Bear Riders' Tales
Dyus' Tale
Dyus was uncertain, a state he found most distressing. He'd lived his very long life with the ability to calculate all the events in the Shivering Isles, but that had faded with the arrival of the new Madgod.
He realised what was happening, of course. The Realm was changing to suit its new ruler, and the old rules, the basis of all his calculations, no longer applied. He knew he would, in time, change with it. Right now, unfortunately, it was changing faster than he could adjust.
The Mazken that came to him was no surprise. He had calculated that Haskill would need help as he, too, adjusted to the new order. No, "Order" was not the right word to use. That was a concept of the past, and one he hoped was gone with the old Jyggalag. Would there be a new Jyggalag? He was pleased to tell himself that he didn't know.
He followed the Mazken as she led him to New Sheoth. The path was familiar to him, but there were signs of change all around. Fewer balliwogs than expected, less decay in the mushroom trees. He might like the new Realm if he lived to see it.
That was another new point to ponder. The old Sheogorath had forbidden him to die, at the same time as confining him to Knifepoint Hollow. Would the new Sheogorath renew that decree? It seemed likely, but uncertain. He didn't like uncertain, although he liked the direction the Realm was taking.
Haskill met him at the Palace, and confirmed his recent predictions of Jyggalag's eventual defeat. The differences in detail from his projection were minor, and he began to feel that his abilities weren't entirely gone. If he could just incorporate this new random element into his formulae, ...
The randomness didn't appear to bother Haskill, but he'd dealt more with the Sheogorath side of the Madgod than with the Jyggalag aspect. He would not have seen the patterns in the Madgod's mind that made him just as predictable in his madness as he was in his ordered mood.
Haskill had further troubling news for him. Mehrunes Dagon had opened gates in the Isles, and he'd just returned from one. He'd been able to contact the new Madgod, and left Mazken guarding the path through the Deadlands.
Dagon was another factor he'd never had to consider before. A new challenge, but a new reason for his continued existence. He felt needed again, which was not an unpleasant feeling.
The new Madgod was expected to arrive shortly, but first Haskill had something to show him. "It's a game called Backgammon," the chamberlain explained. "It incorporates aspects of randomness and calculation, in a way that might help you adjust to to the way things are now."
A reasonable proposition, and it might help pass the time until the Madgod arrived.
The game did indeed help, as he reformulated his understanding of the new Realm, but he realized that something more was required. He reached his new conclusion just as the Madgod entered the palace. There was one person who had the ability to help him process this new situation, to reach valid conclusions from insufficient data. That was Syl, and Syl was dead.
"No matter," he thought to himself. "We can build a new one. The Mazken have the body, Relmyna has a copious supply of hearts, and Ciirta's other eye will help bind them together and enhance the vision she needs."
He explained his conclusions to the new Sheogorath, who actually seemed to be paying attention to what he said. A distinct improvement over the prior one.
When the Madgod left to start gathering the pieces for the new Syl, he resumed his work on recalculating the events to come. There was still a troubling aspect of the new Syl's personality that was eluding him.
Relmyna arrived at the Palace and summoned Herdir to help her prepare for the rebirth of Syl. They moved out the old Syl's torture cage, and put a stone tub in its place. When Dylora and the other Mazken brought Syl's body to the palace, he directed them to Relmyna and her preparations.
Everything was in place when the Madgod arrived with the eye and the heart. Dyus followed into the Ducal palace to watch the ceremony. It was a simple process, similar to the one that rebuilt the Gatekeeper, but on a smaller scale. Relmyna spoke an incantion, and at the appropriate times, the eye and the heart were added to the tub, while the swirling contents churned and bubbled.
At the end of the ritual, a naked Syl stood where the Tub of Rebirth had been. She appeared to be less troubled by her nudity than the old Syl would have been. To her, it would have triggered feelings of vulnerability, and provoked some kind of violent reaction to her fears. The new one apparently took the blame for her condition on herself.
"Have I been naughty?" she asked. "Naked is naughty, isn't it?"
"Not if you've just been born," replied the Madgod. "In your case, born again. But you should go and put some clothes on. Do you remember where the Duchess' quarters are?"
The new Syl didn't remember much about being the Duchess at all, but she did know the way. She soon returned wearing part of one of the Duchess' dresses. She'd left off the flamboyant skirt and collar, and just wore the body suit, exposing more cleavage than the old Syl ever had.
Especially at the back. She bent over to make sure he'd noticed. "Please spank me, I know I must have been naughty! If I get my punishment, it will all be accounted for, and I won't have to worry any more."
Dyus recalled his prior misgivings about the new Syl. "I've created a monster!". He was certain of that.