Charles Patricius

[Bloodedge]

Silence was golden, but all the staring was somewhat annoying. He had every right to be bothered by the continued conversation. Wanting it to be over was perfectly normal, and not having that occur was supposed to be an annoyance. Martha, Anais, Yume and Sakura were all staring, and even Astolfo spared an extended glance. Yuuya was about the only one not looking his way, though him looking in the other direction had essentially the same purpose as brazen staring. None of that would be addressed for some time however, so Charlemagne could believe for a few moments that all would be well. "No preference," was his response to the elf. "Ah ─ same here," added Yuuya. "I want sweet!" said Astolfo. Everyone had an opinion with a few overlaps, so Ailen made the easiest choice. "Hmm. Very well. Two spicy, two sweet, two mixed, and two... herbaceous," he said, deciding the two without preferences would each be lumped in with Martha and himself.

Sadly for Charlemagne, he would not be left alone just yet. His eyes soon shifted in Anais's direction as she addressed him, claiming he should drink from the grail. He kept silent for a moment, rolling his eyes to a close. A few deep breaths later, and there was something to be said. "... Yeah. Yeah I should," he agreed, though perhaps not for the same reason. With that, Charlemagne made the strange decision of... leaving the table. He would head upstairs after claiming the sword he'd left at the front door. With a weapon in hand, he continued to the bedroom where his armor was placed. For whatever reason, Charlemagne saw fit to equip himself before doing anything with the Holy Grail. . .

[Apollymi]

Charles's thought processes were right in some ways. There was nothing wrong with being annoyed by a conversation, even if you started it. There was also nothing wrong with wanting a conversation to end. The issue that several people saw in his temperament currently, was the underlying agitation directed outwards. The elafia and the demoness in particular took issue with the shift in the lad's mood and Martha found his lashing out at Sakura to be absurd even for someone who was previously traumatized. All remained quiet and even the most jovial and free-spirited took at least a moment to consider the actions of their party leader. It was Anais to give the lad some not so thinly veiled advice and though her mentor was currently cooking dinner she watched as the lad took that advice in a rather odd way. The eye rolling and the like seemed to be a moment of consideration but he decided to do as she said, thought in a very odd fashion. He armed himself, and headed off to his bedroom. As everyone watched the tension in the room eased considerably though everyone seemed to be curious at least a little.

Anais for her part in this, made a mental note to converse more directly with Charles a bit later... but for now she leaned her face against the hair and exposed back of her friend and exhaled. 'Ara ara, Mi-chan if you start flirting with me so openly people will get jealous~' Yume playfully flirted which made the other girl turn her head around to the other cheek. 'Urusai, I am now wondering if I am also that kind of notably moody,' she questioned wondering exactly what the lad would be doing but deciding that letting him work it out on his own was for the best. At the same time Sakura looked around the table, she still didn't quite get what had just happened, but she didn't bother following Charles as they'd had their earlier conversation about him visiting the Nexus alone. And he'd not asked her to come along so perhaps it was something he wished to do alone. His darkness was something already acknowledged by the Nexus as something that stemmed from within and his own emotional discontent, so poking at it wouldn't directly fix it. She also wasn't sure anything could actually fix it given how much he was still going through, perhaps a bit more time was needed. She considered that while waiting for her food.

[Bloodedge]

While the others silently pondered the goings-on and awaited the coming meal, Charlemagne was equipping his greaves and vambraces. His sword remained in hand once all armor was equipped, and the Holy Grail materialized in the other. Charlemagne sighed. The grail filled with that glowing golden liquid, and he gulped it all in a single tilt. This wasn't a consumption that would balance him, nor would he be made drunk from the grail this time. He wasn't drinking because of Anais's suggestion. No, he had taken it as an excuse to get away from that table. Visiting the Nexus was a thing Charlemagne had been planning all day.

This conscious trip to the Nexus was fated to be a bit different to its predecessors. Charlemagne drained his grail, then felt compelled to drop it. The grail seemed to slow during its descent, until it ultimately phased into the floor ─ or rather, ripples in the skin of reality spawned at that location. Charlemagne himself sank into those same ripples. He reappeared in that familiar white space, sans the older male who once inhabited it. There was little guidance from the Nexus in terms of what one should do in this situation, but... he surely had some ability to make things work, right? It was worth a try. By Charlemagne's will, two large orichalcum knight statues materialized. The pair of knights faced one another, their swords crossing each other's to create an arch between the statues. Within said arch, there was a similar portal to what Charlemagne used to reach the Nexus. He stood in front of the arch with his own sword held in regal posture, point to the floor. It was by this method that the coming words would reach someone very specific, even across dimensions. "I request an audience," he spoke loudly and clearly. Such was the way one felt inclined to address a knight of this one's caliber.

[Apollymi]

Charles prepared and entered the Nexus today while a table of his friends sat in quiet contemplation. One might have wondered who it was that Charles took that deep breath to call to the Nexus and it would become obvious over a few seconds. That ripple though which he'd passed, under the arms of orichalcum knights who was he seeking an audience with though?

Royal blue puffled skirt and greaves were the first thing to be seen. A bright light and a small chest piece lined in silver upon her frame. Two mitten like vambraces completed her look and she held in her hands firmly planted before her, a sword of mithril shining in her hands. Ah, but what did she look like? Golden hair atop her had, a single untamed strand curved outward over her head. Perfect bangs and a well kept braided bun with additional braids from the sides going back. Those heavily lashed lids opened to show eyes of emerald flames in a fairly direct way. And she stood, looking at the man before her, and hearing the call which brought her forth and the tiniest smile graced the corner of her lips. "To what do I owe the pleasure of an audience, Charles Martel?"

[Bloodedge]

In response to his call, it was the Queen of Knights passing through the gateway, boasting the exact glory she'd been known to possess since gaining renown. In fact, the only thing that seemed different about the woman who bore the legend of King Arthur, was the precise style of her hair, and... perhaps a small amount of weight? No matter. As expected, the woman emerged to take her position formally at rest. And so, the two stood opposite one another in similar fashion. The arch, however, changed. As if the Nexus itself were to answer its sovereign's appearance, those knight statues bent the knee... literally. Each lowered to its left knee, lowering their swords and dispelling the portal between realms. It was known that Artoria Pendragon and some others were not presently in the world of Alaya ─ perhaps they thought to keep something else from entering it or the Nexus?

Charlemagne had no thoughts about the sealed gate. He had called upon the Queen of Knights for the sake of discussing something important. She addressed him immediately by his full, proper name, much to the male's discomfort. "Not Charles Martel. Anything but Charles Martel. That's just for introductions," he said first and foremost. As for the matter he called upon her for, it was one he'd address without further hesitation. "Information. I'm on the hunt for a Holy Grail that hasn't spawned yet. The only people I could go for to get any information on that journey, are the Holy Templars... and the Round Table. Then there's one other thing I haven't seen yet: the Holy Grail War itself."

[Apollymi]

Artoria Pendragon was welcomed to the Nexus by statue knights and Charles Martel. It wasn't quite the happy voice which normally greeted her, but it wasn't an unwelcome one either. She looked upon the lad, she'd not seen in a thousand years and found him to be, quite a bit more mature than he was the first time she'd seen him. Interesting, her sister had mentioned meeting up with this lad, and spoke of his own claimed grail, but it'd not included his newfound elevation in status. That was fine though, Artoria could control her baser instincts to fight and have a more civil conversation. She'd been relaxing quite a bit after all... it'd be fun to talk to someone who was more outside of her immediate circle.

In the meantime, Charles claimed to not enjoy being referred to by his full name. According to him, anything but was preferential. "Well, it is your name. And big people require big names... it is not as if I plan to call you," there was a pause and she seemed almost aghast and disgusted by the word that was about to leave her mouth. "Chuck." she finished her statement and left the lad room to decide what he would be called by her that met her own requirements. Regardless it seemed she'd be summoned for a very specific reason. He wished to know about the Holy Grail War and tracking down a Holy Grail, she stared at the lad for a few seconds after he spoke. His questions were ones she could answer, odd though it was for someone who already possessed a Holy Grail. "Let me ask you first, why are you hunting a Holy Grail if you already possess one?" a bit of clarification would be necessary before Artoria parted with information. She stared at the lad her body relaxed but seeming to search for something in his answer before saying anything else.

[Bloodedge]

Always the proper speaker, Artoria Pendragon. She addressed him as Charles Martel, and openly showed disgust at the idea of calling him something like Chuck. He was fine with that, but not with being called by the same name as his grandfather. Just the same, her reason for refusing a less formal name was not one he could agree with. "I'm not big people. If you insist, I picked up the name Charlemagne since we last met," he mentioned. Though he obviously wasn't as fond of that name as he once was, it was much preferred to the alternative until something was made certain.

Artoria had no immediate answer for his issues. Instead, she questioned his reason for seeking a Holy Grail as one who possessed one already. There were numerous reasons, actually. Where would he start? Well, there was one major motivator for the journey. "Because Aincrad is searching for it. I can sense the trail of its energies and track it to a general location, but that's all. The goal is to find the grail's spawn point, find the Holy Templars that are looking for it, find where Aincrad is... and find Father An," he explained. There were a thousand more details that Charlemagne left out. Regardless, he'd given the gist of it all. He didn't know what the queen was searching for, but what he had to give was mostly... a certain thirst. In his current state, Charlemagne's soul called for vengeance whenever Father An came to mind. Most other things, while still present, would have to take a backseat.

[Apollymi]

Artoria's gaze didn't shift. She stared at Charles with all the intensity that she looked upon people who'd made the same leaps in existence that she had. According to this young lad, he wasn't big people. She looked at him with her left brow raising slowly as if to question him. He also in the same moments gave the name Charlemagne as his more official title to go by. "Oh? You honestly believe that..." she mentioned as if it was a perfectly normal assessment to make. "Charlemagne, is an appropriately large name. It will suffice," she stated as calmly as she had anything else this day.

Beyond this point, Charlemagne as he was being addressed, explained why he was searching for a grail when he already possessed one. Artoria listened to his reasoning and by her approximation there seemed to be a bit left out of it, but the core explanation was at least one she could understand. He was tracking down the mysterious floating fortress, Aincrad and he was using the grail to figure out where that place was hiding or to get back to it. Artoria's memory said the lad was once part of the Aincrad fold, but apparently they'd fallen out, fine. "I see. You do know you would not be able to claim a second grail for yourself. You should give consideration to what you are going to do with it, when you find it..." she gave that little bit of advice but the rest of her seemed to relax quite a bit. "Now, I require a table, two chairs and for my cup to be filled," Artoria made those three requests of the Nexus. By her desires, a small round table and two comfortable chairs would appear across from each other. "You have my thanks," she said to the disembodied voice of the Nexus. She wasn't rude after all. The Queen of Knights approached the set up after it appeared her armor being banished from her person as she calmly but rather casually took a seat and motioned to the chair across from her as her grail appeared on the table and filled. "Sit, Charlemagne. I will answer the questions you have, to help you on your quest..." she commented absently waiting for the lad to take his seat that she might find out what kind of questions he had directly.

[Bloodedge]

Of course Charlemagne believed he wasn't one of those 'big people' the woman spoke of. He was an adventurer thrown into leadership by the most ragtag group of individuals he'd ever seen in one room. If anything, he considered himself experienced by force, but not at all some sort of monstrous being. Ah, but Charlemagne's constitution didn't even let him consciously remember becoming whatever form of divinity he was now. It didn't matter either way. "Charlemagne it is then," he said, responding only to the matter of how she'd address him.

Artoria thought to mention that he'd be incapable of claiming a second Holy Grail. Charlemagne knew this as fact, but it was yet another thing he'd given consideration to. That would be addressed later, as Artoria took the time to make some demands of the Nexus. A table and two chairs appeared, she had her grail filled, and she sat while offering that he do the same. In sitting, Charlemagne thought over the wording of his current plan. "I know. It's not about getting the grail; it's about getting access to Aincrad again. As for the grail... I'll either find a way to let it live, or find a way to fix Jeanne with it. If neither of those ideas works, there are people I might give it to," he explained. Finding the child who would become the grail first would of course be ideal, but he was prepared for that to fail. Artoria agreed to answer his questions. Whatever her reasons for accepting were, Charlemagne wouldn't be wasting much time. "What I need to know first, is how the grail spawns. I remember hearing from Jeanne about a bounded field appearing to start the war, but if there are any conditions behind it, I need to know them."

[Apollymi]

Charlemagne was being fairly amicable this day. All was well for Artoria as she took her seat and reached for her now filled cup. She'd take a sip as Charlemagne took the seat across from her. He also after a moment of thought found a way to express what he planned to do with the second Holy Grail he planned to capture. His words to her knowledge were the truth and the mention of righting the current state of her younger sister made her left brow quirk. The now rather aggressive lass, had mentioned some 'dumb' declaration of the lad, but hearing it for herself made Artoria look upon the lad quizzically. She was also already told of the living status of the grails, though she didn't really understand it, she was far from arguing that particular point. She'd be giving birth to no grail child so it wasn't her concern. "I see... all of those are fair enough. I will not try to dissuade you," she said seeming keen enough to leave that particular topic alone. In truth, she understood how earnest the lad was, and decided to leave him to the task she'd not figured out how to undertake herself. "I was hoping that several of these magical world... mechanics were not so very annoying but I will leave that alone for now," she commented absently.

The true questions of Charlemagne began soon after. The lad wished to know how the grail spawned, mentioning that he knew of the bounded field. But that he did not know much else about the situation surrounding it. The lad had chosen the right kind of person to talk to, Artoria was familiar with the grail spawning from technically three separate occasions. She'd explain the easiest ways she knew how. "Grails as they are being followed apparently have a bit of a different set of criteria surrounding them. One might find monsters or miracles in the wake of a moving grail before it is rendered capable of being moved as an object. Galahad's party relayed such information to me when they captured the grail they brought directly to me. It after taking its physical form, stayed in my possession for 2 years before it disappeared from my armory. I tracked it down when it reappeared at a different place and created its bounded field, complete with its own environment around it," she explained the sort of things the lad could look for to find the grail itself. "As for the bounded field it can produce, I participated in two holy grail wars. The first had spawned in a place and been there long enough to gather people around it, the field itself only formed when all the necessary participants were within it," she explained. "The second, the one I claimed for myself... was the one originally brought into my care by Galahad. It moved itself to a place where all the people it was looking for would be, and then triggered its bounded field. It is a mighty thing, but it can be broken. It also does not lock out people who are not participating so it is something to keep in mind," she expressed before taking a sip from her cup. Artoria Pendragon had offered explanations and she would give them in a no-nonsense manner.

[Bloodedge]

To no surprise of Charlemagne's, Artoria had no arguments against his plan. Given the way she often behaved in regards to Jeanne d'Arc, he expected nothing less. In fact, he was almost surprised she had no intention of throwing herself into the fray. "Good. I don't expect a single plan to work, but those are the ideas. If none play out the way I want, I'll find another way to do each. Then... I'll deal with Father An," he said with conviction. The alleged god known as An had a hold on his soul and comrades ─ one that could not be allowed to continue. The fact that he apparently had some intentions with Angelica as well, was sickening enough that Charlemagne became even more motivated to act. Alas, it seemed motivation and stress had become synonymous to him of late. No matter.

Artoria Pendragon had seen and participated in two Holy Grail Wars. It was widely known that a small group of her knights had done the impossible, and located a Holy Grail some time before its war began. He needed that story's details to know if an early acquisition might be possible. As it sounded, there was hope. "Two years? That might not work. It'll take this next grail about two years to spawn, and I have reason to believe there won't be any time between the spawn and the war. Seems like things work a bit differently now that the grails are alive preemptively. At least, that's my interpretation," he said as if equally annoyed by the magical world's mechanics. Charlemagne then paused to think. His mind was racing with all the things he needed to do. Currently, what he needed was focus. The best route was to be as prepared as possible. This conversation would help said preparation, so he had to ensure all important questions were asked. Ah... there was one that kept appearing in the lad's mind. He fell silent for some time, but eventually... he couldn't keep himself from asking. "... How do you kill a god?" he inquired at last. Of all the things that were necessary, one thing was a potential requirement to make any of his plans work. So long as Father An could act in his current state, he could probably still claim Charlemagne's soul as his own. Artoria Pendragon was one of two who staged a rebellion against the divine. Perhaps she had the answer his mind kept screaming for.

[Apollymi]

Charlemagne sat in front of Artoria Pendragon facing the scrutiny of her blazing emerald gaze and spoke only his most honest truths. His plans whether they worked or not would be followed through to the purposes he gave. He was so sure of himself and his desires that she would not argue her point about him. She looked at him in this moment and saw the makings of greatness, but moreover she saw something else, she saw herself a thousand years ago. Surely, she was mistaken.

But as the lad continued to talk he seemed to express more of himself. She sipped from her cup and watched his face and listened to his voice. He was still thinking as much as that was worth. She'd offer her opinion given his words. "It is very possible the previous ones were 'alive' in shifts before. Moving from place to place towards their goal. I would assume that now they are alive earlier as a form of protection, given what has been said about them..." she expressed her current understanding. "Galahad and her party began searching for it, immediately following the previous holy grail's claiming. Merlin stated it would spawn within 10 years and I took the time to allow them their search and prepare my lands," she explained of the situation surrounding her own grail. "Admittedly, it seems like the grail you hunt will be more like the second. Gathering all the necessary challengers in a single place and then spawning its barrier and challenge around it," she surmised given his own words about it. Ah but the lad as deep in thought. She watched and saw something in him, she didn't fully expect to see outside of her own family. A darkness and felt the embrace of the warmest desire she'd ever experienced before more recent times... the desire to kill. And what did it culminate in for someone like Charlemagne. A single question. Six words. And within those six words... so many heavy things. She could see his likeness to her so clearly now... hurt by the gods in a way that couldn't be forgiven, he sought retribution, whether for himself or someone else. She could understand his sentiment, even if he didn't express it fully. After all, if there was one thing understood by the person at the base of Artoria Pendragon, it was killing. "That is a very large question for someone who does not believe themselves to be a big person. It will be far outside of your ability, if you cannot be enough," she expressed in a rather coy manner for someone who killed and understood killing at a deep level. But she wasn't sure telling this lad this exact information would help him, and in turn help her sister. "Why do you want to kill a god, Charlemagne?" she asked him. She'd agreed to help him on his quest, but dealing death to big entities was technically a very dangerous thing and she'd only witnessed the real death of two gods, one indirectly.

[Bloodedge]

A discussion would take place about Holy Grails and their 'lives' in whatever various states there were. Ten years was the time given during Artoria's search. It seemed ten years was roughly the same time period now, given the few years each hunting party of Aincrad had after being sent in increments. "Ten years? It might still be the same then. I just wonder if the templars are initiating wars every time they find a grail. I can't be completely sure about that part," he stated. Charlemagne's ideal approach would be to either find the grail in its living form, then trap the templars who sought it... or to initiate the war and defeat those same templars instead.

Before any of that, though, he'd have to know how plausible the end of his journey was. Killing a god seemed to be the most realistic outcome, impossible as such a task was. Artoria heard his question and brought curiosities of her own. Indeed, it was a tall order... but not too tall for reason. Why did he want o kill a god? There were two answers. The first was that, internally, he was angrier ─ more so than even he realized. The second answer would be the one offered. "Because..." he started. A brief pause occurred then. He knew how irrational it was as a goal, but it was so much better than the alternative. "Because stopping a god seems less likely. Even if he can be stopped, he'll do something else. He sacrificed Jeanne, then tried to sacrifice me. If I stop him... what does it help?" he wondered. Ah, there was much context to be given by one who wasn't sacrificed the same way Jeanne had been. With a heavy sigh and a heavier weight on his shoulders, Charlemagne spilled the proverbial beans. "I was married the other day. Father An's daughter, the Holy Princess. That same day was my coronation as Holy Emperor, and the same day he tried to snatch my soul. I have part of him now, and still have burns from meeting Jeanne again to prove it. But, he's still got what he took from me. If I can't stop him, I don't exist anymore. Even if I do stop him, he remains able to absorb me. He's the Holy Emperor, Angie's husband, and... the owner of the Holy Grail I earned in the Labyrinth. He can keep Angie, keep my friends, and make his way here in the Nexus. If that's a possibility I let stick around, I'd rather kill a god... or myself if it can stop those events."

[Apollymi]

Artoria gave consideration to his statement. The ten years part seemed to be a constant factor according to Charlemagne. Even so, he had a curiosity about whether or not a war was initiated by the Templars who were taking hold of grails. A bit of thought came to Artoria. Before this, only a group of those worthy would have made the grail trigger... "I do not know if they are initiating wars. In truth, a King or Queen would be made by the claiming of a grail in a Holy Grail War, and they likely would have come in contact with at least the Great Pharaohs of Egypt if no one else," she explained. "And they have not mentioned meeting any other grail holders after Emi and myself. So, I am willing to believe they are not fighting and drinking from the grails as they are filled with the spoils of war..." she gave her own explanation. She'd give him whatever information he might find useful. "As an aside, I do not think a Holy Grail War can be triggered without enough worthy people gathered in one place. The two I participated in had seven people of different classes gathered together each deemed worthy by the system. I would assume that such knights who would hunt children would not count as worthy of the sort of divinity which would be granted by the grails, nor the responsibility of holding the grails," she concluded. As one who often determined worthiness herself, she could not imagine Holy Grail Wars being easily triggered by groups of Templars sent out to collect them. In her own mind something much more underhanded was likely.

Ah, speaking of likely underhanded behavior, apparently this god that Charlemagne wanted dead had his own list of ill deeds. Artoria listened with an open expression on her face, as Charlemagne explained his logic. Stopping a god seemed less likely. She could confirm that stopping someone who was already that deranged and that powerful was indeed something that would not work. They tended to have no real sense of reason left. What was more the further explanation came with the exploitation of innocents, including Charlemagne and Jeanne d'Arc. It also contained the horrifying idea of a king and god marrying his own daughter and keeping spoils of wars he could not earn himself to gain prizes he'd not achieved the proper stance to take. "I see..." she said those flames in her eyes dancing just a little. "That is a lot for a few days time. I understand your stance. Even the part you do not yet seem capable of verbalizing," she said, knowing the sort of anger that such feelings and horrific things seated within a soul. She gathered her thoughts to prepare to give him an answer that probably wasn't much of an answer at all.

"I will be honest with you, Charlemagne, to kill a god is not something I have actually done with my own hands. I have seen the death of two of those annoying and disgusting creatures both under different circumstances. My first act of rebellion against the divine, aside from the deaths of every follower who entered my castle with her sickness infecting them... was an act of defacing. I knocked down every temple in that thing's honor that I could find," she told that little story as a preface to the rest. "As for the two deaths I witnessed, the first was at the hands of another god, the goddess of Wisdom, Metis, slayed the rusty butter knife wielding... creature called Enki. He was aptly beaten and run though before such, and the entire continent thoroughly wiped from the map, along with its population," she explained of that particular incident. "The other death I witnessed was a memory of another. King Giigamesh has apparently given death to that thing known as Ishtar at least twice. But I do not know if the death was given simply because his power and state of being outweighs its. Or if it is his weapons and their far superior quality which would be the difference," Artoria mentioned. Strangely in some contexts, both of her most recent statements could have been counted as the same thing. Whatever he took from the information she gave, she'd continue to speak to Charlemagne as long as he had things to ask.

[Bloodedge]

Strangely, it seemed Charlemagne was the one with unknown information. Artoria spoke of a worthiness to participants of a Holy Grail War. The modern truth, however, involved some additional details that may have altered that criteria at some point. Charlemagne knew of that change quite intimately. When first drinking from his own grail, there was a toxin that had to be syphoned from his soul ─ one he was still technically dealing with the aftermath of. "That might also be different. I drank from the grail to repair myself. It was tainted by some darkness that felt like... so much. Fear, self-loathing, anger ─ all of it flooded my brain and keeps popping up from time to time... even today," he said, realizing he may have fallen a bit far in recent minutes.

Artoria had a strange amount of understanding for his plight. She voiced said understanding of his point, and further claimed she knew of the hidden agenda in an indirect way. "That part isn't important," he stated firmly. Charlemagne knew of his own anger. Even so, he couldn't let himself keep that at the forefront. There were others who would suffer far more than him, who wouldn't even exist, if his mission failed. Those lives were more important.

So then, how could he kill a god? It seemed Artoria didn't know, as she'd never done so herself. Still, she'd seen one god killed by another, and one killed twice by King Gilgamesh, though she wasn't sure the reason those two were possible. Charlemagne's own understanding was that he had no weapon that could fell a god. Just the same, he doubted it was possible to overpower a god who held half his own soul hostage. How annoying. He did, however, have god status as well... and access to one, if not two goddesses. "Sure could use a weapon like that instead of one I got from him. I'm with the daughter of another wisdom goddess currently. I also have some amount of his godhood, a King title and the Power of Order that I still don't understand entirely, and maybe the wisdom goddess herself if she's willing to help. But, from the sound of things, what we're dealing with is the father of the gods. That might still be a tall order. Maybe it's even a suicide mission, but I can't just back down. Got any ideas? Advice? Help, even if it isn't direct?"