we are not truly immortal

[dark_light]

After Glass's party is over with, Amariah and Kas go home.

Amariah fetches down their alethiometers.

"It's about time I took care of Alethia's afterlife, whatever it may be," she says quietly. "What can the alethiometer tell you about what I'll find?"

Comments

[pythbox]

"Their daemons?"

"Not here."

"No daemons here," says a harpy.

"I've never seen a daemon," says another.

"I have," says the nonconformist. "I've been to the other side of the river, once."

The one who hit her before stretches out a wing again, but this time she is out of reach. She shakes herself, distributing small bits of grimy feather-dust over the surrounding rocks. "I want to be spectacular," she says defiantly.

[dark_light]

"Well, maybe I'll move everyone to some kind of folded space area elsewhere that isn't anti-daemon, if I can't fix this location," says Amariah, "but the shades aren't anti-daemon, only the place."

[pythbox]

Three of the harpies hiss loudly.

"And leave us to starve?" says one of same.

[dark_light]

"I could move you too," says Amariah. "If one of you's seen the other side of the river, you can leave. But I won't bring you if you're going to keep hurting people. There are more of them than there are of you, and they don't deserve it."

[pythbox]

"How dare you!" says the one who complained. "It's our right! Our duty!"

[lifes_sake]

"I'm sure we can figure something out," Cam cuts in, aura still flared brilliantly to emphasize this assertion. "Something that leaves you fed and the dead people safe."

[pythbox]

"Why should we listen to you?" says the complainer. "You want to take our purpose away. It's been ours since the beginning."

[endragoned]

Aianon is on the ground, snuggling some warmth back into Kas. He shakes his head.

[lifes_sake]

"You could have a new purpose," Cam says. "A better one."

[pythbox]

"Better for you," one of them mutters.

"This one's ours," says another.

[dark_light]

"It hurts people," says Amariah. "How would you like it? You've probably dished out more hurt than anyone you've ever screamed at has."

[pythbox]

"Is that supposed to matter?" a harpy says scornfully.

[lifes_sake]

"Look," says Cam, "what would you guys want? If you could have anything?"

[pythbox]

"How about for you to go away and never come back," suggests one of the hostile ones. "I'd like that a lot."

"But they brought us something nice!" the dissenter argues. "Don't you remember? Wasn't it better?"

The others shuffle uncomfortably on their perches.

[lifes_sake]

"Thank you," Cam says to the iconoclast harpy. "What's your name?"

[pythbox]

"We don't have those," she says.

[lifes_sake]

"Would you like a name?"

[pythbox]

"...maybe," she says.

[lifes_sake]

"I'll come up with one for you if you like."

[pythbox]

"Names," another harpy mutters.

"Who needs names."

"Don't listen to these people."

"A name like what?" says the odd harpy out, hopping closer to the living people with a flutter of dark-feathered wings.

[lifes_sake]

"You can narrow it down some if you want, but if you want me to suggest something, how's 'Calliope'?"

[pythbox]

"Calliope," she says musingly. One of the other harpies lets out a disdainful snort.

[lifes_sake]

"I think it's a pretty name."

[pythbox]

"I think so too!" says Calliope, almost shyly. The other harpies shake their heads and mutter.

[lifes_sake]

"Do any of the rest of you want names?" Cam inquires.