Redemptor Secret Origin

Chapter 18 - Fancy Hero, Wonky Rhymes

Finally, at long last, father and daughter had come to the end of their quest, had found Redemptor in the shadow of Mount Veda, and had fulfilled their shinwha, their soul-debt, to Ophiuchus, or so Rene Naza believed. Rene bowed to this resplendent figure, in his marvelous armor and cloak, and directed Nariah to do the same. But Nariah clutched her father's hand very tightly and would not let go.

"O, uh, powerful Redemptor," Rene began, "the shinseon Ophiuchus has fallen and sent us to find you and to tell you that you are needed now in Tetrapolis, to liberate those captured in the city, to defeat vile Gorchen, to save all Fait."

Rene noticed that the Pseudo Redemptor's eyes looked a little... what was that look? Angry? Offended?

"That is, uh, I mean, if you're not in the middle of..."

Oh, was Rene not being formal enough? Rene could speak louder and slower and in more Second World words.

"Ahem, I mean, if thou artst not in'st the midst of... doing stuff. Not to put too big a rush on it, but it isith to save the planet."

Still, Pseudo Redemptor did not blink, staring down at Rene and Nariah.

"So. Um. As soon as possible, that is goodith for you is goodith for us, wouldst be... great."

"This, a righteous request. As shinseon foresworn, I cannot refuse.

Yet, where the cloak? Where the silver staff Xiphos to save thy city I am to use?"

While her father stammered to find the right formal phrasing, Nariah simply shouted up, matter-of-factly, "We lost them."

The Pseudo Redemptor smiled, "It is no matter. And thus, so, now..."

Nariah interrupted, "Wait. So, if you're so powerful and such a big fancy superhero, why haven't you saved our city before now? You've been—what?—hanging out by your volcano? Being fancy? We were right over there." Nariah pointed behind them to the horizon and the four supertowers' pyramid tops.

Rene said, smiling through gritted teeth, "Nariah, not the right tone for the superhero-savior we've come all this way to find."

The Pseudo Redemptor chuckled. Then, in a very sweeping tone, he declared—

"The appointed time for salvation of thy afflicted city, little one, was still to wait,

Yet now time is come, as you are here, and so verily shall I go, go to there, and to Fait,

To make once more all the crooked things straight

that art bent,

As 'twas before Gorchen, in the good old days of old

Treinte,

When folks wert free and happy, not in urban prison,

And didst not toil their days in supertowers for vile Gorchen."

"Well, you waited long enough," Nariah grumbled. Her father squeezed her hand and shot her a wide-eyed look. What was going on with her, Rene did not know, but he was worried.

Pseudo Redemptor bellowed,

"Noble pilgrims, come ye now, and rest. Thou art

weary from your perilous journey.

To my castle, Kaleidoscopia, join me for most

fabulous feast. Ye must be hungry."

Rene started, "Thank you, Redemptor, we..." but Nariah interrupted again, speaking loudly, "We just told you Tetrapolis needs you to save it and save everyone, but you want a big fancy dinner first?"