With tremendous awe, Dross concentrated his blurred reddish vision to grasp a view of the arrived god. The silver gleaming, twin-tailed Eternal was a sight one could only hardly ignore. The 364 cm tall metallic giant was reflecting every incoming light with a body, polished beyond perfection. The form of Terminus' Eternal frame was closely resembling his former body structure of a jackal he possessed before placing his mortal soul aeons ago in this immortal body. Terminus was standing in the mid of the altar hall focussing the sad bundle with a surprisingly warm stare. Raising his hand, he sent out his detachable phalanxes in their direction, letting them hover in mid-air in a cage-like formation around them. Dross knew, that he was using them as means of speech, hearing and vision, so he wasn't worried about this surround sound structure around them. The familiar metallic voice filled out the area the phalanxes were covering and only those. A spectator standing right outside the construct wouldn't hear anything at all, Terminus himself decided, who was worth listening to him that way:

"It is good to see you again, child.", Terminus interference was calming his soul, allowing Dross to focus like he rarely was able to, "Dross Hegraven, you finally returned from your difficult expedition and I can sense you were quite successful doing so . . .but then again . . .based on the status of your mortal body, not without sacrifices. And watcher Raja Hiss is present as well, how fortunate. I was just about to summon you to talk about your future project. Please stay in line until I have completed this conversation." 

Dross stood up from his chair, getting aided by Raja just to bend his knee on the marmoreal floor. Swinging the camera satchel in front of him, he took it off and presented it to Terminus, who commanded two phalanxes away to accept the gift. Stabilizing the satchel in a gravity bubble, which got created and held up with the aid of the two fingers charging up expanding the fabric of the gravitational force, forcing a state of zero gravity inside the zone. The phalanxes of his second hand were carefully opening the container unravelling the books and manuscripts placed inside. Each finger was tasked to systematically analyze each document without harming the original papers. For a brief moment, Raja, who was still inspecting the god in awe, could see a shimmer of surprise flickering over Terminus lense. A minute later, he pulled back his hand, letting it reform towards a functional hand. The chaos in the bubble got sorted once again. Each paper got carefully re-placed into the satchel and the fingers, closing the forcefield were bringing the bag back to the still kneeing Dross:

"Such enlightening manuscripts! Extremely detailed maps and carefully crafted studies of the wildlife living in Sepernius. These studies are flawless, and I will gratefully accept them in the knowledge pool."

Terminus looked to the sky, his tails were straightening revealing two satellite dishes. His eyes were flickering as he seemingly checked something beyond their vision, but Dross couldn't tell what. Pressing the camera satchel like a dear treasure to his heart, he stood up, preparing himself to thank his patron god. But Terminus had other plans as he finally continued interrupting Dross as he tried to draw his breath:

"Based on the journal you were able to even find the mysterious sunken city, that was until now only a mystery. Your studies regarding that were sadly lacking, but regardless pretty interesting. . .you met there someone, didn't you? Then why are there pages missing in the journal?"

Dross felt fear crawling up his skin, he wanted to tell Terminus everything, but then again . . .he just nearly got killed by the person this question was about. He was unable to lie towards Terminus, but tried to keep it as vague as possible:

"Yes, I met . . .someone there. Was not a pleasant intermission."

"There is no use in trying to keep me separated from its identity. Do you think I have no eyes in my head? There are blood as well as scratch marks present, something or someone has written down something there.", Terminus was now ignoring them for a moment talking to someone else, "H.E.R.O? Can you hear me? 37 here. Override my presence in all other bodies and let Protinus command them for the next hours. - Why not you? - Protinus is a mirror of myself created solely for this task, and you are not. - Yes. - No! Just place my consciousness only in 37, that is all I ask from you. - Yes, this is important! - Terminus out!"

Looking now slightly more relaxed the silver god took a few steps closer to his devotees:

"Finally some alone-time. Dross! You might have found something I am now searching many millennia for, so please cooperate. What have you encountered down there in the sunken city?"

Slightly reluctant Dross pulled the Piece of Heaven out of his pocket, presenting it to his god. He was not expecting it having such an effect on Terminus. The grid was shaking and trembling, and the visible core of his under his glassy belly was shining up blinking, rapidly tinting the empty hall into green light. 

"I didn't think I would ever see one of those again. An engraved comet piece with the symbol of space burned onto it through impossible means. So you met him there, you met Chóros, didn't you?"

"I am honest, master Terminus.", Dross collapsed slightly pressing his still slightly transparent hands against his head, "I would have preferred never meeting Chóros. The presence of his voice is frightening and hurtful. Ok, I would likely have died then down there in the city, but still."

Terminus reformed hand disconnected again swirling around Dross inspecting him now closer. He heard a dragged mechanical discharge escaping Terminus' speakers.

"If I were you, I would cross out the likely, Dross. Technically you died down there. I told Chóros times and times again that this amulet way of connecting his presence to a mortal slowly kills the wearer after using it even once. It was his doing that you arrived in my halls mere days after the last entry got written in the journal, wasn't it?"

"Yes, Terminus. I slept under a giant cocoon and woke up here on the plaza only to collapse into Raja's arms."

Terminus turned around, walking to the main altar looking down to it. His body language spoke out frustration, happiness and a pinch of sadness. A disturbance in his interference rendered the next words hard to understand:

"Don't tell me he teleported you to me so that you can give me a message about his whereabouts. I am pretty sure he forgot the effect of the pendant . . .Based on your molecular structure, your transparency, Chóros contacted you recently again sealing the deal. Without that, I might be able to avert the slight distortion in your cells allowing you to continue living . . .but at this state.", Terminus slammed his fist down on the altar in frustration, splitting the marble table clean in half, "I give you two days before your mortal coil gets ripped apart and shimmers into nothingness. Sesruc! Uoy citoidi loof!"

Hearing that and unable to comprehend what he just heard Dross just stood there, motionless like a statue, his jaw dropped; not blinking. With fear in her eyes, Raja grabbed one of the phalanxes out of the sky asking Terminus one question taking together all the gut that remained in her body:

"But you are still able to help him, right?", tears were running down the elves face, "Dross doesn't have to die! Right? I - He doesn't deserve such a cruel fate! Please! Master, if there is one chance of helping Dross, do it. I - I am sorry for raising my voice against you, master. But please . . .please."

Terminus looked down, uncertainty flashing over his visuals:

"That is not for me to decide. I have to ask 'him' first. Please, follow me."