• • The Incarnations
• April 17, 2022

The Incarnations: The Incarnal War (Chapter 16)

The Pairs and the Pain

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It’s been several hundred years since power transitioned from the Creators to the Incarnations. In that time, Madam Honor and the Duke of War have proven that Death made the right choice those years ago.

They decided early on that humanity should not know of our presence, and while the original humans did, their descendants use us as the basis for their myths and religions. They have no proof and many grow doubtful of our existence. I fear that maybe my direct hand in the species of the past may have been their downfall, and we will see.

After several hundred years, the pull and wane of power in the realms of Destruction, Guilt, and Despair are already readying for the next Reincarnation. They should be born soon, and Death is all but patient for their return.

Gratitude is for whom all still waiting. There are no signs of his return, and that weighs heavily on the shoulders of everyone. This fact is a blight upon their psyche and their ability to focus. It is best that they all focus on becoming one mind with their partner.

Some of the pairs bonded together rather quickly whereas others did not.

Lady Love and her Lord Dread came together at a pace that surprised many. For some reason, I wasn’t all that surprised. I think after watching them enough I know why they cling together as they do. The Lady even ceased traveling in her castle, settling it in place beside her Lord’s in his land, filling it with a beauty I could not have predicted in a million years. Still, I fear the day when it comes for their turn to rule. I think they are good for each other, but not necessarily good for everyone else.

King Good and Madam Sadness seem to be well enough. They were always friends, but the new dynamic has made things strange for them. They don’t spend an absorbent amount of time together as the others have begun to do. Both feel they shouldn’t try to force something new between them, but as they have their more friendly visits I believe they will realize that there is nothing particularly wrong with growing closer.

The partnership that has me distraught will likely always be between Sir Happiness and the Lady Hate. He has been put under her thumb and culminates in fear on their relationship, a very one-sided fear. He does whatever he feels he must to keep her entertained and happy, and rarely is it ever something simple or innocent. The Lady said she would be the whip, and she is standing by her word. Worse so, her usage of the Sir extends to boundaries that much exceed everyone’s expectations. I spend so much time wondering, just what exactly made her this way, and if she will ever change. I see no change in sight.

That abusive relationship aside, Lady Justice and King Evil seem to be in the worst position. Neither has any patience for the other, yet the Lady forces them to interact, which does not bode well with his Majesty. They spend a surprising amount of time among the mortals, in secret of course, where the Lady tries to impose her morals and ideals upon him. Morals and ideals he directly acts against commonly only to entertain himself. I do see a glimmer of hope for them though. They found a rather despicable group, one they both found repugnant and a waste of life. With permission from Madam Honor and the Duke of War, the pair vanquished the scum with violent prejudice, and maybe have found a hint of what may bring them together.

Still, Lady Justice remains more troubled than most. She still contains a guilty conscience over Sir Gratitude’s death by Absentness, a pang of guilt stronger than that held by the others. She is supposed to dispense justice to protect the innocent, yet she caused the death of one of the most innocent, kind, and gentle souls she’s ever known. She feels his turn towards bitterness and anger, in the end, is something she could have stopped.

Of course, she would not receive much emotional support from his Majesty, and so she has acted and investigated alone. With her all-knowing mind, she has tried to discern how she could have saved the Sir, and this has only made her feel worse. I wish I knew how to help her, but I have not been someone she thinks of fondly for a long time. If I did know, she would surely reject my offer.

At least instead the Lady seeks help in other places.

Strangely, she seeks to meet with many places.

What prompts her to do this?

She seems to be visiting them all, each Incarnation. Asking for their opinions on-

Oh, this can not go unpunished. This manipulation, this deceit.

The Lady is asking all of the Incarnations for a decree for punishment, and as she goes to them all one by one, the punishment is paramount and unanimous.

Death.

But the Lady doesn’t come to me, or Death. Already a choice that should be, no, once was a choice meant for only Death and I no longer includes us. Instead, we have been replaced by the thirteen Incarnations left to decide. How will the Lady confront him, I wonder indeed.