Life Down Below

[Rhea]

    The Court of Miracles was unlike anything she had truly seen before. Rhea was familiar with the slums of Greece back home and all that it brought, but this place was something else. The place was certainly alive in all corners high and low, and the inhabitants were just as colorful and alive as the place was, even though it was below the streets of Paris above. It was the home of the downtrodden, the sick, the unwelcome, and the outcasted. It made the maternal part of her heart swell with sadness. But it was now home, the land of Gaul turned now France. 

    The broken streets were alive and bustling as she walked through it, people and animals just going through the motions of their lives beyond hers. The laughs of children, occasional sound of an animal, and other noises made up the ambiance of the place, and Rhea could not help but to be in awe. The outside world certainly had changed since she last was outside of Crete... She could not help but to remember how she came back outside not of her own will though. 

    She stopped at a vacant pillar for a moment of rest, and motioned to feel the permanent scar that was forever marred on her eye. Rhea did not want to remember the mortals that did that to her, and how she was forced to leave her old home in Crete out of survival and fear with bleeding wounds that took too long to heal even with her magic. She was familiar with scars from the Titanomachy that had marred some of her children and their allies during it, but to experience it herself? It hurt to even think about.

    "At least here, I am safe." She had sighed quietly to herself with closed eyes. She was right. The Court of Miracles was safe, and no one who broke the laws here would be able to get away with it. She found a place here, and nothing would change that. 

[Dissonus Narratus]

The sounds of flight could be heard above the Goddess, and a worn, older raven glided down gently through the air. It's wings flapped ever so slightly, as to prolong it's spiral descent, before landing upon a collum above the former Titan queen. Seeming to scan the area for any who may question it, the raven extended its wings before soaring again, this time landing in front of Rhea. The immortal could tell that the raven knew who she was, and perhaps could even sense the magic emanating from her.

The avian extended one wing now and seemed to bow with a flourish. "Hail, Rhea, mother to the heirs of Olympus, and goddess over life, fertility, and motherhood. Your reputation precedes itself, Lady Rhea, and I, for one, am grateful you chose our home for refuge." The raven, having finished it's worship, raised it's head and looked the Titaness in the eye. "I am Dissonus Narratus, milady, but many find it too hard to remember. It would be a high honor to be simply called Diso, Lady Rhea." Diso's voice is calm and gentle, as if a butler were greeting his master. 

The raven cautiously looked from side to side, as if he expected someone to turn the corner and attack. "Might I suggest we return to the Court, milady? The streets can be treacherous, especially since we find ourselves at war with two armies. I know one isn't above sending murderers and scoundrels into enemy lands, and the other puts on a righteous face with a dagger hidden beneath it." He spits part of the final sentence with a twinge of venom, strong enough that one could sense his disgust of one of the enemies the Rogues faced. But which one?

[Rhea]

    Rhea was taken aback a bit when Diso had appeared, but calmed down when she realized that he was no ordinary raven. The obvious talking was the biggest giveaway, but the almost human-like mannerisms in his movements also gave it away. He certainly knew how to speak politely, and it made the scarred goddess smile, and at least he knew who she was off the bat. She'd rather have an animal know that a human, for reasons obvious only to her... 

    "Thank you, Diso," She casually replied towards the raven with a small bow of her own. "It is a delight to meet you, and I am glad as well that I made this place my home. Even though it is far from Crete, I'm glad that it is safe enough as refuge for me, far away from any of the mortals who... did this to me." She lightly motioned to her scarred eye, and then sighed. It hurt to think of the night that it happened, but it was over. She was safe here.

    Rhea herself then looked side to side briefly, mirroring Diso's own movements. She did agree that it was probably high time to get back to the main court itself, and was one of a mind to be cautious as Diso. She did want to question just who he was referring too in his obvious venom in his speech, but it wasn't her place.

    "I am one of a mind with you," She replied. "Returning to the court would be the best idea, especially in this blasted war. I'm too old for such things, and I already lived through one war directly. If you don't mind, I wouldn't mind you leading the way, my friend." 

[Dissonus Narratus]

The old raven nodded, and flew up the Titaness' shoulder, perching gently. "Forgive the sudden perching, milady, but it would be easier for both you and I if I directed you from here. Shall we head off then? Forward, to home."

As both raven and immortal traveled the streets of Paris back to the Court of Miracles, Diso's keen eyes kept a watch for any unsavory figures watching them. "Have you traveled safely, Lady Rhea? If word from my feathered friends traveling from Greece has been honest, your move here was not entirely pleasant." Diso looked off wistfully, seeming to dive deep into his mind. "I used to love to travel across plains and forests when I earned my freedom. Viewing new horizons and marveling at the various forms of life in person was vastly different than the dusty tomes of magic and arcane knowledges my old mistress would keep in her cupboard."

His head turned, staring out into the River Seine. "But one thing I found is that many things are hard to compare with the experience of traveling with another. One who keeps up or even challenges you to keep to their pace." Turning back to face forward, Diso continued, "Ah, but it has been a very long time since I have flown with one like that."

There is a rich sadness that carries forth from the small avian, flowing lavishly from the memories undoubtedly flowing through his mind. Diso may speak little, but it is clear that the old raven knows much more than meets the eye.

[Rhea]

    Rhea didn't really mind the sudden perching, as it was probably better for the both of them in the long run to stick pretty close together. Like Diso said, it would be easier for the both of them to make their way back to the court together. Two heads were better then one. The old titan just nodded and began walking back on the route towards the court. She was just thankfully that she remembered the right way back there, and the little landmarks here and there that would make it easier for her to remember.

    The titaness felt a little downtrodden when the old raven mentioned that her journey to France wasn't the best, to which he was right. "...No. It wasn't entirely pleasant." She replied towards Diso, her unscarred eye then downtrodden towards the ground. She didn't like remembering that moment. "I was attacked by a group of mortals not native to Crete, for reasons still unknown to me. Whether they thought me some sort of witch or monster was irrelevant, they attacked me and I fled for my life. The worst of it was definitely my eye, as I can't even open it without blinding pain. I'm just glad I found refuge in the court."

    "I understand what you're saying. It's can be rewarding to travel with another, especially one that you've grown... close too." Rhea then sighed, all be it a bit forcefully. "But it's been a long time for the both of us, it seems. The one I grew close too lost that a long time ago, and I will have nothing to do with him ever again. Not now, not ever."