Lyra's Underground
This was the day. The first time she could make a real difference. It was time to prove herself.
"You ready Lyra?" said Pan
The pine marten daemon was. as groomed and tidy as a mustelid could be. His reddish gold fur dazzled. They could not afford to make any mistakes.
It was almost ten years since she had made that promise. To Will, to Pan, to herself. She didn't need the compass around her waist to know what she must do. The republic of Heaven couldn't be reached in a world of ignorance. If even the greatest empire on the planet couldn't keep it's populace educated what hope could there be for the rest of the world?
The Parliament was still competing with the forces of the Magisterium for control over the nation. The victor was obvious even without the altheiometer's assistance the Church was in shambles and democracy was on the rise. But people still needed to take action.. Pan was playing around with the hands, Lyra told him to give it to her, the keys on the hive, the Madonna, and the angel.
"Pan we can't distract ourselves. I'm sorry but we can't afford any slip-ups. Now help me walk through our 'Universal Illumination' speech.
"Lyra, you've worked on this speech for years, and then practiced it for six months. The thing you really need to do is relax. The last thing we need is a panic attack.
She recalled back fond memories, Will and her on the beach, they knew what they were and thought they could be happy. But they couldn't risk all of humanity to live out their fantasies, and they could not afford to waste their lives in another world. Angels, she often wondered how they crossed the barriers between worlds, and was ashamed she never asked them. But she had spent these years in pursuit of knowledge. It would be selfish to spend it on herself, right?
"Lyra, ever since your parents' deaths I have been proud of your resolution. I hope I will see a day when everyone regardless of heritage, sex, or class will be able to show such dedication." The Master of Jordon watched as the closest thing he had to a daughter tried to change the world.
But she never got that chance.
A devoted scholar and member of the Consistorial Court of Discipline had attended this meeting in Parliament. He was such a gentle man that no one had expected what he would do next.. In reality he was an agent who was willing to do anything to prevent the destruction of the Disciplinary Schools. He wouldn't allow students to live the godless life so common among this generation. He brought along a musket and pulled the trigger.
It wouldn't of been a fatal shot in Will's world. In a world of sterilization and therapy she might have lived. But even a leg-shot could be fatal in a world like this. Blood infection death. She didn't have a chance.
She awoke in a place she didn't want to be. she'd been here before, but never alone. The suburbs of the dead.
"Lyra, you are not alone."
She turned around, it wasn't her Death. it couldn't be Pan, could it?
She turned to see a pine marten the same as ever. He had escaped disintegration, but how?
The daemon was just as confused as she was. "I'm supposed to be gone. We're supposed to be finished."
"I'm glad I can see you again. It's bad enough having to fail, but at least I can see you one last time.
She looked at her body. It didn't look pale and cold like a ghost's. Had something gone wrong? Was Pan as stuck as the poor souls who had no stories to tell?
Someone opened the door. Not a ghost either. He wore robes like a friar and was looking right at her. A spaniel daemon followed.
"Come with me, Lyra Belacqua. There is a choice that needs to be made" He extended his hand. At that point she noticed his wings, neither feathered nor skinned. He wasn't quite human.
"I don't understand. Are you a Death? I saw one when I came here before. But I don't remember any wings.
"The rules are different Ms. Belacqua, and it's all because of you." Said the Death.
Deaths weren't to be feared anymore. They could take her to a place where she could be free. It was a tragedy, but it would be over soon.
She passed through the mourner's completely invisible and intangible. She had a copy of the speech she had left to the Master in her will, so maybe it wasn't such a failure. She could still be a part of a better world…
Death led her out of the doctor's office and into the streets.
"Excuse me sir, but why is Pan, excuse me, Pantalaimon, still here?"
The Death responded, "This will be explained. Just follow me."
She was led to Jordon College. She was returning home. The path was familiar. It led to the Retiring Room, the place where it began.
Inside the room many people both men and women, were grouped around the projector. She had a feeling they were also dead. Half the crowd looked too young to be Scholars. The Death joined a group of his fellows; the women wore a veiled habit to hide their features." She took it as a cue to take her seat next to a ginger haired boy with a crane daemon.
A white haired man walked into the room followed by a wolf daemon. She curled down at his feet as her bonded began to speak.
"Greetings to the recently dead. My name is Fenrir Brown. I am the Batonae, the most powerful of Oxford's Deaths. I am here to offer you an irreplaceable gift. A chance to live again."
Everyone in the room gasped, to many it was heresy to attempt necromancy, to the rest it contrasted with all their sensibilities.
"This will not come without cost, or without effort. To those who elect to choose there is a weeklong Game which will allow a return to life. But, in order to compete, you must give up your most cherished thing to enter. In this Game our most powerful Death's shall match wits against all of you charging you with tasks to complete. Survive the Game Master's challenge you will be eligible to be resurrected, to become a Death yourself, or to become an Angel and ascend to Heaven."
Become an angel, would it be worth a life of powerlessness to see him again?
"Harrier Deaths shall attempt to annul you via Chimera Daemons. You must ally with other Player's to annul the Chimera by use of broaches. We will give you a set of these broaches, but not all are suited to all Players. You must erase Chimera within the time limit or all survivors will be annulled."
"Any Dead who do not wish to play will be automatically annulled. You have an hour to decide."
'Pan, do you think these Death's a telling the truth. Is it possible to truly come back from the dead?"
"Is it possible for a daemon to linger after death? Like the Death said, the rules have changed. Can we miss another chance? We'll play Death's Game until we can have a chance to start building our Republic?"
She said to the Batonae "I don't need any heaven. All I want is to live. To enjoy the moment. I'll take you up on your offer."
"Honestly, that's exactly what I expected."