The Books Of Sorrow

The Leviathan

Deeper and deeper past the planet's shifting tectonics and past monsters of great scope and crushing pressure from the ocean it was deeper into the core of Fundament that their questions would be answered. Above them, the moons could be heard tugging on the ocean. Sathona hissed "The Syzygy is real" Remembering the terrible stories her father told her Xi Ro whispered "Something's down here, we aren't alone" 

Suddenly a great roar swept over the ship and a voice began to speak, not like we humans hear it. They were hearing it through their minds. Above them It appeared, the  Leviathan a creature as ancient as Fundament itself more massive than words can describe its great fins crackling with the lightening of life. The great beast turned its massive head to them "You must turn back, nothing but death and pain and sorrow awaits you here, you must turn back. We live on the edge of a war between the formless and the formed between the Deep and the Sky. My eyes are wide, my gaze is long across the universe as far as I can see the Sky works to charge Its fires and the Deep drowns the ash. Sky builds gentle places safe havens for trillions, the Sky treasures all life, but the Deep holds cold logic, tests all. The Sky gives, but the deep takes" Aurash amazingly summoned the courage to reply "We live short, difficult lives the vicious cycle of Fundament never fails to test our will and our hope. Let us go down, down where our species may find hope and power. Now, allow us to enter" 

The Leviathan responded this was now a debate "For aeons, I have watched you sweet krill you cling to the sharp edge of survival, you balance between the Deep and the Sky. When a people is dying everything turns to the deep, the easy path. You will turn back and choose the sky" This time It was Xi Ro's time to respond "You are huge and old, our lives are short and desperate If that is the way the world is supposed to be I will not have it! If people like Taox are meant to win I won't let them I'll beat the world until it changes, I'll kill anything in the way" To this, the Leviathan responded knowing the sharp terrors that plagued his ancient mind were unfolding in front of him "This fatal logic, It will consume you. The Sky builds a new life while fending off the ever present onslaught of ruin, towards a gentle world. The Deep embraces death, saying this is inevitable and right I exist as hungry ruin, turn back from the world killing way or you will live as death and devastation. The Sky is the harder way, but it's kinder. My charge is balanced my voice exhausted" 

With her cunning mind corrupted by her father's familiar Sathona gave her final reply to the Leviathan "Sisters, look I have my father's familiar In plain words it helped me find this ship, it gives me strength when hope is lost, who will you trust? The voice that wants us to live and suffer as we have lived and suffered? The Leviathan who offers no help against Taox or the god wave, Or the plain honest worm" So the sisters ignored the Leviathan's warning and continued downwards. They went down and down and down until they finally reached the core of Fundament. What they found in the darkest reaches of their planet, would spell doom for those on the world above.