W̶e̷l̶c̸o̷m̸e̷ ̴t̸ơ̵̻ ̵̭̽B̶̮̃ḷ̶̐a̴̼̓n̵̰̍c̷̢̆h̴̳̘͕͇̀̉̃e̷͇̭̰̹̔̽͘p̸̰̲͚̹̈͝ì̸̟̬̖͌ͅe̵̜̣̎̋͝ṙ̷͎̌r̵͇̜̞̈̈̒e̶̬͍̝͖̥̳̖̫̬̾ ̸̟͔̟̮̩̩͉͓͋̀͝-̴̛̪͍̝̲̺̩̏̂̔̇̀̽̃̎͝͝ ̸̧̪̩̫̖̤̒͂̓͝P̵͙̬̮͚̗̳͓̜̓̊̓̍̀͂̑͑a̵̰̱̺̺͎̥̫̰̘͔̅̑͋͗̓͌͠r̷̛̫̳̦͎̹̓̀̀͐̏ṭ̷̹͉̠̐̅̑͊͛̾̉̇́̾̄͠͠ ̸̢̗̺̪͙͉̎̾͌̊͛̌͂͗̿́̌͝͝�̸̡̲̱̥̯̱̲̙̬̖̟̬̼̙̂̂͒̅͠͝�̸̢̨̢̛̗͎͍̱̤͔̘̹̪͙̤̺̻̖̱͙͋͆̓́͆͝ͅ

 .̸̧̡̢̞̥͖̭̙̣̠̣͙̪̝̣͕͊̿̄̅̀̿̂̕͜.̶̡̢̨̧̢̢̡͉̰̩̭̻̭̭̼͍͖̱͇̖̱͕̭̪̠̪̘͖͍͖͔̼̱͈̳̥̟͎̖͎̗̰͎͔̥̼̮̰̣̭̫͉̬͓̠͎͋̅̈́̄̎̽͆̂̈́͆̑̓̀̈́̈́̿̽́̅͐̂́͘̚͘͜͜͜͜͠͝͝ͅͅͅ.̷̧̢̧̧̢̨̡̛̛̛̛̥̳͎̗͚̣͙͙̥̫͉͍̩̰͍̤̙͔͙̬͈̳̣̞̺͙͔̜͚̫̝̺̞̞̝̼͕̞̪͇̰̩͖͙̹̣̙̳̬͕̻̘̓̐͗̒̄͑̌̄̊̏̍̊͋̾̑̑̍̉̓̒͛̋̑̆̿̔̈͒̓͂̌͐̋̽̏̈́̉̂̍̒͒̈̑͌̿͆̍̂͘͜͝͝ͅͅͅ
̸̨̢̧̧̧̨͇̯̣̻̬͓̪̝̪͓̣̩̙̬̣̬͔̦̻̠̹̺̱̯͙̗͎̘̹͗͊͆̀̎̀̈́̄̒͆̉̂̈́̉̈͛͂̽͗̑͐̇̓̏͂̏̎̉̍̽̂̑́̀̓͑̒̿̌̇̈́͘͘͜͜͜͠ͅ
̵̘͎͇͔̙͙̱̮͕̲̜͍̮͔̥̘̹̜̬̱̄́.̷̛̛̺̬̖̯̬̞̗̣͇͇̱͓̟̝̮̻͍̦͔͕̺̪̼͎̙͇̯̞͎̦͔̦̥͇͈͔̞̍̈́͊̋͊̈́̀̅̎̈́̀̕.̷̧̢̨̛̯͈͉͈̼͈̻͓̰̪̲̤͉͔̟̺̫̝̰̟̣͕̯͎͈̰͔̩̯̲̫̖̖̙̩̙̙͚̲͓̤͓͍̻̀̅́̇̃̔̓̀̓͐̒̔̇͆̊͊̉͂̔͗̄̽̈́́̍̚̕͘͜͝͝ͅ
̷̡̛̻̫͚̹̼̘̝̜̞̾͑͌̀̀̾̇̓̈́̋̌̐̇̌̑͊̎̓͐́̆̉͒́̃̄̃̒̐̎̋̓̒̿̍̄̋͋̈́́̀͌̕͘̚̕͘͝͝͠ͅ
̵̧̢̢̛̙̰̩̺̲͎̬̙̹̯̜̻̼͉̺̰̠͂͑̒̏̀͒̔̃͌̿̔̑̾͑͗̂̀̊͌͑̄̇̎̒̇́͆͐͂̍̓̈́̊̒̍̇̄͛̈̄̈́̉̓̓͘̕̚͘͠.̶̢̨̢̢̡̨̨̛̛͎͖̜̺͍͇͍̬̝̦͈̲̦̥̮̲̙͕̲͔̭̦̖̺̦̮̹̣͈͖̙̭̹͇̤̩͉͚̞̞̺͔̼͉̺͍̫̊͒̏̿́̈͆͗͋͐͌̒͊͌͂͐͋̏̄̆̑̎͌̑̈́̌́̏̇̾͑̈̈̍̇͗͌̅̋̂́͆̔͊̎̕͠͝͠͝͠ͅͅ
̸̡̢̡̢̛̫̥̤̰̲͇͎̳̪̟̤͔͉̾̓̑̾̉̄̄͒̓̉͗́͑͆̍͑́͐́̆̋͆͌͛̈́͒̀͛͂̀̂͐͌̉͐̕͘͠͝͝

ä̴̳̞́̆ą̸͇͚̱̘͓͉̟̻̱̺̣̋̈́̒̽͜͜A̸͕̼̦̥̤̥͙̳̖̫͓̙̾͑G̵͕̗̞̞̦̜̿̈́͒͒̔͛̈́̕͜â̷̛̖̮̖̟͙̽̀́͊͗̐̑̒̇́́̏̒̆ͅį̶̛̜͉̎̀͋̎̑̍͂̋͋̋̾̌̐͐͝ͅ ̶̢͚̬̗̙̤̠̞͚̳̗̦̗̈̂̈́͊̇̂͐̿̓̒̇͊̚͝ṉ̵̭̲̗̽̀̃̏̈I̶͈͂͌̂̿̀̽͛̍͌͑͒̀̑̔͐͊̉͂͛͝ ̸͕̦̳͍̓̓͋̋̎̋̋̋͐̆̇̄͆̅̚̕͝ ̵̢̢̤͉̞̬̲͉̱̀̑͊͂̍̋̀͜ ̴̧̛̳͍̺̈́͌̀̂̍͗͒̎͛̉̇̋̐̑͊̽͊͂̐͝͝͠͝Ş̸̢̘̦̣͎̟̙̤̫͚̼̝͙͚̩͕̣̖͈͒̔́̍̓͌̈́̆̎̈́̉̈̓̂̐̚̕̕͜͠͝͝͝c̴̨̨̺̙̪̰̹̝̞̖̻̮̝̼͗̒̃̀̉̐͑̊̃̎̆̈̆̈͊̋̌̀̌̓͌͘̕͠r̶̢̡̡̢̧̥͉̱̹̙̪͖̜̟͈̙̫̼̜͈̲̳̆͊̔͐̔͆̈́̆̐̈́͊͐̈́̂̈͗̎̒͆͒͑̑̚͠r̸̛̯̭͊̈́̈́͒̈́͐͆̽͆̇̀͐̏̆̏͌͛̃̑̇̀͋̂̍̑̃̐̚͘͝eÁ̷̝̭̭̼̣̮͍̻̰̖̝̆̔͐̓̕͘m̵̝͔̪̫͉̓͒̎̒̎̀͜͝͝m̴̹̀̎ ̵̢̼͙͇̖́̓̌͊ḭ̸̼̀͂̿̚͠n̷̠̣̼̼̬͗̓̄̔͑̇̂̈́̋̀̚̚͠T̷̡̬̙͈͔̤̯̠͖̠̪͒͒͛̉́̍́̄ǫ̵̫̥̹̖͕̤̗̣͎͊̌̈́̀ ̶̧̭̪̗͈̞͇̦̜͆͗̏́͑͐̀ ̶̡̨̥̳̻͕̈́̓  ̸̲͉̮̟̩̻̣͙̋̎̆̓̈́̚̕ ̵̹͍̟̫̯́͑̿̈͠t̵͔̩̟̜̯̗́̄͗̐̒͂͝͠h̸̙͍̔̊̆̓ ̶̧̧͕̯̼̀͂é̵̢͉̮̳̦͍̙͔͍ ̷̮̞̉͆͆̓̈͐̑͜ ̸̥̭̹̻́́͆t̴̮̩̰̜͗̅̌̈́̍̈́̀̚T̵͈̦̼̪̆̌̎̆͜Ų̴͖̈̔͌̒mm̵̧͈̟͌͌͆ ̴͇̟̅̎u̷͎͔̹͗̊ ̷̜̀̎̍͂ ̶̳̎l̴̥̼͑͊̆̅t̵͍̖͈̯͒Ǔ̵̙͖̀Ơ̴̹̼͖̈́͐Ȗ̵̬̠̬͓̒͆s ̷V̶o̵I̸d̷.̵.̷ ̷I̸,̸ ̴  W̴H̸o̴ ̴H̴A̴V̷E̷P̵E̷e̷r̷E̸D̸ ̶I̵N̷ T̶O̸ ̷T̸H̵E̴ ̷I̴N̸C̶O̶M̷PREHENSIBLE WORKINGS OF THE UNIVERSE. I, WHO HAVE SLEPT UNDER THE EARTH FOR MULTITUDINOUS YEARS. I, WHO AM HUMAN AND NOT HUMAN. I, WHO AM GOD AND NOT GOD.

LET ME TELL YOU A STORY. A BET̶͓̀T̵͔̎ER STORY.

ONCE THERE WERE TWO BABIES, A BROTHER AND A SISTE̵R̴.̸ ̵T̷HESE TWO WERE BORN IN THE DIRT, LOWER THAN THE INSECTS. THEIR MOTHER DIED IN BIRTHING THEM, AND THEY NEVER KNEW THEIR FATHER. THEIR GRANDMOTHER CARED FOR̸ ̸T̵H̸EM, BUT SHE TOO PASSED ON WHEN THEY WERE BUT CHILDREN.

THEIR WORLD WAS A CRUḘ̸̆͑L̴̳͑̍ PLACE. THE CHILDREN HAD TO STEAL TO SURVIVE, AND THEY HAD TO SHELTER IN THE SEWERS WHEN THE FROSTS CAME, AMONG THE RATS AND THE SHIT. EVEN PEASANTS LOOKED UPON THEM IN CONTEMPT, THESE FILTHY CHILDREN WHO STOLE THEIR FOOD AND SMELLED PUTRID. WHEN THEY WERE SEEN IN THE STREETS THEY WERE KICKED AND YELLED AT, AND WHEN THEY WERE CAUGHT STEALING THEY WERE̴ ̸B̸E̵A̴TEN.

BUT THEY WERE SPECIAL, FOR THEY HAD THE MOÖ̵͓N̸͍̐S̶̭̄ IN THEIR EYES. THE BOY AND THE GIRL KNEW IT, BUT THE WORLD HAD YET TO LEARN. WITH NOTHING BUT DETERMINATION AND CLEVERNESS, THEY TAUGHT THEMSELVES TO BEND PEOPLE TO THEIR WHIMS, FIRST WITH THEIR WORDS, THEN WITH THEIR BODIES, AND THEN WITH THEIR SOULS. THEY LEARNED THAT THE MORE POWER THEY GAINED, THE LE̷S̶S̸ PEOPLE COULD HURT THEM.

THE BOY AND THE GIRL BECAME A MAN AND A WOMAN, AND MEN AND WOMEN BEGAN TO FOLLOW THEM, FOR THEY HAD THE MOONS IN THEIR EYES. THEY UNITED ALL THE LANDS WITHIN THE GREAT ENDLESS SEA WITH THEIR WORDS AND WITH THEIR SWORDS AND WITH THEIR MAG̵͓̿IC, AND SO THE MAN BECAME A KING, THE WOMAN A QUEEN, BOTH BELOVED BY THEIR SUBJECTS. THE BEAUTY OF THEIR WORDS WAS MATCHED ONLY BY THE BEAUTY OF THEIR VISAGES. THEIR EVERY UTTERANCE WAS POETRY, AND TO GAZE UPON THEM CAUSED ARTISTS TO FALL TO THEIR KNEES AND WEEP TEARS OF JOY. FINALLY, THEY HAD MADE THE WORLD RESPECT THEM.

THE KI̴NG AND THE QUEEN GREW OLD BUT THEY DID NOT AGE, NOR DID THEY DIE, FOR THEY HAD THE MOONS IN THEIR EYES. THEIR POWERS GREW W̵I̸TH THEIR YEARS. THEY RULED WITH COMPASSION AND WISDOM, SHOWING THEIR SUBJECTS THE KINDNESS THAT THEY WERE NEVER AFFORDED. BUT ALL WAS NOT WEL̸L̴. THE ENDLESS SEAS WERE NOT ENDLESS. THERE WERE LANDS BEYOND THEM, LANDS THAT DID NOT KNOW THE LOVE OF THE KING AND QUEEN. AND SO, THE KING SET OUT TO CORRECT THIS. HE SAILED ACROSS THE SEAS, TO UNKNOWN LANDS, TO SHOW THEM THE LIGHT OF HIS MERCY AND KINDNESS SO THAT ALL OF HUMANITY COULD BE BROUGHT TO PEACE.

BUT SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENED WHILE HE WAS AWAY. NOT ALL OF THE KING AND QUEEN'S SUBJECTS LOVED THEM. SOME WOULD NOT OPEN THEMSELVES TO THEIR WISDOM, AND THESE HERETICS SPREAD THEIR DECEITFUL WORDS AMONG THE PEOPLE UNTIL THEY COULD NO LONGER BE IGNORED.

THE KING WOULD HAVE BEEN STEADFAST AND JUS̷̱̍Ţ̸͝ IN HIS PUNISHMENT, AND HIS SUBJECTS WO̶͖͂ULD HAVE KNOWN THAT HE WOULD TOLERATE NO DEVIATION FROM HIS RIGHTEOUS P̶ATH, FOR HOW ELSE COULD ORDER BE MAINTAINED?

BUT T̷H̶E QUEEN WAS WEAK. SHE LET THE TRAI̵TOROUS̸͙̦̔ W̶HISPERERS CO̸R̷R̶UPT HER MIND AND SOUL UNTIL THEY FINALLY REMOVED HER FROM HER THRONE. THE KING CROSSED THE WIDE OCEANS TO RESCUE HIS SISTER FROM THE CLUTCHES OF THE NONBELIEVERS BUT DISCOVERED, TO HIS AMAZEMENT, THAT THEY̶̭̅ HAD NOT IMPRISONED HER. BEFORE HE AND HIS ARMIES COULD MAKE DOCK IN THE LANDS THAT THEY ONCE CALLED HOME THEY WERE REPELLED BY THE QUEEN HERSELF.

AND SO THE WORLD WAS Ṋ̶̇O̵̗͗ LONGER UNITED. AS LONG AS THE QUEEN FOOLISHLY PROTECTED Ṫ̷͍HE VERY TRAITORS WHO REMOVED HER FROM HER THRONE, THE KING COULD NOT REACH HER. THIS TROUBLED HIM, AND SO HE RESOLVED TO FORCE THE MOONS THEMSELVES TO BOW TO HIM SO THAT HE MIGHT GAIN THE POWER TO GUIDE HIS SISTER BACK TO THE PATH OF REASON ONCE AGAIN.

HE FAILED.

AND HE WAS LAID LOW.

BUT STILL HE COULD NOT DIE.

---

LET ME TELL YOU ANOTHER STORY.

ONCE THERE WAS A FOOLISH GIRL. SHE THOUGHT HERSELF WISER THAN ME. SHE THOUGHT THAT SHE COULD BEND MY HEART TO HER WHIMS WITH HER WORDS, OR IF NOT WITH HER WORDS, WITH HER BODY, OR IF NOT WITH HER BODY, WITH HER SOUL. I, WHO HAVE PEERED IN TO THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE WORKINGS OF THE UNIVERSE. I, WHO HAVE SLEPT UNDER THE EARTH FOR MULTITUDINOUS YEARS. I, WHO AM HUMAN AND NOT HUMAN. I, WHO AM GOD AND NOT GOD.

SHE FAILED. BUT IN HER FAILURE SHE TOOK SOMETHING PRECIOUS FROM ME. I MUST HAVE IT BACK.

SHE RAN. SHE HID AND IS HIDĪ̸̘N̸̡̆Ǵ̸̹.̸̥̊ ̸̹̍Ḃ̷̳Ủ̷̳T̴̩͐ ̵̦̆N̸̻̆Ǫ̴̖̼̈́ͅ ̵̧̛̦̞͎̍͛ͅL̸̡̘̘̐̔̆̽͆O̷̺̱͛̍̈́̎̽͘N̷̼̈́̎G̸͔͈̓͊̈́̚E̶͍͓̬̫̱̎͆̚R̵̨̳̪̬̮̳̉.̷̮̭̀̈̈́͂̈́ ̵̠͚̝͋̋ͅ

Welcome to Blanchepierre - Part 8

After thinking on it for a bit, Mélodie decided that getting a bike would be her best bet. It'd probably be cheaper in the long run than using the buses, but it wouldn't be so expensive that she'd blow almost all of her remaining money on it. She could always look into getting a moped later, after she had a source of income.