"Ok, let's say, for sake of argument, that you had met life and lived death. Let's say that instead of being blinded by light you took rest and refuge in darkness. Let's say that you grasped the veil between the mechanism of nature and instead of awe you felt disgust. Let's say you understood the inherent unfairness that this order functioned on and it offended you. Let's say that in your altruism you sought to change it. Let's say that that process changed you and you struggled with that inertia. Let's say that you are still changing. This is unequivocally the fate of fire."
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Fate (to many) was an enticing surprise, and (to many others) a horrific reality. Fate, being most deeply affected by Luck, was often capricious and unfair, but in a fit of jealousy one day, she set my destiny to undo his control over Life.
Luck, being perhaps the most influential on Life, having manipulated, strongarmed and out right blackmailed her from quite early, perpetuated his unfairness until he was stopped by Death. Death being the child of Fate and Luck who fell in love with Life and sought to free her.
While the circumstances within which Death would arrive were always unfair because of the circumstances of Life, Death made certain that unfairness ended for everyone. Most often for selfish reasons those attached to Life tried to cheat Death. They didn't understand that this still kept them at the mercy of Luck, they foolishly thought they could make their own. They didn't want fairness, they wanted favoritism. And that is why they all failed. Luck would never give up his power willingly, and as much as he could delay or hasten Death, he could never completely stop it.
I never cheated Death. Instead, I appealed to Death's inherent fairness and struck a deal. Death doesn't keep souls, merely curates them. I never refused to die. I do so often. I just don't stay dead. Death could come for me, I wouldn't resist, but I had no obligation to continue on to the next thing, because of a binding agreement we made. As long as my heart balanced on the scales, Death would uphold our bargain and allow my soul to journey back here until I helped Life escape from the dictates of Luck.
While Fate's magic is mostly unseen, it
has the strongest pull, and like a magnetic force draws in other magic to strengthen itself. Having Fate's mark on my life meant all roads would lead to my destiny. That's why divinity was so drawn to me. Most of the divine arrogantly assume they have mastered Fate and attribute her magic to their choices. Coyote, being the humble deity of wisdom, was immune naturally to this blinding arrogance, and always saw her magic coming. Being wise also meant being fair. Never one to manipulate without provocation or consent, he first offered a choice, the choice: he offered wisdom at the cost of pride. Fate's magic, which is destiny, can be acted out a number of ways, and that versatility gives it its power. Often one thinking they can avoid destiny will unwittingly fulfill it. They only way to escape destiny is through wisdom which can only be obtained by humility and that is the sole domain of a trickster.
Whatever entanglement I had with destiny, I knew I most likely had to fulfill it, but what I became and how I went about it I wanted to be my own domain.
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"... and I will never, ever trust anyone again! This is what I've learned from you!" Medora screamed while throwing various objects out the window of her room in the castle.
"Then you've really not learned from this situation fully." Coyote said.
"I've learned enough to not trust anything you say." Medora snapped back still enraged.
"Trust is an unnecessary emotion when you have wisdom. If you know something or someone well enough, you can easily extrapolate outcomes. Then you won't need to trust, you'll know." Coyote spoke calmly sitting in front of the princess.
Coyote was right, the words made sense. What wasn't already known could be learned, but trust assumes. Wisdom wouldn't need to assume. Wisdom would know. Medora was determined to learn and grow, but the process was not pleasant. While Wisdom was always fair, the lessons were easy to fail. The process of obtaining wisdom being injurious to pride was in itself painful, but often the wisdom itself carried its own persistent sting like a wound that was always raw and being ripped open over and over again. Wisdom revealed the truth of Life which was often unpleasant, and the inevitability of Death, which was equally terrifying.
Often the best way to conquer fear is to face it, which is what first prompted Medora to meet Death. And Death couldn't have been more excited.
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Lucky being in her dragon form was not consciously aware of what exactly happened between her and Corvis. Where she currently was she didn't recognize. Corvis held the go piece in his beak, but didn't swallow it. Instead he placed it inside a pentacle he had drawn and while chanting something in Elvish. Lucky didn't understand how she knew it was Elvish either. She watched as a quicksilver liquid began to drop from the piece until the circle seemed to become a mirror- like pool full of deep water. The water began to form itself into two snakes that twisted together to form a double helix which then began to replicate by pulling apart and joining back together until an unfamiliar form took shape, with an unmistakable voice. Lucky stood there frozen with one paw curled to her chest.
The figure stepped out of the circle and extended a hand to Corvis who immediately put a familiar metal gauntlet on it. The opposite hand was extended to Lucky full of hazelnuts while that familiar, terrifying and irresistible voice beckoned "Come here."
Lucky hopped into Zion's hand and Zion gently pet her on the head as she shoved hazelnuts in her cheek pouches. Her mind drifted back to Zion's unmistakable timbre and she thought how the lich definitely had their mother's voice.