Chapter 19 - The Leviathan's Choir

Successfully navigating the resonance traps and retrieving the Chrono-Shard solidified my uneasy alliance with Elara. As we retraced our steps through the ancient ruins, bypassing the now-familiar null-field, a palpable sense of relief emanated from her, quickly masked by her usual professional detachment."You exceeded expectations, Kaelen Varis," she commented as we emerged from the deepest sections of the ruins back into the slightly less oppressive gloom near the city outskirts. "Your control over Pillar resonance is raw, untrained, but undeniably potent. Few could have bypassed those traps.""You mentioned information," I reminded her, eager to understand the volatile situation in K'tharr. "A deal is a deal."Elara nodded, finding a relatively stable ledge overlooking the shimmering city. She deactivated her helmet's reflective visor, revealing a surprisingly young face, though her eyes held an ancient weariness. Her features were sharp, intelligent, marked by faint lines that might have been scars or perhaps something stranger, like faded script. Her hair was dark, cut short and practical."Very well," she began, her voice losing the slight amplification from her helmet. "K'tharr is on edge, as you sensed. The Leviathan, our Divine Patron, sleeps, but its slumber grows shallow. Its dreams bleed into the city's collective consciousness, causing anxiety, vivid nightmares, and unpredictable surges in ambient pressure.""What's causing it to stir?" I asked."Multiple factors," Elara explained, ticking them off on her gloved fingers. "The Apocalypse Cycle is part of it; disturbances in one Pillar, like Luminora Prime's, can create sympathetic resonance shifts in others. The increasing political tension across Astrum Regalia also plays a role – the Leviathan is sensitive to conflict, to the vibrations of fear and aggression. And then there are… internal pressures.""Internal pressures?""The Krakenborn Collective is not monolithic," Elara elaborated. "There are factions. The traditionalists, led by the Leviathan's Choir, advocate for appeasement, for maintaining the ancient rites and sacrifices to keep the Leviathan dormant. Then there are the expansionists, who see the Leviathan's stirring as an opportunity to harness its power, to project K'tharr's influence beyond the abyss. They experiment with forbidden pressure manipulation techniques, seeking to control rather than soothe.""The Leviathan's Choir?" I prompted, remembering the term from the lore – worshippers whose hymns supposedly kept the patron asleep."They are the spiritual heart of K'tharr," Elara confirmed. "A priesthood, primarily female, chosen for their deep resonance with the Leviathan's frequency. They spend their lives in the deepest sanctums, performing the Rites of Somnolence, weaving songs of pressure and silence to lull the Leviathan. Their leader is the High Priestess.""And the Priestess you mentioned? The one who might find my talents interesting?"Elara hesitated for a moment, studying me. "High Priestess Thalassa. She leads the Choir. She is ancient, powerful, deeply attuned to the Leviathan and the Pillar. She embodies the traditionalist faction, desperately trying to maintain balance against the expansionists and the growing restlessness of her god." Elara paused. "She also possesses… unique sensitivities. Not like yours, tied to the Pillars, but to psychic resonance, to the echoes of thought and emotion carried on the abyssal currents. She might sense your anomalous nature as a threat, or… as something else.""Something else?""A potential key," Elara said slowly. "The Choir's songs are failing. The Leviathan grows more restless despite their efforts. Thalassa is desperate. She seeks new methods, new harmonies, anything that might reinforce the Rites and prevent the Leviathan from fully awakening. An awakening would be… catastrophic. Not just for K'tharr, but potentially for the Pillar itself."My Pillar resonance. Could it be used to soothe the Leviathan? To harmonize with the Pillar in a way the Choir couldn't? The thought was both intriguing and terrifying. Interacting directly with the consciousness of a being like the Leviathan felt infinitely more dangerous than bypassing resonance traps."Why would she trust me? An outsider?" I asked."She wouldn't, ordinarily," Elara admitted. "But desperation breeds strange alliances. And your resonance… it's the frequency of the structure that contains the Leviathan, the foundation upon which its power rests. Perhaps influencing the foundation can influence the occupant. It's a theory. A dangerous one." She looked at me intently. "I can arrange an introduction. Vouch for your… unique abilities. But the choice to approach her, the risks involved, are entirely yours."I processed this information. The stirring Leviathan, the failing Choir, the desperate High Priestess, the potential role of my Pillar resonance. It fit the pattern, the purpose hinted at by the cloaked figure. Go to a Pillar, understand its song, its sorrow. Abyssal Mariana's sorrow seemed intrinsically linked to the state of its restless patron."And what do you get out of this, Elara?" I asked, suspicion still lingering. "Why help me reach the High Priestess?"Elara smiled faintly, a flicker of ancient knowledge in her eyes. "As I said, I am a Chronicler. I observe. I record. A confrontation between an anomaly like you and a High Priestess trying to sing a god to sleep? That is history worth witnessing. Besides," she tapped the containment device holding the Chrono-Shard, "understanding the Pillar's creation, its past, might offer clues to surviving its future. Our interests align, for now."Her honesty, or calculated appearance of it, was disarming. Our interests did seem aligned, however temporarily. She needed information from the Shard, and I needed access, knowledge, and a way to understand and potentially influence the Pillar."Alright," I said, making the decision. "Arrange the introduction. I need to understand the Pillar's song. If interacting with the High Priestess is the way, I'll take the risk."Elara nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Good. But be warned, Kaelen Varis. The High Priestess resides in the Abyssal Sanctum, the deepest part of K'tharr, where the pressure is greatest and the Leviathan's presence is almost overwhelming. Even with my vouching, gaining audience will not be easy, and convincing her of your intent will be harder still. Prepare yourself. The weight of the abyss is nothing compared to the weight of a god's restless dreams."