Organization XIV - The Story So Far

"Well, I definitely can't deny it," Dispatch replied, waving his hand pseudo-modestly. "But I could say the same about the god of war, right? And since it sounds like you're both offering, I'd like to know what my options are. So, tell me more about these 'boons' you guys can give us."

Hades stepped in first. "See, I know what you're thinking: gotta go big or go home, right? So, here's the deal: you fight for me, I'll give you -- and your little group of adventurers -- carte blanche, one little overlook in case of... let's say, job hazards. I look the other way, we postpone that little funeral, Charon gets off my case, everyone's happy! As for the tournament, we-he-hell, friend, I am Lord Of The Underworld, which means the entire earth itself is my domain! You want something from down there? Gems? Minerals? You wanna shake the very earth with each step? I'm your guy!"

Then, Ares. "While I am not a master tactician as Athena is, I could provide you with some of the best arms and training the heavens themselves could provide. Shields, that you might endure any blow, and armor, to revitalize you as you fight, that you may not be exhausted, that you may not suffer wounds." Giving Hades a sideways glance, he adds, "and might I add that you would be wise to consider any and ALL offers. Know your strengths, your weaknesses, and you will never fear a thousand battles, young Dispatch."

"Ah- dammit." Gestalt spat, eyes darting around in the crowd. I lost sight of Kandor. He got really weird when Dispatch asked about that scope of his; did he means run off? Or was he just swept up in the crowd? Now surrounded by unfamiliar, towering beings, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Well, he said signups were this way..."

Walking in the direction the wizard-man had indicated earlier, he took in the signs and tapestries at his own pace. The powers around him, all set on the competition, something about the energy made his hair stand on end. Like a storm was building all around, but he couldn't see or hear it. With his eyes fixed on the ground, he marched on.

Jackie was close behind him, following at her own leisure. "Chin up! You may collide with someone, and that is not a confrontation I'm willing to entertain at the moment," she said teasingly. "Besides, I think..." she started, before pointing to a woman draped and dressed in silver. "...that person seems interesting. She's even looking this way!" Jackie looked around at the competition she'd be facing as well. Few of them seemed to have weapons on hand, but those that did seemed to have rather extravagant ones. Scythes, hammers, and spears were some of the most common she could see, or at least the ones she could make sense of. Perhaps one of them might know where a Keyblade might be, or a story about it.

"You've got a point." He grumbled, looking up to see who she was talking about. He caught glimpses of the other competitors, all of them visibly stronger and more seasoned than him-

Gestalt slapped his cheeks. Snap out of it! If there's a gap between me and the other fighters, I'll just find a way to bridge it! Now go talk to the woman in silver before I can talk myself out of it! Locking eyes on her for a second, he straightened up. "...Yeah, why don't we ask her? If she's one of these gods, she'd be likely to know about it."

This woman, with darker, mocha skin and silver flowing hair, bore a circlet of pure silver inlaid with opals. Her own toga was the same silver color and blended with her hair. She bore no weapon, but simply allowed an owl to rest upon her bare forearm. Despite the bird's grip, no injury was apparent, though for any normal being the talons looked sharp enough to cleave to the bone. She smiled softly at the two newcomers, and both of them found Kandor nearby, looking on. He hesitantly walked up next to them. "I uh, I was approached by one of the other Goddesses, b-b-but uhm, I don-don't think sh-she and I w-would click, er, uh, o-our interests, didn't, a-align... S-so maybe, one of y-you could uh, m-maybe also take it u-up w-with her?" Whatever had happened, Kandor was more spooked and skittish than normal. "Th-this Goddess... seems okay, tho-though."

Jackie nodded at Kandor, before looking at the woman in silver. "Fair tidings, my Lady!" Jackie made the first move, wanting to leave a good impression. "On such an auspicious day, I pray a moment of your time be spent."

The woman raised her free hand to her lips, stifling a small giggle. "Gentle, child, I know your mind, and be at peace. I am Athena, tactician and child of Zeus, Goddess of War, brother to Ares, and protector of heroes." She turns two the two men. "And you two, inquisitive minds alike. I sense much potential in you both. Have you come to make an appeal?"

"Athena... P-Pallas Athena!?" Gestalt stuttered. He'd heard about her before; even if it was in the form of common myths, the gods' reputations were well-known enough to cross the boundaries between worlds. Struck with admiration, his immediate response was a curt bow, as well as briefly forgetting what he was supposed to ask about. "Y... yes! We've come to participate in the tournament here, and- the Keyblade! We wanted to ask if you know anything about it!"

Should- should I ask for her blessing? Is that acceptable? What kind of decorum am I supposed to observe when talking to a god or goddess? Should I really be opening with 'what's a Keyblade'?!

Her smile faded for a moment, but returned. "A 'Keyblade', is it? Very well, I can offer an answer to that as your boon. I admire your earnest willingness to offer your own terms so freely: many do not have the concrete desire you yourself carry." Athena closes her eyes in thought for a moment. "Is this your entire party? I would rather have everyone involved present, insomuch that disagreements are unsightly, let alone capable of rifts in a group. Speak with your comrades, commit an offer, and if necessary, I will lay out the boons I can offer for the Games, and beyond victory, boons." Her smile broadens. "And yes, I know of this Keyblade. A tactician knows of all weapons, and all circumstances in a fight."

Jackie beamed immensely, holding her hands to her chest, rising onto her tiptoes, and feeling such an overwhelming joy that she had to stifle her own laughter and tears. This is it! She knows! This is our ticket forward! I could even ask about the library: this would be the fastest ticket to getting done what needs to be accomplished! 

Kandor, however, felt otherwise. "Th-that's... an i-incred... in-incredible o-offer, but infor... formation isn't s-so valuable, hh, uhm. As to be the only merit. I do ag-agree, w-we should find Dispatch bef...ore we come to a d-decision."

The swordsman deflated just a little at Kandor's succinct point: just getting that information for winning meant they wouldn't gain anything else. Which also meant that there were other options, which might be better. There was no guarantee that they would be able to learn anything without Athena's help, but there was no certainty that they wouldn't find out anyway. "You're right; we should weigh all of our options before making a decision. Actually, Kandor, didn't you say you were going to meet up with your friends here? Or did you want to be a part of our group when we enter this event?"

Dispatch nodded slowly at the two gods' offers. Honestly, neither was very enticing. It had been a long time since he'd worn armor, and Hades' offer might have been tempting ten minutes ago, but now? Now he had confirmation there were other Saiyans alive, somewhere. But then, where?

Actually, that was a good question. "So, who would I ask if there was someone...or a few someones, that I wanted to find?" Maybe if he was lucky, the same person could tell him where to find both his team and someone with a Keyblade.

Ares continued to comply. "Astute. It's why Hades and I both valued you. You would have luck speaking with Athena, tactician and Goddess of Wisdom. Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt could track them down for you. Hermes, God of Travel and the Roads, will know what paths they've taken and the journeys life will set them down. And, naturally--"

"If they're dead, I'm your guy," Hades interjected, leaning in uncomfortably close to Dispatch. His grin seemed to transform, becoming more nakedly malicious in this simple act. "And listen, if they ARE dead, my lips are sealed, wise guy. Make the right choice!"

Meanwhile, Kandor kicked at the sand lightly. "Tr-truth be told, I didn... di-did not s-see them. Th-they're rather dis...tinctive, all things c-consid-consid...ered, with r-robes li-like mine. M-my Scouter can't even f-find them. I f-feel like they're h-here, but I-I don't want to pl...edge a favor wh-when I m-might see them in the G...games. You know?" He held a hand out, as if offering the idea itself. 

Jackie frowned, in sympathy. "I understand and sympathize somewhat. It's a tough decision to make, and not to be undertaken lightly: what could be infinite possibility is narrowed down to a singular, potentially wasteful wish, but if they aren't here..."

"And the-there's the rub," Kandor concluded. "If they a-aren't here, th-then I h-have to trust th-the Gods. I-ironic, s-since I didn't be...lieve in them f-from where I'm... from. I think... Athena is a good ch-choice, b-but um... w-we should see who D-Dispatch found. A-and besides, it's n-not like w-we can't try o-other avenues f-for finding peo...people. Or wh-whatever you... you're looking for, it's o-out there somewhere."

Jackie nodded. "There's a witch we'll be hunting one day soon, and a library she mentioned as well. If we can find either of those, that's another step closer to our goals."

"They're not dead," said Dispatch simply, as if the idea was ridiculous. The longer he talked to Hades, the less he liked the death-god. He wasn't even trying to hide his crookedness by this point. But, better not to show it for now, so Dispatch gave the two gods a salute and a smile.

"Thanks, though. I'll definitely keep you two in mind." Though the chances of the group allying with either of them were pretty close to zero. Dispatch turned and walked away from them. Next step was trying to find either one of the other two gods, or his team, and he could try and sense his team easily enough. So he headed toward them.

As Gestalt's group made to move, Kandor spotted Dispatch rather quickly, and pointed him out to the rest of the group. He let them walk past, sticking to the back of the group and putting the scouter away before the two groups coincided. Jackie waved at Dispatch, the first to approach. "So? Did you find any worthy sponsors? Or should we hedge our bets and allocate time to researching other candidates?"

Kandor spoke up from the back of the group. "I, uh... I d-don't know h-how m-much this m-means, b-but given the... divine na-nature of these patrons... w-would asking around too m-much be a b-bad idea? L-like... s-sac...rilege?"

Jackie grabbed her chin with her forefinger and thumb, thinking for a moment. "No. If it were, we would have seen displeasure already, and Athena already informed us that we would be best off finding suitable patronage rather than blindly trust our first offering."

Dispatch nodded as he reached the group. "Yeah, one of the guys I met said pretty much the same thing. Eri, I think his name was? Anyway, he said if we want to use our reward to find someone like, say, our Keyblade user, we should look for either the hunter goddess, 'cause she could track 'em, or the god of travellers, 'cause he'd know what routes they've gone to get where they are now."

He paused. "Please don't ask me what they're called, though...I'm terrible with names."

"The god of Hunters is a woman called Artemis. I don't remember off the top of my head which one is the god of travelers, though." Gestalt interjected calmly. "As for how to find her, she might be with her brother, Apollo. He's the one who pulls the sun around in his chariot... or something. Sorry. But I think if we look for either the most glowy or sunburnt person here, and they're with a woman, she might be the one we're looking for."

Scratching his ear, he looked to the side. "Or... y'know. We could just ask around for them. That might be easier. But, there's a more pressing question, isn't there?" Folding up his arms with a stern look, the swordsman looked at his companions' faces one at a time. "...What are we prioritizing here? I feel like we shouldn't just drop Kandor here without helping him find his friends, but we also need to look for this Keyblade. And we have other things we need to pursue, as well. What I'm saying is, if we only have one blessing, what do we need it for the most?"

Kandor looked downwards, seemingly downtrodden. Jackie, however, seemed to leap at the chance to solve a logistical puzzle. "Let's look at the facts and what we categorically know. Firstly, our group is looking for an artifact or weapon known as the Keyblade. Athena is currently aware of its existence, and as a tactician she may know the requirements to forging, wielding, acquiring, or otherwise using it. That said, it's not guaranteed she can procure us one, or that any of us are capable of wielding it. 

"The God of Travellers may lead us down the road to the weapon itself, the path to being able to wield it, the journey to our success, but we likely wouldn't know what would cause us to deviate from that path or what we could do to 'course-correct' if we did happen to deviate. Though, it also follows that it's the most universally viable for both our group and Kandor's: a road for him to find and reunite with his friends, a road for us to find the Keyblade, for Dispatch to find his friends, and so on.

"But then we have Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt. As a Huntress, she's liable to be able to hunt down who or what we'd need, but we might not have the luxury of being proactive while she's away on the hunt, or if she would provide us the tools or resources to hunt what we seek for ourselves. We additionally don't know if she'd be willing to hunt for each of us, or what any of that entails... not that we know that the God of Travellers would give us the individual boons to let us look for each of our needs.

"And finally, these are sponsorships for the Games. We still would need to be able to win and come out on top, or do well enough that we have even one of our boons granted. Which then makes me think that we could also accept lesser post-Games benefits for a better, definitive chance at winning the Games themselves."

Kandor drank all of this in pretty readily, nodding along. Though, once Jackie was finally done speaking, he interjected, "Th-that was... q-quite a l-lot..."

Dispatch shook his head and shrugged. "The winning part's easy. Wouldn't be my first tournament. And I don't see why we couldn't hand the traveller god a list of people and say 'hey, we wanna know where these guys went.' Besides, I dunno if these guys can even help us in the tournament. Last time I went to somethin' like this, the teams were just representing the gods they fought for. The gods themselves didn't really do much."

Sure, he hadn't actually participated in that tournament, but they didn't have to know that. Especially since just watching was enough to tell him these gods probably wouldn't interfere in the fights directly; what would be the point in the tournament, then?

Dispatch crossed his arms. "So...yeah, my vote goes to the god of travels."

"When you put it that way..." Gestalt bobbed his head in thought. "Still, I can't imagine the god in question would be happy if we just unloaded a bunch of requests on 'em. And we don't know who has the Keyblade; for all we know, it's locked up in a place nobody's been in a thousand years. ...In which case, I guess he'd be the only one to remember where it was. Shit."

"Still, I feel like they were implying that we'd get some kind of blessing during the battles, too. But you seem confident in our ability to win without any help." Waving his hand in a circle, he gazed off at nothing in particular as he spoke. "That doesn't mean the other competitors will be so sportsmanlike. It might be worth knowing what kind of benefits our opponents will have, even if we don't care about our own."

Kandor looked up at Gestalt at this part. "I d-don't kn-know ab...bout the r-rest of you, b-but my flames a-are in...credibly vers...versatile. M-my f-friends are l-likely g-going to be th-the only re-real challenge... I f-feel. Th-that's n-not to o-overestimate m-my own p-power, b-but my Scouter sh-shows that eith... either the people here are... are h-hiding their p-power incredibly w... well... Or, their p-power is in their g-gear. E-even s-still, I c-can't see you th-three losing e-easily... B-but s-still, a pow... p-p-powerful b-boon m-may be a dec...iding factor."

Jackie put one hand on her hip, and raised the other up to shoulder height. "You may be powerful on your own, but teamwork is essential to success. If the individual components of a machine clash, and do not mesh, tragedy strikes. Trust in that. And that being said, a God of Roads will likely give us some form of free movement, or heightened acrobatics. When travelling on my own with Dispatch, his flight was a useful tool on its own, so much so that it could be a unilaterally deciding factor in the win. The only counters I could think of would be Athena or this Artemis having bows, as they are both goddesses that I would associate with such weapons. Artemis for the hunt, Athena as the bow is an instrumental weapon in war and in any fight." Jackie gestures to her own spear. "Ranged is always an advantage. ...To the point, though, I would most likely choose either this God of Roads, or Athena."

You three? It sounded like Magic Man didn't have much intention of sticking with them. Made sense, really, seeing as he'd basically just asked them for a ride in exchange for directions. But really, the most important thing here was to find this Keyblade. Other goals, much as it pained Dispatch to admit it, were secondary. Which meant that any benefit that didn't give them some direction toward the Keyblade wasn't much of a benefit at all. All this, he thought to himself, eyes closed and nodding silently.

Then he realized he hadn't actually said anything out loud, and rubbed the back of his head. "But this Athena lady...I dunno what she could really do for us. I mean, even if she knows what the Keyblade is, what's more important is to find out where it is. I gotta imagine she's more about the 'fighting' part, and it sounds like all of us are pretty confident in that."

Well, all of them but Gestalt. Guy was a little too careful, or maybe just not that experienced. Dispatch hadn't even nearly shown off his full power yet, and from what he could tell, neither had the wizard. Granted, the wizard hadn't shown them anything at all yet, but he wouldn't be at a tournament hosted by gods if he wasn't sure he could impress.

Nodding, Gestalt glanced back at where Athena had been a minute ago. "It's sounding more and more like this God of Travel is our best option. Let's find out who it is and track 'em down. That sound good to everyone?"

Rather than turn back to look at the group, though, his gaze remained fixed off to the distance. Above that spot hung one of the grand tapestries. He had just seen the face on it; that was Athena's image. So the twelve banners likely corresponded to each of the patron gods. If I were a god of roads, and journeys, what sort of identifying features would I have? Scanning the others around the courtyard, he saw a pair of wings on one of them, his hand shooting out to point at it. "I'm gonna bet he'll look like that."

The image was of a blue-skinned, slightly impish man with little round-rimmed dark spectacles, wearing a golden cap with wings jutting from the top. He carried a golden scepter with a decorative pair of wings at the top, and even his sandals had little wings on them. He wasn't nearly as intimidating or hardy-looking at the other gods.

As they approached, they noticed that the small wings on his golden cap fluttered softly, carrying the man aloft. He looked quite impish and mischievous, but bore no ill intent in his posture. He looked over to them, peering over his spectacles for a moment, before smiling broadly. "Hey, Heroes! Welcome, welcome, you're looking at Hermes, God of Travels, the Roads, Messenger and the Man of Moves!" He gave a floaty little twirl, before turning to each of the gathered adventurers. "Ah, we've got a pretty lively bunch. Some of you can even hover and fly! Excellent, excellent, I hope my blessings have been of use to you." His eyes twinkled at that, as if to imply the ability to move at all was granted by him. "I've had some tempting offers, but I'd like to pass the buck forward to each of you, first. What can you bring to the table, and what would you want from me?"

Stepping forward, Gestalt kept his voice level as he spoke. "We're on a journey, so to speak. There's a lot of things out there that need finding, and we want your blessing to facilitate that. Navigating through space is pretty difficult without help, and there's a few things we thought only you would know how to find. So you, Hermes, are our best hope for finding what we seek."

"First off, if the word 'Keyblade' rings a bell, we'd like to hear what you know, especially about where to find it. It's also a little confusing to navigate through space, so if we could come to you when we don't have a path to follow, we'd appreciate that. We might ask you if we ever need to find anything else, but it's understandable if you don't want to have to keep giving us favors. As for what we have to offer..." He stepped back to let someone else speak.

Dispatch placed a fist on his hip as he spoke next. "Everyone else here just wanted us to win the tournament. And if you can figure out we can fly...or at least, I can, just by looking at us, you gotta know we can do that. You want somethin' more than that, I uh...don't really know what to offer. Unless you want us to draw you a map of the universe." He added the last bit as a joke, but...well, this guy was definitely a god, but he wasn't like any of the others. He didn't seem too interested in fighting, and Dispatch wasn't sure what else a god would want from a mortal.

Jackie took her turn to speak. "We've been some remarkable places, and a God of the Roads I imagine would more than enjoy tales of the many wonderful places He set out in front of us. Where I'm from, we took great pride in our oratory skills and practices, we could provide entertainment unique to our own stories, and the lives we've led."

Finally, Kandor spoke. "I-I would de...vote myself to f-finding the m-most precious m-materials, goo...goods and l-luxuries I could m...muster. Where I c-came from we c-could fur-furnish various won...wondrous items, f-from w-weapons to arm...armor, and m-magic i-items besides. If I c-come across s-something on my tr-travels I cou-... I could use my f-facilities to create s-something you d-desire."

Hermes furrowed his brow in thought for a moment. It was a little time before he spoke again, but when he did, he kept it neutral. "I see! Bringing back a proof of the journey you were lead down, that's not something in my domain. I'm not Hades, I'm the Journey, not the Ultimate Destination. Now, a Keyblade I've definitely heard of in my time. That's something I do know about, incidentally. Where to find one, and the road to it... Hm. You would have to win, definitively, and I'd want a little more, but that's more than workable." He turns to Gestalt and Dispatch. "A map to guide others... Would be a work after my own heart. Giving the first steps to start a journey is like poetry, it rhymes, you know? I would like to hear the last offering, though, before I make my final call," he finished, though he did not speak unkindly.