in a flash of silver and a scream.
Gerhard reaches into his bag, his shaky hands pulling out one of the potions of healing that it contains. He pulls the stopper, the glass falling with a clink to the floor as he raises the bottom to the sky, emptying it in a single draught. The coughs begin to subside; his chest rises and falls steadier, each breath slowly evening out as he turns his head to listen for his comrades behind him.
The sickening sound of chitin cutting into flesh, and the resulting thump of a massive body hitting the floor.
The gentle whoosh of magic, crossing the room at a blinding speed to find their target.
The angry cursing of a Sergeant, flitting between Common and Draconic to find the barbs to match the lightning that escapes his fingers.
And, finally, a grunt of exertion followed by a sickening thud as bone yields to tiled floor.
Gerhard sighs as the sound of battle behind him is replaced with the quiet silence of the Library of All Knowledge. He reaches into his bag, withdrawing another potion of healing that he drains in another gulp, the empty bottle set onto the floor next to him with an arm that has barely the strength to keep its grip.
"Gerhard!"
The sound of footsteps approaching quickly towards him causes Gerhard to raise his head to see Marto dashing towards him, his own potions of healing held aloft. "Gerhard, drink this."
Kavel, too, appears from the other side of the bookshelf, offering one of his own. The larger man provides a larger potion, after all, and Gerhard accepts them all gratefully.
His hands, while still shaky, steady themselves quickly with the help of the others, and he accepts their hands as he gets back to his feet, The Call held loosely at his side. He looks around, watching as Derthaad and Beets return as well. He goes to ask them if they are okay, if they need anything, but his thoughts are interrupted by the presence of a great swirl of silver mist.
For a moment, his grip on his longbow tightens, only to loosen once it is Andromeda that steps out of the mist and into their midst. "I didn't expect him to send others. They looked quite... formidable."
Formidable indeed, Gerhard thinks to himself. And I thought that I...
Andromeda retrieves her own Call once more, the silver brooch that she keeps in the folds of her coat. She holds it in her palm, and as they watch, they see it unfold until it becomes a beautiful flower. Towards each of them, it sends a beam of light, closing their wounds and healing their spirits. "Now. If everyone is ready?"
Gerhard nods. "I'm ready."
You, In Another Life
The stone archway that Andromeda manifests is different from the ornate doorways she has provided before. As the mist she waves into existence solidifies, creating stone blocks, the silver that creeps along their ridges, and a substance like ice that flows within it, Gerhard can tell that this is a different sort of travelling entirely.
As the gate solidifies, and as the ice begins to crack and shift and push inwards, Gerhard can begin to see a study. Books line the shelves, surrounding the desk that sits in the center. At this desk, a single, solitary figure sits, dutifully looking at the books and paper arranged around them.
Orianna.
Gerhard takes the first step through, his feet carrying him quickly towards the demiplane where he knows she is being held. The edge of the portal pushes back at him, briefly, the power necessary to bridge not only space and time but to break through to the planes between making the transit slow, and harder than he is used to.
But he makes it through, and there she sits. The others arrive, too, and as they do, they look around the room that they have arrived in. The shelves and the books and the furniture they could see from the other side is clearer, now, the blur of the portal no longer present. The ceiling, though, visible for the first time, opens up to the Cosmos. A single star hovers above them, still only young, its pale blue light casting the room in a haunting glow.
He made it through, though, and there she sits. The blue shawl that she wears around her shoulders is new, an addition that was not there the summer day she was taken. He does not recognize the jewellery that decorates her horns, either. Nor do his fingers remember the tattoos of stars that trace the curve of her arm.
In fact, something in his mind tells him something is very wrong indeed.
She turns, this Orianna who's edges fill the shape of the hole in his heart, and he waits for her eyes to land on him. For those violet irises to find his own, to see that he has arrived, that she can come home.
But they do not find him. Instead, he watches as they pass over him as though he were anyone else.
"Derthaad! Oh, you came! Oh, Derthaad, you finally made it! I missed you so much, I knew you'd come for me!"
Orianna leaps from her chair, bounding across the space between them to land in the blue dragonborn's arms. She passes right by Gerhard, his hand outstretched to hold her, and finding only the breeze that she leaves behind.
"What do you mean, Derthaad? You mean Gerhard!" Derthaad holds the tiefling woman hesitantly, his unpracticed hands unsure what to do.
"No, no, don't you remember? You came, and we used to have lunch in the observatory together." She pulls back to look at Derthaad, following his gaze to Gerhard, still standing in the middle of the room. "My love, I don't know who that is."
The words catch in Gerhard's ears, burrowing deep into his mind. His heart stops, the pieces falling apart as his thoughts mingle with her voice. She's forgotten you, the voices whisper. She's picked another, too. His hand slowly lowers, the fingers twitching as they reach to grab on to the thread of something, anything, of what was there before.
Behind him, he can hear the sound of ice breaking once more, and as he turns on his feet, he sees that Orianna is gone and the portal has closed, winking out of existence. Marto stands there, looking through, watching as the blue figure disappears back to the Library.
"Marto. What did you do? That was Orianna, wasn't it?"
The halfling turns back, a look of concern on his face. "By your reaction, it wasn't. By the fact that she was all over Derthaad (no offense buddy), she wasn't the one we were looking for."
"No..."
"Right?"
"No."
"Look: she was just as trapped here as your Orianna. We had to get her out of here. And I've been thinking. Andromeda said that the other Infinites couldn't imprison Mister because they don't have the proof that he's doing something bad. If that Orianna talks to Andromeda and says what she's been doing, maybe there's a chance that Mister can actually be stopped."
Gerhard nods, a slow acceptance of the truth his friend offers. His mind, clearing slowly as the moment passes, recognizes a different truth as well. A low hum, a ring that sits comfortably in the middle of his brain, that tells him this isn't it. That that wasn't her, not really. The signs around the room tell him that, too. The tea on the table, for instance, wafting scents of lavender and jasmine through his nose as he lifts it. Orianna, to be certain. But not his Orianna.
The others focus on her works: the maps and notes and markings of a scholar and archivist of the stars. From the corner of his eye, he sees Gentleman, a box of popped corn in his hand as he watches them search. "She's very good, isn't she? She figured most of it out. I'm very impressed."
Gerhard sighs, a hand lazily shifting through her notes. The handwriting is hers, there is no doubt, but it is subtly different. "Yes, she's quite something," he mutters in response. "I suppose you might know a little bit more about what you see? Anything you'd like to share?"
"Darling, this is my design!"
"Right. Of course. Orianna's only been here deciphering the mad designs of a box of oil."
"I'd almost be offended."
"Oh come on, I know you're not. Gentleman, you mentioned before that the Staircase can take us to all places, all times. What about... alternate times? Other possibilities? Is that where..." Gerhard's hand gestures to the corner of the room where the portal resided. "Is that where she came from?"
"Oh, you're finally getting it. Yes. Infinite doorways to infinite possibilities."
"Right. Then... what was she here doing? Where's Orianna?"
Gentleman looks around, taking in the surroundings of the study. "Well, now that we are here... I must give it to my son, he is devilishly ingenious. It appears he's collected quite a few versions of Orianna. Why have one work on this problem when you could have multiple? And... oh my, it seems he's collected quite a few."
"What do you mean? How many?"
"It seems he has... four thousand, three hundred and ninety two Orianna's."
"Four... thousand?" Gerhard repeats the number out loud, whirling to face Gentleman. The others look up from their work of looking through the maps, a stack of matching shapes between them.
"Four thousand what?" asks Beets.
"Four thousand, three hundred and ninety two," Gerhard repeats. "Four thousand, three hundred and ninety two versions of Orianna are here." He relays what he can of what Gentleman has told him.
The stunned silence of the group hangs in the air for a moment, and another, before finally being broken by Marto. "Listen, I'm going to just say this because someone has to. They all cannot stay here. This is not right. This has just gotten a lot more complicated", and he looks at Gerhard. "A lot more complicated."
"But... how? How can we save them all?"
Gentleman leans in, his grin breaking easily across his face. "If I may make a suggestion, darling? Let Andromeda take care of the rest. And then, if you were to focus on saving your own... well, I'm sure my power will be of some use."
You, Amongst The Stars
Gerhard can see the study, see the cube that holds it, see the sun that bathes it in brilliant light, as he floats in space a distance away. The stars are many, here, and outside of the study he can see that they stretch in infinite directions, an infinite distance away.
Gerhard focuses his will, focuses on his connection to Orianna, and before his eyes, the study splits. One cube becomes two, becomes four, becomes dozens and dozens that stretch up and down, creating a giant stack that escapes the edge of his vision no matter how much he turns his head to look.
Do what you do when you call the Stairs, but don't call to them. Will yourself to travel between the demiplanes.
Gentleman's instructions ring in his ears as he closes his eyes, and as he casts his will out, trying to find her, silver threads erupt from his chest. One by one, they connect to each of the cubes, and one by one, they are slowly whittled down as he looks to find the one that contains his heart's desire.
Finally, six remain. Six gleaming, shining threads, connecting to six perfectly identical demiplanes hovering in space. He makes a choice, giving one of the threads a tug, and in an instance, he's back in the study, the others clustered around him.
"Hold on tight." Each of them grabs a part of Gerhard - Beets sits on his shoulder, Marto grabs a pant leg. Kavel grips his shoulders. Derthaad holds onto an arm.
The thread is gone, but not forgotten. Gerhard focuses, pouring more and more of his will into the Call. It begins to glow, the silvery blue light suffusing his skin and reflecting off of the tattoos that represent the presence of the Gentleman. As he focuses, as the silver light waxes, the tattoos wane, slowly fading slightly.
And then there is a flash, and the light is gone. Gerhard's friends relax their grip, and begin to look around. The study looks identical to the one they were just in: the same books like the shelves, the same maps cover the table. And just as the study they left, there is no Orianna.
Gerhard looks up, up and away from the study towards the newborn star.
His eyes are locked, transfixed on a figure that floats there, lazily drifting in the solar rays.
No.
Ice covers her figure. Even from this distance, some two hundred feet away, he can tell as she spins in the light that the River has long taken her home. Her hair, loose and flowing in the vacuum, captures the light as she turns, a brilliant halo of stars and light.
Gerhard reaches out a hand, trying to pull her back. Trying anything, any mote of Gentleman's power that he can use to bring her in, to take her home. It's fruitless, all of it. She is too far, and he is too weak.
"Gerhard. That one, that Orianna, is dead." A familiar hand grips Gerhard's shoulder, pressing firm. Kavel looks down at his comrade, wary of what he may try. "We have to find your Orianna."
Gerhard nods, unable to tear his eyes away, struggling to see her as his eyes begin to well. "But.. we have to..."
It is the Gentleman that responds, this time. With a hand, he takes Gerhard's own, raising it up until a single finger is pointed at Orianna, floating amongst the stars.
"She will feel the birth of a new star."
A wave of force is released from Gerhard's outstretched hand, a tidal wave of grief that washes over Orianna, picking her up and carrying her towards the star. She shrinks, becoming smaller and smaller, until after a few moments, she is out of sight.
You, And Friends Old & New
Once more, Gerhard floats in the space between the planes, and once more, silver threads fan out to search for his beloved.
Once more, they find their options, and once more, he chooses, yanking himself back into the study before grabbing hold of his friends and willing himself to step between realities.
This time, thankfully, the study is not empty.
"Gerhard! You're here!"
"Copernicus, it is so good to see you."
The now familiar pit fiend, towering amongst the travellers, waves happily from his position in the corner of the room. A portal, much like the one the first Orianna was rescued from, lies in wait for this Orianna to escape through it.
She's... far different, this one. Instead of the normal pinks and blues of her uniform, this Orianna is dressed entirely in black. A black hood covers her hair, her silver-decorated horns peeking through. The hood nearly covers her face, and the deep tracks of tear stained marks that follow the curve of her cheeks. She makes no motion towards any of them.
"Thank you, Copernicus. Thank you, for, um, everything, really. But. Thank you."
He gives a nod. "We're making surprisingly good progress, Lamel and I. Just about halfway done."
Gerhard clears his throat. "Good. Have any of them... are any of them..."
Copernicus responds with an unfortunate look, his eyes filling with pity for his fellow traveller. "Some. But the number is low."
"I- I had to ask. I'll let you be on your way, you have work to do, and we need to try again. Good luck."
A Promise Fulfilled
One final time, Gerhard floats in the space between the planes, and one final time, silver threads fan out to search for his beloved.
One final time, they find their options, and as he watches them whittle themselves down, he finds that he has only one choice to make. The single remaining thread glows brighter than any of the others, pointing him towards a study off in the distance. He gives it a yank, one final time, before finding himself back into the study, grabbing hold of his friends, and shifting between realities once more.
She sits at the table, her arms spread in front of her as half of her fights to stay upright and the other half submits to the surface of the desk. Her hair hangs loose, the braid undone. Her summer dress, the same one that she wore so long ago, hangs in near tatters.
The others still hold onto Gerhard as they arrive in this reality, as he locks eyes with her sitting across from him. The hum in his head, the ring in his mind that tells him where he needs to be, peals loud and clear as he faces her.
In a single breath, in a single moment, he leaps towards the only thing he will ever need. Kavel, Derthaad, Marto and Beets find themselves holding only silver mist as he appears across the room, falling to his knees beside Orianna.
His hands reach for hers, and as they do she looks down to see the figure that kneels before her.
"Alive?"
She turns further, facing him head on.
"Here?"
She collapses into his arms, and he collapses into her. Their arms, hopelessly entwined, hold on as tightly as they can. Gerhard's hands stroke her hair, his mumbled words dancing in her ear as he tries to comfort her.
"I'm here, it's okay, you're safe, it's okay... I made a promise. It's time to go home."
Orianna looks up, placing her hands on the sides of Gerhard's face, looking into his eyes for a long, drawn out moment. "Together? Eternity, right? Together? Please?"
Gerhard's eyes well, the tears threatening to break through and cascade down his face. He opens his mouth, hoping to find the words to comfort her, to explain that he is not yet done his labours, but he finds only silence. The two look at each other, frozen, until he finally finds his tongue once more. "Eternity, yes... every eternity there is. But Orianna, I... there's something I have to do first. And I need to know that you are home, safe, before I do."
Orianna's head shakes, her hands gripping at his breastplate and shirt. "I don't understand why. I'm not leaving you, I'm not leaving you, I'm not going anywhere without you. Please don't leave me." Her face, scrunched up as she fights against the words he says, refuses to look up at him.
"Orianna, I'm not... I can't, I would never... I'm yours, and you are mine. But I... I can't take you with me. I need you safe, and.... and then I'll come back. I- Orianna, I can't just... turn my back on him. I- Please-"
Time does not pass in the study, nor can fate reach her hands in to twist the weave. But a time passes between them regardless, as they hold each other in a stalemate: neither able to let go, while both admitting that it is inevitable.
"You have to follow the star in your heart." Orianna looks up to Gerhard, her violet eyes meeting his own. "If you give me one more promise that you'll come back to me, I'll let you go."
Gerhard reaches up to his collar and takes the necklace off that he has been wearing. He takes Orianna's hand and lowers the locket and silver chain into it, closing her fingers on top of it. "You have my Star. And, now I- I promise to follow it back to you."
Orianna nods, and as she leans in, gives Gerhard a very light kiss.
Family Reunion
"Well isn't this a touching moment."
Gerhard and Orianna, knelt together at the foot of the table, spin to face the new voice that has crawled into the room. Gerhard, his arm outstretched to place it between Orianna and their guest, brings a knee up, ready to leap to his feet.
Mister stands before them, his cocky grin wrinkling the skin of his eyes as he surveils the two of them, his gaze leaping from one to the other with excitement. Orianna grabs Gerhard's shirt, shrinking into the space behind him.
"Oh Orianna, I though we were friends!"
"You stay the fuck away from me!"
Mister's grin cracks, his teeth exposed in a snarl of frustration and delight. "Well. You've spoiled my plans wonderfully, Gerhard. Congratulations. I suppose..." With a lazy flourish, Mister withdraws a hand, flicking his fingers towards the empty spot next to him. In an instant, what was once empty space is filled with an all too familiar sight. The light of the room and the shock of its occupants reflect easily in Henri's silver eyes, the perfect spheres capturing all of the many motes of starlight that flit between the shelves of the study.
"I suppose there should be a price to that."
Henri begins to rise from the ground, slowly, as Mister begins to lift him by the back of his neck. He doesn't move, appears to barely breathe as Mister smiles, his wicked eyes never leaving Gerhard as he lifts the other man higher and higher above the ground.
"Not if I have anything to say about it." A hand appears on Gerhard's shoulder, one with immaculate golden nails and rings. The hand gains an arm, and the arm gains a torso, and soon it is Andromeda staring down her sibling. "You've been naughty, dear Brother. And if anyone is to pay a price for that here, it will be you."
Gentleman looks to the heavens, to the great expanse of the Cosmos that stretches above the study. He looks, curious for a brief moment, before his eyes go wide and he turns to hide behind the small couch in the corner. "Ah, fuck!"
From those heavens comes a large pillar of silver mist that pours into the room, flattening as it hits the floor. It fills the space in an instant, and dissipates just as quickly, revealing its passenger: a tall figure, draped in a cloak of shadow that fades into the world as it reaches the hemline. The figure itself is wrapped in shadow, too: the only features that can be made out save for the golden filigree that lines the cuff of their cloak are the giant glowing white eyes that peer out from their massive, wide-brimmed hat.
Mister drops Henri to his feet immediately. "Grandmother! Hello there."
The figure, Grandmother, speaks not a word. She merely steps forward, one slow step at a time, until she stops just before him.
Nobody present could see her hand pull back, nor could they see it move. All they saw was her position, her arm draped lazily cross her body. All they heard was the earth-quaking smack that followed as Mister crumpled to the floor, the slap bringing him to his knees in a single motion.
Andromeda leans into Gerhard, her hand not leaving his shoulder. "The other Orianna's that you saved provided enough evidence for me to take to my family. They will act, now, and seal Mister away." With her free hand, she gestures to the corner of the room where a familiar portal appears, the ice cracking and breaking to reveal Daring Heights in the distance. "Your job here is done. Go, and rest. And-" she adds, inclining her head towards the man standing in front of them. "And you make take Henri with you, too."
Grandmother, having knelt down slowly to inspect her handiwork, grabs Mister by the head. It looks like, for a second, they meet their eyes. A second is all it takes, though, before the pillar of silver mist returns and they disappear with it.
"This is going to be fun." Andromeda nods to Gerhard, to Orianna, and then she too disappears, leaving the seven of them alone in the study, the continuing hum of the portal their only company.
Journey's End
Gerhard and Orianna rise to their feet, casting their heads around to be sure that it is indeed over. Mister is gone, taken far away. Andromeda and Grandmother are gone, too, off to see to his imprisonment. Gentleman, standing with as much dignity as he can muster from behind the couch, remains with them, casting a nonchalant glance around the room as he dusts off his jacket.
Orianna lays a hand on Gerhard's arm, her gaze fixed on Henri as he stands motionless at the end of the room. She gives it a squeeze, following it with a whisper. "Follow your heart." She looks back up to Gerhard. Her gaze is unsure, unsteady. But there is love in it, too. Endless, pure love, enough to sustain a man through the desert or across the universe.
Gerhard reaches his other hand back to meet hers, their fingers intertwining where they meet, and he gives her a short squeeze in return. "Could you all... give us a moment?"
The others hold their hands out to Orianna, who graciously accepts. They all stand near the portal, not too far out of reach, but enough to give the two men the space they need.
It is only a few steps until Gerhard reaches Henri, his hand outstretched to touch the man's shoulder, to trace the lines of his neck up to the angle of his jaw. With a thumb, he reaches up to outline the cracks in the other man's skin: cracks that spiral out from his poisoned eyes, filled with glowing silver fluid. "Henri... look at what they've done to you..."
Henri's hand reaches up to meet Gerhard's, his pale fingers curling around Gerhard's wrist, pulling him closer. "Hey, Gerhard."
"Hey Henri. How are you feeling?"
"I feel... kind of numb."
"Numb is good."
"There's just... so much I want to see. So much I haven't seen."
"I know, I know. Let's... go for a walk. I want to show you something."
A Suggestion
Then.
"Freeing your man? Well, we shall come to that too. But, if I may make a suggestion..."
Gerhard and Gentleman sit across from each other in their room at the Library of All Knowledge. The latter sits, his left leg crossed over the other, inspecting the nails of his hand for the first time in millennia.
"As I am sure you remember, you can free Henri through severing his connection to the Staircase, right?"
Gerhard nods. "Right. But it would have a twofold effect: Henri would be free, but I would lose the Call."
Gentleman wags a finger. "Tricky business. But yes, exactly right. That much will, to sever the connection of someone so... invested, it would essentially require that you take his place."
Gerhard nods again, swallowing as he does. "I know. I-"
Gentleman holds up a hand again. "I told you I had a suggestion, hmm? My power is... versatile. You could use it to sever Henri completely, for certain. But is that what he wants? Is that what you want?" Gentleman's outstretched hand casts over to the assembled others, chatting at the other end of the table. "What about them? I can't help but notice that two of your compatriots are looking a little... excited."
He returns his hands to his lap, a keen eye back to inspecting each nail and ridge. "What I propose is this, darling. Use a portion of my power to find your lovers. Use another portion to change the terms of the boy's arrangement. Another yet to free your friends." His eyes dart up to meet Gerhard's, piercing through to his core. "And then, you may even have enough for yourself."
Gerhard listens intently, taking it in. It sounds... "What is in this for you, Gentleman? Why help me?"
Gentleman shrugs, his piercing gaze reverted back to one of casual boredom. "It's all the same to me, really. Once you use up all there is of me, I'll return to the Staircase. And in a few million years, I'll re-form. Good as new." He holds a hand out. "Time means nothing to the Infinite, Gerhard. What's a few million years between friends?"
Under The Apple Tree
Now.
Andromeda's portal drops them out beneath the boughs of an apple tree, the gnarled trunk and twisting branches stretching out high above them as they look out to the rise of Daring Heights in the distance. The sun hangs high in the sky, casting short shadows as the eight of them settle in from their journey, grateful to be home.
"This is... Daring Heights, Henri. This is where I've made my home this past year." Gerhard raises a hand to his forehead to block the sun, guiding Henri by hand into the shade of the branches. "Did you ever come to Kantas?"
"Yeah, yeah Mister asked me to give a note to someone. Someone at the Academy."
"Right. Right." Gerhard's mind wanders for a moment, his hand grasping the other man's tightly, afraid to let go. "Henri... what do you want?"
"I don't know any more, really. I think I wanted to travel the Staircase but it all feels... blurred into one, I guess."
"Henri... do you want to be free of it?"
"I don't know. It's shown me such wonderful things Gerhard. Maybe you could come with me? We could see such wonderful things, G."
"That would be nice. But... Henri, you left. And... and you didn't come back. I know Mister was part of it. And I know- I can imagine that trying to walk those steps without a Call is... difficult. But you left. I..." he looks over to the others, his gaze lingering on Orianna. She catches his eye, and as her lips move, he can make out the words.
I love you.
"Henri, I need somebody who... who wants me back. And... I found her. I wasn't even looking and I found her." Gerhard looks Henri over, his face flushed as he confesses the truth to the other man. The other man that he once felt similarly for. The other man that he once prayed to the stars themselves would feel the same.
Henri grabs Gerhard's hand. "I'm happy for you, Gerhard." For a moment, he looks more present than before. His eyes, still devoid of any pupil, seem to shift and focus until they settle on Gerhard's own. "I wonder if they could walk it as well?"
"Maybe. Maybe someday, when I can increase my control to be a bit more like Andromeda. But... Henri, I want to give you something." Gerhard looks over to Gentleman, eating an apple as he leans against the tree. "Gentleman? I think I'm ready."
Gentleman gestures with his apple. "Will it, and it shall be."
Gerhard raises his hand, just as Andromeda had asked of him when she placed some silver in it those many days ago. He wills that same silver, the substance that courses through him, to come to the surface. It bubbles and roils beneath his skin and with it, some of the tattoos that cover his arm begin to shift and fade, too. The silver begins to pool, and once he has collected enough, it rests in his hand as a perfectly cylindrical ball.
"Henri, I have something for you. Would you like it?"
"Well, Gerhard, anything from you."
"Henri, just... hold out your hand." He does, and in a smooth motion, Gerhard drops the ball of silver into Henri's hand. The scarf that Henri wears around his neck begins to glow as the silver crawls through it, etching intricate designs of stairs and doorways throughout. There's a moment, as the scarf is complete, when nothing happens. But then Henri gasps, a deep breath in. The cracks on his face begin to heal and close. The silver in his eyes fades and recedes, revealing the piercing grey color beneath.
Henri, free once more, stumbles slightly as the weight is lifted from him. His face casts about wildly, trying find his bearings. "Gerhard? Where the fuck are we?"
"Hey Henri. Welcome back."
"Back? Where is this?"
"This is Daring Heights. This... is my home."
Gentleman shouts from the tree. "You may want to..." but the warning comes a second too late as Henri hits the ground, crumpling as Gerhard tries to hold him up.
Orianna rushes forward, her hands glowing with starlight as she lays them on Henri's prone form, and as she speaks a few words the colour begins to return to his cheeks. His eyes flutter open once more, and he places a hand on the ground to prop himself up. "Ach, everything hurts." He tries to get his feet under him, but his knees give out immediately, returning him to the ground where Gerhard and Orianna try to steady him. "Are we back on the Material plane?"
"Yeah, yeah. Prime Material. This is a new continent, off the Sword Coast you could say."
"Wow. That's something."
"You've not been the only one travelling, my friend."
"I have been travelling, haven't I." He's searching for the memories. "I think I've seen some things. But they feel like they're locked away."
Gentleman shouts once more from his position at the tree. "They'll come back with time, darlings." He takes another bite of his apple. "Anything more you'd like to do, Gerhard?"
Gerhard nods, placing a hand lightly on Henri's chest before standing up to face the others. "Kavel? Derthaad? Could you hold up a moment, please?"
There is no silver in their eyes, not yet. But as Gerhard steps forward, his arms outstretched, he knows it would only be a matter of time.
Yeah. You know what? Now that I've thought about it, I'm not sure why I have begun to have a desire to travel the Staircase, when it is mentioned.
Kavel's words ring in his ears as he places a hand gently on the goliath's chest.
Did you walk the staircase more than us? Have there been times in which you went through it without us, without me or Kavel there? We're doing just fine as is, currently.
The look on Derthaad's face after he said those words so few days ago, the awful realization afterwards, is all Gerhard can see as he places the other hand gently on the dragonborn's chest.
Gerhard's eyes close, and the tattoos on his arms begin to glow. One by one, the runes begin to fade as he pulls his hands back from his two friends' chest.
The silver that comes from them, leeching from the very corners of their souls, sticks to Gerhard's fingertips as he pulls, pulling the very hold that the Staircase has over them out, forever freeing them from its grip. As his hands finish their motion, as the last of the silver escapes their chests, the two look... lighter, somehow. As though a weight they were not entirely sure of had been lifted.
Gerhard shrugs as the silver dissipates into the air, turning to look to Marto, Beets, and Orianna. "What of them, Gentleman? Do they have any?"
"Not as bad. It will pass in time."
Gerhard nods, looking them all over.
"Well, Gentleman. What's left?"
The Ties That Bind
"Enough for one last willing of something."
"Right." Gerhard nods, and reaches back to take the Call off of his shoulder. It's small, now. The exertion of will has caused it to shrink. No more is it the longbow that has kept him safe these past few months; no longer will it fire an arrow to break the seals between the planes. The rod he holds in his hand is no more than a foot across, and he comfortably holds it in bold palms.
Gerhard takes a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the last few engravings on his Call, before raising his head to meet the eyes of his friends.
He looks first to Beets, and Marto. Kavel, and Derthaad. "Thank you. For getting me this far."
He looks second to Henri. "Stay well. Please? And for the love of Tymora, call your father."
And finally, he looks to the last of those gathered around beneath the boughs of the tree. Orianna looks at him, the promise that he made hanging in the air between them.
I promise to follow it back to you.
"Imi-ib, this... this was the only option. I- It- Gentleman says it should be fine, but I don't know. But- I'll- I'm sure it will be okay."
He does not wait for her response. His fingers wrap around the rod in his hands, and in a single motion, he snaps it in two. For a brief moment, he holds the two halves in his hands, staring at the jagged, flowing edge that he has created. But just as quickly as it has split, the two halves meet, causing a massive burst of energy to flow out.
He focuses his will on Andromeda, on their connection. She feels it, too, the knife that cuts through their ties that bind, and she reaches out for one final word. "I'm sorry to see you go, Gerhard. Be careful. The will of the Staircase is... formidable."
The burst of energy subsided, the Call begins to change. The edges start to blur, and shift, and evaporate. Small motes of silver float into the sky, and as they pass by his outstretched arms, the tattoos there fade, too. Each line of silver, each rune etched into his flesh, begins to disappear as though it had never existed.
And then it was complete. Gentleman rolls his neck, clicking it as he stretches. "Ah, fantastic." And in a burst of silver mist, he is gone, too.
There is silence before Gerhard's mind is filled with voices. A cacophony like nothing he has ever heard. He falls to his knees, a scream stuck in his throat from the pain.
As soon as it started, it stops. One singular voice remains. Neutral beyond measure.
"So you wish to run free? Very well. But you are now at my whim. Stay as long as you want. But you travel when I tell you to."
"Yes, I understand."
"I knew I chose you correctly. After all, an Infinite Staircase knows infinite things."
"But why me?"
"You are unique."
"Unique how?"
"You are an anomaly. There is only one of you, a trait I rarely see. And I am older than everything."
"Is this how all Infinite are made?"
"Just the first. I expect great things from you Gerhard. My Herald of the Staircase."
I See The Future, Now, And It Is Filled With Starlight
The voice recedes, bringing with it once more the chorus of infinite voices before that too is gone.
Gerhard pants, rising slowly from his knees where he had fallen. Orianna is there, cautious, but he takes her hand to stand up.
He's... different now. Maybe more. Maybe less. But different.
He nods to Orianna, his grip tight to her as he finds his footing on shaking knees. The others look to him, concerned and unsure what they have witnessed. There will be time to tell them later, he thinks to himself.
"Gerhard. Your Call. It's different." Kavel points to the silver object that rests in Gerhard's hands. "You remember? A quill is what I thought your Call would be back on the moon, the first time we went!"
Gerhard holds the quill to the light. The noon rays filter through the gaps in the feather, each line in the web a small staircase that stretches from the shaft and ending in midair. "Remember what Copernicus said that day, Kavel? The Call becomes what you need it to be. It becomes what you... are. And I'm different now."
"What will you do next?" Beets asks.
Gerhard turns to Orianna, his hand still hopelessly intertwined with hers. With a small half smile, he squeezes her hand, tightly. "I think we make up for lost time." His eyes fall to their hands. "I'm sorry. But... this was the only way."
Orianna nods. Her other hand, the one she had kept pressed tightly to her chest, slowly relaxes until it falls into the space between them. She holds it out, taking Gerhard's hand and placing it so that the locket rests in the gap between their palms.
"Eternity."