Journal of Miyara Kyosuke (83)

    We are headed for the hole in the sky.

    When we get there, I mo9ve out to look to see if Slurk is around. I don't see hium anywhere.
    Goru thinks the hole is bigger. We discuss the visions that we had when the crystals came together. Rabena's seems very definite that the crystals should go through the hole. The other visions mainly show that we are collectively and individually going to end the world by joining the crystals.
    Goru wants us to will the stone through the hole. I say that's a really bad idea. We should not use the stone in any way to dispose of it. Hosei can fly himself up there, of course, if he has an eagle feather or hawk feather. Rabena insists she can go now, but I insist in return that she must not use the stone to do it, and her vision says she fails. Hosei insists he is the one who must save the world, and says he even can fly without the feather.
    We stand in front of the waterfall and argue about it.
    Hosei tries to fly without a feather. He takes his time to prepare, and with great exuberance casts his spell. He flies up into the air. He calls for the stone and it comes to his hand. He seems surprised that he's flying faster than normal.
    He has to be using the stone. I tell him to come back, but he goes up for 30 seconds and arcs back down.
    I call the stone to my hand, right as Hosei's flying spell cuts in. He returns angry.
    Miyara says we need a non-magical way of getting up there. She is correct, and I pass the sogin roku to her. She says we need a really big friendly bird.

    Goru has a vision. Images of violence and destruction, his home village in flames, his family roasting over the fires. Beastmen rampage. Then he is sitting on a throne as the beastmen bow in front of him in his role as avatar of chaos.   But he can't move from the throne, he is trapped in a mass of entrails and blood vessels weaving into the stone. Then he sees two birds, first a finch points to a spot in the distance. Goru can't see what he's pointing at, but he knows it is away from this fate. The other bird, a vulture, beckons him to the same spot.
    That's Slurk's heads. I thnk we should get him to take it up there, but the rest of them disagree strongly.
    Goru says he does not want to be built into a throne. I say that he must not ignore the birds, and therefore Slurk.
    I raise my hand and with the power of the stone call Slurk to us. Lightning flashes from my hand to the swirling eye of the hole. I try again and nothing happens. I try a third time. I become aware that the crystals cannot bring Slurk to me, but show me which way he is.
    I suggest we use the stone to build a stone staircase to the hole.
    Miyara says that considering Slurk is taking the two birds a little too literally.
    I point in the direction of Slurk and tell them that's where he is.
    Magic clearly is not a good way. Even though I now know that Hosei was using magic and not the stone, it still wasn't working.
    Goru is concerned about being part of a throne. I point again to where Slurk is, and tell him that's where the birds and the way out. I say (and sense) that he's about a day's travel away.
    Ashu has tried to call a finch and vulture, at Goru's suggestion. A crow-sized bird arrives and bows to Ashu. Hosei says to tell the bird to tell Slurk to come back. Ashu can't get the bird to understand. It preens and drops a feather.
    I say Hosei should try with this feather. He says it won't work.
    The others start to build the tower, all those with strong wills. They just feel dirty and dusty, but nothing happens. They try again, and up out of the ground push a large number of small earth elementals, and the people feel really dirty, like they need a bath. They try again, and the elementals start piling together dirt. It's starting to build into the tower.
    Clearly the elementals are taking apart part of the cliff to make the tower, and have started it up there and are cutting a staircase down to us. At 200 feet it is certainly impressive, and keeps building. 950 feet.
    I walk away out of range of where the tower might fall. I watch from a distance as it reaches 1000 feet.
    It stops at 1000 feet. Baraku enters and starts walking up the stairs inside.
    Rabena dismisses the earth elementals.

    I return to the waterfall. As Hosei says, all the enchanted people must climb up. That's everyone except Pito Popo, but rather than be left alone he comes too.

    Several hours later, we arrive at the top very tired. The staircase just opens into air in front of us. The tower is solid rock, as if carved from the bedrock itself. Hosei says the hole is sucking magic. It looks bigger.
    Hosei asks who can throw it from here, and I say we can't throw it. The visions shows it will fail.
    We sit down to rest for a while. It starts to snow and the wind starts blowing hard.
    Hosei asks if we are ready, ignoring my "No", and casts his spell. He goes up ten feet and it cuts out, and he falls, crashing down onto the stairs. This is a strange experience, he says, as if anything and everything can happen, like spells stopping and starting randomly.
    Rabena calls an air elemental, but it does not come. Several join to try to call another, but get a metaphysical "No" from the air elemental essence.
    Bark takes one of his sticks and throws it straight at the hole. It behaves no differently from normal.
    Hosei insists that we should send the rock up there with its power. I argue with him saying it will seal the fate of the world if he does. He says he's older and wiser, and I point out he is a barbarian and should know his place.
    The barbarians come up with many other stupid suggestions. Except Pito, who suggests waiting for the hole to grow big enough to reach us. I think that's a brilliant idea. They can do that while I fetch Slurk. Hosei agrees too readily, and of course plans to wish it in as soon as I am out of the way. When I say I should take the rock, Miyara says it should stay here.
    I am going to get Slurk. I fly with the power of the rock. Instead of going for Slurk right away I head for the hole. I begin falling. I call on the power of the rock and continue falling, past the top of the tower. I keep calling, and I'm now flying again. I reach the top of the tower.
    I land and say to Hosei, "See, you cannot fly up there, therefore the rock will not be sent there. Come up with a better idea, if you're going to save the world like you say."
    I take off again and try to get to the hole, but fall again. I catch myself before I hit the ground, and head as fast as possible towards Slurk. I am soon out of sight of the tower.
    After a while I get an itch in my back, and after an hour or so I am started to grow vestigial wings. Another hour or so and they are real wings, and so I fly back towards the tower. I may be able to fly up to the tower under my own efforts now.

    ((While waiting, Hosei pulls out some fish and they make a fire and cook it. They sit at the top of the tower, eating mackeral, five hundred feet below a Chaos Gate. It's still snowing, and occasionally a fish falls out of the sky. The fish fall down more frequently. Hosei starts thinking about mugs of beer, and one obligingly crashes into the top of the stairs. Hosei then wishes for wings.))

    I arrive back at the tower and land on the stairs on my second attempt.
    Miyara says it will be really hard to explain the wings to my uncle.
    I say it won't matter. I will fly up there.
    Miyara wants to see if I can get up there first, but then thinks that it best to take the stone in case I'm stuck.
    She gives me the stone. I ask also for a dagger, and I am given the magical dagger.

    I fly up there using my wings carrying the stone and a dagger.