Vienna stared at the empty space SvenKa was inside of the office. He climbed out of the well, but when her body'd dropped the axe, he kind of faded? Or possibly got pulled through the floor? Or into the well? It was impossible to determine exactly what happened, because it was a metaphor for something else. He'd left the metaphor, but he'd left a mark. And given her an idea. She quickly went to the pearl- which was cracked open, an empty shell.

"Office? Are you here?"

"Correct! this place is me."

"But it's not exactly a place, is it? I mean that you're not physical."

"Incorrect. you are physical."

"But things are here that aren't physically here."

"That is also correct."

"And you can summon them? You can summon things that don't exist physically?"

"No, I just am."

"Office, where is the thing that killed Samuel?"

"I don't understand. What is a Samuel?"

"Who all is here inside you?"

"Everyone."

"Who can hurt me inside you?"

"Tradition, Error, You, Ythylthor, Me, and possibly SvenKa. In that order. arguably your family and fear of spiders, but they seem so unlikely to hurt you in here that it's silly to think about."

"Is Ythylthor the monster Samuel kept imprisoned inside the pearl?"

"Ythylthor is a funny concept that is hiding inside me. Should I manifest Ythylthor for you now?"

"Give me a weapon first."

Vienna immediately found herself leaning on an axe as if she'd always had it, and felt the need to walk to the pearl to peer inside. Which, when she did, she found herself inside a familiar place. Red sky, the feeling of being watched, a well she'd fallen into recently. This wasn't the office as she'd thought it was. It was another place. Another nonphysical place without space. "Office?" she tested. To which the office did not respond. Because this wasn't the office. "Ythylthor." she tried again. This time confident. At the sound of trickling water, Vienna spun around to see a familiar smiling face behind her, the old lady pouring water from a can into a garden. "Welcome benefactor, I wasn't expecting you so soon. How is the war?"

"Horrible. But you knew that already."

"Ah yes, very good. Care for some tea?"

"You don't care? My people are dying."

"Don't care? That's not it at all. I'm simply not limited to a single perspective. In truth, I was worried that it was you who did not care about their lives, as you'd become distracted by negative things. Pain and injury."

"What do you expect?" she spat back" My hands are burned, and my body screams agony when I try to move!"

"I could fix that if you'd like, but I learned from Samuel that sometimes people prefer the negative things. I don't understand it myself, but I'll respect your autonomy, so you'll need to ask."

"You can heal injuries?"

"Don't be silly, you'll do that all on your own in time. There might even be a bit of scarring if you try hard enough to cultivate it. It's a bit deceptive, but I could give you a touch of acid to help create that beautiful scrawl. I could give you the recipe if you'd like, it's a family secret and you. Are. family" the old lady- no, the creature. Ythylthor said with the most pleasant smile on her- it's face. She seemed pleased as pudding at the thought.

"No," Vienna responded, spitting out the word. Then, with effort, added more pleasantly, "Thank you."

"I need to learn how to be the Delver. And you killed the best person to teach me. You need to repay that debt."

"I'm delighted you're choosing your education over trivialities. You can visit at any time. You're an inspiration. Since you haven't been the Delver for long; as I had just dispatched daddy at teatime just today. Being the delver is about understanding and accepting others as they are, and from there bringing out the best of them, and from there, manipulating them to fit your desires. Understanding others begins with understanding and bringing out the best of yourself. Let's explore who you are. What are your strengths, values, and beliefs? What are your weaknesses, cracks, and vulnerabilities? What can't change about you regardless of circumstance? Who were you, are you, and who are you becoming? What events forged you into you, and what challenges will you put yourself through to become?

you're here now and it's nearing tea time. Won't you join me?" she swayed towards a desiccated building, what may have once been a shack but was now being used as a barn. Vienna turned away, back to the garden. It's sky red and swirling, there were no sun or stars, and the perpetual feeling of being watched was stronger than ever, her eye was drawn to what grew, as eyes looked back. She turned away with determination, back to the manor, manicured lawn, kindly old woman, who beckoned her to join for tea. 

******************

Vienna found herself at a safe distance from the monster, wrapping covering her frostbitten hands, uselessly watching as mandibles the size of arms descended towards a cobbler, speared through, abrasivly scrubbing the offending leg penetrating his body, when a radiant figure descended, her gaze and spear piercing the beast, the Valkyrie descended from heaven to earth, halting the creature's killing blow. A gleaming spear held firmly in one hand, its pilum embedded deep within the creature, while the bulk of the beast was stopped by the shield on her other arm, braced by and covering the majority of her body. The shield's sharp metallic wings splayed out, trapping the spider corpse's seeking mandibles, dripping in poison, it didn't even realize that it was dead. (In/with) a single movement, she saved lives.

"Ho! This opponent was injured! That is hardly a fair challenge," Sun declared with a good-hearted laugh from the nearby roof, pointing an accusatory finger at the wounded spider. The townsfolk already having claimed its eyes and one leg. But he had arrived a second later than she.

"Would the first to a hundred be sporting?" asked another Valkyrie standing on the same roof.

(Sun's smile broadened. "I'll slay two hundred!" (He clawed his own arm, tearing flesh and flinging blood, but where his blood splattered, a dark Sun arose.) They both ran off in different directions, heading toward the sounds of combat.

Vs

(Sun's smile broadened. "I'll slay two hundred!" (He plucked a single golden hair and blew. The hair filled with a breath of life, and there another Sun stood triumphant.) They both ran off in different directions, heading toward the sounds of combat.

************************