A young woman with short blonde hair walked to the white stone obelisks. There was no disguise or trick to have fun with this time. Rough winds blew about and clouded her mind as she stepped up to one of the obelisks. Questions ran through her head. They would all be difficult to ask. Especially the request. A traveler had informed Kyra how to get to the Machinarium. Her hand reached up to the obelisks and pressed against it. In a few seconds, she was at what was supposed to be the entrance. But there was no door. -Enter freely of your own will.- That was what the steel plague read. She took a moment to admire the intricate designs in the slab of jade white. It had to have taken the artist a long time to get everything just right. As a fellow artist, she could appreciate that. Kyra was stalling. Perhaps it’s because she didn’t want any of this to be true. Perhaps she was ashamed of what she was about to ask.

Or maybe Kyra was afraid. Afraid for once in her life. The future was inevitable. The future wasn’t something that she could run from like the past was. Kyra cleared off her expression of sorrow and replaced it with a happy mask. As always. Finally, the half elf stepped forwards. The wall split into pieces and pulled back into the walls until it was no more. A very clever way of hiding the door. She stepped forwards into the brightly lit entry hall. For a moment she mistook the light for sunlight. It was not. There wasn’t a light source. As Kyra looked around she noticed that there was a lack of furnishing too. Did this goddess hate comfortable chairs or something? There were marble benches but the half elf would hardly call that comfortable. The several statues of armored soldiers each holding a different weapon. A small smile appeared on Kyra’s lips as she skipped over to one of the armored statutes. She inspected it for a little bit then lightly touched the statue on the noise.

“Boop!” Kyra said playfully, “Your nose has been booped. What ever shall you do?”

Before the statue could respond, as if it could, the young woman wandered off. Large glass windows attracted her attention. Clear skies peered through the windows causing her to wonder if the obelisks teleported her to an entirely different location. Boredom overcame her and she walked over to one of the statues and plopped down next to it. Her hand reached into her brown backpack and pulled out a beautiful lyre. The lyre was made up of skyshards. It could be used as both a weapon and a musical instrument. For now, it would be used as a musical instrument. Kyra’s fingers began to pluck the strings of the lyre gently. Pure, bell-like sounds began to travel around the hall. If somebody came in then she would stop. But it seemed like it was just her for now. The melody was sweet yet somehow sad as it danced around the room. Her mouth opened as she began to sing.

“Do you think the moons know?
That they light up the world below
Or when the cold wind blows
Does it tell the flowers to grow?"

Her voice echoed through the hall. 

"Maybe the bluebird sings,
Because she believes someone’s listening,
Or does she sing,
To make the world seem slow,

And if the moons hid from the sky?
Would anybody even realize
That their light left?
Would they even know?

If a silence filled the air,
Would anybody really care?
Would they be aware,
and would fear show?

We never notice all the life around us,
Until Terra has passed,
We never want for our world to slow down
Until it goes too fast,

We never hear the world sing,
Until the world goes still,
We never see what our life brings us,
And maybe we never will,

If everyone plays a grander part,
In a fate we’ll never meet,
Is my destiny to die away?
Happiness eternally at bay?
Is the bluebird incomplete?”

Kyra let her voice fade away. She stopped playing her lyre. The half elf’s face still had a soft smile. 

An old Ataiyan folktale once told of a boy who searched for the legendary bluebird of happiness. A mythological creature said to bring fortune and blessings, it became an allegory of the elusive nature of the happiness it represented. It was another day of wind and rain at the Machinarium. But all those were almost unnoticeable inside, only faint rumbling being heard from the elements. There wasn't much traffic to Antikythera year-round; Shiloh had made sure that it wouldn't be a pleasant place to visit. If you came here you wanted something, and you were desperate. Unlike other temples that were highly decorated and welcoming, there was something almost clinical in the aesthetics. Functional, but sterile white. Shiloh was busy pulling her hair over new adjustments to the Clephsydra so it could fly through the skies of Onnen without malfunctioning. Meanwhile, someone else noticed a stranger had come in. Since Kyra didn't push the button for an attendant, it would take a while for one of the automatons to realize she was here. However the being coming to pick her up was of the non-mechanical variety.

He didn't want to interrupt Shiloh from her work, so he decided to slip away and help. The faint sound of skittering was rapidly approaching from the Marble Corridor. The polished floor was pretty slick for a set of paws, and he was running as fast as he could. It was Niall–the deity's personal familiar who was the welcoming party today. Just as he was entering the Entrance Hall, he tripped and his momentum made him slide across the floor to the visitor's feet. Panting, he caught his breath and looked up at the stranger. "Hello! Welcome to the Machinarium, how can I help you?!" He did his best impression of the attendants, standing up on his back legs with a voice full of enthusiasm. There was a talking ferret wearing a knitted vest peering up at Kyra with shiny black eyes. The faint cheeky smile that all ferrets naturally had was visible from above. 

Kyra noticed how empty the hall seemed. Was it always like this? Her heart felt a sympathetic tug for Shiloh. How alone did she feel? Then again, this was a working place. Shiloh might have had other people talking and helping her in different rooms. Suddenly a ferret slide over the floor to her boots. It was fluffy. She adored it. Only when it stood up did she understand what creature it was. A ferret! And it talked!

"Hello!" Kyra said with a smile, "My name is Kyra. I'm here to make a deal with Shiloh along with asking a few questions. What is your name good sir?" 

Either she was having a hallucination or the goddess had a talking ferret friend. She needed to be polite either way. He…. or she. It? The ferret seemed to be the assistant of Shiloh. Although the ferret might have been an extremely talented ferret, these questions for Shiloh were only ones that a goddess could really answer. Or a god. But she'd rather come to Shiloh than anybody else. Kyra did not know the woman but she did know of her. There was one thing that Shiloh did that no other god or goddess seemed to do. Contracts. A thought popped into Kyra's head. 

"Do you like chicken?" She asked, "I have some dried bits of chicken if you would like to have it." 

Was it rude to ask that? Perhaps he wasn't even hungry. But Kyra did need to get rid of the dried chicken. Her stomach was full and she wanted to have more room in her bag for different food. One could only eat chicken for so long before one got bored. Kyra placed her lyre into her backpack and continued sitting, facing this fascinating ferret. If this was a hallucination then it was great. But it probably wasn't. Besides magic was a thing that happened. So this might have been some magical ferret. 

"I'm Niall! Nice to meet you Kyra!" The chocolate masked ferret's nose then began to twitch with excitement as she started taking something delicious out from her bag. "Do you like chicken? I have some dried bits of chicken if you would like to have it." Without any hesitation he started to dance. "YES! Yes I would, thank you!" The girl probably wouldn't believe that this chipper little hob was the resident deity's personal familiar, created out of the magical mayhem caused by Weaver of Life and Love's youngest child upon birth. Even if he wasn't hungry there wasn't a ferret alive who'd turn down food. If it wasn't to their liking, they'd accept it and stash it for later. Save it for a rainy day, that's what he'd say. Eagerly the ferret was scampering around awaiting his treat. After getting it in his paws, he started chewing with gusto. Licking his lips clean, he remembered that Kyra said she had important business where she needed to meet with Shiloh. "If you want to talk to her I can help you! It'll take just a second!" 

Scuttling away he headed straight for the pedestal with the button. Backing up on his hind legs, he took a running start and sprang into the air. His first attempt was too low and he slid off. On the second try his claws caught the edge and he pulled himself up. Jumping on the button several times, he hopped down satisfied with his efforts. "There, now somebody'll know you're here! If you want them to come, just push the button!" A single press was all that was necessary, but ferrets were not the kind to do things halfway. His tactic worked, as Shiloh noticed the spamming of said button immediately. "What the…" Using the eyes of the statues in the Entrance Hall, she saw a stranger and Niall. "I should've known. It's probably urgent if he wants me to come so badly." Pushing away from her work desk she ran a hand through her hair. No use procrastinating, the sooner she handled it the sooner it would be done.

Selecting a new mask, she altered her appearance to match the metallic finish. A door opened from Serenitas to the start of the Marble Corridor and the Steward stepped out. The form of a hybrid class myrmidon automaton strode into the Entrance Hall, heels clacking against the stone floor. Her presence announced, she crossed her arms and turned her metallic helmed visage towards the ferret as if to glare. The ferret wasn't scared at all, and scampered to climb up the deity's feet. He sat himself on Shiloh's shoulder, letting his body lie limp like a floppy roll. "You're here because you want something from me. Alright, let's talk." Anybody who made it here had something they wanted badly enough. Via Fulminis wasn't exactly the picturesque sort of pilgrimage for devout sycophants. But a few had managed to finish the walk, no less. Sitting down on one of the stone benches the deity crossed her legs and was waiting for what Kyra had to say.

Nial was adorable. There was no other way to say it. His mannerisms and the fact that he was a little fluffy creature made it so. A small smile maintained on her face as she watched him dance about in delight. Reaching into her bag, she was able to find the bits of dried chicken wrapped up in a dark gray cloth. There were about ten bits. As soon as she placed it on the ground, the ferret dug in. Who did this ferret belong to? Also did anybody feed him? He acted as though he was starving. Or maybe he just really loved food.

Kyra adored food as well. If anybody gave her cheese she would eat it up. Alcohol was a good drink to have with cheese. Then again, alcohol was good to drink at any time. Whether it was with dinner or before a big fight with a monster. Alcohol before a monster battle might not have been a good idea but Kyra still loved it. Right now, she was sober. This meeting was far too important to be drunk on. It didn’t take long for all the chicken to be gone.

“I appreciate the help. Thanks!” Kyra responded.

He ran off with a sudden burst. The little ferret attempted to leap up to a pedestal but failed. It seemed that the creature needed help. Kyra should have helped, but she didn’t. Nial seemed determined to do it on his own. But mostly she didn’t help because it was funny to watch him. Apparently, the pedestal had a hidden button. Which the ferret began to spam immediately.

“Good to know.” Kyra suppressed a chuckle.

She didn’t want it to look like she was leaving a mess so she cleaned up the gray cloth and anything else she had out. After dumping all the stuff into her backpack, she could hear the sound of metallic footsteps. A myrmidon automaton like being entered the room. The goddess must really care about protection. Her temple was on the highest mountain and was one of the best places to hide away. Not a moment wasted, the goddess spoke. Straight to business. Kyra was smiling genuinely. Her soft sad smile was gone. Her own mask of happiness attached to her face. She didn’t require a physical mask in order to hide.

“I want to make a deal.” Kyra explained, “But first I need to ask you some questions. After all we can’t start a deal if I don’t even know if you can help. First question, do you have an item that can copy and display memories?”

She had no idea if such a thing even existed but she assumed it did. Magic has been in this world for centuries. People have created ectoplasm stars, telepathy spells, gate travel, runic manacles to bind magic users, a rose whip, a snow globe that could shrink people into it, a knife that can put out all sorts of heat, night robes that appear to be woven from the night sky, a lantern that’s flame can shine a light in the direction of a heart’s desire, gauntlets made from dragons scales, a ring that can steal a soul, a type of curry that messes with the mind, a thread that can keep track of a loved one, liquid lacriamium, a potion that lets people walk on water, and many other magical items that she had read about. These were rare items but they existed. Amnesia and memory loss was not uncommon among the thousands of people in this world. Somebody somewhere had to have made an item that stored memories. If a person could come up with a snow globe to teleport beings inside it, then somebody had to have made an item to store memories.

The only issue now, would be the cost of that item if the goddess had it. However, she was prepared for just about anything. Kyra had taken the time to search out others who had made deals with the goddess. The majority of them had paid the price of memory. It would be ironic if that is what the price ended up as. But it seemed that the memory was usually one and typically was a bad one. Which Kyra had plenty of. She had a memory of dying by being buried alive, lava swallowing her up, a dagger up her throat, poison, etc. Any of those would work. There were some who explained that the cost was a quest or a favor. If Kyra needed to go on a quest, she would. Just in case, she had also brought some silver. It probably wouldn’t be enough but at least she had money rather than having nothing at all. 

Something that could copy and display memories… "A recording device, you mean? I could pick apart a Maurelle sphere and make a few adjustments. What do you need this for? Most people tend to ask for more… complicated requests." Shiloh stared at the girl for a long time in silence. "You know, you're a strange one. Your face is smiling but the rest of your body is telling me something different. What do you really want? If you needed a magical device why not see the other deities?"

It was second nature to second-guess the intentions of strangers, even moreso now. Apparently she knew something about the way Shiloh operated, opening with asking to make a deal. Maybe she was overthinking things. But what she couldn't ignore was the little signs this visitor was giving in her body language. Niall was looking back and forth between them unsure of what to say. Standing up Shiloh began to slowly walk about the Entrance Hall. "What is your name?" There was a chilling ring to her words. The little ferret slid off her shoulder sensing tension rise in the air. 

Kyra remained calm despite the barrage of questions the deity was asking. Her expression hid it, but she was surprised that Shiloh was so interested in why she wanted such an item. Then again, it was probably a good idea. If anybody could just go up and ask for a device like this one, then there would be a lot of trouble in the world. She could hear the chilling ring in the goddess' voice as she requested a name. Odd…was that a hint of nervousness in the goddess' voice? Perhaps. But Kyra would be very surprised if she was able to make somebody as powerful as Shiloh nervous. 

"My name is Kyra. It's good to know you have a device. But I didn't finish my request." She said with a smile, "You have many questions, I see. The magical device is part one. Part two is the more difficult part of the request. But let me explain my situation first." 

Her body was leaning against one of the pillars and her arms were crossed behind her back. 

"I have a curse. Or something." Kyra began, "I don't really know what it is. But I have figured out this. I reincarnate everytime I die. However, I only remember the death of my previous life. Ten miseries happen before the death and I always die before my 25th birthday. Sometimes I have died as a ten year old. Sometimes I have died as an old woman. Most of the times I don't know my own age." 

She paused for a moment to give Shiloh time to process this information. 

"That is why I want this device. I need figure out what is going on." Kyra explained, "By saving my memories, my next reincarnation will be able to figure out what is going on and hopefully learn more. That is where part two of the deal would come in. You would have to be the person who finds my reincarnation to give these memories to. As a goddess you have the power to find all sorts of people across the land. But most importantly, you don't break your promises. I came to you for that specific reason. Any god or goddess could make a promise but never keep it. You have contracts. You have secure deals. And as far as I know, you haven't broken a promise yet. That is more than most gods can say." 

Kyra let out a sigh. 

"And before you mention payment, I already know that you don't give something for free." She explained, "What would you ask for in exchange for my request?" 

The half elf was careful to not immediately agree to the deal before she asked about the price. Of course, it would be ridiculous to ask for something like her soul or the blood of the innocent. But just in case, she would figure out all the details of the deal before accepting it. 

A curse. Even with her past experiences with magic and the untamed wildness of the otherworld, there was a maddening curiosity within her that lit when she heard the word. It was a very interesting curse, one that didn't seem to be outright harmful aside from a forced cycle of death and reincarnation. Curses and blessings were two sides of a coin–both always operated by specific conditions that determined when it would be in effect. However if you could find a loophole in the rules, you could circumvent them or even break them completely. They were just like contracts, binding but potentially exploitable. The deity leaned forward, hands folded with eager attention. "Very interesting. Very, very interesting…" Beneath the myrmidon's metal illusion a manic grin was beginning to creep across her face. Her distorted tone of voice and magical masking of her true features hid it well, but it was clear the deity's interest was more than just the usual act of charity.

Leaning back and resuming her initial position Shiloh crossed her arms. "I'll agree to your request, but in exchange I want complete access to your current and future memories. Making a memory repository will be a snap, however you will be giving up any rights to the use and sharing of said memories. In other words, if I happen to give your information over to another deity or allow others to view your situation as a case study you can't press charges against me or anyone for a violation of privacy."  Pulling out a magic scroll with a contract already written, all that was left was a place to sign her name. She took out a small thin dagger and placed it on a table that was drawn out of a portal between them. "Now, do you consent? All you need to do is to sign, and leave your mark. A little drop of blood to seal the deal, and for me to start my research."

Her reason in asking for blood was beyond a legal confirmation. The fact this curse forced reincarnation after ten instances of misfortune was a step above the usual methods. She wanted the blood for personal study. Shiloh wanted to check if there were any unusual properties present before or after a completed reincarnation cycle, and would work from there. Solving the origins of the curse was like decoding a puzzle; once she learned the rules and conditions by which it operated she could find a way to pull it apart. But that would mean waiting for Kyra to die again. Was she alright with that?

Kyra listened quietly as Shiloh explained the details of the contract. It was difficult to figure out the goddess' motives. Kyra figured that it wasn't just an act of charity based on the descriptions and details that the goddess involved in the contract. The price was not bad. The half elf had been expecting something that would be harder to get or some sort of higher price. But she had not been finished with all the details of her request. 

"The price is right for me. However there are two things I must mention before I sign officially." Kyra said, "In order for this to work, you or somebody will have to find my reincarnation. Its possible that the reincarnations might not look like me. I can make a list of things to look out for based on my own past. However, its going to be unlikely or impossible that any future versions of me will come all the way out here to regain my memories."

Hopefully this would make sense to the goddess. Although Kyra didn't know much about her past selves, with the exception of her deaths, she could make guesses about what to look out for when finding the reincarnations. 

"Second, I'm fine with anybody looks at my memories, but I am concerned about the goddess of death." Kyra explained, "From what I've heard about her, she doesn't care much for reincarnation or rebirth. I don't want her to try to interrupt and kill me. Then I'll never figure out what was going on. And neither will you. So we will have to make sure the goddess of death doesn't try to end this herself before we know whats happening." 

Kyra could have just gone to Dalanesca to ask for death. But the half elf needed to know why and what was happening to her. Something within her was desiring, practically begging for that knowledge. She needed answers. Death would not give her that. Throughout all of this thought and speaking, Kyra's happy smile remained. Her own mask would not falter. Especially when talking about something like this. 

"So if those two things can be involved in the contract, then I'll be ready to sign." Kyra stated. 

They were small things and were meant to make this process clearer and easier for the both of them.  

The two things she was concerned about were easy to fix. Kyra did make a good point about bringing up Dalanesca. When it came to other deities, Shiloh wasn't interested in stepping on toes. She herself was relatively new and making enemies was not the way to stay alive. As a deity she kept a strict hands-off approach on the rest of the world, mostly cleaning up other peoples' messes. When Kyra finished voicing her worries, Shiloh answered. "I have a way to handle both problems in the same stroke. First, I'll need to mark you. Once you have my mark, any other deity will see that you are under my jurisdiction and no matter where you go I will be able to find you. If they have any problems with our arrangement, they'll come to me. Naturally when someone reincarnates you can't rely on physical similarities, but the mark should remain until I personally remove it." To further explain the marking process, she continued. "Oh and there's nothing to be worried about. Marking is just standard procedure establishing an invisible bond between us. Nothing major, I won't be able to control your actions or hear your thoughts and vice versa." 

Additional text noting the terms and conditions of the marking appeared on the magic scroll, the words rearranging to form the newly revised unsigned contract. Pointing at it, Shiloh motioned for Kyra to give it a second look. "There. Take your time; I want to make sure you know what you're signing yourself into. When both parties are in full agreement that makes things go much more smoothly for everybody." It was something she insisted on. Regardless the conditions that one signed under, they could never say they weren't fully informed. She hated it when people did that to her so she went through great lengths not to do the same. In the revision, there was a section that stated that until the curse was fully broken, Kyra would pledge her soul to Antikythera. Upon the fulfillment of her initial request she would be released from the contract and her soul free to do as she pleased. 

The quill was dipped and the dagger sharp for the signature and seal of blood. In formerly empty blanks Kyra's name appeared in full. The memory repository would be loaned to her. She could keep it as long as the curse was still in effect as it was designed for that specific purpose. Once the contract was signed, Shiloh pointed at a point on the elf's body. Magic filled the air as an unnatural chill came over the Entrance Hall. The sensation of something tethering her soul to the deity opposite of her took hold, and the mark of Antikythera manifested on the hollow of her chest below her collarbone. Moments after it appeared, it was gone. "And we're done. I'll get you your memory recording device, it won't take long." Walking back to the Marble Corridor she vanished for a short period of time. The clacking of her heels signaled her return, with a large magic sphere in hand. Handing it off to Kyra, Shiloh took a seat to see how she'd react.

The device was just a modified Maurelle's Sphere with automatic recording of visual and auditory information surrounding the girl. The same symbol of the mark faintly glowed on the orb's surface, lighting up when it resonated with the one on Kyra's body. To make room for more important functions Shiloh had taken out that pesky slightly-fatal reminder feature that gave these objects their infamous reputation. Fairies–not exactly known for their practicality or logic when it came to everything. "Looks like the synchronization is working. Now it'll record your conscious and subconscious thoughts as well as your external circumstances. I put in a homing device but try not to lose it in a place it can't get out of."