Polemarch.
A ranking that at this stage of existence within THE Agora of Primordial Judgnt was a rare one.
The sheer amount of rit that one needed to obtain it was ridiculous to even think about. Countless battles in THE Palaestra. Innurable contributions to the understanding of the four fundantal aspects. Eons of dedicated service and demonstration of worthiness!
And yet THE Tongue Whisperer had obtained it the mont they arrived.
What made them so grand? What made them so imnse that their sheer presence alone allowed them to gain such a thing?
The many Primordial Lifeforms across The Shores of Kleos and the internal regions of this place buzzed with speculation and wonder.
Ginnu Lifeforms who had spent yesrs working their way up from Hoplite stared upward at the floating ship with expressions that mixed awe and envy in equal asure. Muspeli warriors who had proven themselves through countless conflicts paused their training to observe. Chaos Giants whose forms shifted with barely contained turbulence grew still as they committed this na to their mory!
The na of THE Tongue Whisperer!
It would spread from here. It would reach the far corners of THE Agora, whispered in temples and debated in forums. A being who had achieved the impossible simply by existing!
Noah’s eyes were blindingly sharp as he thought about the possibility of all of this.
In the future, he had entered THE Agora of Primordial Judgnt for the first ti. He had gained the Polemarch status after making the contribution of the nine new Phones of The First Tongue public. That contribution had been so significant, so foundational to the expansion of linguistic authority across Observable Existence!
The way ti and causality worked seed to be truly unique.
Because his signature was laid down later on, but for him, it was in the past of his existence. The sa signature of a Polemarch was applied right now, which was his ongoing future, even though his ongoing future ant that right now, he was in the past.
"..."
Confused yet?
He had contributed the nine Phones in what was his past but THE Agora’s future.
THE Agora had recognized that contribution across ti.
And now, in what was his future but THE Agora’s past, that recognition was still valid.
"..."
We’ll stop there!
It was fucking confounding.
Temporal chanics made his head spin if he thought about them too long. The closed loop nature of his journey ant that everything he was doing now had already been done, had always been done, was simply being experienced for the first ti from his perspective while having always existed from the perspective of ti itself.
But he couldn’t dwell on such paradoxes.
Not when there was work to be done.
At this mont, he felt the aura of THE Primordial Paradox rise up.
The ancient Absolute ca to stand beside him on the deck of Naglfar, his obsidian form radiating authority that made everything else seem small by comparison. His figure looked just as imposing and imperious as ever before, tiredness hidden beneath layers of regal composure that refused to show weakness.
And when he ca beside Noah, he also wore the toga of a Polemarch.
Of course he did.
"It is rely the ranking of a Polemarch. I gained it a bit ago when I visited here and didnt bother going for Strategos ranking as it was binding."
His voice carried that precise sway that made every word feel deliberately chosen.
"Do not permit it to go to your head, Youngest."
He glanced down at the shore below, at the countless beings staring upward with expressions that ranged from reverence to disbelief.
"Now then. Shall we stand here and revel and bask in the shock and awe of others?"
A faint smile touched his obsidian features.
"Or shall we proceed with the business at hand?"
...!
Noah smiled and shook his head.
"Let us go in."
He felt the ship below his feet begin to vibrate. The massive vessel of Naglfar, forged from the backbone of Helheim itself, began to compress. To miniaturize. THE Primordial Paradox pinched his fingers together with casual grace, and this terrifying construct that had carried them across realms and through The Interstices ca to fit into the space between his fingertips.
An Indestructible Object that could withstand the might of an Absolute, reduced to the size of a trinket.
THE Primordial Paradox slipped it sowhere within his robes before motioning to Noah.
His gesture indicated that he would be following Noah’s lead.
This was Noah’s destination. Noah’s purpose. THE Primordial Paradox was here to hide a piece of himself and to observe, not to direct.
Noah proceeded forward.
He descended from where Naglfar had floated, his transford figure cutting through the golden air of THE Agora with wings that burned blue-gold. His crown of burning books blazed above his head, radiating the authority of 18 visible Phones while concealing the additional 9 that belonged to a future this era had not yet reached.
He moved toward the Temple of The First Tongue.
The structure dominated this section of The Shores of Kleos, its architecture carved from crystallized language that predated current understanding. Words and anings etched every surface, Phones arranged in patterns that seed to whisper secrets to anyone who passed close enough to hear.
As he approached, Noah saw the gazes of many Primordial Lifeforms turning toward him.
Hoplites in their simple togas paused their activities to stare. Lochagoi, the interdiate ranking between Hoplite and Polemarch, watched with expressions that held calculation alongside wonder.
He moved past them casually.
There was no arrogance in his bearing, but there was also no deference. He was THE Tongue Whisperer, Polemarch of THE Agora of Primordial Judgnt, and he had business to conduct!
The shocked gazes of others were noted but not dwelt upon.
THE Primordial Paradox floated beside him in comfortable silence, his obsidian crown spinning slowly above his head as he observed the place that bore part of his influence.
They entered the Temple of The First Tongue.
The interior was vast beyond what the exterior suggested, space folding in ways that allowed for chambers and halls that should not have fit within the temple’s apparent dinsions.
Noah proceeded toward the center of the temple.
He passed chambers where scholars debated the nature of aning itself. He passed halls where warriors trained in the combat applications of The First Tongue, well, even though they now froze and looked toward them. He passed alcoves where beings sat in ditation, attempting to comprehend Phones that danced just beyond their understanding.
Eventually, he arrived at the central chamber.
Three Lochagoi stood there, their togas marking their interdiate rank as they oversaw the daily operations of the temple. They turned at his approach, their expressions shifting from routine attention to sudden alertness as they registered the Polemarch markings on his garnts.
Noah was about to speak to them, when...
HUUM!
A commotion rose up behind him.
The heavy power of two Polemarchs appeared, their authority pressing against the air of the temple with weight that demanded attention. Noah turned to observe the newcors.
The first was a muscular scholar in a refined toga. His eyes held the sharp intelligence of a being who had spent eons studying The First Tongue, and his presence radiated the authority of soone accustod to command within these walls.
And the second was... Glossikos.
...!
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