Talj is suffering and there is nothing there to hear it. Deep inside of it, there are sentient beings who cry out at the rot, the parasitic fungus that spreads on a cosmic scale, but that stops at Talj who is queasy for the first time and the sensation is disorienting.
Talj may begin to warp under the continued encroachment of the rot that moves through it, and if it warps, that could cause the two parts of it to split and end Talj, and its inhabitants, forever. It would also end the parasitic fungus, but it would only end it in Talj, the rot has the entirety of the multiversal structure to slowly spread and thrive.
“We have overlooked something important,” Sakpata says to Jo, Gu, Agbe and Agê as they spectate the monitors of the Meta Chamber that show the mission into the Talj Junction universe.
“What?” Gu asks. He is watching the red Warrior, Djallon, as her forces approach a member of the Pito. It promises to be an exciting battle when they finally arrive to the Pito, but apparently they are a long way away and Gu is happy for the distraction.
“Talj is under distress, I can feel it. It’s strange, maybe you can feel it too. I think it is related to the Triple God we share with Xêvioso. It is something that he experienced, his connection to Talj. He has spoken to Talj before, and now Talj is crying out into the void outside of the multiversal structure.”
“That is to be expected considering what the dark enemy is doing to it,” Jo says.
“But there are consequences to its agony,” Sakpata says, “it will rend itself apart and may take our forces with it. Either our forces relieve Talj or we need to pull them out before Talj inadvertently kills itself.”
“How do we know that this is true?” Agbe asks. “You were just sitting there and suddenly you have this great game changing realization?”
“I think it is true, sister,” Gu says. “I have dreamed about the very thing that Sakpata describes but I couldn’t make sense of it and assumed that it was nothing, until now. I am aware of Talj, but I have never encountered it as Xêvioso and Lêgba have, the way that I dreamed of it crying out in pain as Sakpata says it is. If it rends itself apart in agony, they will all be gone in an instant,” Gu says, turning back to the monitor with the red warrior.
“So what can we do?” Agê asks. “Can I go to it and calm it? Can you take me there Gu?”
“I’m not leaving the Fonlands until the weapons are complete,” he says. “I only came here for a break.”
“It is probably a worthwhile endeavor to try to soothe Talj, Agê,” Sakpata says. “I can use my connection to Xêvioso and Gu to get us there.”
Sakpata takes his time with the spell that allows for passage outside of everything and as he does it, Talj wails in agony.
“That noise is almost unbearable,” Agê says when she and Sakpata arrive at the space outside of everything that is immediately in front of Talj, the Living Universe. Its face is molded into the neon glow of the existence and it looks as mournful as it sounds.
“Talj?” Sakpata yells toward the very large form of a face. “Do you hear me?”
The wailing begins to subside and soon, two eyes in the glow focus on Sakpata and Agê.
“Tiny Vodun?” The voice of the Junction universe asks. Agê approaches the universe with both her hands up and an enormous amount of Green energy begins to coalesce in a stream away from her and toward Talj. “Have you come to destroy me from the outside?” Talj asks with a sudden paic.
“No,” Sakpata tries to reassure Talj, “the Vodun have always been your friends. We are friends.”
“You are not the tiny Vodun!” Talj says with increasing panic.
“We are their kin and we are your friends,” Sakpata continues.
It appears that Talj is close to ripping itself from the multiversal structure but the magic of Agê finally impacts it and begins to be absorbed. Talj blinks it’s eyes as it settles.
“Please be calm,” Sakpata says as soothingly as he can. “We know the distress that you are under and we are trying to help you inside and out. But you must allow Agê to soothe you.”
By the time he is done talking, it appears that Talj has fallen asleep and the indentions that make its facial features are closed and solemn.
“This will not work forever, of course,” Agê says. “How long do you think we should stay out here? Until the force leaves?”
“Can we do that? Is it possible?”
“We can try and hope that our forces are successful to avoid the complete obliteration of this existence.” Agê says evenly as she focuses on directing her green magic.
Sakpata nods and flies close to Age, laying a hand on her shoulder to.lend his power to her healing ability. They float in the void outside of everything, hoping that their effects are more than just a temporary bandage.
PRL Serials 