The laughter of oblivion

[Anastasia]

"Ladies," Syala speaks up, "Alicia and Antenora, join me in using your parts of it, and we can discuss the finer points once this seed is safely stored."

[Ebiris]

"One each," Alicia holds the seed out for Antenora and Syala, focusing on drawing out a single charge for herself.

[Anastasia]

Thus pure divine power flows into each of you. It's like awakening a new, a second vista of power within you.

Your divine rank rises by one, as does Antenora and Syala's.

[Anastasia]

"Power," Antenora sums it up with a single word, "Nothing but power."

A long breath from Syala, "It's so much easier than the struggle in the Competition," she admits. "So much easier."

[Ebiris]

"Just don't get used to it, these are an irreplaceable resource," Alicia says, holding the seed with still one charge left on it. It's tempting to just take it, but the potential for someone unascended to grow is worth more than slightly boosting an existing deity.

Probably. It may depend on the situation.

"I'll take this to Io so it can be kept securely out of anyone's reach until the time is right. Latha, you come with me?" she asks. It's a short trip but even so it wouldn't do to make it unescorted. "Afterwards Latha and I will visit the Cauldron to catch Seira up on what happened in Bytopia. With all that happened back home, she'll want to know about it."

"I've got something important to do here as well," Marie says. "We'll look after things until you get back."

So Alicia will drop by Io to ask him to look after the divine seed for later, and Marie's going to visit Mazel and see if he wants to be her proxy. Hopefully that'll pass enough time for Seira to finish up in the ethereal plane for us to meet up.

[Anastasia]

"Let me go with you instead," Syala speaks up, going forward.

[Ebiris]

"As well?" Alicia offers. "I think it's important for Latha to be part of the conversation with Seira."

[Anastasia]

"My mistake," Syala agrees, "Together with, then."

[Ebiris]

"Lets go then, hopefully we'll be back soon," Alicia opens a gate to Io's dungeon, also collecting the book Io gave them that has since been added to by Antenora and Sylvie from her avatar who took the time to read it with everyone else's avatars during recent adventures.

[Anastasia]

Io is found as he always is, a looming presence above you as you return, "You have advanced," Io intones. "My congratulations."

[Ebiris]

"Thank you, Io," Alicia says, holding up her recent prize. "This is the divine seed we obtained from Bytopia. It had four charges on it but now only one - we'd like to keep it in reserve for now and see where everyone stands after all the seeds have been accounted for before deciding who gets to use it. I wouldn't feel safe keeping it in Sylica so is it alright to leave it in your care?"

[Anastasia]

"Yes, this realm is safe as any realm can be in Creation," Io concurs.

[Ebiris]

"Good. Thank you... it would be hard to entrust this with anyone else, but you've already given us more than that," Alicia places the seed carefully down to the side of where Io looms. "Also the book you gave us before on how to become One? Antenora and Sylvie have both added annotations based on their own unique experiences. I hope it will be as educational to you as it was for us," she holds the tome up to him.

[Anastasia]

The book hovers up to Io, "Your gift is accepted," he intones.

[Ebiris]

"Then we should go. Farewell for now, Io," Alicia bows to him and they return to the entrance of his maze. "Latha can you gate us to the Cauldron now?"