Lorv had been presiding over the aziza mound since she returned to Prime 5 Earth and then the Fonlands before the commencement of the mission to the Talj Junction. She wouldn’t use the word ‘presiding’ that connotes active leadership, which Lorv is hesitant to be part of because her mind is preoccupied with other things, namely the fact that she has noticed that she is beginning to shrink. Fonlanders age similar to Earthers in that their physical appearances change as they mature, though Earthers always age linearly, meaning that they will only get older and their appearance will become more haggard over time, but Fonlanders age to a peak of their maturation and then they begin to de-age in a sense, though this deaging is only manifest in the shrinking stage of a Fonlander’s life. Some Fonlanders continue to age as they shrink, but some look exactly as they had always looked only smaller, and not stooping or hunching, just a fraction of their previous size. Shrinking occurs at the rate of growing, which for some Fonlanders is detectable to the Earther eye, though others age at a rate that Earthers can’t comprehend.
Lorv was the last of the first four mmoatia born on the Disc of Age, and despite this, Ahdis is generally known as the youngest mmoatia. Many Fonlanders of the Disc of Agê view Lorv as the oldest of the second generation of mmoatia that also included Raius, Whil, and Welboas, the second of the second generation, and first mmoatia-yumbo hybrid. Lorv and Welboas were born on the Disc of Agê, but spent most of their lives in the other realm on Endla, and Lorv, deep in the uncharted space of the other realm that is known as the Prime 5 universe. She had many adventures deep in space where she encountered the previously unknown peoples of the planet Rycoia, and the Mystics of Fytor who became one of her greatest allies in all of Prime 5. But she returned to Endla to help the mmoatia and the archangels rid the planet Bludon of the Daemon of Endla. Once that was done, she relinquished control of her ship, Top, to her companion Wielar who resumed the exploration of Universe Prime 5, and she returned to the Fonlands, specifically to the Aziza mound, once she discovered that she was shrinking.
“But you are radiant as ever, your eminence,” Whil said to Lorv when they both occupied the mound. He had been overseeing renovations and Lorv would keep him company when he supervised the many workers who buzzed around.
“Shrinking doesn’t dull my power, Whil, you know that. I am just less than I was the last time I saw you. “
Whil gasped. “You’ve shrunk more since we enjoyed the twilight dinner last evening? That is too much! Fonlanders don’t shrink so fast. Lorv, I cannot lose you so quickly after getting the news that you have begun the recession stage of your life.”
“Calm down, Whil,” Lorv said, rolling her eyes and sounding exasperated. “I meant from the last time we spent time together like this, not the literal last time. Do I look noticeably shrunken to you?” She extended her hands at her side and stood in front of him.
Whil took a moment to really inspect the aboatia and after a moment he frowned and crossed his arms at his chest. “Are you just doing this for attention? You’re just announcing your recession because the scrolls forget to mention you when they talk of the Supremes? They forget Raius and I too! They’re so obsessed with the mmoatia diluted through other things like Coffey and Ariel and Leilar. You are better than this, Lorv, you don’t need to pretend to be shrinking for attention, we all have our fans, it is just unfortunate for you that yours are scattered across the abyss of the other realm.”
Lorv was so angry that she couldn’t react and in that moment she could only laugh. “I know that you are not the best listener but I always come to you because at the very least you will make me laugh. Why do you always jump to such extremes, Whil? No, I am not pretending to shrink, I only noticed that I am and it is happening slowly so I am not really worried about my mortality in the moment, but transitioning to recession is a significant moment in a Fonlander’s life and I have reached it before all of the mmoatia. I was feeling nostalgic for my youth, I guess, that’s why I came back here. I know that I want to spend the majority of the rest of my time here in the Fonlands. I’m easily overlooked in the scrolls because I am rarely ever here. I don’t have a section of the Disc associated with me like you and Raius with the swamps, Tracia with the jungles, Pultine the forests, Ahdis the Deep.”
“It is alarming how much you have in common with the traitor Welboas,” Whil said, meaning to make a joke but sounding legitimately alarmed. “I think it is a good idea, the rocky jungles have missed their aboatia.”
“When I leave the mound, I will take up residence there,” Lorv said with a smile. “I will make a home that Leilar can know as the spot that gave rise to me and is responsible for her. It should be a good time.”
“So you won’t join the fracas in the Smiting Chamber? Ahdis has been asking me to go to the other realm to help with the home she’s made there, but I am content in my swamp. At least some of us should be on the Disc in case the worst happens with the scary enemy the Supremes are worried about.”
“I agree. The Supremes are that for a reason,” Lorv said contently. “I have done my duty in the abyss of the other realm as you call it, it is time that I give myself to our home.”
Lorv was in the rocky jungle when Talj ripped, and she wept when Whil brought her news of the mission. She had built a home that was like a stone fort amongst the sturdy trees and she sat with Whil on one of the high walls that gave a nice vantage of the rocky jungle below.
“They are sure that it is coming here,” Whil said, not with the overexaggerated drama that Lorv was used to and this made her nervous. The dramatic way about him was his form of play and it always managed to make Lorv smile, and the fact that he wasn’t doing it when he delivered the news put Lorv on edge. “They are all preparing for the conflagration. Is there a better word for it? Undoubtedly, but it’s something like that. I saw footage from the Talj mission and Pultine was unbelievable, well not for her, she was as spectacular as I have always known her to be, but more so because I couldn’t have imagined the display she put on in the face of that unspeakable horror that caused the Rip to end an entire realm. And here I was thinking the Dance of Hysteria was a big stressful event. We are at the precipice of the most important battle in the histories of many realms. They are recruiting by the brook, building Age’s army to defend the land if the enemy manages to land on the Fonlands. It is happening on every Disc, can you believe that we are preparing for war against an enemy that can face armies of Fonlanders? It boggles the mind, sister.”
Lorv nodded in agreement.
“We will both fight if we are called and we will lead this army that is being assembled. I assume it is your effort?”
Whil nodded. “Me through proxies, but also the Domo…”
“Why?” Lorv interjected with annoyance.
“They are students of military strategy and they are leaders of this Disc. The Abada Idol, other leaders as well. We are all coming together. It is good that you have come home, that we are both here to represent the mmoatia. We will fortify this Disc against whatever comes.”
Lorv was resolute and it made Whil nod resolutely.
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