>>5185858In the face of the titan’s request, you open your negotiation with a revelation.
“...I believe I may have met your Creator, albeit accidentally.”
“...wh-what?”
Gone is the posturing, the gravitas of a being who’s lived a life longer than you could fathom. In the fleeting moments where Leviathan lets their pride slip and give way to stunned shock, the being before you is suddenly much more like Ziz than you know either of them would admit.
“HOW? WHEN WAS THIS?” The titanic creature suddenly demands, the seas shuddering as their master draws even closer to you. “WHAT WERE THE EXACT CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING UP TO THIS INTERACTION? IS IT REPLICABLE?”
“It happened twice, and from what he said, I don’t think it can happen again.” You begin, retelling the events that led up to you having a very disorienting chat with the Titans’ creator. You’re careful to leave out the fact that it involved the Fragment on your person at this very moment, just to be on the safe side, concluding with; “...and he said he would see me after I was through with the Cord.”
“YOU? YOU, SPECIFICALLY?” Leviathan echoes for clarification as you nod. “INTERESTING…DID HE…DID MY CREATOR…”
Leviathan pauses, allowing the words to come out cohesively as they ask, softly; “...WAS HE WELL?”
“I…think so? It was a little hard to tell, given…literally everything about our interaction, but he didn’t seem to be in pain at all, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I…I SEE. GOOD.” Leviathan replies, withdrawing a few hundred yards and allowing a bit of the skyline back into your field of view. “THIS…THIS IS SURPRISING NEWS, BUT QUITE WELCOME.”
“If I may, did you have some reason to suspect that he would not be in similar health to his peers?” Dorian asks, and it takes a few moments for Leviathan to find the words to answer.
“...IT…IT IS LIKELY THAT MY CREATOR IS RAPIDLY RUNNING OUT OF TIME.” They finally admit, the creature’s coils tightening as they speak. “MUCH OF THE DEGRADATION I HAVE OBSERVED IS LIKELY ACCORDING TO WHAT MY CREATOR PROJECTED, BUT WITH THE APPEARANCE OF THE DEPRIVED AND THE MOUNTING ITERATIVE ERRORS—TO SAY NOTHING OF THE FRAGMENTS’ DECAY—THERE HAS BEEN MOUNTING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE MAY BE APPROACHING HIS ENTROPIC EVENT HORIZON MUCH FASTER THAN THE OTHERS OF HIS KIND.”
“Wait, you said that only people who resonated properly with the emotions embodied in the Fragments could interact with them. Does that apply to you, or are you able to interface with any frag-”
(Continued)
